There is no absolute freedom and no perfect political system on this earth. The State of Vermont left the Union and came back because it was beneficial for the people in Vermont to be a part of the United States of America than to be its own state-nation. The present situation could be left as is and time will show how independent Eritrea is. Ethiopia is big enough to be a market by itself, it can afford to lose time in false reforms without losing its identity. Perhaps, there's a lesson for all to learn from this conflict.
Freedom is good only when it's freedom to do something, to do better.
The recent confrontation is a continuation of 30 plus years of fantasies and demagoguery. The real Eritrean problem is that they don't know what to do with their independence. Unfortunately, Africa is run by ideologues, not statesmen. The real leader is concerned with the welfare of the state and its people, not words and feelings. The problem will resurface again, they have no other place to go.