Eritrean War of Independence

A 1961–1991 conflict in which Eritrean independence forces fought Ethiopian rule. Eritrea formally became independent in 1993.

Italian Eritrea: The Italian colonial territory in the Horn of Africa that became Eritrea after Italy’s defeat in World War II. Its colonial boundaries and institutions shaped the territory claimed by Eritrean nationalists.
Eritrean Liberation Front: An Eritrean nationalist armed movement founded in 1961 to fight Ethiopian rule. It launched the armed struggle and dominated its early years.
Hamid Idris Awate: An Eritrean nationalist who led the first armed action commonly used to mark the start of the independence war in 1961. His 1961 uprising inaugurated the armed struggle.
Fall of the Derg: The 1991 collapse of Ethiopia’s military government after insurgent forces captured Addis Ababa. Its collapse removed the government that had fought Eritrean independence forces.
British Military Administration in Eritrea: The British administration that governed Eritrea from 1941 until the federation with Ethiopia in 1952. Its departure preceded the contested federation that set the stage for armed resistance.
Eritrean People's Liberation Front: An Eritrean revolutionary movement that became the principal force for independence and governed Eritrea after 1991. Its military organization and victories determined the war’s final phase.
Isaias Afwerki: An Eritrean political and military leader who headed the EPLF and became Eritrea’s first president. He led the movement that took power when Ethiopian rule ended.
Eritrean independence referendum, 1993: A UN-observed referendum in which Eritreans voted overwhelmingly for independence from Ethiopia. The vote formally confirmed the outcome of the armed struggle.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 390: A 1950 UN resolution that established Eritrea as an autonomous unit federated with Ethiopia under the Ethiopian crown. Its federal arrangement was progressively dismantled before the conflict began.
Eritrean Civil Wars: Internal armed conflicts between Eritrean nationalist factions, especially the ELF and EPLF, during the independence struggle. These conflicts weakened the independence movement before the EPLF became dominant.

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