Abstract
Italy was the colonial ruler from 1890 until 1941 when Eritrea fell to British forces and a British protectorate was set up. This ended in 1952 when the UN sanctioned federation with Ethiopia. In 1962 Ethiopia became a unitary state and Eritrea was incorporated as a province. Eritreans began an armed struggle for independence under the leadership of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) which culminated successfully in the capture of Asmara on 24 May 1991. Thereafter the EPLF maintained a de facto independent administration recognized by the Ethiopian government. Sovereignty was proclaimed on 24 May 1993. In 1999 fighting broke out along the border with Ethiopia. After the failure of international mediation, the 13-month long-truce between Eritrea and Ethiopia ended in May 2000. Ethiopia launched a major offensive in the ongoing war over territorial disputes and claimed victory. In June both sides agreed to an Organization of African Unity peace deal to end the two-year border war.
Chapter PDF
Further Reading
Henze, Paul, Eritrea’s War: Confrontation, International Response, Outcome, Prospects. Shama, Addis Ababa, 2001
Negash, Tekeste and Tronvoll, Kjetil, Brothers at War: Making Sense of the Eritrean-Ethiopian War. Ohio Univ. Press and James Currey, Oxford, 2001
Wrong, Michaela, I Didn’t Do It For You: How the World Betrayed a Small African Nation. Fourth Estate, London, 2005
Editor information
Copyright information
© 2006 Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Turner, B. (2006). Eritrea. In: Turner, B. (eds) The Statesman’s Yearbook 2007. The Statesman’s Yearbook. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271357_167
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230271357_167
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-4039-9276-5
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27135-7
eBook Packages: Palgrave Political & Intern. Studies CollectionPolitical Science and International Studies (R0)