Eritrean Civil Wars: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Military Conflict |
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|conflict=Eritrean Civil War |
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|partof=the [[Eritrean War of Independence]] |
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|image=[[Image:Er-map.gif|300px]] |
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|caption=Map of Eritrea |
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|date=February 1972 - 1974-10-13<br />February 1980 - 1981-03-24 |
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|place=[[Eritrea]] |
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|casus= |
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|territory= |
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|result=ELF defeat |
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|combatant1=<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:ELF.png|22x20px]] -->[[Eritrean Liberation Front|ELF]] |
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|combatant2=[[Eritrean People's Liberation Front|EPLF]] |
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|commander1=Unknown |
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|commander2=[[Isaias Afewerki]] |
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|strength1=? |
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|strength2=? |
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|casualties1= |
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|casualties2= |
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|notes= |
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}} |
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{{Campaignbox Horn of Africa}} |
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The '''Eritrean Civil Wars'''<ref>{{cite web | last =Cousin | first = Tracey L. | title = Eritrean and Ethiopian Civil War | work =ICE Case Studies | url =http://www.american.edu/ted/ice/eritrea.htm | accessdate =2007-09-03 }}</ref> were a combination of two conflicts that were fought between competing organizations for the liberation of [[Eritrea]]. From 1972 to 1974 and continued from 1980 to 1981. The earlier conflict was between the [[Eritrean Liberation Front]] (ELF) and the groups that would become the [[Eritrean People's Liberation Front]] (EPLF), namely the two branches of the Popular Liberation Forces (the Ala and Shaebia) and Obel. The final conflict resulted in the defeat of the ELF and their withdrawal from the theater. |
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==Background== |
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In 1952, Eritrea was federated with [[Ethiopia]] under great domestic controversy. Throughout the federation the autonomy of Eritrea was whittled away until it was no longer legal to teach in all of Eritrea's tongues. With increasing divisiveness being sown in the local press between Christians and Muslims the ELF was formed in [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] by a number of Eritrean Muslim intellectuals in 1960. |
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This organization was socialist in nature however, attracted mostly Muslim fighters in the early 1960s. By the late 1960s however, the frustration with the dissolution of the federation had pushed Eritrean Christians to join the fight for Independence. Integration of Christian fighters under Muslim commanders did not go well and the regional emphasis of the ELF caused friction between the old guard and the new radical students. |
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This friction lead to the separation of parts of ELF from the ELF Command, sparking a military conflict. In the words of the ELF command, the purpose of the conflict was, "...to assert the continuation of the revolution through the liquidation of counter-revolution..."<ref>{{cite journal | title =Liquidation of Counter-Revolution | journal =The Eritrean Struggle | issue =3 | pages =8 | date =1973}}</ref> |
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==First Civil War== |
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The First Civil War<ref name="guerillas">{{cite book|last=Pool|first=David|title=From Guerrillas to Government: The Eritrean People's Liberation Front|publisher=Ohio University Press|date=2001-12-01|isbn=0821413872}}</ref> was fought by the ELF against the nascent organizations of the Popular Liberation Forces that were formerly under the command of the ELF and the Obel group. Fighting began in February 1972 and spread through lowlands, particularly the [[Red Sea]] coast. Eventually this conflict spread further into the highlands until in 1974 calls for the conflict to stop were finally heeded. These calls for peace came from local villagers at a time when the independence movement was close to victory over Ethiopia.<ref>{{cite journal | last =Harris | first =Paul | title =Eritrea: A Small War in Africa | journal =Combat & Survival | volume =10 | issue =7 | pages =October 1998}}</ref> |
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==Second Civil War== |
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The Second Civil War<ref name="guerillas" /> was executed by the EPLF against the ELF in a bid to protect the flanks of the Front under tremendous pressure from a resurgent Ethiopia. In 1980, the ELF had entered into secret negotiations with the Soviet Union to end the war. Furthermore, on defence of the Sahel stronghold of the EPLF, ELF units withdrew from the lines in August of the same year.<ref name="killion">{{cite book| title=Historical Dictionary of Eritrea| first=Tom |last=Killion |year=1998 | isbn=0-8108-3437-5| publisher=Scarecrow| location=Lanham, Md.}}</ref> This created tremendous friction between the fronts which eventually led to the resumption of conflict. By this point the ELF had been drained during the Ethiopian resurgence after Soviet assistance was leveraged, and were eventually defeated by the EPLF forces in 1981. They were pushed across the border into the Sudan.<ref name="killion" /><ref>{{cite journal | title =Eritrea—Hope For Africa’s Future | journal =Kurdistan Report | volume =9 | issue =10 | pages =1996}}</ref> |
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==References== |
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<references/> |
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==See also== |
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* [[Eritrean War of Independence]] |
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* [[History of Eritrea]] |
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[[Category:20th-century conflicts]] |
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[[Category:History of Eritrea]] |
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[[Category:20th century in Eritrea]] |
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[[Category:Wars involving Eritrea]] |
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[[es:Guerra Civil Eritrea]] |
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[[nl:Eritrese Burgeroorlogen]] |
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[[pt:Guerras Civis da Eritreia]] |
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