CAUSES OF THE ERITREAN WAR OF INDEPENDENCE 1961 – 1993
Divergent historical background, the Eritreans refused to accept Ethiopia as her 2nd colonial master reasoning that her transfer to Ethiopia 1952 was by mistake. On the other hand Ethiopia contended that Eritrea was part of her provinces in the ancient Ethiopian empire therefore failure to come to a compromise over a common historical background, Eritrea opted to fight for her independence. The growth of Eritrean nationalism due to the blowing wind of change across the continent of Africa was another cause of the struggle for independence, by 1961 ELF was formed influenced by the UN charter which advocated for self determination. Therefore when Ethiopia refused to give up, Eritrea nationalism surged to the fore hence beginning of the war of independence. The rigging of the 1960 referendum by Emperor Haille Ssellassie where the UN showed the double standards as it watched Ethiopia rape Eritrea and failed to discipline countries supporting Ethiopian colonialism in Eritrea. This cau...