Timeline Eritrea

A chronology of key historical events:

300-600 - Eritrea part of the Ethiopian kingdom of Aksum.

600 - Arabs introduce Islam to coastal areas.

1500s - Ottoman Empire annexes Eritrea.

1890 - Eritrea becomes an Italian colony.

1941 - British forces occupy Eritrea.

1952 - United Nations resolved to establish it as an autonomous entity federated with Ethiopia as a compromise between Ethiopian claims of unity and Eritrean aspirations for independence.

1958 – The Ethiopian allinated Eritrean Police has struck militarily the up rising of Eritrean workers supported by their Union. 1958 - Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM) formed.

Independence struggle

1961 September - Beginning of armed struggle for the independence of Eritrea. The creation of ELF was Anounced

1962 - Emperor Haile Sellassie unilaterally dissolved the Eritrean parliament and annexed the country, giving impulse to the struggle for independence from Ethiopia

1963 - civil war between ELF and ELM. Eritrean Liberation Movement was liquidated.

1970 - A faction of the Eritrean Liberation Front splits to form the Eritrean People's Liberation Front.

1972 – Physical liquidation of the leftist group inside EPLF by the faction of Isayas Afewerki.

1974 - Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie overthrown in a military coup. The new Ethiopian Government, called the Derg, was a nationalist military junta led by strongman Mengistu Haile Miriam.

1977-78 - Soviet advisers and Cuban troops help Ethiopian forces reverse significant advances made by Eritrean guerrillas.

1981- End of civil war between EPLF and ELF. Elf retreated to Sudan.

1990 - Eritrean People's Liberation Front captures the Eritrean port of Massawa.

1991 – The United States played a facilitative role in the peace talks in Washington during the months leading up to the May 1991 fall of the Mengistu regime.

In mid-May- Mengistu resigned as head of the Ethiopian Government and went into exile in Zimbabwe, leaving a caretaker government in Addis Ababa.

End of May- The United States chaired talks in London to formalize the end of the war. These talks were attended by the four major combatant groups, including the EPLF.

Having defeated the Ethiopian forces in Eritrea, EPLF troops took control of the Eritrean capital, Asmara and forms a provisional government; the United Nations sets a date for a referendum on Eritrean independence with Ethiopian backing.
EPLF established the Provisional Government of Eritrea (PGE) to administer Eritrean affairs until a referendum could be held on independence and a permanent government established.

EPLF leader Isaias became the head of the PGE, and the EPLF Central Committee served as its legislative body.

1991 July 1-5 – A conference that established a transitional government in Ethiopia was held in Addis Abeba.

The EPLF attended the July conference as an observer and held talks with the new transitional government regarding Eritrea's relationship to Ethiopia.

The outcome of those talks was an agreement in which the Ethiopians recognized the right of the Eritreans to hold a referendum on independence.

1993 April 23-25 - Eritreans almost unanimously 99.8% of the registered have voted for independence; Eritrea becomes independent and joined the United Nations.

May 24, 1993 The Eritrean authorities declared Eritrea an independent state and Eritrea officially celebrated its independence on May 24, 1993.

Post-independence war

1994- Eritrea provoked militarily Djibuti

1995 - Eritrean troops invade the Yemeni-held Hanish islands at the mouth of the Red Sea.

1998 - International arbitration panel awards the Greater Hanish island to Yemen and divides other smaller islands between the two countries; border dispute between Eritrea and Ethiopia escalates into large-scale fighting.

1999 - Eritrean-Ethiopian border clashes turn into a full-scale war.

2000 May - Ethiopia captures the strategic Eritrean town of Barentu.

2000 June - Eritrea and Ethiopia sign a ceasefire agreement which calls for a United Nations force to monitor compliance and supervise the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from Eritrean territory, and the Eritrean army to reatreat 10 Km inside Eritrea so that a buffer zone can be kreated.

2000 December - Eritrea and Ethiopia sign a peace agreement in Algeria establishing commissions to mark the border, exchange prisoners, return displaced people and hear compensation claims.

Border disagreement

2001 February 24 - Ethiopia says it has completed its troop withdrawal from Eritrea in accordance with a UN-sponsored agreement to end the border war.

2001 April - Eritrea announces that its forces have pulled out of the border zone with Ethiopia in accordance with the peace agreement between the two countries.

2001 May 21- Eritrea and Ethiopia agree on a UN-proposed mediator to try to demarcate their disputed border.

2001 September - The Eritrean Regime closed the private press for "endangering national security" and arrested many journalists, after several publications printed the dissenting views of some National Assembly members.

2002 February - Eritrea's highest legislative body, the National Assembly, decides not to allow the creation of any political parties in the near future.

2002 October - Eritrea is accused by neighbouring Sudan of taking part in a rebel offensive in the east. Asmara denies the charge. Sudan's foreign minister threatens military retaliation.

2003 April - Boundary commission rules that disputed border town of Badme lies in Eritrea and have also made surprisingly different decision over the natural border between Akeleguzai Eritrea and Tigrai Ethiopias. Ethiopia says this type of ruling is unacceptable.

2003 October - Physical demarcation of border delayed indefinitely.

Capital:
Asmara (formerly Asmera)

Administrative divisions
6 regions; Central, Anelba, Southern Red Sea, Northern Red Sea, Southern, Gash-Barka

Note: this forcibly imposed administrative divisions are totally opposed by the People. The historical and traditional also accepted by foreign damonators are Akeleguzay, Barka, Denkel, Gasch Setit, Hamassien, Semhar, Seraie, and Senhit.

Independence
24 May 1993 (from Ethiopia)

National holiday
Independence Day, 24 May (1993)

Legal system
primary basis is the Ethiopian legal code of 1957, with revisions; new civil, commercial, and penal codes have not yet been promulgated; also relies on customary and post-independence-enacted laws and, for civil cases involving Muslims, Sharia law

Suffrage
18 years of age; universal

Government:
Type: Dictatorial regime

note: following a successful referendum on independence for the Autonomous Region of Eritrea on 23-25 April 1993, a National Assembly, composed entirely members of the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), was established by the PDFJ itself as a transitional legislature; a Constitutional Commission was also established to draft a constitution; ISAIAS Afewerki was elected president by the transitional legislature; the constitution, ratified in May 1997, did not enter into effect, pending parliamentary and presidential elections; parliamentary elections had been scheduled in December 2001, but were postponed indefinitely; currently the only powerful mann is Isaias Afewerki and the sole legal party is the People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ)

Executive branch
chief of state: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government and is head of the State Council and National Assembly

head of government: President ISAIAS Afworki (since 8 June 1993);

Isaias Afewerki

Born in 1945, Isaias Afewerki joined the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) in 1966. He received military training in China the same year, then went on to be deputy divisional commander.

In 1970 he co-founded the Eritrean People's Liberation Forces (EPLF) and in 1987 he was elected secretary-general of the organisation.

In 1993 he was elected president of independent Eritrea. Once a friend and ally of the Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, Mr Isaias Afewerki purports to favour economic integration with Ethiopia.

Eritrea is the only African country to have no privately-owned news media. Press watchdog Reporters Without Borders noted in 2003 that no criticism of the government was tolerated.

In 2001 the government closed the private press for "endangering national security" and arrested many journalists, after several publications printed the dissenting views of some National Assembly members.

There are no private radio or TV stations in Eritrea.

EPLF, later renamed PFDJ, is the only known ruling party in Horn of Africa that have still political prisoners arrested in post independent Eritrea.

Cabinet: State Council is the executive authority where the president have the full power even to decide what he wishes without convening it; members are appointed and dimissed by the president

Elections: president elected by the National Assembly; election last held 8 June 1993 (next election date uncertain as the National Assembly did not hold a presidential election in December 2001 as anticipated)

Election results: ISAIAS Afwerki elected president; 95 percent of National Assembly vote - ISAIAS Afworki

Legislative branch
Unicameral National Assembly (150 seats; term limits not established)

Elections: in May 1997, following the adoption of the not yet proclaimed new constitution, 75 members of the PFDJ Central Committee (the old Central Committee of the EPLF), 60 members of the 527-member Constituent Assembly, that had been established in 1997 by EPLF itself to discuss and ratify the new constitution, and 15 representatives of the supporters of EPLF living abroad were formed into a Transitional National Assembly to serve as the country's legislative body until countrywide elections to a National Assembly were held; although only 75 of 150 members of the Transitional National Assembly were elected, the constitution stipulates that once past the transition stage, all members of the National Assembly will be elected by secret ballot of all eligible voters; National Assembly elections scheduled for December 2001 were postponed indefinitely

Judicial branch
High Court - regional, subregional, and village courts; also have military and special courts

Media:

The press
Hadas Eritrea - government-owned, published three days a week Eritrea Profile - government-owned weekly, in English Tirigta - pro-government youth weekly owned by ruling party Geled - weekly youth paper

The following privately-owned titles published before the government's crackdown on the private press in September 2001:
Admas - weekly Keste Debena - weekly Mekalih - weekly Tsigenay - weekly Zemen - weekly Setit - weekly

Television

Eri TV - state-run

Radio

Voice of the Broad Masses of Eritrea (Dimtsi Hafash) - state-run, operates two networks, programmes in 11 languages Radio Zara - state-run, FM network

News agency
Erina (Eritrean News Agency) - state-run

Political parties:
People's Front for Democracy and Justice or PFDJ, the only party recognized by the government [ISAIAS Afwerki];
Note - a National Assembly committee drafted a law on political parties in January 2001, but the full National Assembly has not yet debated or voted on it

OposingPolitical groups

Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF)

Eritrean Peoples Congress (EPC)

Eritrean Liberation Front United Front (ELF-UF)

Democratic Movement for the Liberation of the Eritrean Kunama (DMLEK)

Movement of Eritrean Democratic Oposition -Gasch Setit (MEDO-GS)

Democratic Organization of Redsea Afar (DORA)

Eritrean Liberation Front – National Congress (ELF-NC)

Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement (EIJM)

Eritrean Revolutionary Democratic Front (ERDF)

Eritrean Cooperativ Party (ECP)

Poeples Democratic Front for the liberation of Eritrea (PDFLE-Sagem)
Eritrean Liberation Front - Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC)

Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP)

Eritrean Movement

Eritrean Public Forum (EPF)

Eritrean National Alliance (ENA) is coalition including

ELF, EPC, ELF-UF, DMLEK, MEDO-GS, DORA, ELF-NC, EIJM, ERDF, ECP, PDFLE-Sagem

International organization participation
ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (subscriber), ITU, NAM, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WtoO

Flag description of PFDJ Government:
Red isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) dividing the flag into two right triangles; the upper triangle is green, the lower one is blue; a gold wreath encircling a gold olive branch is centered on the hoist side of the red triangle

note: This was ratified by the self elected National Assembly of the regime. The opposition rejects the Flag chosen by the dictatorial regime of Isaias and accepts the old one ratified by the assembly of the Eritrean government in 1952

Geography Eritrea

• Capital: Asmara
• Area: 117,400 sq km (45,300 sq miles)
• Major languages: Tigrinya, Tigre, Arabic, English
• Major religions: Islam, Christianity
• Life expectancy: 51 years (men), 54 years (women) (UN)
• Monetary unit: 1 Nakfa = 100 cents
• Main exports: Livestock, hides, sorghum, textiles, salt, light manufactures
• GNI per capita: US $190 (World Bank, 2002)
• Internet domain: .er
International dialling code: +291

Location:
Eastern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Djibouti and Sudan

Geographic coordinates
15 00 N, 39 00 E
See Map

Area:
total: 121,320 sq km land: 121,320 sq km water: 0 sq km

Area – comparative
Nearly Austria and Switzerland together, or slightly larger than Pennsylvania

Land boundaries
total: 1,626 km
border countries: Djibouti 109 km, Ethiopia 912 km, Sudan 605 km

Coastline
2,234 km total; mainland on Red Sea 1,151 km, islands in Red Sea 1,083 km

Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm

Cities:
Capital--Asmara (est. pop. 435,000).
Architectural legacy of Italian colonists is evident in capital
Became capital:
1900 -1941: Under Italian colony of Eritrea
1941-1952: Under British administration
1952-62: Under Federal Government of Eritrea
1962-93: of the Province of Eritrea Under Ethiopian Occupation

From May 1991 Capital of independent Eritrea

Other cities
-Keren (57,000); Assab (28,000); Massawa (25,000); Afabet (25,000); Tessenie (25,000); Mendefera (25,000); Dekemhare (20,000); Adekeieh (15,000); Barentu (15,000); Ghinda (15,000).

Climate
hot, dry desert strip along Red Sea coast; cooler and wetter in the central highlands (up to 61 cm of rainfall annually); semiarid in western hills and lowlands; rainfall heaviest during June-September except in coastal desert

Terrain
Central highlands straddle escarpment associated with Rift Valley, dry coastal plains, and western lowlands.

Elevation extremes
lowest point: near Kulul within the Denakil depression -75 m
highest point: Soira 3,018 m

Natural resources
gold, potash, zinc, copper, salt, possibly oil and natural gas, fish

See Map

Land use
Arable land: 4.95%
permanent crops: 0.03%
other: 95.02% (2001)

Irrigated land
220 sq km (1998 est.)

Natural hazards
frequent droughts; locust swarms

Environment - current issues
deforestation; desertification; soil erosion; overgrazing; loss of infrastructure from civil warfare

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note
Strategic geopolitical position along world's busiest shipping lanes

People Eritrea

Population: 4.1 million (UN, 2003) 4,447,307 (July 2004 est.)

Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 44.8% (male 998,404; female 993,349)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 1,140,892; female 1,166,481)
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 72,776; female 75,405) (2004 est.)

Median age
total: 17.5 years
male: 17.3 years
female: 17.7 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate
2.57% (2004 est.)

Birth rate
39.03 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate
5.67 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Death rate
13.36 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
total population: 52.7 years
male: 51.32 years
female: 54.12 years (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
total: 75.59 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 83.03 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 67.94 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)

Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: UNHCR began repatriating about 150,000 Eritrean refugees from Sudan in 2001 following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2000 (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
2.7% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
60,000 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths
6,300 (2003 est.)

Citizenship
noun: Eritrean(s)
adjective: Eritrean

Nationalities
Tigrinya, Tigre, Kunama, Afar, Saho, Beja, Bilen, Nara, and Rashaida.

Eritrea's population comprises nine nationalities, most of which speak Semitic or Cushitic languages. The Tigrinya and Tigre make up four-fifths of the population and speak different, but related and somewhat mutually intelligible, Semitic languages. In general, most of the Christians live in the highlands, while Muslims and adherents of traditional beliefs live in lowland regions. Tigrinya and Arabic are the most frequently used languages for commercial and official transactions, but English is widely spoken and is the language used for secondary and university education.

Religions
Muslim, Coptic Christian, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Animisten (traditional bliefs) und other minority Christian religions

Languages:
Afar, Arabic, Bilen, Kunama, Tigre, Tigrinya, other Cushitic languages

Literacy:
definition: NA
total population: 58.6%
male: 69.9%
female: 47.6% (2003 est.)

Economy – overview
Since independence from Ethiopia on 24 May 1993, Eritrea has faced the economic problems of a small, desperately poor country. Like the economies of many African nations, the economy is largely based on subsistence agriculture, with 80% of the population involved in farming and herding. The Ethiopian-Eritrea war in 1998-2000 severely hurt Eritrea's economy. GDP growth fell to zero in 1999 and to -12.1% in 2000. The May 2000 Ethiopian offensive into northern Eritrea caused some $600 million in property damage and loss, including losses of $225 million in livestock and 55,000 homes. The attack prevented planting of crops in Eritrea's most productive region, causing food production to drop by 62%. Even during the war, Eritrea developed its transportation infrastructure, asphalting new roads, improving its ports, and repairing war damaged roads and bridges. Since the war ended, the government has maintained a firm grip on the economy, expanding the use of the military and party-owned businesses to complete Eritrea's development agenda. Erratic rainfall and the delayed demobilization of agriculturalists from the military kept cereal production well below normal, holding down growth in 2002. Eritrea's economic future depends upon its ability to master social problems such as illiteracy, unemployment, and low skills, and to open its economy to private enterprise so the diaspora's money and expertise can foster economic growth.

GDP
purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate
purchasing power parity - $3.3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate
2% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $700 (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector
agriculture: 12.4%
industry: 25.3%
services: 62.4% (2003 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):
51.7% of GDP (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
12.3% (2003)

Agriculture – products
sorghum, lentils, vegetables, corn, cotton, tobacco, coffee, sisal; livestock, goats; fish

Industries
food processing, beverages, clothing and textiles

Electricity – production
220.5 million kWh (2001)

Oil - consumption
6,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Exports – commodities
livestock, sorghum, textiles, food, small manufactures (2000)

Exports – partners
Malaysia 65.7%, Italy 10.5%, France 4.4%, Canada 12.7% (2003 est.)

Imports
$600 million f.o.b. (2003 est.)

Imports – commodities
machinery, petroleum products, food, manufactured goods (2000)

Imports – partners
US 42.3%, Italy 20.4%, Turkey 7.2%, Russia 5.7%, France 5.1% (2003 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange & gold
$28 million (2003)

Debt - external
$311 million (2000 est.)

Economic aid – recipient
$77 million (1999)

Currency
nakfa (ERN)

Currency code
ERN

Exchange rates
nakfa (ERN) per US dollar - NA (2003), 13.9582 (2002), 11.3095 (2001), 9.5 (2000), 7.6 (1999)

Fiscal year
calendar year

Communications Eritrea

Telephones - main lines in use
38,100 (2003)

Telephone system
general assessment: inadequate
domestic: very inadequate; most telephones are in Asmara; government is seeking international tenders to improve the system (2002)
international: country code - 291; note - international connections exist

Radio broadcast stations
AM 2, FM NA, shortwave 2 (2000)

Television broadcast stations
1 (2000)

Internet country code
.er

Internet hosts
1,047 (2004)

Internet users
9,500 (2003)

Transportation Eritrea

Railways
total: 306 km
narrow gauge: 306 km 0.950-m gauge
note: railway is being rebuilt; 117 km open (2003)

Highways
total: 4,010 km
paved: 874 km
unpaved: 3,136 km (1999 est.)

Ports and harbors

Assab (Aseb), Massawa (Mits'iwa)

Merchant marine
total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 16,069 GRT/19,549 DWT
by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, liquefied gas 1, petroleum tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1
registered in other countries: 1 (2003 est.)

Airports 18 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 (2003 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 13
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 2 (2003 est.)

Military Eritrea Military branches:
Army, Navy, Air Force and Milishia

In the first Colmn

- Historical events

- Government Eritrea

In the second Colmn

- Geography Eritrea

- Economy Eritrea

Note Of Autors

NA= Not available
Est=estimation

This page was updated on 14 September, 2004