February 1, 2020
Operation Fenkil: Decisive Victory that Signaled the End of Ethiopian Colonialism
By Habtom Tesfamichael
Operation Fenkil was one of the most decisive military operations that heralded the end of Ethiopian colonialism in Eritrea. The operation was carried out through the coordinated attack of the infantry, the mechanized and the then nascent naval forces of the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF). The port city of Massawa was crucial for the Ethiopian Second Division. It had been a life-line for the shipment of its armaments and other logistics. Understanding the importance of the port city to the survival of its war machinery, the Dergue regime spent many years building strong fortifications that surrounded Massawa.
