September 1, 2022
Eritrean Armed Struggle: 61st Anniversary
By Simon Woldemichael
On September 1, 2022, Eritreans will mark the 61st anniversary of the start of the armed struggle for independence.
During the dark period of colonization (1890-1991), the Eritrean people were stripped off their human dignity by successive colonialists. Following Italy’s defeat in World War II, Eritrea was federated with Ethiopia against the wishes of the Eritrean people. When Ethiopia abrogated the bogus “Federal Arrangement’’ and annexed Eritrea and the international community refused to act, Eritreans were left with no choice but to transform their political struggle for self-determination to an armed struggle. This was the backdrop of September 1st when Hamid Idris Awate, fired the first bullet that signaled the beginning of the armed struggle for independence on September 1st, 1961.
