510:. It destroyed the most formidable Ethiopian garrison in northern Eritrea and marked a pivotal moment, setting off a chain of events leading to total victory three years later. The Ethiopian army, caught in a long-simmering crisis and plagued by internal divisions, underestimated the resilience, skill, and adaptability of the rebels. Af Abet, one of the three crucial turning points in the Eritrean war, severely weakened the military's capacity to wage war and foreshadowed the downfall of the dictatorship, paving the way for Eritrean independence. The battle's strategic significance has been likened to the Vietnamese triumph against the French at
476:
ganta (platoon), hayli (company), and bottoloni (battalion). The brigade, comprising three battalions, was the largest unit until the mid-1980s when it was surpassed by the division. Remarkably, nearly a third of the EPLA's total force and 15 percent of its frontline combat units were women, challenging traditional gender roles. However, women remained underrepresented in leadership positions. Specialized units within the EPLA effectively employed guerrilla and conventional tactics. By the end of the 1980s, the EPLA consisted of six divisions, fourteen infantry brigades, four mechanized brigades, and various specialized units.
464:(TPLF). Some ELF fighters joined the winning side, and those in Sudan were disarmed. The ELF ceased as an effective organization by the mid-1980s but continued sporadic operations in Eritrea. The EPLF emerged as the dominant force, defeating major operations in 1982 and 1983. In 1988, the EPLF achieved a historic victory, signaling the defeat of the military regime and the path to Eritrean independence. The organizational structure and guiding ideas played a crucial role in the EPLF's success.
279:
314:
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thousands of young men and women to the fronts, principally to the EPLF. As most of the new recruits were
Christian, highland society was no longer peripheral to the conflict. The success of the insurgents was due more to government weakness than their own strength. A counteroffensive in 1978 led to the EPLF's strategic withdrawal, establishing a defensive line in 1979.
418:, who had become commissar of the Fourth Zone after military training in Syria. Cuba also received ten individuals, including Ibrahim Affa, a skilled former marine commando, in 1968. Upon their return, these men improved the combat capabilities of the front but also intensified internal conflicts and feuds.
530:
and resulted in EPLF seizing the city and defeating the
Ethiopian garrison. The defeat was complete, catastrophic, and irreversible. Even the vengeful bombing, which persisted until the end of March and resulted in the destruction of numerous historic Islamic buildings, could not alter the disastrous
471:
in an attempt to crush the EPLF. Despite these efforts, the government forces were thwarted by the EPLF. Rather than crushing the EPLF, the unsuccessful operation had the opposite effect, strengthening it. This outcome led to an increased fervor among the
Eritrean people, who rallied behind the EPLF.
430:
The EPLF faced immediate challenges, including a declaration of war by the ELF in mid-1972, leading to the "first civil war" ending inconclusively in 1974. Internal dissension within the EPLF, fueled by accusations of authoritarian practices and military shortcomings, was quelled by Isaias, resulting
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after 1987, emphasized decentralization and local initiative during defensive guerrilla tactics. Command became more centralized during conventional offensives. The insurgents relied on light and portable equipment, with the AK-47 being the primary individual weapon. Leaving the EPLF was practically
450:
and overran much of
Eritrea. Only Asmara, Barentu, and the ports of Assab and Massawa remained under government control. The road between them cut, however, Asmara and Massawa were under siege. The hopes of a nationalist victory raised by the insurgents’ achievements and fear of the Red Terror drove
426:
Disillusioned with incompetent and feuding leaders, many young dissidents left the ELF, forming competing organizations. Efforts at rectification and unity failed, leading to the emergence of the
Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) in August 1973, officially known as Shaabia ("popular" in its
475:
Growing from around four hundred men organized in squads, the EPLA became a formidable force by the mid-1980s. The primary combat component was the strategic mobile forces, consisting of permanent units like brigades and divisions. The smallest operational unit was the mesre (squad), followed by
459:
The fronts faced a lull in fighting in 1980–81, with the army engaged in operations against rebels. The uneasy peace between the fronts crumbled in August 1980, leading to the "second civil war," where the ELF was decisively defeated a year later with assistance from the
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in the execution of eleven members in August 1974. This event contributed to the centralization and security focus of the EPLF. The
Ethiopian Revolution shifted the balance in Eritrea, and a temporary truce allowed joint offensives by the fronts in 1976.
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impossible, and instances of kidnapping and forcible conscription were reported. Child soldiers, drafted as young as ten, were used between 1979 and 1983 but this policy was abandoned due to internal and external criticism.
542:. It was important as it converted the Front from a military organization to a purely political movement. At the time, the organization had 95,000 members. At this Congress, the name of the organization was changed to the
442:
as well as a broad educational policy for maintaining every language and improving literacy. It was also set out that the boundaries of an
Eritrean state would be based on the colonial treaties of Italy.
427:
Arabic abbreviation) in 1977. Led by Isaias and
Ramadan, the EPLF found refuge in the mountains of Sahel, successfully repelling repeated assaults from Nakfa, a garrison town on a high plateau.
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The Second
Congress in 1987, brought together the EPLF and the Eritrean Liberation Front/Central Leadership (also sometimes referred to as Central Command, CC) in what was called the
491:. This was the culmination of negotiations over three years which had brought together the two fighting forces in October 1986, under a unified command. On this congress,
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The First
Congress of the EPLF occurred in January 1977 and formally set out the policies of this new organization. At this first meeting
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376:
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535:, leader of the victorious army, concurs, acknowledging it as a victory of the greatest strategic value in the history of the struggle.
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was elected Secretary-General and Isaias as Assistant Secretary-General. This program specifically targeted a liberalization of
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Between February and June 1982, over 80,000 Ethiopian troops launched a series of offensives known as the
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411:
372:
137:
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1137:"Inside the EPLF: The Origins of the 'People's Party' & Its Role in the Liberation of Eritrea"
495:
replaced secretary-general Ramadan Nur. Subsequently, the movement abandoned most of its formerly
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in 1989, the EPLF went on the offensive in 1990 directed at Massawa. This offensive was known as
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1209:
List of incidents attributed to the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front on the START database
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In 1967, thirty-three men underwent six months of training in China, including
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375:(ELF). After achieving Eritrean independence in 1991, it transformed into the
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Biopolitics, Militarism, and Development: Eritrea in the Twenty-First Century
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Shinn, David Hamilton; Ofcansky, Thomas P.; Prouty, Chris (2004),
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The EPLF won its most resounding victories on March 1988 at the
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237:
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52:
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The Third and last Congress of the EPLF was held in 1994 in
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Evil Days: Thirty Years of War and Famine in Ethiopia
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From 1975 to 1977, the ELF and EPLF outnumbered the
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
745:
The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
636:
The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
601:
The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
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The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
16:Far-left paramilitary group of Eritrea (1973–1994)
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920:Doris, Burgess; Cliffe, Lionel (Spring 1987).
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37:
194:National Union of Eritrean Youth and Students
79:
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479:The EPLF, led by a general staff headed by
277:
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1264:Political parties disestablished in 1994
544:People's Front for Democracy and Justice
377:People's Front for Democracy and Justice
148:People's Front for Democracy and Justice
81:Fronte di Liberazione del Popolo Eritreo
1254:National liberation movements in Africa
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379:(PFDJ), which serves as Eritrea's sole
332:question marks, boxes, or other symbols
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1099:
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1032:O'Kane, David; Hepner, Tricia (2011),
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723:from the original on 18 September 2023
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66:Aljabhat Alshaebiat Litahrir 'Iiritria
1269:Political parties established in 1973
999:"Eritrean People's Liberation Front"
964:"Eritrean People's Liberation Front"
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334: instead of Ethiopic characters.
1249:Factions of the Ethiopian Civil War
1224:African socialist political parties
1141:Review of African Political Economy
926:Review of African Political Economy
59:
13:
709:. Human Rights Watch. p. 50.
341:Eritrean People's Liberation Front
45:Hizibawī Ginibari Harineti Ēritira
24:Eritrean People's Liberation Front
14:
1290:
1234:Defunct communist militant groups
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968:Historical dictionary of Ethiopia
355:organization that fought for the
203:Eritrean People's Liberation Army
970:, Scarecrow Press, p. 143,
462:Tigray People's Liberation Front
312:
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1038:, Berghahn Books, p. xx,
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60:الجبهة الشعبية لتحرير إريتريا
1259:Parties of one-party systems
1244:Eritrean War of Independence
1005:, Harassowitz, p. 373,
393:Eritrean War of Independence
7:
703:Waal, Alexander De (1991).
65:
44:
10:
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397:
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371:group that split from the
363:. It emerged in 1973 as a
122:16 February 1994
1162:10.1080/03056240108704545
1153:10.1080/03056240108704545
938:10.1080/03056248708703724
497:Marxist–Leninist ideology
412:Eritrean Liberation Front
373:Eritrean Liberation Front
347:), colloquially known as
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138:Eritrean Liberation Front
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1279:Rebel groups in Ethiopia
1003:Encyclopaedia Aethiopica
522:After another defeat at
517:
454:
421:
1274:Rebel groups in Eritrea
997:Erlich, Haggai (2005),
357:independence of Eritrea
255:Political position
107:1 August 1973
1100:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
1065:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
922:"EPLF Second Congress"
882:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
847:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
812:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
777:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
742:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
668:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
633:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
598:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
563:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
410:) in 1966 to join the
408:Addis Ababa University
320:This article contains
80:
1135:Connell, Dan (2001).
501:Eritrean nationalists
381:legal political party
369:left-wing nationalist
222:Left-wing nationalism
1239:Eritrean nationalism
1229:Communism in Eritrea
436:Romodan Mohammed Nur
416:Romodan Mohammed Nur
217:Eritrean nationalism
98:Romodan Mohammed Nur
290:Politics of Eritrea
39:ህዝባዊ ግንባር ሓርነት ኤርትራ
1113:978-99944-951-2-2
1078:978-99944-951-2-2
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825:978-99944-951-2-2
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681:978-99944-951-2-2
646:978-99944-951-2-2
611:978-99944-951-2-2
576:978-99944-951-2-2
469:Red Star Campaign
328:rendering support
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295:Political parties
144:Succeeded by
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493:Isaias Afewerki
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154:Headquarters
932:(38): 107.
727:16 November
414:(ELF), and
267:(1987–1994)
165:(1991–1994)
160:(1976–1991)
1218:Categories
1051:16 January
1018:15 January
983:15 January
948:2007-09-07
550:References
512:Diebienphu
272:Party flag
227:Secularism
200:Armed Wing
189:Youth wing
126:1994-02-16
111:1973-08-01
1187:145692529
1171:0305-6244
1122:973809792
1087:973809792
904:973809792
869:973809792
834:973809792
799:973809792
764:973809792
690:973809792
655:973809792
620:973809792
585:973809792
531:outcome.
300:Elections
265:Left-wing
244:Socialism
170:Newspaper
119:Dissolved
721:Archived
546:(PFDJ).
365:far-left
361:Ethiopia
260:Far-left
209:Ideology
174:Vanguard
89:Chairman
32:Tigrinya
1179:4006615
528:Massawa
398:Origins
387:History
124: (
109: (
104:Founded
74:Italian
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540:Asmara
349:Shabia
238:Maoism
182:Adulis
163:Asmara
53:Arabic
1183:S2CID
1175:JSTOR
524:Shire
518:1990s
455:1980s
422:1970s
359:from
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