436:(EPLF) had attacked the Nadew Command a few months previously, with limited success. On 8 December 1987, the EPLF attacked one of the divisions of the Command, the 22nd Mountain Division, with a force that may have contained as many as five infantry brigades, one mechanized battalion, and three heavy-weapon battalions. On the second day of the assault, Eritrean infiltrators destroyed the divisional control center. It required the assistance of the Nineteenth Mountain Infantry Division and the 45th Infantry Brigade to halt further advances and repel the EPLF forces. Ethiopian losses in this preliminary engagement were 242 killed, 291 wounded, and 615 missings; Eritrean losses have been estimated at 125 killed and 269 wounded. However, the Ethiopian side suffered even graver losses in the aftermath: on
472:
reconnaissance before its withdrawal, the brigade was halted when a tank and truck were disabled by
Eritrean 100mm guns, the burning vehicles blocking the road. The Ethiopians were forced to destroy their weaponry to prevent them from falling into EPLF hands. Ethiopian aircraft even bombed their own troops. The commander of the Second Revolutionary Army came to the battlefield himself to supervise opening the road to Afabet "until he allegedly 'escaped on a camel' just before the fall of the garrison." Once the Ethiopian troops were routed in Hedai Valley, the EPLF stormed and captured Afabet. As the town was a major garrison the EPLF also captured a large cache of weapons in addition to those captured in the valley.
230:
195:
186:
133:
260:
242:
144:
176:
165:
121:
440:'s order twenty senior officers were transferred and the commander of the Nadew Command, General Tariku Ayne, who had been absent from Afabet for medical treatment, was executed outside of Asmara on 15 February 1988. The death of one of Ethiopia's most prominent generals surprised even the EPLF, whose Radio of the Masses broadcast that the Derg had "cut off its right hand with its left hand". The 22nd Division was moved to
504:
decisive offensive' against the EPLF. That 'decisive offensive' was being planned by Soviet military advisors. As it was, the EPLF, clearly outsmarting the
Soviets, turned around the 'planned offensive' to their advantage. The Soviet Union had always denied direct involvement in Eritrea but was caught red-handed by the EPLF at Afabet by the capture of three Soviet military personnel, another one was killed in the combat.
267:
520:. However, the Ethiopian historian Gebru Tareke disagrees with this comparison to Dien Bien Phu, pointing out that Davidson made his observation from the field as a guest of the EPLF, and that "the Ethiopian armed forces continued to fight, at times quite vigorously, for another three years." He concludes, "From a global perspective, Afabet was an
471:
A stumbling block for the EPLF was on the left flank, where their Eighty-fifth
Division was held up by the dogged resistance of the Ethiopian Twenty-ninth Mechanized Brigade. It fought without reinforcement for most of a day until its commander gambled on a retreat to Afabet. Lacking time for careful
424:
The Nadew
Command was one of four commands, or army corps, of the Ethiopian Second Revolutionary Army. Led by Colonel Getaneh Haile, it was composed of three infantry divisions and accompanying support units, and some sources state it had between 20,000 and 22,000 soldiers. Gebru Tareke, noted that
463:
On the morning of 17 March 1988, the EPLF deployed troops on three sides around Hedai Valley to encircle the
Ethiopian garrison. The first unit attacked was the newly arrived Fourteenth Division. Upon their attack, the Ethiopian forces began to withdraw but were cut off. The battle continued while
447:
By this time, Nadew
Command had three divisions over-stretching to cover the wide area of operation which had been covered by five divisions prior. The Command could not adequately provide force to strategically operate at a distance from its main body for the purpose of resistance against enemy
503:
The significance to the
Ethiopian regime of the loss of Afabet cannot be overstated. In this single battle, Ethiopia lost whole divisions of its best-trained and armed troops. Worse still, it left behind a weapons stockpile that it had amassed to carry out what it believed was to have been 'a
448:
attack. Thus, Command's ability to provide early and accurate warning on enemy movement and appropriate response was degraded. Subsequently, the main force lacked the benefit of enough reaction time and maneuver space to effectively respond to enemy attack.
425:
the morale of the soldiers was at an all-time low, and none of the divisions "had even half of the numbers that would normally constitute an
Ethiopian division – ten to twelve thousand men", quotes
475:
Killion estimates that by the end of the three-day battle, the EPLF had killed over 8,000 Ethiopian soldiers. After losing Afabet, on the following days the
Ethiopian troops abandoned the towns of
310:
611:
303:
995:
572:
296:
1020:
1000:
137:
63:
545:
781:
968:
913:
735:
452:
433:
125:
1015:
69:
820:
259:
404:. It has been described as the most significant battle in terms of military and political consequences since the
426:
593:
275:
487:, since they thought they could not defend them any longer, and concentrated most of their forces on Keren.
397:
320:
32:
517:
401:
1010:
1025:
1005:
374:
349:
701:
513:
409:
437:
451:
By mid-March 1988 the Nadew
Command had planned to launch an offensive campaign against the
392:
was a three-day battle fought from 17 March through 20 March 1988 in and around the town of
549:
8:
413:
344:
36:
886:
785:
364:
359:
974:
964:
909:
878:
731:
683:
619:
870:
480:
354:
400:. The battle has been described as being the largest battle in Africa since the
672:"From Af Abet to Shire: The Defeat and Demise of Ethiopia's 'Red' Army 1988–89"
509:
465:
441:
339:
334:
288:
874:
989:
978:
882:
687:
623:
84:
71:
648:
573:"Prisoner No. 14279: Forlorn Pawn in Ethiopia's Long and Ruinous Civil War"
241:
169:
149:
512:
to be the most significant victory for any liberation movement since the
495:
Not long after this defeat, Berhane Woldemichael wrote in the periodical
890:
858:
671:
405:
958:
429:
reports to state that there were 15,223 men in the three divisions.
906:
The Long Struggle of Eritrea for Independence and Constructive Peace
594:"Afabet, March 1988: The Decisive Battle for Eritrean Independence"
516:. It has also been described as the largest battle in Africa since
468:
tried to reinforce their position, which was thwarted by the EPLF.
229:
194:
185:
132:
508:
The victory over the Nadew Command is considered by the historian
484:
476:
393:
59:
538:
764:
762:
749:
747:
444:, and replaced with the Fourteenth Infantry Division.
934:
922:
903:
838:
800:
759:
744:
960:
The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa
455:(EPLF); however, they were pre-empted by the EPLF.
987:
318:
16:1988 battle of the Eritrean War of Independence
649:"Needless war engulfs a unique African oasis"
304:
856:
821:"Remarkable to witness the birth of Eritrea"
996:Battles of the Eritrean War of Independence
646:
311:
297:
721:
719:
904:Cliffe, Lionel; Davidson, Basil (1988).
609:
266:
818:
725:
647:Worthington, Peter (27 December 1998).
988:
956:
940:
928:
844:
806:
768:
753:
716:
702:"Deceit is its own damnation (part I)"
669:
588:
586:
570:
676:The Journal of Modern African Studies
612:"Ethiopian Rebels Claim Huge Victory"
292:
774:
642:
640:
863:Review of African Political Economy
583:
514:Vietnamese victory at Dien Bien Phu
497:Review of African Political Economy
13:
1001:Battles of the Ethiopian Civil War
453:Eritrean People's Liberation Front
434:Eritrean People's Liberation Front
14:
1037:
782:"Ethiopia and Eritrea, 1950–1991"
637:
571:Perlez, Jane (19 February 1990).
859:"Ethiopian Military in Disarray"
728:Historical Dictionary of Eritrea
610:Battiata, Mary (24 March 1988).
265:
258:
240:
228:
193:
184:
174:
163:
142:
131:
119:
1021:Ethiopia–Soviet Union relations
897:
850:
812:
857:Woldemichael, Berhane (1989).
694:
663:
603:
564:
1:
546:"Attempts to distort history"
531:
419:
490:
464:the Ethiopian garrison from
398:Eritrean War of Independence
322:Eritrean War of Independence
33:Eritrean War of Independence
7:
1016:March 1988 events in Africa
402:Second Battle of El Alamein
10:
1042:
950:
524:whereas Dien Bien Phu was
875:10.1080/03056248908703812
458:
330:
253:
216:
203:
156:
112:
42:
30:
25:
180:Gebregziabher Andemariam
730:. The Scarecrow Press.
279:Location within Eritrea
85:16.183333°N 38.683333°E
957:Tareke, Gebru (2016).
670:Tareke, Gebru (2004).
157:Commanders and leaders
726:Killion, Tom (1998).
438:Mengistu Haile Mariam
217:Casualties and losses
819:Worthington, Peter.
410:1989 Battle of Shire
276:class=notpageimage|
90:16.183333; 38.683333
552:on 17 November 2008
427:Ministry of Defense
414:Ethiopian Civil War
235:8,000–9,000 killed
81: /
37:Ethiopian Civil War
704:. 19 November 1999
577:The New York Times
222:4,000–5,000 killed
970:978-99944-951-2-2
915:978-0-932415-37-0
908:. Red Sea Press.
788:on 23 August 2006
737:978-0-8108-3437-8
396:, as part of the
383:
382:
287:
286:
108:
107:
1033:
1011:1988 in Ethiopia
982:
944:
938:
932:
926:
920:
919:
901:
895:
894:
854:
848:
842:
836:
835:
833:
831:
816:
810:
804:
798:
797:
795:
793:
784:. Archived from
778:
772:
766:
757:
751:
742:
741:
723:
714:
713:
711:
709:
698:
692:
691:
667:
661:
660:
658:
656:
644:
635:
634:
632:
630:
607:
601:
600:
598:
590:
581:
580:
568:
562:
561:
559:
557:
548:. Archived from
542:
408:, alongside the
406:Ethio-Somali War
390:Battle of Afabet
360:Second Civil War
325:
323:
313:
306:
299:
290:
289:
269:
268:
262:
245:
244:
233:
232:
198:
197:
189:
188:
179:
178:
177:
168:
167:
166:
148:
146:
145:
136:
135:
124:
123:
122:
96:
95:
93:
92:
91:
86:
82:
79:
78:
77:
74:
50:17–20 March 1988
44:
43:
26:Battle of Afabet
23:
22:
1041:
1040:
1036:
1035:
1034:
1032:
1031:
1030:
1026:Battles in 1988
1006:1988 in Eritrea
986:
985:
971:
953:
948:
947:
939:
935:
927:
923:
916:
902:
898:
855:
851:
843:
839:
829:
827:
817:
813:
805:
801:
791:
789:
780:
779:
775:
767:
760:
752:
745:
738:
724:
717:
707:
705:
700:
699:
695:
668:
664:
654:
652:
645:
638:
628:
626:
616:Washington Post
608:
604:
596:
592:
591:
584:
569:
565:
555:
553:
544:
543:
539:
534:
493:
461:
422:
386:
385:
384:
379:
345:First Civil War
326:
321:
319:
317:
283:
282:
281:
280:
278:
272:
271:
270:
248:
246:
239:
238:
236:
234:
227:
223:
192:
191:
183:
175:
173:
172:
164:
162:
143:
141:
140:
130:
120:
118:
89:
87:
83:
80:
75:
72:
70:
68:
67:
66:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1039:
1029:
1028:
1023:
1018:
1013:
1008:
1003:
998:
984:
983:
969:
952:
949:
946:
945:
943:, p. 260.
933:
931:, p. 248.
921:
914:
896:
849:
847:, p. 256.
837:
811:
809:, p. 254.
799:
773:
771:, p. 252.
758:
756:, p. 251.
743:
736:
715:
693:
682:(2): 239–281.
662:
636:
602:
582:
563:
536:
535:
533:
530:
510:Basil Davidson
506:
505:
492:
489:
460:
457:
421:
418:
381:
380:
378:
377:
372:
367:
362:
357:
352:
347:
342:
337:
331:
328:
327:
316:
315:
308:
301:
293:
285:
284:
274:
273:
264:
263:
257:
256:
255:
254:
251:
250:
237:5,000 captured
225:
219:
218:
214:
213:
210:
206:
205:
201:
200:
199:Wubetu Tsegaye
181:
159:
158:
154:
153:
128:
115:
114:
110:
109:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
58:
56:
52:
51:
48:
40:
39:
28:
27:
21:
20:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1038:
1027:
1024:
1022:
1019:
1017:
1014:
1012:
1009:
1007:
1004:
1002:
999:
997:
994:
993:
991:
980:
976:
972:
966:
962:
961:
955:
954:
942:
937:
930:
925:
917:
911:
907:
900:
892:
888:
884:
880:
876:
872:
869:(44): 60–63.
868:
864:
860:
853:
846:
841:
826:
822:
815:
808:
803:
787:
783:
777:
770:
765:
763:
755:
750:
748:
739:
733:
729:
722:
720:
703:
697:
689:
685:
681:
677:
673:
666:
650:
643:
641:
625:
621:
617:
613:
606:
595:
589:
587:
578:
574:
567:
551:
547:
541:
537:
529:
527:
523:
519:
515:
511:
502:
501:
500:
498:
488:
486:
482:
478:
473:
469:
467:
456:
454:
449:
445:
443:
439:
435:
430:
428:
417:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
376:
373:
371:
368:
366:
363:
361:
358:
356:
353:
351:
348:
346:
343:
341:
338:
336:
333:
332:
329:
324:
314:
309:
307:
302:
300:
295:
294:
291:
277:
261:
252:
243:
231:
226:
224:5,000 wounded
221:
220:
215:
211:
209:15,000–20,000
208:
207:
202:
196:
190:Getaneh Haile
187:
182:
171:
161:
160:
155:
151:
139:
134:
129:
127:
117:
116:
111:
103:
100:
99:
94:
65:
61:
57:
54:
53:
49:
46:
45:
41:
38:
34:
29:
24:
19:
959:
936:
924:
905:
899:
866:
862:
852:
840:
830:14 September
828:. Retrieved
824:
814:
802:
790:. Retrieved
786:the original
776:
727:
706:. Retrieved
696:
679:
675:
665:
653:. Retrieved
627:. Retrieved
615:
605:
576:
566:
554:. Retrieved
550:the original
540:
525:
521:
507:
496:
494:
474:
470:
462:
450:
446:
431:
423:
389:
387:
369:
170:Mesfin Hagos
150:Soviet Union
113:Belligerents
104:EPLF victory
31:Part of the
18:
941:Tareke 2016
929:Tareke 2016
845:Tareke 2016
825:Toronto Sun
807:Tareke 2016
769:Tareke 2016
754:Tareke 2016
375:2nd Massawa
350:1st Massawa
88: /
990:Categories
792:31 October
708:31 October
556:22 January
532:References
518:El Alamein
477:Tesseneiei
420:Background
249:3 captured
152:(advisors)
76:38°41′00″E
73:16°11′00″N
979:973809792
883:0305-6244
688:0022-278X
651:. QSL.net
624:0190-8286
491:Aftermath
629:13 March
526:eventful
365:Red Star
247:1 killed
204:Strength
138:Ethiopia
64:Ethiopia
55:Location
35:and the
951:Sources
891:4005837
655:25 June
485:Agordat
481:Barentu
412:of the
355:Barentu
977:
967:
912:
889:
881:
734:
686:
622:
459:Battle
394:Afabet
370:Afabet
212:15,223
147:
101:Result
60:Afabet
887:JSTOR
597:(PDF)
522:event
466:Keren
442:Keren
340:Nakfa
975:OCLC
965:ISBN
910:ISBN
879:ISSN
832:2013
794:2006
732:ISBN
710:2006
684:ISSN
657:2008
631:2024
620:ISSN
558:2008
483:and
432:The
388:The
335:Adal
126:EPLF
47:Date
871:doi
528:."
992::
973:.
963:.
885:.
877:.
867:16
865:.
861:.
823:.
761:^
746:^
718:^
680:42
678:.
674:.
639:^
618:.
614:.
585:^
575:.
499:,
479:,
416:.
62:,
981:.
918:.
893:.
873::
834:.
796:.
740:.
712:.
690:.
659:.
633:.
599:.
579:.
560:.
312:e
305:t
298:v
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
