April : Some Dates in Eritrean History

Dear reader, in attempt to enrich those who are on the right age and to enlighten the youth about their history and the struggle their ancestors went through, Nharnet will bring you a summarized report of important events.  April is used as a starting stage by bringing you the following dates and events:

  • 4 April 1977  Tesenei, a major city in Eritrea was liberated by Eritrean Liberation Army (ELA).

·          1 April 1941:  Allied Forces led by Britain entered Asmara.

·         2 April 1941:  Kennedy Cooke took charge in Asmara as the first head of the British office for the Administration of Occupied Enemy Territory (Eritrea).

·         6  April 1949: The Bevin-Sforza plan for partitioning Eritrea between Ethiopia and the Sudan was tabled in the UN by British and Italian delegations. Sheikh Ibrahim Sultan and his delegation members were around to foil that project.

·         7 April 1970:  A South Yemeni plane (belonging to a firm called Basco) flew 71 newly recruited young Eritreans from the Sudan to Aden at the start of forming a group opposed to the ELF (the latter day PLF). A General Command statement of 10 April 1970 claimed that other 80 young persons were already sent to Aden sea and air routes, all within the first week of April 1970.

·         8 April 1941:  British forces occupied Massawa.

·         11 April 1941: First American naval ships entered Massawa.

·         15 April 1891: First Eritrea-Sudan border demarcation Protocol signed between Italy and Britain in Rome. During April of the same year, Capitano Vittorio Bottego explored the coast between Massawa and Assab.

·         17 April 1975: Massacre of 235 civilians in Hirgigo.

·         21 April 1885: Keren occupied by  forces allied to Emperor Johannes IV.

·         21 and 22 April 1977: ELF and EPLF meet in Zager, Hamassien, for unity.

·         23-25 April 1993: Referendum in Eritrea. ELF members protested by going to voting booths with ELF identity cards believing it was their democratic right to participate as another party.

·         15 April 1995:  PFDJ arbitrarily dissolved the historical 8 provinces of Eritrea and introduced its own 6 zobas without public consent.

·         24-25 April 1990: Adi Qayih and Senafe liberated.

·         29 April 1952: The first 68-member Eritrean Assembly held  its first meeting in Asmara.