One or two days left to die – Eritrea, the ‘escaping nation’

Abstract

The article has two parts, one dealing with the modern history of Eritrea since 1869 to the formation of the independent state (1991). The author argues that although Eritrea is often considered as a former part of Ethiopia, only her highland regions had historical/cultural ties to the Ethiopian „motherland”. The first part also reveals that the formation of a distinct Eritrean identity which exists today is due to quite modern phenomena, the British Military administration (1941-1952), and the long struggle against the centralizing force of the Ethiopian state. One cannot talk about Eritrean nation or a separate Eritrean history before these. The second part deals with Eritrea since 1991, from the hope of a young nation for a bright future to the bitter reality of a tyrant-led police state, including the role of the extended military service in the mass migration of the Eritrean youth.