Martyrs’ Day in Eritrea 2023: Date, History, Facts about Eritrea

Every year on June 20, Eritrea commemorates Martyrs’ Day, also known as ‘Maelti Siwuat’ in the Tigrinya language. It is a day of remembrance for those who died between 1961 and 1991 while fighting for independence. Eritrea was a colony of Italy from 1890 until the Second World War, when it was annexed by the United Kingdom. The British administered Eritrea as a United Nations trust territory beginning in 1949. In 1961, a revolt by Eritreans who were fired up with the current system marked the beginning of the war. In 1991, independence was ultimately achieved.

The background of Martyrs’ Day in Eritrea

The defeat at the Battle of Adua in 1869 halted the Italian colonial expansion into Africa, resulting in the establishment of the region now known as Eritrea. In 1936, Italy invaded Ethiopia and immediately incorporated the country into their empire as a colony.
After the allies won World War II and drove the Italians back into their country, the international community was divided over the best course of action regarding Eritrea. In 1952, the United Nations General Assembly’s Resolution 390 led to the federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea. Eritrea was intended to have a degree of autonomy within the federation, but in 1962, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie unilaterally dissolved the Eritrean parliament and invaded the nation.

This led to the Eritrean War of Independence, which lasted until May 1991, when the People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was decisively ousted from Eritrea.
An estimated 10 percent of Eritrea’s total population perished directly as a consequence of the conflict. Eritrea established this national holiday to honour those who sacrificed their lives fighting for the nation’s independence.

The National Martyrs’ Park, located just outside the country’s capital, Asmara, was inaugurated in 1997. The park contains a National Martyrs’ Monument with the names of the martyrs engraved on it, as well as monuments detailing the thirty-year struggle for independence. Eritreans can offer their respects to these fallen heroes by visiting the park.

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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ERITREA

Martyr’s Day in Eritrea commemorates, like Memorial Day or Armistice Day, the sacrifice made by martyrs in the struggle for their country’s freedom.

Eritrea’s Afar region has yielded a one-million-year-old cranium associated with both Homo sapiens and Homo erectus.

Eritrea’s extensive coastline along the Red Sea and its balmy waters attract rare fish species.

During the Italian and Ethiopian invasion of Eritrea, women armed themselves and fought alongside men.

It is one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in the globe.

MARTYRS’ DAY IN ERITREA DATES