2020-02-10 Mon

On February 10, Eritrea observes Fenkil Day. This observance commemorates the Second Battle of Massawa, also known as the Fenkil Offensive which was one of the most important battles of the Eritrean War for Independence.

Before World War II, Eritrea was an Italian colony, part of the so-called Italian East Africa. After the war, it was made a British protectorate. In 1952, the United Nations declared to federate it to Ethiopia. In the early 1960s, the federation was dissolved by Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. He annexed Eritrea which triggered a 30-year war for independence.

The Eritrean War for Independence started on September 1, 1961. In 1970, a group of left-wing intellectuals founded the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), an armed organization that struggled for the country's independence. On February 8, 1990, the EPLF forces began the offensive against the Ethiopian army near the city of Massawa. On the third day, the EPLF forces captured the city.

EPLF victory in the Second Battle of Massawa is considered to be a huge step towards the country's independence therefore its anniversary is an important remembrance day in Eritrea. In the year 2011, the Bank of Eritrea issued a 50 Nakfa banknote. The reverse of the note depicts Port of Massawa as the remembrance of the day. The Massawa port is also an important place of trade and commerce of the country.

Image Courtesy: https://colnect.com