Today, in an event commemorating "Martyr's Day", President Isaias Afwerki dislosed that the names of Eritreans killed in the recent Eritrea-Ethiopia war "will be officially announced in the coming days."

Mr. Isaias Afwerki stated that the disclosure is to be conducted locally by "pertinent administrations and army commanders," who will provide family members the "details on the martyrdom" of their loved ones. 

In 1994, when the Eritrean government dislosed the names of those killed in the liberation war, the "details" of the death certificates included the place and date of enlistment as well as the place and date of death.

The president went on to state that his government has made preparations to compensate the families of those killed by providing one year's salary of the deceased soldier, as well as a trust fund and other investment vehicles including a third of the shares in the Asmara Brewery Factory.

 

The government-owned brewery  "produces 300,000 bottles of beer daily," according to a government website,  and the government has decided to sell a third of its share to private citizens.

     
On June 20, 2001, the government had disclosed that 19,000 Eritrean soldiers had been killed in the Eritrea-Ethiopia wars of 1998-2000.   Eritrea's military death toll in the war of liberation is estimated at 65,000.    According to the president, Eritrea has one martyr for every 50 citizens.