The most famous martyr:

By firing the first shot, Hamid Idris Awate, heralded the beginning of the Eritrean Armed struggle on September 1st, 1961, at a place called Adal in the Barka province. Awate was 60 years old when he led a tiny group of freedom fighters who stood defiantly against foreign rule. Although, the organization he led grew to be a formidable front(s), Awate, did not live long to see the changes that the organization went through. Awate died in 1963 at Jebel Hamid in the Barka province. Awate is the indisputable "Father of the Eritrean Revolution" and a hero who should and will be the bedrock of Eritrean nationalism and identity. The true and beloved son of Gash-Barka is the true and beloved son of Eritrea. Hamid Idris "feday hzbu" Awate.

The first martyrs:

Awate, however, was not the first fallen hero of the armed struggle. Abdu Mahammad Fayed was martyred at Omal in 1961, Ibrahim Hamid and Ahmed Fikak at Balaqanda in 1962, Hamid Ere in Barentu and Ibrahim Mohammad Ali at AnTet in 1962. In 1963 and particularly in the battle of Togoruba many heroes died in action: Lebab Mohammad Libab, Hussien Mohammad, Hasen Sherif, Mohammad Abdella, Mohammad Libab, Salih Nuni Hamid, Sherif Mohammad Alamin Sherkebet, Mohammad Abdella Humbel, Mohammad Omer Ferej Sulaiman, Adem Idris Ferej, Himed Mohammad Ali, Abdella Anker, Osman Afa, Osman Ali Afa, Osman Ali Hamid, Osman Humed Mohammad Nur and Osman Idris Geas. There were other "munadleen" who died on other fronts in 1963: Mohammad Idris Haj and Ibrahim Idris in Anseba, Mohammad Ibrahim Adem Hamid in kessala, and Mohammad Ali Saadedeen at Mogorayeb.

Muslim and Christian martyrs:

As the names of our martyrs would attest, the Eritrean armed struggle was started by Muslim Eritreans and Muslim Eritreans have made disproportionate sacrifices during the first 14 years of the revolution. The first Christian martyrs were in 1965: Ishaq Asgedom at Ingerne, Ishaq Tekliyas at Mihlab, Hadish Meres'i at Adi sheik and Yaqob Abraham in Asmara. In fact, between 1961 and 1975, Christian martyrdom in ELF amounted to only 15%. In the said period, there were about 1200 martyrs and 85% of them were Muslims. When the Derg began subjecting Christian villages to the same barbarity that was practiced for far too long in Muslim areas, an influx of Christian youth joined the ELF. This development is jokingly referred by Muslim Eritreans as "swret BBC", because the incidents that caused the influx were broadcasted on BBC. The composition of the ELF drastically changed post 1975 and the martyrdom of Christian Eritreans finally came to match that of Muslim Eritreans. The overall martyrdom of Muslim Eritrean between 1961 and 1981 is about 51% while that of Christian Eritreans is roughly 49%. It is a positive coincidence that the overall percentage of martyrdom corresponded to the composition of our population along the most demographic factor in Eritrea: religion.

Women martyrs:

In the mid seventies, women began joining the Eritrean fronts. Although, the ELF did not encourage combat roles for women, many of them died in action. The first Eritrean women martyr were Alem Mesfin who died at Qal werh on August 11, 1974, and Zewdi Teckle who died at Ahune on September 3, 1974. Women martyrdom in the ELF between the period 1961 and 1981 is about 0.01%. Christian women make 85% of the overall women martyrdom between 1961 and 1981 in ELF.

The years that have registered the highest number of martyrs are: 1963 (40), 1968 (140), 1975 (300), 1977 (950), 1978 (1300), and 1981 (1150).

N.B. All these numbers are approximations and the list provided by ELF (RC) is not complete. It is, however an impressive document