In many parts of Africa and other parts of the world, the most common form of hostility used in changing or replacing political regimes and the institutions that preserve their interests is revolutionary guerrilla warfare. As an instrument for reform and a major tool of insurgency, guerrilla warfare has been in operation throughout history. Through guerrilla warfare numerous insurgent groups, such as the Cuban and Vietcong experiences, sought to displace repressive regimes in order to establish their ideals with regards to the economic, political and social environments.  Is the Eritrean guerrilla warfare any different? 

Many military analysts would place guerrilla warfare somewhere between terrorism and conventional warfare.  A discussion of guerrilla warfare can be found in Moa Tse-Tung's book On Guerrilla Warfare.  In his book, Mao describes guerrilla warfare as �one of many methods used by an oppressed people to combat aggression�.  Mao divides guerrilla warfare into three phases. 

1. Develop an underground resistance movement to spread propaganda and elicit support for the movement from the people.
2. Conduct a small-scale combat operations.  
3. Transform the guerrilla forces, after obtaining military superiority over the enemy, into conventional fighting forces. 

Most of the guerrilla warfare of the last century, including that of Eritrea, revolve around Mao�s model. The Eritrean experience is no different than the rest of them. 

In the sixties there were numerous guerrilla activities in the lowlands of Eritrea.  The �Shiftas� as they were called then, planted the seeds of patriotism in the lowlands and coastal regions of the country first and slowly their campaign moved towards the highlands.  The guerrilla experience of Eritrea, due to its revolutionary nature, and in accordance to Mao�s model, carried hostilities, which, presumably, the leaders of the time considered as necessary.

The leaders of ELF adopted a philosophy which was useful at the time � whatever they did they did it for the people of Eritrea.  That philosophy gave them (and their followers) enough confidence to launch the warfare; and that confidence gave them the necessary impetus to carry out their crusade.

The leaders understood that their guerrilla organization needed support to continue its operations; and they made sure that this support came from inside and outside Eritrea.   In carrying out their operations the ELF guerrillas relied heavily on local support.  The support came in various forms: financial contributions, medical assistance for the wounded, food supplies for the guerrillas, and intelligence.  The guerrilla fighters were operating in small bands in occupied territory to harass and undermine the enemy, as by surprise raids. They concentrated on small attacks against isolated units and supply facilities in an attempt to obtain supplies and equipment.  Later, as more supplies and equipment become available, and the size of the guerrilla force expanded in the highlands of Eritrea, the freedom fighters began to attack larger enemy facilities and units.  In order to gain ultimate victory, the guerrilla activities expanded to all corners of the country.  Let�s look at some of the activities that were conducted during the late sixties. 

Below, we present ELF guerilla activity, between 1968-1969.   Within its context, we consider this activity as critical in laying the groundwork for the eventual demise of the occupying Ethiopian armies.    The PFDJ wants to monopolize everything, including Eritrean history.  Not surprisingly, the following is part of Eritrean history that gets no mention in the history school books, as taught by PFDJ.     

June 13, 1968: Emberemi Village (6 miles N of Massawa) attacked. Village chief beheaded.

June 15, 1968: 10 tractors belonging to Barattolo (farmer and business man) destroyed near Tessenei (refusal to pay protection money).

June 17, 1968: Electricity pylons and bridges about 9 miles from Massawa dynamited. Attempt not fully successful.

July 16, 1968:           Pylons sabotaged on Massawa-Asmara road.

Aug 15-21, 1968: Two ELA arms caches discovered, one cache near Keren containing documents, rifles, grenades, bazooka shells, detonators and ammunition.  Both caches betrayed by ELA �Lieutenant�.

Sep 6-7, 1968: Battle of HAL HAL Police Post (35 miles N of Keren).   Biggest engagement in war to date and heaviest yet ELA defeat.   500 ELA involved, 100 ELA casualties including 43 killed. ELF leader among those killed. Ethiopian losses � three killed, five wounded.

Sep 6, 1968:  Civilian fuel trucks ambushed at Dongollo on Massawa-Asmara road.

Sep 8, 1968:   Mai Atal Police Outpost (20 miles W of Massawa) attacked.

Sep 8-9, 1968: Full night alert at Massawa naval base.

Sep 11, 1968:  Bus and signals vehicle attacked (latter destroyed) in Keren area.

Sep XX, 1968: Five SEDAO (Electric power company) pylons blown up W of Massawa.

Sep XX, 1968: Capture and release by 11 man gang of two US mapping mission personal SW of Massawa. US helicopter 'encouraged' the release.

Oct XX, 1968: Curfew hours in Keren reduced to match those in force at Tessenei and Agordat (1800-0600).   Tessennei-Agordat convoys discontinued but 1800-0600 curfew on all roads remains.

Oct XX, 1968: Estimated 2,500 Emergency Police deployed in Eritrea (Companies about 160 strong).

Oct XX, 1968: Hand grenades thrown in Keren railway station.

Oct 7, 1968:  Two Ethiopian soldiers killed, five wounded in clash at Adi Sheik (near Agordat).

Oct 12, 1968: 40 vehicles held up and robbed on the Massawa-Asmara road.

Oct 20, 1968:  Two policemen killed in Keren.

Nov 1, 1968: ELA killed 14 and wounded 21 police, losing eight killed themselves in a clash near Keren.

Nov 8, 1968: Ethiopians claim 40 ELA killed, including the leader, in a clash near Ramena.

Dec 17, 1968: ELF robbed two buses on the Tessenei-Ager road.

Dec 23, 1968: Bus destroyed on Agordat-Asmara road near Aderdey.

Jan 23, 1969:  ELF claimed successes in widespread clashes, also an aircraft shot down.

Feb 23, 1969: 50 ELA involved in skirmish W of Keren. No losses either side.

Feb/Mar, 1969: 200 ELA reported to have arrived in Eritrea after training in Syria, Iraq and China.   Chinese trained reported to total 22.

Mar 3, 1969: 2 oil tankers and army truck destroyed on Asmara-Massawa road. 20 cars stopped and robbed.  One Ethiopian soldier wounded, no ELA casualties.

Mar 11, 1969: Boeing 707 of Ethiopian Airlines seriously damaged at Frankfurt.

Mar 17, 1969: Fuel tanker destroyed on Asmara-Massawa road, also two buses.

Mar 23, 1969: Attacks on vehicles on the Tessenei-Garab road.

Mar 26, 1969: Clash on Asmara-Massawa -road.  11 ELA and 4 emergency police killed; one IEAF trainer aircraft shot down, pilot killed.

Mar 29, 1969: ELF claim series of engagements along the Massawa-Asmara road, also one aircraft shot down.

Apr 3, 1969:  Transfer station, generating station and dam serving Asmara put out of action.  Asmara without electric power for 11 hours.

Apr XX, 1969: Government sweep of Red Sea lowlands being made.  Numbers of police casualties ferried by air to hospitals in Asmara and Massawa.

May XX, 1969: Bomb attacks on Massawa-Agordat railway.  Bomb attacks in Djibouti railway station and Ethiopian consulate.

Jun XX, 1969: Bomb attack on EAL plane in Karachi.  Unsuccessful attack on Ethiopian Embassy in Rome.