Background to Operation Fenkil
This African country colonized Eritrea in the late 1800s.
what is italy
Operation Fenkil occurred in this month of 1990.
what is February
The leader of the EPLF who later became Eritrea’s first president.
Who is Isaias Afwerki?
Operation Fenkil is known for combining land and sea attacks, making it this type of military operation.
What is a combined arms operation?
how was the meeting
amazing
After World War II, Eritrea was federated and later annexed by this neighboring country in 1962.
what is ethiopia
This body of water borders Massawa and made the battle strategically important.
What is the Red Sea?
The Ethiopian leader whose regime was collapsing around the time of Operation Fenkil.
Who is Mengistu Haile Mariam?
The EPLF surprised Ethiopian forces by crossing water at night using small boats and captured equipment from this enemy.
What is Ethiopia?
What did the ethiopian military do after the eplf liberated massawa in 1990
they bombed eritrean civilians in retaliation and anger
This armed movement led the struggle for Eritrean independence during Operation Fenkil.
What is the Eritrean People's Liberation Front? (EPLF)
The operation involved amphibious assaults and the use of small boats across this bay near Massawa.
What is the Gulf of Zula?
This Marxist-Leninist military government ruled Ethiopia during most of the Eritrean War of Independence.
What is the Derg?
Controlling Massawa gave the EPLF access to this crucial trade and supply route.
What is a seaport?
what does fenkil mean
uproot
Operation Fenkil took place during this long war for independence (1961–1991).
What is the Eritrean War of Independence?
Ethiopian forces attempted to retake Massawa using this branch of the military, bombing the city heavily.
What is the air force?
The EPLF used strong internal organization and this type of disciplined guerrilla strategy.
What is guerrilla warfare?
Operation Fenkil demonstrated the EPLF’s ability to transition from guerrilla warfare to this more conventional type of combat.
What is conventional warfare?
what month and date did operation fenkil take placce
feb1-3
The strategic port city targeted in Operation Fenkil
What is Massawa?
The capture of Massawa during Operation Fenkil cut off Ethiopian supply lines from this coastal region
What is the Red Sea coast?
The fall of Massawa in 1990 was a major step toward this event in 1993.
What is Eritrean independence?
The victory weakened Ethiopian morale and strengthened international recognition of this cause.
What is Eritrean independence?
what year did operation fenkil take place
1991