Operation Fenkil: The Beginning of the End for Ethiopian Occupation in Eritrea

Introduction 

On February 10, 1990, Operation Fenkil delivered a crushing blow to Ethiopia’s military occupation, liberating the strategic port city of Massawa and setting the stage for Eritrea’s final victory. Just over a year later, on May 24, 1991, Eritrea would achieve total independence, permanently breaking free from Ethiopia’s illegal annexation.

The name Fenkil, ፈንቅል meaning “uproot” in Tigrinya, was a fitting symbol for the operation. It did not just reclaim Massawa, it uprooted Ethiopian proxy colonial rule, shattered the Derg’s military stronghold, and dismantled the myth of Ethiopian control over Eritrean land and sea. More than just a military triumph, Operation Fenkil was the embodiment of Eritrea’s unwavering resistance against oppression. Eritreans do not surrender; they fight, they endure, and they win.

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by Adulytes (Red Sea Beacon)