During the 30-year Ethiopian-Eritrean War (1961-1991), also known as the Eritrean independence struggle, Ethiopian regimes of Haile Selassie and the Derg committed crimes against humanity and genocide against the Eritrean people, mass killing of nearly 200,000 Eritreans — with overall civilian deaths estimated at 150,000–280,000, representing around 20% of Eritrea’s population — ethnic cleansing, starvation, sexual violence and rape of thousands of Eritrean women and girls.
Ethiopian War Crimes in Eritrea Pre-Ethiopian Annexation, Killings of Eritrean Students and Workers in the 1950s
In 1962, Ethiopian dictator Haile Selassie annexed Eritrea by closing the Eritrean parliament, forcing members of the Parliament to step down and agree to the illegal Ethiopian annexation of Eritrea.
Prior to the Ethiopian annexation, Ethiopian soldiers under Haile Selassie killed Eritreans who protested against the Ethiopian-Eritrean Federation of the 1950s and the violation of the federation agreement, such as Haile Selassie’s plans to ban local languages such as Tigrinya and Arabic and replace them with Amharic.
Massacres during the Eritrean student and worker movement.
Haile Selassie forcibly excommunicated Eritrean Orthodox Christians from the church if they opposed the Ethiopian annexation of Eritrea.
Forced seizure of lands, outsourcing of Eritrean business from Asmara to Addis Ababa.
War Crimes Post Ethiopia’s Illegal Annexation of Eritrea During Haile Selassie’s Rule (1961–1974)
Massacre of 1967: Killing of 10,000 Eritreans by Ethiopian dictator Haile Selassie (per EHREA reports). Ethiopian forces burned dozens of villages, slaughtered livestock, and caused mass displacement, with over 30,000 fleeing to Sudan in early 1967 alone.
Ona Massacre (December 1970): Killing of nearly 800–900 Eritreans (including refugees from surrounding villages) near Keren.
Besikdira (Besekdira) Massacre (November 30, 1970): Around 120–220 Eritreans killed, many in a mosque where villagers had sought refuge. Combined with Ona, nearly 1,000 civilians died in 48 hours.
Keren Massacre: Dozens were hanged by Ethiopian dictator Haile Selassie. In particular, in 1971 approx. 70 students and youth suspected of supporting the ELF were publicly executed by hanging in Keren; family members were forced to attend the execution and cut down their children from the noose.
Other massacres during Haile Selassie included attacks on villages such as She’eb (Shaeb), Hirgigo, Elabared, Om Hajer, and many others in Semhar, Sahel, and Senhit provinces, with widespread burning of villages (hundreds destroyed), destruction of cattle, and famine tactics.
Ethiopian War Crimes in Eritrea by the Derg Regime of Ethiopia (1974–1991)
The Derg regime of Ethiopia also committed crimes against humanity and genocide against the Eritrean people, which included mass killing, use of chemical weapons such as napalm and phosphorus.
Massacres by the Derg regime of Ethiopia:
- Shelling, bombing, starvation.
- She’eb (Shaeb) Massacre and massacres in Afabet, Massawa, and surrounding areas
- Massawa bombing and shelling: Use of napalm, killing of civilians and mothers. General Bezabeh Petros even stated that he was given orders to bomb anything moving.
Sexual Violence and Rape by the Ethiopian Army in Eritrea During Haile Selassie and Mengistu
Thousands of Eritrean girls and women were raped by the Ethiopian army during the Ethiopian invasion and occupation of Eritrea from 1961-1991 (source: EHREA).
Forced prostitution in Eritrea by the Ethiopian army for Ethiopian conscripts: Ethiopians forcibly sold Ethiopian and Eritrean women in prostitution for the Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Eritrea (EHREA).
Use of Chemical Weapons, Starvation
Use of chemical weapons: Massawa and other areas (napalm and phosphorus).
Starvation: Through destruction of crops, livestock, and villages.
Ethiopia banned Eritrean languages such as Tigrinya and Arabic, forcing Eritreans to speak Amharic.
Genocidal Intent
Haile Selassie said he only wants the land and the sea of Eritrea but not the Eritrean people.
This remark by the Ethiopian dictator Haile Selassie shows that Ethiopia’s 30-year war on Eritrea was a genocidal war.
Eritrean people were genocided by Ethiopia, lost 20% of its population, fled their country in mass, Eritrean women were mass raped, Ethiopia used starvation, war, and chemical weapons to destroy the Eritrean people.
All in All, the Ethiopian regimes under both Haile Selassie and the Derg carried out systematic atrocities against Eritrean civilians, including major massacres with thousands killed in single operations, public hangings, widespread rape, language suppression, and scorched-earth policies. These crimes, documented by sources such as EHREA and Human Rights Watch, contributed to the high overall death toll and ultimately strengthened the Eritrean independence struggle. One key source is EHREA (Eritrean Human Rights Electronic Archive) documentation of Ethiopian crimes. For further reading: “The Asmara Massacre 50 Years Later” by Awet Tesfay.