Eritrean Liberation Front

12/12/2006

The Eritrean Liberation Front is a splinter of the Eritrean Islamic Jihad Movement. It was formed by Islamic students in Cairo, Egypt in July 1960. The primary objective of these Muslims was to force Ethiopia to abandon Eritrea so that they could impose Islamic rule.

Between 1885 and 1951, Eritrea was governed by Italy and Great Britain. Then in 1952, the United Nations combined Eritrea into neighboring Ethiopia. While Eritrea gained some measures of autonomy, the resolution stopped short of creating an independent Islamic republic in Eritrea.

Therefore, the Islamic Eritrean Liberation Front launched offensive terrorist missions against the Ethiopian government in 1961. The terrorist group manifest all of the characteristics of an Islamic organization and showed signs of being affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood. By 1970, an internal dispute led to the creation of a splinter group, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, which became indistinguishable from any other Islamic terrorist organization.

In a 1993 Eritrean referendum, the Eritrean people voted for the creation of a fully independent nation. The current president of Eritrea was once a member of the Islamic Eritrean Liberation Front.