Timelines

The geographical area of Eritrea and Ethiopia was created by colonial border demarcation. In 1952, the United Nations decided to form a federation between Ethiopia and the former colony of Eritrea. However, in the years that followed, Ethiopia increasingly revoked the independence of the sub-state until it annexed it in 1961. This led to the outbreak of a war of independence in Eritrea. During the war, around one million Eritreans fled the country, with around 25,000 of them seeking refuge in Germany. After about 30 years, the war ended in 1993 with Eritrea's independence through a referendum. Since then, Eritrea has been a one-party state, led by a party that emerged from the freedom movement during the war of independence. Human rights continue to be largely ignored in Eritrea, and critical opposition figures are suppressed and persecuted. Conscientious objectors and deserters in particular are at great risk of being severely tortured and imprisoned without due process. Christian refugees in particular tend to flee to North America or Europe.