Keren - History

During the 1960's, the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) led the Eritrean independence struggle. In 1970, members of the group had a falling out, and a group broke away from the ELF and formed the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF). By the late 1970's, the EPLF had become the dominant armed Eritrean faction fighting against the Ethiopian government, and Isaias Afwerki had emerged as its leader. Much of the materiel used to combat Ethiopia was captured from the Ethiopian army.

By 1977, the EPLF was poised to drive the Ethiopians out of Eritrea. That same year, however, a massive airlift of Soviet arms to Ethiopia enabled the Ethiopian army to regain the initiative and force the EPLF to retreat to the bush. Between 1978 and 1986, the Derg launched eight major offensives against the independence movement. All failed. In 1988, the EPLF captured Afabet, headquarters of the Ethiopian army in northeastern Eritrea, prompting the Ethiopian Army to withdraw from its garrisons in Eritrea's western lowlands. EPLF fighters then moved into position around Keren, Eritrea's second largest city.