Divided histories, opportunistic alliances: Background notes on the Ethiopean-Eritrean war

The war that broke out in 1998 between Ethiopia and Eritrea came as a shock to many observers who had trusted in the public statements by the political leaders assuring the friendly relations between the two countries; after all, both governments emerged from liberation movements which had jointly defeated the Ethiopian military regime only in 1991. This article analyses the historical, political and socio-psychological background to the conflict. Within the pre-colonial Ethiopian Empire, Tigray and Kebesa (i.e. the Tigrinya-speaking highlands of todays Eritrea) constituted a largely homogenous society in social and cultural terms, albeit politically fragmented into numerous feudal units. Separate regional identities began to emerge in the 18th century, a development accentuated by the establishment of colonial borders and the social and economic differentiation under Italian rule. Social differences between the populations of both areas were concurrent with the development of negative stereotypes about the respective other group. The author, well-informed by actors from both sides, shows how this historical legacy continues to shape the relationships between the major liberation movements of Eritrea and Tigray. Since the 1970s, the movements have entered into frequently shifting coalitions with each other, mainly for pragmatic, if not opportunistic reasons. As self-appointed avant-garde movements they lacked a culture of open political debate and tolerance, both internally and vis-à-vis competing organisations. Their marriage of convenience broke down soon after the joint military victory, when Ethiopian hopes to bind Eritrea more closely with economic concessions proved delusory, and Eritrea was no longer prepared to tolerate Ethiopian territorial claims.