All posts by : ejn editor

The father of Martyrs, Sheikh Abdelkadir Muhammad Saleh Kebire (1902-1949)

First martyr of the Eritrean struggle for Liberation.  He is a pioneer in the struggle for justice for all Eritreans.  He co-founded the Liberal Nationalist Party in 1941.  He organized first ever public political demonstration in modern Eritrean history.  On May 5, 1941, he led the formation of “Mahber Fiqri Hager” (Party of love of Country) which he later left once it started to advocate for annexation of Eritrea with Ethiopia.  In 1944, he was a founding member of a patriotic Eritrean group association “Eritrea N’ Eritreans”.  Later, Kebire became the political dynamo and leader of Islamic League (Rabita al Islamiya) in Asmara.  In April 1945, Kebire was elected by Al Rabita to represent Eritrea’s case at the UN Assembly.  On the eve of the day, he was to depart to New York, he was assassinated by an Ethiopian agent and died two days later due to his injuries.  Please explore more detail of his biography in our resource section.

Sheikh Berhanu Ahmeddin (1908-1973)

He was born in Asmara. He was elected in the 1st and the 2nd Eritrean Assembly of 1952 and 1956. He survived three assassination attempts on his life by the Unionist thugs. He is the father of Dr. Yusuf Berhanu, a prominent politician and the current Chairman of the ENCDC. It is narrated that in one of the assassination attempts, a hand grenade was thrown while his son Yusuf was playing near him outside their house. He jumped over and covered his son, who was saved while Berhanu sustained injuries.

Martyr Dr. Yassin Aberra

A Professor of Economics at the Asmara University (Eritrea).  Dr. Yassin Aberra was one of the leading delegates in the struggle for the recognition of Jeberti’s ethnic rights during Ethiopian ruling period before Eritrean independence. A Committee of delegates from the Derg ruling regime came to Asmara to discuss with Jeberti representatives. Unfortunately, the Committee rejected their demand by passing several recommendations that need to be considered at great care. He was calling all the Jeberti to be united and call for their rights as a separate ethnic group. Dr. Yassin Aberra was assassinated by the EPLF death squads at about 6 pm. in front of his house, On January 31, 1991 just 4 months before the liberation of Eritrea, for his activities for the Jeberti cause.  After independence, the case of Jeberti ethnic Rights was brought to the then transitional government of Eritrea, EPLF. Unlike the Derg regime, EPLF categorically rejected without any hearing.