Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2014 23:28:37 +0100
<http://alenalki.com/index.php/alenalki-news/140-historic-step-on-the-long-m
arch-to-freedom> Historic Step on the Long March to Freedom
07 February 2014 21:56
"Operation Fenkel 1988 - 1991" - My take
Bruno
On August 1988, after a heroic and protracted defensive battles of wear and
tear, between USSR lead army of Ethiopia against Eritrea, which was carried
out continuously in the mountain ranges of Nakfa and its environs for almost
a decade long, Eritrean Peoples Liberation Army (EPLA) made a decisive
decision, to make a strategic offensive, to occupy the major front
surrounding the town of Afabet. Afabet was the next important strategic town
next to Nakfa town, which hosted the masterminds of the war, i.e. in
reference to the Warsaw Pact and its allies' command post that was located
here for a decade.
The significance of this small town located south of the mountain ranges of
Nakfa was not only its traditional importance as a trade path and gateway,
linking the agricultural and resourceful rich western lowlands with the
eastern lowlands which stretch on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea, but its
military significance became more important at this particular moment,
because it was one of the series of concentric defense lines, mainly built
to serve and protect the safety of the nuclear submarine base of USSR Red
Army which was located offshore in Dahlak Archipelagoes since 1979. This
base, which was located in tandem with a bigger global military strategy of
the Cold War of the big powers during that period, was very important in the
region.
Wuchu, a veteran army commander in EPLA, introducing the historic military
offensive, described this strategic decision to occupy Afabet to the
division that he was leading with this very popular saying that still
resonates today, "Bitsot Hamed Dibe Nadew Tadimna Alona" (Comrades, an
invitation has been extended to us to attend the funeral of Nadew*).
Basil Davidson, a British historian who witnessed the battle and its
aftermath described the Battle for Afabet as the "Second Diem Bien Phu".
Both, important personalities of our era mentioned above, one a seasoned war
veteran and the other, a well-known historian, unanimously agreed in their
assessments that the success of this battle, a historic one indeed, shall
change the center of gravity of the military landscape in the Horn of Africa
once and for all.
The then rogue hired gunslinger and recruit of USSR in the Horn of Africa,
President Mengistu of Ethiopia, described this battle as mere "propaganda of
imperialism". He had no answer to the foreign servitude that has effectively
paralyzed his thinking and gripped his action.
For EPLA, it was this battle that heralded and opened a new momentum and
opportunity to make an effective use of its mechanized, infantry, naval
coordinated firepower and its decades old rich experience of waging a
protracted people based warfare. All the lessons accumulated in the course
of the past thirty years war history, including but not excluding the
outstretched elite commando forces capability of mobility outside the
perimeter of these new battle fronts, throughout the Horn of Africa, were
innovatively and effectively used as an instrument to win this historic
battle once and for all.
The offensive was unanimously welcomed and supported by the local population
in Eritrea, Ethiopia and abroad. Ethiopian army, navy and air force mutinied
and were unfortunately mercilessly crashed by their commanders (USSR and
Mengistu).
In 1989, EPLA engaged the remaining heavily armed enemy. It continuously
stretched itself on the eastern coastal lowlands of the Red Sea effectively
and fully controlling the coast and adjacent Islands. The lifeline to the
USSR backed Ethiopian army; Massawa - Asmara - Addis Abeba road corridor,
fell into the hands of EPLA. All attempts to recover this post by the enemy
forces were frustrated for good.
In 1990, all concentric defensive lines of the enemy, armed to the teeth,
stretching for about 80 to70 kms, guarding the Port of Massawa and the
Soviet nuclear post in Dahlak (Nakura) from land, sea and air, were also
again painted with pictures of heroism. Port of Massawa was freed. The
battle named after one of the heroes of Eritrea "Fenkel Operation" and its
vibrations engulfed East Africa and the region. This heroic operation
induced Washington and Moscow telephone hotline to go operational.
Diplomatic pressures of superpowers were intensified as result of it. Skud
missiles rained in the freed Massawa Port and its environs fired from a
distant USSR ships anchored on the Red Sea for weeks. The yield sign was put
on the road to freedom of Eritrea though accompanied with thunderbolt. EPLA,
which composed of men and women fighters, stood steadfast and made Massawa
("Pearl of the Red Sea") -the epicenter of freedom.
In the same year, EPLA's long march of flanking maneuvers from the north,
covering a distance of about 1200kms from the Port of Massawa started homing
to the main command headquarters of the enemy in Assab (Eritrea southern
port city), Addis Abeba (Capital of Ethiopia) and from the west through
Sudan another distance of more than 1500kms from the Port of Massawa to the
headquarter of Debrezeit (Main Air force headquarter in Ethiopia). EPLA took
the entire East Africa in its canvas and painted a picture of heroism,
putting another milestone of history of solidarity and cooperation between
the brotherly people of the region, Ethiopia and Eritrea.
In 1991, the guns of terrorism were completely silenced in East Africa by
"Operation Fenkel". The people of Eritrea and Ethiopia were finally freed as
a result of the blood, sweat and tears of its beloved people. "Operation
Fenkel": a dedicated wave of compassion and demonstration for truth by
people which included visionaries of every sex, race and creed is celebrated
with great honor every year, February, in the Port of Massawa Eritrea.
The cause of peace in the Horn of Africa was instilled by brave people of
Eritrea and Ethiopia armed with the spirit of freedom and justice alone
against the mighty. Shame to the ranks who left Eritrea and Ethiopia to join
hegemony of the big powers during this period, No one has an answer to the
politics of hatred and mistrust that paralyzed the thinking of some people
locally or regionally.
It is our right and obligation to honor and respect our freedom: brought
forth by the sweat, blood and tears of our own best kith and kin, where 30%
of the fighting forces were E r i t r e a 's h e r o i n e s.
"Neresti Yiwagala Anesti": Pass the message brothers and sisters.
_____
* "Nadew" was nomenclature used by the enemy headquarters that were
entrenched in this front 1980 -1989. "Menter" and "Wekaw" were also used for
those entrenched in Barentu and Algena and its environs respectfully.
Eritrea-Fenkil
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