Woldeab Woldemariam

Who is Woldeab Woldemariam?

Woldeab Woldemariam was an Eritrean teacher, journalist and political activist widely regarded by Eritreans as the father of their national independence movement. In the 1940s, following the end of Italian colonial rule and the start of British administration, he became a leading voice arguing against unification with Ethiopia and for Eritrean independence, working closely with fellow nationalist Ibrahim Sultan Ali to bring together Christian and Muslim Eritreans in a shared political front. His outspoken advocacy made him a target: between 1947 and 1953 he survived seven separate assassination attempts, one of which left him hospitalized for five months. Forced into exile, he continued his activism from Khartoum and later Cairo, where he used radio broadcasts to reach Eritreans back home during a period when open political organizing inside the country was dangerous or impossible. Known as a formidable debater and a "wordsmith" for his gift with language, he remained a moral and symbolic figurehead of the independence movement for decades, living to see Eritrea achieve internationally recognized independence in 1993, two years before his death in 1995.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Woldeab Woldemariam" · Dawit Mesfin, "Woldeab Woldemariam: A Visionary Eritrean Patriot, A Biography" (Africa World Press / The Red Sea Press) · Awate.com, review of "Woldeab Woldemariam: A Biography of a Visionary Eritrean Patriot"