This trend continued under Ethiopian occupation.

The Ethiopian occupation of Eritrea is treated by nearly all foreign governments as an 'internal' political question - this means there is very little direct government aid to the EPLF's educational and social programs.

On Tuesday, elders of the powerful Hawiye clan issued a long statement condemning the Ethiopian occupation and accusing government troops of killing civilians.

Perhaps because they suffered mightily under Ethiopian occupation, many older Eritreans recall the Italian days with some nostalgia.

The nine peoples who live here nonetheless consider themselves Eritreans and now, free after 30 years of Ethiopian occupation, they are doing everything to show it.

The EPLF remained the only relevant opposition to Ethiopian occupation in Eritrea.

The al-Shabaab insurgents proved extremely adept at guerilla warfare during the Ethiopian occupation, and have carried out countless roadside bomb attacks, suicide missions and assassinations.

Asmara is under Ethiopian occupation, and Awet's father takes to the woods with the Eritrean freedom fighters.

After growing disenfranchisement with Ethiopian occupation, highland Christians began joining the ELF.

But scholars point to two vital historical factors that provided the impetus for a nationalist guerrilla movement: Italian colonization, followed by Ethiopian occupation.