Help us amplify vital stories and drive change in underreported crises.

Support our work.
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Eritrea

President says 19,000 killed in border war

President Isayas Afewerki has announced that 19,000 Eritrean soldiers were killed during the 1998-2000 border conflict with Ethiopia, before it ended last May. The announcement was made at a ceremony to mark Eritrea’s Martyrs’ Day, which commemorates soldiers lost during the war of independence and the recent border war. A BBC correspondent in Asmara said the impact on Eritrean society of the recent war had been enormous “not least because every Eritrean family has someone in the armed forces”. Although the number of wounded was not announced, it is thought to be very high, the BBC said on Wednesday. The Eritrean population is estimated at about 3 million, compared to more than 60 million in neighbouring Ethiopia. In reaction to the announcement, Ethiopian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yemane Kidane told the BBC he believed the Eritrean figure to be ridiculously low - but declined to give any official figures for Ethiopian casualties, saying few governments would give out such details.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join