# List of colonial governors of Eritrea

Eritrea, located in the Horn of Africa, was under foreign rule for much of its modern history. It was first colonized by Italy in 1890 and remained an Italian colony until 1941, when British forces took control during World War II. From 1941 to 1952, Eritrea was administered as a British protectorate before being federated with Ethiopia in 1952 under a United Nations resolution. In 1962, Ethiopia formally annexed Eritrea, leading to a decades-long struggle for independence, which was finally achieved in 1993. This article provides a comprehensive list of the colonial governors who ruled Eritrea during the Italian and British periods, detailing their tenures and contributions to the region’s governance.

## List of Provincial, Colonial and Federal Heads of Eritrea

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office.)

## List of rulers
### List of Ottoman governors of Egypt (1517–1805)

* List of Ottoman governors of Egypt

### List of Grand Viziers of Egypt (1857–1878)

* Zulfiqar Pasha (1857–1858) (1st term)
* Mustafa Naili (1858–1861)
* Zulfiqar Pasha (1861–1864) (2nd term)
* Raghib Pasha (1864–1866) (1st term)
* Muhammad Sharif Pasha (1866–1867) (1st term)
* Raghib Pasha (1867–1868) (2nd term)
* Muhammad Sharif Pasha (1868–1872) (2nd term)
* Nubar Pasha (1872)
* Muhammad Tawfiq Pasha (1872–1878)

### Habesh Eyaleti (Ottoman Province of Habesh) / Massawa Province

Wali = Governor
| Term | Incumbent | Notes |
| Massawa | Ottoman Province | Ottoman Province |
| 1687 — 1663 | Keki Abdi Pasha, Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa | Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa |
| 1693–1693 | Mehmed Pasha | |
| 1693–1964 | Abaza Mustafa Pasha | |
| 1694— 1695 | Misirli Mehmed Pasha | |
| 1695–1965 | Gümrükçü Süleyman Pasha | |
| 1793 | Ahmad Hasan | Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa |
| 1813 to 1826 | Idris bin Utman | Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa |
| Egyptian occupation | Egypt itself nominally within Ottoman Empire | Egypt itself nominally within Ottoman Empire |
| 1690 to 1720 | Amir bin Ali | |
| 1770 to 1773 | Hasan Amir | |
| 1773 to 1787 | Muhammad Amir | |
| 1787 to 1800 | Uthman Amir | |
| 1800 to 1813 | Idris bin Uthman | |
| 1813 to 1833 | Turkci Bilmaz | Na’ib of Arkiko |
| 1833 to 1840 | Yahya Ahmad | |
| 1840 to 1844 | Muhammad Yahya | Na’ib of Arkiko |
| 1844 to 1845 | Hasan Idris | Na’ib of Arkiko |
| 1845 to 1846 | Muhammad Amir | Na’ib of Arkiko |
| 1846 to 1848 | Idris Hasan | Na’ib of Arkiko |
| Ottoman Suzerainty |||
| 1848 to 1863 | Rustam Agha, | Wali of Massawa |
| Egyptian Province |||
| 1866 to 1867 | Ismail Haqqi | |
| 1867 to 1867 | Omar Agha | |
| 1867 to 1869 | Ibrahim Pasha | |
| 1869 to 1869 | Muhammad Rasikh Bey       (born c. 1834 – died 1883) | |
| 1869 to 1869 | Abdallah Halil Efendi | |
| 1869 to 1870 | Hasan Bey Rifat | |
| 1870 to 1870 | Abdalkadir | |
| 1870 to 1871 | Aladdin Pasha Siddiq, Wali of Massawa | |
| 1871 to 1871 | Ahmad Mumtaz Pasha (at Sawakin)  (born 1825 – died 1874) | |
| 1871 to 1871 | Hajj Aman | |
| 1871 to 1871 | Ala al-Din Pasha Siddiq (d. 1883) | (1st time) |
| 1871 to 1873 | Werner Munzinger, Wali of Massawa, then Governor-General of the Eastern Sudan and the Red Sea Coast until November 1875 | |
| 1873 to 1874 | Johann Albert Werner       (born 1832 – died 1875) | |
| 1874 to 1874 | Munzinger Pasha | |
| 1874 to November 1875 | Arakel Bey Abroyan        (born 1832 – died 1875) | |
| 1875 to 1876 | Uthman Rifiq Pasha       (born 1839 – died 1886) | |
| 1876 to 1879 | Mohammed Ratib Pasha | |
| 1879 to 1882 | Khurshid Bey Pertev | |
| December 1882 to 28 June 1882 | Giulio Pestalozza, Commandant | |
| 1882 to December 1882 | Hursid Bey Pertev, Wali of Massawa | |
| 1883 to 1884 | Muhammad Muhtar Pasha, Wali of Massawa.     (born 1835 – died 1897) | |
| 1884 | Mason Bey, Wali of Massawa | |
| 1884 to 1884 | William Nathan Wrighte Hewett  (born 1834 – died 1888) | Acting governor of Massawa (made the British Protectorate over this province reality) |
| 1884 to 1885 | Izzet Bey, Wali of Massawa | |
| Italian Civil Commissioners of Assab |||
| 1885 to 1885 | Giuseppe Sapeto (commercial agent) (born 1811 – died 1895) | |
| 1885 to 1885 | Giovanni Branchi (born 1842 – died 1928) | |
| Italian Suzerainty |||
| 1885 to 1885 | Marcopoli Bey, Commandant | |
| 5 February 1885 to 6 February 1885 | Franz Hassen Bey, Commandant | |
| 1885 to 1885 | Charles Rigolet         (born c. 1853 – died ....) | |
| February 1885 to 14 November 1885 | Tancredi Saletta, Commandant | |
| 5 December 1885 to 22 April 1887 | Vittorio Dabormida, Superior Commandant | |
| 22 April 1887 to 10 November 1887 | Tancredi Saletta | 2nd Term |
| November 1887 to 1888 | Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano | |
| Assab Protectorate |||
| 1888 to 1888 | Carlo De Amezaga (born 1835 – died 1899) | |
| 1888 to 1888 | Giovanni Galeazzo Frigerio | Giovanni Galeazzo Frigerio (born 1841 – died 1921) |
| 1888 to 20 December 1889 | Antonio Baldissera | |
| 20 December 1889 to 20 December 1889 | Giulio Pestalozza        (born 1850 – died 1930) | |
| 20 December 1889 to 1 January 1890 | Baldassarre Orero, Commandan | |

### Eritrea

Before the official creation of Italian Eritrea (Colonia Eritrea) in 1890, the territory had seven interim governors: Giovanni Branchi (1882 to 1885), Alessandro Caimi (1885), Tancredi Saletta (1885), Matteo Albertone (1886 to 1887), Tancredi Saletta (1887), Alessandro Di San Marzano (1888) and Antonio Baldissera (1889).
Complete list of Italian Governors of Eritrea:
| Tenure | Incumbent | Notes |
| Commandants of Massawa ||||
| 1885 to 1885 | Pietro Caimi (born 1830 – died 1886) | |
| 1885 to 1886 | Tancredi Saletta (1st time) (born 1843 – died 1909) | |
| 1886 to 1886 | Carlo Gené (superior commandant) (born 1836 – died 1890) | |
| 1886 to 1887 | Antonio Baldissera (born 1838 – died 1917) | |
| 1887 to 1890 | Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano (born 1830 – died 1906) | |
| Italian Eritrea Colony ||||
| 1 January 1890 to 30 June 1890 | Baldassarre Orero, Commandant | |
| 30 June 1890 to 28 February 1892 | Antonio Gandolfi, Commandant | |
| 28 February 1892 to 22 February 1896 | Oreste Baratieri, Commandant | Commander of the Royal Italian Army in the Battle of Adwa |
| 22 February 1896 to 16 December 1897 | Antonio Baldissera, Governor | |
| 16 December 1897 to 25 March 1907 | Ferdinando Martini, Governor | |
| 25 March 1907 to 17 August 1915 | Giuseppe Salvago Raggi, Governor | |
| 17 August 1915 to 16 September 1916 | Giovanni Cerrina Feroni, acting Governor | 1st term |
| 16 September 1916 to 20 July 1919 | Giacomo De Martino, Governor | |
| 20 July 1919 to 20 November 1920 | Camillo de Camillis, Governor | |
| 20 November 1920 to 14 April 1921 | Ludovico Pollera, Governor | |
| 14 April 1921 to 1 June 1923 | Giovanni Cerrina Feroni, Governor | 2nd term |
| 1 June 1923 to 1 June 1928 | Jacopo Gasparini, Governor | |
| 1 June 1928 to 11 July 1930 | Corrado Zoli, Governor | |
| 11 July 1930 to 15 January 1935 | Riccardo Astuto dei Duchi di Lucchesi, Governor | |
| 15 January 1935 to 18 January 1935 | Ottone Gabelli, acting Governor | |
| 18 January 1935 to 22 November 1935 | Emilio De Bono, Governor | |
| 22 November 1935 to 22 May 1936 | Pietro Badoglio, Governor | |
| Eritrea Governorate ||||
| Part of Italian East Africa ||||
| 1 June 1936 to 1 April 1937 | Alfredo Guzzoni, Governor | |
| 1 April 1937 to 15 December 1937 | Vincenzo De Feo, Governo | |
| 15 December 1937 to 2 June 1940 | Giuseppe Daodice, Governor | |
| 2 June 1940 to 19 May 1941 | Luigi Frusci, | |
From 1936, the colony of Eritrea was increased in size and called Eritrea Governorate, as part of Africa Orientale Italiana (AOI). The Italian governors were under direct orders of the Viceroy (representing the now-King and Emperor Vittorio Emanuele)

## List of Chief Executives of Eritrea (1941–1960)

| Term | Incumbent | Notes |
| British Administration |||
| 5 February 1941 to 4 May 1942 | Sir William Platt, Administrator | Brian Kennedy-Cooke British Deputy Chief Political Officer for Eritrea 1941–1942 |
| 4 May 1942 to 9 November 1944 | Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Administrator | |
| 9 November 1944 to 14 August 1945 | C.D. McCarthy, Administrator | |
| 14 August 1945 to 1 November 1946 | John Meredith Benoy, Administrator | |
| 1 November 1946 to 19 February 1951 | Francis Greville Drew, Administrator | |
| UN High Commissioner in Eritrea |||
| 19 February 1951 to 15 September 1952 | Eduardo Anze Matienzo (born 1902 – died 1979) Non-party | United Nations Transitional Administration in Eritrea |
| Chief Administrator |||
| 19 February 1951 to 15 September 1952 | Duncan Cameron Cumming, Chief Administrator | |
| 15 September 1952 to 29 July 1955 | Tedla Bairu, | Chief Executive |
| 8 August 1955 to December 1959 | Asfaha Woldemikael, | Chief Executive |
| December 1959 to 20 May 1960 20 May 1960 to 14 November 1962 | Abiye Abebe, | Chief Executive, Administrator |

### Eritrea Governor-General

| Term | Incumbent | |
| Eritrea | Ethiopian Province | Ethiopian Province |
| 14 November 1962 to 1964 | Abiye Abebe, | Governor-General |
| 1964 to December 1970 | Ras Asrate Medhin Kassa | Governor-General |
| December 1970 to August 1974 | Debebe Hailemariam | Governor-General |
| August 1974 to 29 May 1975 | Amanuel Amde Mikael, | Governor-General |
| 17 Feb 1975 – Jun 1977 | Getachew Nadew          (d. 1977) | Governor-General |
| Jun 1977 – 1979 | Fikru Woldetinsae | Governor-General |
| 1979 to 1983 | Dawit Wolde Giorgis, | 14 NovemberGovernor-General |
| August 1989 to 18 May 1991 | Afework Wolemikael, | Governor-General |
| August 1989 to 29 May 1991 | Tesfaye Gebre Kidan, | 14 NovemberGovernor-General |