During the late 19th-century Scramble for Africa, Ethiopia and Liberia were the only two nations that largely preserved their sovereignty throughout the colonisation efforts by European colonial powers. Many newly independent nations on the continent adopted Ethiopia's flag colours of green, gold and red. During this period, Ethiopia established its modern borders through extensive conquest of territories to its east, west and south. Ethiopia was the first independent African member of the League of Nations and the United Nations. The country was occupied by Italy in 1936 and became Italian Ethiopia as part of Italian East Africa, until it was liberated in 1941 during World War II and underwent a short period of British military administration. During Italian rule, the government abolished the centuries-old practice of slavery, and urbanization steadily increased. In 1974, the long-standing Ethiopian monarchy under Haile Selassie was overthrown by the Derg, a communist military government backed by the Soviet Union. In 1987, the Derg established the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which was overthrown in 1991 by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The EPRDF regime, ruled by Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), saw severe authoritarian rule under a one-party dominance system, including human rights violations, political repressions, political prisoners, while the corruption rate steadily increased. During their rule, ethnic federalism was implemented in the constitution. Ethiopia registered the fastest economic growth under Meles Zenawi's administration. The EPRDF coalition was merged with Abiy Ahmed's party Prosperity Party in 2019 despite TPLF refused to merge their party. Since Abiy took office in 2018, ethnic tensions and unrest aggravated; hostility between Abiy's government and TPLF members became worsened after 2020 and culminates the Tigray War in November 2020.