Identity jilted, or, Re-imagining identity?
Subtitle: the divergent paths of the Eritrean and Tigrayan nationalist struggles
By: Alemseged Abbay.
Publisher: Red Sea Press
Published: 1998
Place of publication: Lawrenceville, NJ
Language: eng
Number of pages: 250
Subjects: Eritreans -- Ethnic identity.; Nationalism -- Eritrea -- History -- 20th century.; Nationalism -- Ethiopia -- Tigray Kifle Hāger -- History -- 20th century; Eritrea -- History -- Revolution, 1962-1993.; Tigray Kifle Hāger (Ethiopia) -- History -- 20th century.; Tigrinya (African people) -- Ethnic identity.
Other titles: Identity jilted; Re-imagining identity
Description: In this bold study of modern ethno-regional nationalism, the author examines the divergent paths taken by the nationalist insurgencies in Tigray and Eritrea. The author argues that Tigrayans, south of the Mereb River, and Kebessa (highlands) Eritreans, north of the Mereb, are ethnically one people, tied by common history, political economy, myth, language and religion. Both fought against a common enemy, an oppressive Amhara ethnic state, for a period of seventeen and thirty years, respectively.

In the process of the armed struggle, however, each evolved separate political identities and, after jointly marching to military victory in 1991, they followed separate political paths - Eritreans created the newest state in Africa and Tigrayans remained within the Ethiopian body politic.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [233]-245) and index.
Originally presented as the author's thesis.