Political Development Within ELF And EPLF

EPLF
After the envoy of foreign affairs and its supporters were removed from the people’s liberation front, the front becomes one united strong front. As a result, in 1975-76 the front played a crucial role in raising the awareness of the newly recruited and eradicating the existing ethnic and religious affiliations among the fighters.

After reorganizing the internal affairs of the front, in January 23-21, 1977 EPLF hold its first congressional meeting. In this meeting, around 300 individuals elected by the fighters and the people to represent them had participated. To ratify various programs and constitution of the front, to have an emblem and flag of the front, and to change the name of the front to Eritrean People’s Liberation front were some of the resolutions passed in this meeting.

The congress also empathized on national unity of the people of the country. Accordingly, the front decided to give the priority of organizing the public in order to raise the awareness and enhance its participation on the struggle which will also strengthen the unity of the public at large.  The congress also passed a resolution to establish discussions between the two fronts and condemned the envoy of foreign affairs and its supporters of its segregating policy.

The meeting also ratified various plans and their implementation schedule. At the end of the meeting the participants agreed to hold a second congressional meeting after two years and elected a committee of 43 individuals that implement the decisions of the meeting. The committee also elected another 13 individuals for maintaining the political issues of the front. Romadan Mohammed-Nur and Isaias Afwerki were elected to be as general secretary as vice-secretary respectively.

The force that was trying to restructure the ELF from within the front and later continue its struggle separately had proved its strength especially with the victory of this congressional meeting. The dominance the front achieved in facing enemy forces and raising the awareness of the public also able the front to bethe dominant and effective front of the struggle.