Eritrea 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 list of the colonial governors until 1991.
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 monarchs of the Muhammad Ali dynasty (1805–1914)
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
PortraitTermIncumbentNotesMassawaOttoman Province1687 – 1663Keki Abdi Pasha, Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of MassawaNa’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa1693–1693Mehmed Pasha1693–1964Abaza Mustafa Pasha 1694— 1695Misirli Mehmed Pasha1695–1965Gümrükçü Süleyman Pasha1793 Ahmad Hasan Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa1813 to 1826Idris bin UtmanNa’ib of Arkiko, Wali of MassawaEgyptian occupationEgypt itself nominally within Ottoman Empire1690 to 1720Amir bin Ali1770 to 1773Hasan Amir 1773 to 1787Muhammad Amir1787 to 1800Uthman Amir1800 to 1813Idris bin Uthman1813 to 1833Turkci BilmazNa’ib of Arkiko1833 to 1840Yahya Ahmad1840 to 1844Muhammad YahyaNa’ib of Arkiko1844 to 1845Hasan IdrisNa’ib of Arkiko1845 to 1846Muhammad Amir Na’ib of Arkiko1846 to 1848Idris HasanNa’ib of ArkikoOttoman Suzerainty1848 to 1863Rustam Agha, Wali of MassawaEgyptian Province1866 to 1867Ismail Haqqi 1867 to 1867Omar Agha1867 to 1869Ibrahim Pasha1869 to 1869 Muhammad Rasikh Bey (born c. 1834 – died 1883) 1869 to 1869Abdallah Halil Efendi1869 to 1870Hasan Bey Rifat 1870 to 1870 Abdalkadir1870 to 1871Aladdin Pasha Siddiq, Wali of Massawa1871 to 1871Ahmad Mumtaz Pasha (at Sawakin) (born 1825 – died 1874)1871 to 1871Hajj Aman1871 to 1871Ala al-Din Pasha Siddiq (d. 1883)(1st time)1871 to 1873Werner Munzinger, Wali of Massawa, then Governor-General of the Eastern Sudan and the Red Sea Coast until November 18751873 to 1874Johann Albert Werner (born 1832 – died 1875)1874 to 1874Munzinger Pasha 1874 to November 1875Arakel Bey Abroyan (born 1832 – died 1875)1875 to 1876Uthman Rifiq Pasha (born 1839 – died 1886)1876 to 1879 Mohammed Ratib Pasha 1879 to 1882Khurshid Bey PertevDecember 1882 to 28 June 1882Giulio Pestalozza, Commandant1882 to December 1882Hursid Bey Pertev, Wali of Massawa1883 to 1884Muhammad Muhtar Pasha, Wali of Massawa. (born 1835 – died 1897) 1884Mason Bey, Wali of Massawa1884 to 1884William Nathan Wrighte Hewett (born 1834 – died 1888)Acting governor of Massawa (made the British Protectorate over this province reality)1884 to 1885Izzet Bey, Wali of MassawaItalian Civil Commissioners of Assab1885 to 1885Giuseppe Sapeto (commercial agent) (born 1811 – died 1895) 1885 to 1885Giovanni Branchi (born 1842 – died 1928) Italian Suzerainty1885 to 1885Marcopoli Bey, Commandant5 February 1885 to 6 February 1885Franz Hassen Bey, Commandant1885 to 1885Charles Rigolet (born c. 1853 – died ....)February 1885 to 14 November 1885Tancredi Saletta, Commandant5 December 1885 to 22 April 1887Vittorio Dabormida, Superior Commandant22 April 1887 to 10 November 1887Tancredi Saletta2nd TermNovember 1887 to 1888Alessandro Asinari di San MarzanoAssab Protectorate1888 to 1888Carlo De Amezaga (born 1835 – died 1899) 1888 to 1888Giovanni Galeazzo Frigerio Giovanni Galeazzo Frigerio (born 1841 – died 1921) 1888 to 20 December 1889Antonio Baldissera20 December 1889 to 20 December 1889Giulio Pestalozza (born 1850 – died 1930)20 December 1889 to 1 January 1890Baldassarre 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: TenureDates in italics indicate de facto continuation of officePortraitIncumbentNotesCommandants of Massawa1885 to 1885Pietro Caimi (born 1830 – died 1886)1885 to 1886Tancredi Saletta (1st time) (born 1843 – died 1909) 1886 to 1886Carlo Gené (superior commandant) (born 1836 – died 1890)1886 to 1887Antonio Baldissera (born 1838 – died 1917) 1887 to 1890Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano (born 1830 – died 1906)Italian Eritrea Colony1 January 1890 to 30 June 1890Baldassarre Orero, Commandant30 June 1890 to 28 February 1892Antonio Gandolfi, Commandant28 February 1892 to 22 February 1896Oreste Baratieri, CommandantCommander of the Royal Italian Army in the Battle of Adwa22 February 1896 to 16 December 1897Antonio Baldissera, Governor16 December 1897 to 25 March 1907Ferdinando Martini, Governor25 March 1907 to 17 August 1915Giuseppe Salvago Raggi, Governor17 August 1915 to 16 September 1916Giovanni Cerrina Feroni, acting Governor1st term16 September 1916 to 20 July 1919Giacomo De Martino, Governor20 July 1919 to 20 November 1920Camillo de Camillis, Governor20 November 1920 to 14 April 1921Ludovico Pollera, Governor14 April 1921 to 1 June 1923Giovanni Cerrina Feroni, Governor2nd term1 June 1923 to 1 June 1928Jacopo Gasparini, Governor1 June 1928 to 11 July 1930Corrado Zoli, Governor11 July 1930 to 15 January 1935Riccardo Astuto dei Duchi di Lucchesi, Governor15 January 1935 to 18 January 1935Ottone Gabelli, acting Governor18 January 1935 to 22 November 1935Emilio De Bono, Governor22 November 1935 to 22 May 1936Pietro Badoglio, GovernorEritrea GovernoratePart of Italian East Africa1 June 1936 to 1 April 1937Alfredo Guzzoni, Governor1 April 1937 to 15 December 1937Vincenzo De Feo, Governo15 December 1937 to 2 June 1940Giuseppe Daodice, Governor2 June 1940 to 19 May 1941Luigi 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) PortraitIncumbentTermNotesBritish AdministrationSir William Platt, Administrator5 February 1941 to 4 May 1942Brian Kennedy-Cooke British Deputy Chief Political Officer for Eritrea 1941–1942Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Administrator4 May 1942 to 9 November 1944C.D. McCarthy, Administrator9 November 1944 to 14 August 1945John Meredith Benoy, Administrator14 August 1945 to 1 November 1946Francis Greville Drew, Administrator1 November 1946 to 19 February 1951UN High Commissioner in EritreaEduardo Anze Matienzo (born 1902 – died 1979) Non-party 19 February 1951 to 15 September 1952United Nations Transitional Administration in EritreaChief AdministratorDuncan Cameron Cumming, Chief Administrator19 February 1951 to 15 September 1952Tedla Bairu,Killion, Tom (1998). Historical Dictionary of Eritrea. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3437-5. 15 September 1952 to 29 July 1955 Chief ExecutiveAsfaha Woldemikael, 8 August 1955 to December 1959 Chief ExecutiveAbiye Abebe, December 1959 to 20 May 1960 20 May 1960 to 14 November 1962Chief Executive, Administrator
Eritrea Governor-General PortraitIncumbentTermEthiopian ProvinceAbiye Abebe, 14 November 1962 to 1964 Governor-GeneralRas Asrate Medhin Kassa1964 to December 1970 Governor-GeneralDebebe HailemariamDecember 1970 to August 1974 Governor-GeneralAmanuel Amde Mikael, August 1974 to 29 May 1975Governor-GeneralGetachew Nadew (d. 1977) 17 Feb 1975 – Jun 1977 Governor-GeneralFikru Woldetinsae Jun 1977 – 1979 Governor-GeneralDawit Wolde Giorgis, 1979 to 198314 NovemberGovernor-GeneralAfework Wolemikael,August 1989 to 18 May 1991Governor-GeneralTesfaye Gebre Kidan, August 1989 to 29 May 1991 14 NovemberGovernor-General
See also List of heads of state of Eritrea Chief Executive of Eritrea Lists of office-holders
References