Echoes of fascism: Italian settlers and their legacy in Eritrea

Echoes of Fascism: Italian Settlers and Their Legacy in Eritrea. After the unification of Italy in 1861, the Italians swiftly gained a foothold in the port of Assab in 1869, with the help of the Rubattino Shipping Company, which purchased a portion of land in Port Assab. Additionally, the company transferred the land to the Italian government in 1882. Besides this, Eritrea officially became an Italian colony on January 1, 1890, following the Treaty of Wichale. Due to the lack of significant resistance from indigenous Eritreans and the fact that the people of Habesha, particularly in Eritrea, had been severely affected by war, famine, and epidemics, the country had become sparsely populated (Nagash, T. 1987, p. 35). As a result, the weak and newly unified Italy was able to colonize Eritrea.

The socio-economic imbalances between northern and southern Italy must be addressed, a fact that the political elite acknowledged. According to Negash, using Eritrea as a colony of settlers for the poor and landless Italian peasants was a project of  Prime Minister Francesco Crispi and Leopoldo Franchetti. For them, the Eritrean colonial policy was principally about solving Italian rural problems. The policy of Eritrea as a colony of settlers lasted for five years, 1890-1895, and they created the office of colonial settlement. Leopoldo Franchetti ran the office. Franchetti strongly believed in a government-planned and subsidized settlement of landless peasants. In addition, Franchetti expropriated over 400,000 hectares of land and declared it available for Italian settlers (Nagash, T, 1987, p 32-34).

It is well known that the first Italian settlers were military personnel, missionaries, and civil administrators, followed by their families. After Eritrea became an Italian colony in 1890, Prime Minister Francesco Crispi promised Italian settlers, particularly from the south, fertile land in Eritrea to consolidate his power and solve the land problem in the South. As a result, most of the settlers received fertile land around Asmara and Keren. However, the policy of turning  Eritrea into a settler colony was revoked in 1895 due to local resistance from the landowners and a lack of political support in Rome.

After Asmara was declared the capital city of Eritrea in 1897, following the battle of Adwa, until the rise of the fascist leader Benito Mussolini, Eritrea was primarily viewed as a source of raw materials and colonial soldiers (Askeris). The human and material resources of Eritrea were exclusively exploited. Consequently, only a few buildings were constructed to support the colonial administration and military bases. However, the Italian occupation of Ethiopia turned Eritrea into a colony of settlement. According to Nagash, between April 1935 – May 1936, more than 300,000 Italian soldiers were stationed in Eritrea on their way to Ethiopia. Moreover, 50,000 laborers arrived from Italy to facilitate transportation and accommodation for the army (Nagash, T, 1987, p-52).

The fascist regime led by Mussolini used urbanization and the architecture of Art Deco for visual propaganda at home and in Piccolo Rome, ” little Rome”. Mussolini used Asmara as a laboratory for modernist architecture. The Art Deco public and private buildings in Asmara are designed to glorify and reflect the power of the Roman Empire. As a result, the Italian settler population increased from 4,600 in 1934 to nearly 75,000 in 1939, making up about 15% of the entire Eritrean population. Moreover, in Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea, more than 54% of the population was Italian settlers, 53,000 Italians, and 45,000 Eritreans (Nagash, T. (1987) p-53).

Mussolini developed Asmara, the apartheid city in East Africa, based on the principles of racial segregation. The well-planned southern part of the city was for Italians, and the unplanned northern part, including areas like Aba-Shawl and Arbaete-Asmara, was for Eritreans. Eritreans had no right to enter Campo Cintato, the southern part of the city, without a special permit.

The fascist architectural style in Asmara was recognized by UNESCO in 2017. Supporters of the current regime, the People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ), along with many members of the Azmarino community, take pride in this recognition, as the master plan for these buildings was designed to reinforce and glorify the fascist regime. However, most Eritreans, particularly farmers and laborers, view these structures as symbols of humiliation.

In conclusion, the legacy of the Italian settlers in Eritrea closely mirrors that of the fascist leader Mussolini, characterized by a complex and contentious history. For the local population, this legacy is marked by experiences of social segregation, humiliation, exploitation, and a pervasive sense of disregard. These communities endured significant hardships during the colonial period, suffering from discriminatory policies that marginalized them and limited their access to resources and opportunities.

Conversely, this legacy is viewed in a contrasting light for the cronies of the Asmarino cadre and the Italian colonizers, representing an era of pride, strength, and cultural identity. They often celebrate the advancements brought about by Italian infrastructure, education, and governance, despite the underlying oppression faced by the indigenous people.

The impacts of the Italian colonial era are still palpable in contemporary Eritrea, influencing its social dynamics, economic structures, and political landscape. Issues related to inequality, cultural tension, and economic disparity can be traced back to this tumultuous period, demonstrating the lasting effects of colonialism on the nation’s identity and development.

References:

Guglielmo Mattioli, (2019) Photographs document the Italian Fascist architecture of Eritrea: retrieved from <https://www.archpaper.com/2019/04/photographs-document-the-italian-fascist-architecture-of-eritrea/> accessed (January 19, 2025)

Shig Network, (2023) ኤርትራ፡ ርእሲ-ከተማ የብላን።||Eritrea hasn’t capital city||: retrieved from <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYiqG-SUAsQ&t=1495s> accessed (January 14, 2025)

Tekeste Negash, (1987). Italian Colonialism in Eritrea, 1882-1941: Policies, Praxis, and Impact. Uppsala University.

UNESCO, (2017) Asmara: A Modernist African City: retrieved from <https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1550/> accessed (January 16, 2025)