The great tank & truck graveyard of Asmara, Eritrea

Raline · Post time 13-10-2014 12:10 PM

The great tank & truck graveyard of Asmara, Eritrea

In Asmara -an important city of Eritrea- a huge graveyard of wrecked military tanks, armoured vehicles and other relics of war, captured by the Eritreans or left behind by the Dergue from Ethiopia while evacuating Eritrea.

After Italy's defeat in World War 2 Eritrea struggled to keep itself afloat economically so the United Nations decided in 1950 that it would be better off being Ethiopia's 14th province - a move that Eritrea has spent the last 50 years fighting against.

“We keep this place as a reminder,” says Peter from the Department of Tourism. We walk through the masses of mostly Russian vehicles, tanks and piles of spent shells. In a normal country this place would be a scrap metal merchant’s dream, but here in Eritrea it remains as a symbol of pride and victory over Ethiopia.

It was the longest African war of the 20th Century lasting for over 30 years it cost more than 65,000 lives. In 1993, 99.81% of the voters said ‘yes’ to independence and Eritrea became one of the youngest countries in Africa.