The referendum in Eritrea was a pivotal moment following decades of conflict and struggle between the Eritrean people and the Ethiopian state. Beginning in the early 1960s, Eritreans had fought for their independence, leading to a protracted armed struggle known as the Eritrean War of Independence. The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) emerged as a prominent liberation movement during this time, fighting against the Ethiopian government led by Emperor Haile Selassie and later the Derg regime. A truce was eventually established in 1991 after Ethiopian forces were overthrown, paving the way for the 1993 referendum. The United Nations supervised the voting process to ensure legitimacy and fairness. The voter turnout was remarkably high, with over 99% of participants opting for independence, thus creating a legal basis for Eritrea to declare itself a sovereign state. The results were seen as a direct representation of the people's resolve for self-governance. Following the successful referendum, Eritrea became officially independent on July 1, 1993, with Isaias Afwerki becoming the first president of the newly established nation, symbolizing the triumph of the struggle against colonial and foreign rule.The newfound independence brought both hopes for stability and challenges ahead, as the nation faced the arduous task of state-building and national unification after years of separatist struggle. While Eritrea celebrated its independence, tensions with Ethiopia remained, leading to further conflicts in the coming years, including the Eritrean-Ethiopian War from 1998 to 2000.