The decision by the United Nations General Assembly to federate Eritrea with Ethiopia was a significant political maneuver aimed at establishing stability in the Horn of Africa following World War II. Until that point, Eritrea had been under British administration since the defeat of Italy during the war, which had resulted in the end of Italian colonial rule. The geopolitical landscape of the region was rapidly changing, and rising nationalist sentiments were influencing the political discussions regarding Eritrean governance. This federation was seen as a way to address Ethiopian ambitions to annex Eritrea while satisfying Eritrean aspirations for a degree of self-rule.

The UN resolution established Eritrea as a semi-autonomous region within the Ethiopian Empire, granting it some local governance rights while ultimately remaining under Ethiopian sovereignty. This compromise aimed to balance Ethiopia's historical claims to Eritrea and the desire of Eritreans for more autonomy and self-determination. It sparked a series of political developments in the region, including growing tensions between Ethiopian authorities and Eritrean nationalists who sought full independence. Eventually, these tensions would lead to escalating conflict.

As the federation progressed, it became increasingly clear that the Ethiopian government was not respecting the autonomy originally promised to Eritrea. The signing of the federation marked the beginning of several decades of complexity in Eritrean-Ethiopian relations, ultimately leading to a lengthy struggle for Eritrean independence that would be marked by conflict and turmoil.