Woldeab Woldemariam | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 27, 1905 Adi Zarna, Italian Eritrea[1] |
| Died | May 15, 1995 (age 90) Asmara, Eritrea |
Woldeab Woldemariam (ወልደአብ ወልደማርያም), also spelled Weldeab Weldemariam, (April 27, 1905 – May 15, 1995) was an Eritrean revolutionary and political figure who was one of the original proponents of the Eritrean Independence movement and an uncompromising advocate of freedom considered by many Eritreans as fathers of Eritrea nationalism. He worked closely with Ibrahim Sultan Ali after the Federation with Ethiopia to secure Eritrean Independence.
Woldemariam (also known by his nickname as WelWel) was a teacher, journalist, radical revolutionary, a great debater and an uncompromising advocate of freedom. His commitment to individual freedom, democracy and justice was as unshakable as his commitment to the unity of Eritrea and the dignity of its people. The clarity of his thinking, which was expressed in his newspaper articles of the 1940s, is now available to a new generation, compiled in a book (Mirutsat Anqetsat Ato Woldeab, 1941–1991). The book was edited by Tikabo Aresi'e and published in 1995.
He was a devout Christian of the Protestant congregation. He was born in the Eritrean village of Adi Zarna.