List of colonial governors of Eritrea

Contents

List of Provincial, Colonial and Federal Heads of Eritrea

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Asmara

Term Incumbent Notes
Ethiopia
1875 to 1879 Wolde Mikael, Governor  
1879 to 1890 Ras Alula Engida, Governor  

Assab

Term Incumbent Notes
Assab
December 1882 to 28 June 1885 Giulio Pestalozza, Commandant  
1885 to ???? Giovanni Branchi, Commissioner  

Habesh eyaleti (Ottoman Province of Habesh) / Massawa Province

Wali = Governor

Term Incumbent Notes
Massawa Ottoman Province
ante1687 to ante1706 Musa, Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa  
???? to ???? , Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa  
c.1793 Ahmad, Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa  
1793 to 1813 ..., Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa  
Egyptian occupation Egypt itself nominally within Ottoman Empire
1813 to 1826 ..., Na’ib of Arkiko, Wali of Massawa  
1826 to 1832 ..., Na’ib of Arkiko  
1832 to 1833 Turkci Bilmaz, Na’ib of Arkiko In rebellion
18?? to 1844 Yahya, Na’ib of Arkiko  
1844 to 1845 Hasan Na’ib of Arkiko  
1845 to 1846 Muhammad Na’ib of Arkiko  
1846 to 1848 Isma'il Hakki Pasha Na’ib of Arkiko  
Ottoman Suzerainty
1848 to 1861 ..., Wali of Massawa  
1861 to 1863 Muhammad Rasih Bey, Wali of Massawa  
Egyptian Province
1866 to 1867 Hasan Bey Rifaat, Wali of Massawa  
1867 to 18?? Abdelkader, Wali of Massawa  
18?? to 1871 Aladdin Pasha Siddiq, Wali of Massawa  
1871 to 1873 Werner Munzinger Pasha, Wali of Massawa, then Governor-General of the Eastern Sudan and the Red Sea Coast until November 1875  
1873 to November 1875 Arakil Bey Dabroyan, Wali of Massawa  
1875 to 18?? ..., Wali of Massawa  
18?? to December 1882 Hursid Bey Pertev, Wali of Massawa  
1883 to 1884 Muhammad Muhtar Pasha, Wali of Massawa  
1884 Mason Bey, Wali of Massawa  
1884 Admiral Hewett, Acting governor of Massawa (made the British Protectorate over this province reality)  
1884 to 1885 Izzet Bey, Wali of Massawa  
Italian Suzerainty
1885 to 1885 A. Caimi, Commandant  
5 February 1885 to 6 February 1885 Saletta Tancredi, Commandant 1st Term
6 February 1885 to 14 November 1885 Saletta Tancredi, Commandant 1st Term (contd.)
5 December 1885 to 22 April 1887 Carlo Gené, Superior Commandant  
22 April 1887 to 10 November 1887 Saletta Tancredi 2nd Term
November 1887 to 1888 Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano  
Assab Protectorate
1888 to 20 December 1889 Antonio Baldissera  
20 December 1889 to 1 January 1890 Baldassare Orero, Commandant  

Eritrea

Term Incumbent Notes
Eritrea Italian Colony
1 January 1890 to 30 June 1890 Baldassare Orero, Commandant  
30 June 1890 to 28 February 1892 Antonio Gandolfi, Commandant  
28 February 1892 to 22 February 1896 Oreste Baratieri, Commandant  
22 February 1896 to 16 December 1897 Antonio Baldissera, Governor  
16 December 1897 to 25 March 1907 Ferdinando Martini, Governor  
25 March 1907 to 17 August 1915 Giuseppe Salvago Raggi, Governor  
17 August 1915 to 16 September 1916 Giovanni Cherina Ferroni, acting Governor 1st Term
16 September 1916 to 20 July 1919 Giacomo De Martino, Governor  
20 July 1919 to 20 November 1920 Camillo De Camillis, Governor  
20 November 1920 to 14 April 1921 Ludovico Pollera, Governor  
14 April 1921 to 1 June 1923 Giovanni Cherina Ferroni, Governor 2nd Term
1 June 1923 to 1 June 1928 Jacopo Gasparini, Governor  
1 June 1928 to 11 July 1930 Corrado Zoli, Governor  
11 July 1930 to 15 January 1935 Riccardo Astuto dei Duchi di Lucchesi, Governor  
15 January 1935 to 18 January 1935 Ottone Gabeli, acting Governor  
18 January 1935 to 22 November 1935 Emilio De Bono, Governor  
22 November 1935 to 22 May 1936 Pietro Badoglio, Governor  
1 June 1936 to 1 April 1937 Alfredo Guzzoni, Governor  
1 April 1937 to 15 December 1937 Vincenzo De Feo, Governor  
15 December 1937 to 2 June 1940 Giuseppe Daodice, Governor  
2 June 1940 to 19 May 1941 Luigi Frusci, acting Governor  
Eritrea British Administration
5 February 1941 to 4 May 1942 Sir William Platt, Administrator  
4 May 1942 to 9 November 1944 Stephen Hemsley Longrigg, Administrator  
9 November 1944 to 14 August 1945 C.D. McCarthy, Administrator  
14 August 1945 to 1 November 1946 John Meredith Benoy, Administrator  
1 November 1946 to 19 February 1951 Francis Greville Drew, Administrator  
19 February 1951 to 15 September 1952 Duncan Camerone Cumming, Chief Administrator
Eritrea Ethiopian Federation
15 September 1952 to 29 July 1955 Tedla Bairu, Chief Executive
8 August 1955 to December 1959 Asfaha Woldemikael, Chief Executive
December 1959 to 20 May 1960 Abiye Abebe, Chief Executive
20 May 1960 to 14 November 1962 Abiye Abebe, Chief Administrator
Eritrea Ethiopian Province
14 November 1962 to 1964 Abiye Abebe, Governor-General
1964 to December 1970 Ras Asrate Medhin Kassa, Governor-General
December 1970 to August 1974 Debebe Haile Maryam, Governor-General
August 1974 to 29 May 19?? Amanuel Amde Mikael, Governor-General
August 19?? to 29 May 19?? Dawit Wolde Giorgis, Governor-General
August 19?? to 18 May 1989 Afework Wolemikael, Governor-General
August 1989 to 29 May 1991 Tesfaye Gebre Kidan, Governor-General

For continuation after independence, see: Heads of State of Eritrea

See also