Various Wikimedia Commons' contributors, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1956 Tunisia gained independence from France.
Sources: Ministere de la Justice, Republique Tunisienne ; Universite Laval, CEFAN
Independence
Ceiling of Debre Birhan Selassie church, Gondar, Ethiopia. Photo: Rod Waddington, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Licence · Source
On this day: March 20 in African history
Real events, births and milestones from Africa and the diaspora.
Various Wikimedia Commons' contributors, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1956 
Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 1988 The Eritrean People's Liberation Front destroyed the Ethiopian army's Nadew Command at Afabet after three days of fighting, 10,400 fighters against about 18,000 troops. Ethiopian losses ran to several thousand killed and around 5,000 taken prisoner. It broke the Ethiopian position in northern Eritrea.
Sources: Il Corno d'Africa ; Red Sea Beacon
War
Office of the White House (Amanda Lucidon), Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons 2006 Chadian troops and rebels of the Rally for Democracy and Liberty fought near Adé and Moudeina on the Sudanese border, each side fielding around a thousand men. Chad's army chief of staff, General Abakar Youssouf Itno, was wounded there and died before he reached medical help. Reports put the army's losses at dozens killed and about 60 wounded.
Sources: Sudan Tribune ; IRIN
Corrected in September 2026 · see what changed
Politics
pitpony.photography, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons 1936 Lee 'Scratch' Perry, pioneering Jamaican reggae and dub music producer, was born.
Sources: The Guardian ; Jamaicans.com
Birth