Crimes against the Eritrean People (1958-2008)
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The ELF and EPLF leaders' conspiracy of killing fighters and causing disappearances in the 1970s and 1980s

[The ELF and EPLF leaders' conspiracy of killing fighters ] [Cases of killings and deaths in mysterious circumstances since 1991]

    
 

In the 1970s and 1980s there was a doubt about the death of many fighters inside the EPLF and ELF, for example : Weldenkel Haile (Wedi-Haile), Isayas Tewelde ( Wedi-Flansa), Fisehye Woldegebrel and others. There was also a question about the death of Dr.Fistum and conspiracy of the ELF.RC for the death of Abdu Romedan, and other fighters not mentioned in the ELF.

    

Abrahm Twelde Abrahm Twelde went to hide in Ala region in the highlands probably in September 1969. He was the leader of the Ala group. This did not have any intention to split from the ELF.
Abraham Twelde who was the leader wished to resolve the problems with (Kiada al-Ama) through in dialogue not by splitting.

However, after Mesfin Hagos joined the Ala group in March 1970 and Issayas on 27 April 1970,the PLF II or Selfi Natzinet was founded at a meeting at Ala by Issays, this was just after the death of Abraham Twelde on 17 May1970 which is still secret to most of us.

According to some sources Abraham was poisoned in suspicious circumstance,. this was well documented by Human Rights Watch, (1991: 42p) ; by Erlich( Eritrea in the Western Media p.97 1988) Erlich states that one of Issayas' main rivals in the rebel movement was found poisoned to death in 1970;and by Alem Tesfay, 2004.
    
Source Tesfay, 2004
Read more
Tuku'e Yehadego          
Tuku'e Yehadego was born in Asmara around 1942. He attended high school at Haile Selassie I secondary school, where he was a leading figure in the 1957 student strike. A famous football player, he hit a police capitain with his head and was arrested. After graduation he played with the Adulis Footbal Club and in December 1959 was recruited into the ELM when the team was playing in Port-Sudan He became a key ELM orgainzer in Asmara where he worked for Civil Aviation Authority, and in late 1962 helped organize a protest against Eritrea ANNEXATION for which he
was arrested but laterreleased by Police General Tedla Ogbit. He fled to Sudan where he worked with the ELM until its demise in 1965, and then joined the ELF.

Disillusioned by the assassination of his colleague Wolde Ghidey and Kidane Kiflu . in 1970 he joined Osman Saleh Sabbe’s organization, working in Aden and Sudan. He was killed in an ELF ambush in 1971 while bringing supplies from Port-Sudan to ELF-PLF fighers in Sahel( Killion 1991:413).

According to a reliable source Tuku'e did not die in the civil war but there was a story that he mysteriously disappeared while he was with Girmai Mehari. The only person who knows the secret of this is Girmai Mehari (the commander of both Sembel and Tsetserat Prison Administration and Rehabilitation Services). According to the source, Girmai Mehari reported that they lost each other somewhere around Mahemet on their way from Port-Sudan to Sahel because of fog.

The death of Tuku’e was a victory for Idris M.Adem who hated the ELM and its members because of their secular views. Idris was the founder of the ELF in competition with the in 1960 and the chairman of the ELF when Tuku was killed by the EPLF in 1971. His death was also a victory for Issays who was one of the founders and leaders of the EPLF in 1970.

As history proves Issays has never hesitated to eliminate any one who is more famous than he such as Abraham Twelde 1970,1970, Tuku’e 1971, Mussie & Yohannes 1973, Woldenkile Haile 1977, Mengesteab Yisak 1978, Ibrahim Afa 1985, Petros Solomon & Haile Duru 2001 etc.

Tuku’e was one of the great young personalities of the post-Italian colonial generation who spent his youth in struggling to preserve the federal constitution by leading student demonstrations and actively participating in spreading the ELM networking, and continuing his struggle against the annexation of Eritrea in 1962. Eventually he joined the ELF in 1965 and the EPLF in 1970 but he was killed while he was on duty by his colleague as they thought that he was a threat to their power because of his fame in the 1950s among students and workers who joined the ELF in 1965, and the EPLF in 1970 (Welden kel Gebremariam, Welden kel Abrah, Mehari Debessai, Teklay Haraka etc). etc) .

A brave nationalist man like Tuku’s should be remembered as a hero by all Eritrean youth and they should follow his traces to revitalize the spirit of the 1950s youth movement which will be have a great outcome in creating unity among the youth to speed up their victory over the present autocratic government and other leaders within the opposition group who refuse to acknowledge their crimes or collaboration during the armed struggle. Read more

    
Dr Fistum [conspiracy of the ELF.RC ]        
In the early 1970s there were questions about the death of Dr Fistum who was member of the ELF    
 
Weldekel Haile
Weldekel Haile was educated in Syria and was the first Jebha to flee, According the account of Tesfamariam Assefaw
,Woldenkel Haile did not like Issayas (Aida Kidane,2004). During the Menka movement in 1973
Woldenkel Haile who was head of the security department said that the Menka
ringleaders prisoners did not commit any crime except breaking military discipline rules. He made clear his stand which was completely different from Issayas . Because of this Issayas was not happy and Woldenkel Haile was sent to the Hailitat (front line sometime in 1974 Afewerki, Tewdros, 2003.

He was the most distinguished military leader next to Ibrhim Afa and had led the Eritrea People’s Liberation Army to victory at the strategic town of Segeneti in 1977 but was not a member of the central comittee in 1977.

He was killed shortly after the victory by an unidentified gunman at Segeneti, his birth place. When this occurred there was a radio message in this code " Itia Abai Lham Ab Mereta Wediqa", meaning that the great leader rest on his land"
                                           
Ibrahim Afa                  
In 1985 the death of Ibrahim Afa also raised another question whether he was killed by the enemy or by EPLF special unit force. Some people believe that the circumstances of Ibrahim Afa's death are not clear( Dawit, Daniel, 2001); others believe that Isayas Afwerki killed his long-time comrade
Ibrahim Afa (VKP, 2003). Ibrahim Afa’s death has become a matter of 		 
controversy (Pool, 2001). There is also some people believe that the military training centre at Sawa which is called "Medeber Tailim Ibrahim Afa" ( Ibrahim Afa Military
Training Centre) is in fact a cover up for the mysterious circumstances of Ibrahim Afa’s death. Read more
                                           
Abdu Romedan
 
Read more
  Tekle Wedi Keshi.
Eritrea's Disappeared: The Death of A Former School matel
By Zekere Lebonna - Jan 07, 2004
   
I remember Tekle Wedi Keshi. He was my former school-mate at Godaif Elementary School. Suffering from foot blisters and haggard, I saw him being prodded on by some of our Ganta leaders. We were resting on a narrow forest trail (mengedi gebar) near Adi Shuma. I gazed at him, but did not show any acknowledgement or words of encouragement. Our detachment reached the Adi Shuma locality in rapid retreat. Tekle's situation worsened. Unable to put up with the walk, he was lagging behind with a few other strugglers. I overheard the Ganta leaders accusing him of faking it, and of having studied at Abadina College
(An Ethiopian Police Academy). In fact, the morons, were confusing it with Alemaya College (An Ethiopian Agricultural college in Harer, Ethiopia). This was ominous, for they suspected him of being a spy. Read more  
 
Petros Yohannes
Meharena Hadgu in Menkae memory wrote that fighters were taken away from front lines and disappeared. Some fighters came from Addis and abroad hearing of the Menkae killings and asked about it. They were met suspiciously and made to disappear.
Petros Yohannes had stared inquiring already from the US. Why the fighters were
imprisoned because the educated ones asked for democracy, and what more have
the ELF done? So what was the reason Shabia split from ELF then?
Though I did not meet him, he was said to be a brilliant person. We heard that a man
called Petros Yohannes had entered meda from the US and was killed. We heard that
Petros was made to stay behind since they were called to meda for work.

Beyan Negash (2007) gave a good explanation for the cause of his death as follows:

Similarly, EPLF followers were hurling any insult that might stick. Thus "Jim Jones of Eritrea" was one that they attempted to   label the man with, because he simply thought outside the  groupthink. If anyone would fit the cult bill, it would have been  those that were throwing an insult  at Mengisteab and his comrades of the time like the late Petros Yohannes, a student from  Canada, who ended up in the field at such turbulent time and soon after to be pronounced dead by accident in the fields of Eritrea. Incidentally, EPLF would give a martyr’s certificate to Petros   Yohannes’ family: location Embatkalla, not Sahel as it was   first thought. Andeberhan  Woldegiorgis was Petros’archenemy, the source added. This trusted source alleges that the  controversial booklet was written–mainly-by the two fallen men.

Source    EFLNA/ENASA(Mengisteab Yisaq, Petros Yohannes) & EPLF P
 By Beyan Negash - Jul 24, 2007

Find more :EPLF's History of Mysterious Deaths

[Dr Biement][Mehari Gheberemichael][Arefaine Tesfahgabr][Wedi Lbey][Ash’Al][Doctor Mekonnen Haile][Ibrahim Afa][Isaias Finansa]

 
 
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