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President of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region defected

President of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ato Yaregal Aysheshum, has defected and joined the opposition camp earlier this month.

The Ethiopian Review Intelligence Unit has learned that Ato Yaregal had sought political asylum in an east African country, and when his safety was threatened, he was taken to a third country.

Although Ato Yaregal was the President of Benishangul-Gumuz, a region that is abundantly fertile and rich in natural resources, he had little say in how the region was administered. As in all the other regions of Ethiopia, all important decisions are being made by officials of the Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne) from Mekelle and Addis Ababa.

Ato Yaregal was particularly disconcerted by Woyanne’s recent instigation of ethnic conflicts between Oromos and Benishangul, which finally led him to join the opposition Ginbot 7 Movement, according to ER sources.

After joining Ginbot 7, Ato Yaregal was successful in passing highly valuable information about the regime’s criminal activities. When the Woyanne intelligence was getting close to him, he managed to escape with the help of Ginbot 7 local operatives.

Woyanne agents are currently threatening him with confiscating all his properties in the country and hurting members of his family, while reporting that he is abroad getting medical attention, in order to lure him into returning.

Ginbot 7 officials declined to comment on Ato Yaregal’s case.

20 thoughts on “President of Ethiopia’s Benishangul-Gumuz region defected

  1. This was a good lesson to Yaregal thoough it is late. It should be known that other Ethiopians cooperating with few Banda TPLFites will one day come to their mind despite the evil deeds that they have been doing following Meles’s outraged orders. Best Yaregal. For all of us, TPLFites will one day be dissociated from ‘Hodam’ supporters.

  2. The killer Meles is already lost control the what he had planed for years. No matter how it takes, the truth shall will Prevail. It is funny the TPLF leader is begging the Issays Afeworki for peace. I see that the regime already destroying it self from inside out. May God give Ethiopia a great leader !

  3. If this is a real news, it should be more than breaking news. We need more developments, but you should be careful not to reveal his whereabout; doing that will cost him a lot. Benishangul is the best area to start any kind of struggle. I know the place and it is the best place to fight woyane through armed struggle. Yaregal has been an ardent opposer to the regime. He once disagreed with the way money was allocated to the regimes and the woyanes saw him as a future rebel. Recently Abay Tsehaye went to him and warned him of many things. It is a big failure for woyane and a big victory for G7 because woyane claims to stand for small ethnic grooups.If woyane doesn’t represent both the big and small ethnic groups whom is it going to represent?

  4. here you go, bravo ato yaregal. Eventually most fake members of weyane will join either Ginbot 7 or killed or arrested by weyane.

    so this is a great lesson for most fake non-tigrian members of eprdf under the leadership of TPLF. They all have either join Ginbot 7 or leave thier fake leadership to the weyane.

    this is also a sign that weyane will be removing soon by the ethiopians.

    time will be for weyane.

  5. It’s a good news,a good development to all forces of Democracy.G7 should also be praised for their daring and patriotic actions in saving Yaregal from the sword of the merciless security of Meles Zenawi.

    Yaregal has set a good example to the other adminstrators of regions.

    As a whole,Yaregal’s defection can be taken as an indicator that the brutal regime of Meles Zenawi has begun to crack in the face of democratic forces such as G7.

    Hurrah!our peaceful struggle began to bear fruit.

  6. To TKassa

    you are either a dead member of the eprp eyasu echo and destructive group or a worshiper of aste hailu shawel stupid and ignorant group or a weyane racist and blind poor propagandist.

    Ginbot 7 exactly knows how to handle thier strategy since it is full of brillent and smart leaders.

    go ginbot 7

  7. Yaregal was the longest serving president of one of weyanne segregated regions. A couple of months ago a group of weyanne officials traveled to Beneshangul and sucked him from his position. Yaregal served weyanne loyally like no other regional president for more than 15 year in the same position…no other regional president stayed that long in the offic. The news is good but Yaregal is not the current president of Beneshagul-Gumuz

  8. Down with the dictator Meles Zenawi. Your days are numbered and I hope you will soon face justice just like Saddam and other bloodthirsty tyrans. God bless Ethiopia.

  9. Yaregal was the longest serving president in one of Weyanne segragted regions. He served weyanne loyally for a very long period of time like no other regional president.A couple of months ago weyanne officials traveled to Beneshangul and sucked him from his position.It is good news but currently he is not the president of Bneshagul-Gumuz.

  10. It is really good news if it is true.
    It is also important to interview and exposed all crime done by the regime after his security is guaranteed.
    Such act like Yaregal did is so important to detach the minor ethnic regime.
    The only power of Woyanne is nothing but those who served Woyanne like Yaregal was doing. we appreciate such defects of act so as to detach the minor regime.
    What the leadership of Ginbot 7 does is to uncover all crime done by Woyanne through all electronics media.

  11. The people of Benishangul Gumuz and Oromo have a good brotherly relationship and fraternity since long time. However, the Woyyane made a conflict among them. So those people must know the problem and unite:; defeate thier common enemy Woyane

  12. Its time to leave Weyane and join Ginbot 7 and think of human freedom in Ethiopia. It is a good exapmle for the others to follow decision that has been made by Yaregal. Long live Ginbot 7.

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