By Elias Kifle
The latest news that came out of Eritrea regarding Ethiopian resistance fighters sent shock waves through Ethiopian communities all over. The report, which is posted on Ethiomedia last night, says that 17 members of the Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) have been executed following the organization’s general assembly in February 2010. The executions were carried out on the orders of Col. Fitusm Yitshak, Eritrean adviser to Ethiopian opposition groups in Eritrea, the report adds. The victims are:
1. Adane Mekuannent (former secretary general)
2. Alemu Melkamu
3. Desse Abera
4. Gashaw Babel
5. Melaku Abera
6. Alemseged Tekhest
7. Fekadu Endalew (Division Commander)
8. Shumet Sisay (Division Commander)
9. Asmare Zewde
10. Getnet Feseha
11. Tekle Gebru
12. Esubalew Hailu
13. Beshaw Dube
14. Yaregal Asmare
15. Mohamed Molla
16. Adem Getahun
17. Fentahun Alemshet (Force Commander)
I have met some of these individuals at the Feb. 2010 general assembly. One of them, Esubalew Hailu, was sitting in front of me. He was asking tough questions and taking the leadership to task on a number of issues. Adane Mekuannent, the former secretary general, is a highly respected fighter and an outspoken person. He was prevented from attending the general assembly. When we asked where he is, we were told that he is on a mission.
I have known and repeatedly asked explanation about the disappearance of most of the individuals in the list, on top of several others, including Shibabaw Abebe, who was a well known anti-Woyanne rebel leader in Wolkait before joining EPPF.
There were several incidents of mutiny following the disappearance of these EPPF fighters, most of whom are central committee members who were elected at the Feb. 2010 general assembly. Subsequently, the rank-and-file members started to desert in droves, and according to my sources inside EPPF, only about 70 fighters left now.
I’ve been trying to verify the authenticity of the Ethiomedia report from multiple source. What I have been able to confirm so far is that the individuals in the list have indeed disappeared without a trace, but not all of my sources could tell me that they have first hand information on whether they have been executed.
Due to the extreme gravity of the report, I urge the Government of Eritrea to launch an investigation without delay. Since many of the individuals in the list are members of the EPPF central committee, it will not take long for the GOE to find out what happened to them.
When I traveled to Eritrea last February, I, along with others who went with me, had called for the creation of an inquiry panel composed of 3 individuals from EPPF and 3 individuals from the Government of Eritrea (GOE) to investigate the alleged corruption inside EPPF and the disappearance of members. The request was shot down and we were accused by Col. Fitsum, through his puppets, of trying to cause friction between EPPF and the GOE.
Because of Ethiomedia’s strong anti-Shabia stand, I have heard some Ethiopians expressing doubt about the report. Ethiomedia’s editor Abraha Belai may have anti-Shabia bias, but as a professional journalist who takes his profession seriously, I don’t think he would post such an extremely shocking news without doing due diligence. The issue at hand is not the messenger of the news, but what happened to these 17 individuals and many others, including Col. Tadesse Muluneh, who have disappeared following the Feb. 2010 general assembly.