By Elias Kifle
The Asmara office of Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) has issued a statement disputing a recent report on Ethiomedia.com about the execution of 17 members, including the former secretary general.
According to the statement that was sent to Ethiomedia.com yesterday, the EPPF leadership does not recognize the 17 individuals who are listed in the report as being executed.
The statement left me speechless since I have met some of the individuals at the Feb. 2010 EPPF general assembly that was held in Eritrea. The general secretary and the commanders in particular are well known by even those Ethiopians in the Diaspora who have been visiting and supporting EPPF during the past several years.
I have no doubt that the outrageous statement — written in a broken Amharic — was prepared by Col. Fitsum Yisehak, an Eritrean “adviser” to EPPF who has hijacked the organization and became its de facto leader. Following the Feb. 2010 assembly, he has dismissed and arrested many of the newly elected central committee members. Currently, the EPPF officials are nothing more than prisoners of the colonel and have no power to issue any statement. Nevertheless, who ever authored the release of such a blatantly false statement that can easily be proven wrong must be a bumbling idiot or an extremely arrogant person who has contempt toward all Ethiopians.
Ethiopian Review will continue to gather information on the disappearances (and possible execution) of the 17 patriots, as well as many others. I also urge the Government of Eritrea to conduct investigation for the sake of justice and peace. The colonel and his willing collaborators must be brought to justice.