5th  ELF-RC Congress

14-18 August 2001, held in Gondar

This picture depicts the 3rd regular RC session of the 5th RC (i.e.RC elected at the 5th Congress). The session, which preceded the split in the ELF-RC, was held in June 2003 in Addis Ababa.

 

The 5th ELF-RC congress was first scheduled to be held in December 2000 in Khartoum, Sudan. However, the congress was interrupted at a time when some of the congress participants were already in Khartoum and some from distant places like Australia, the North America still flying towards Khartoum. Many were stopped and returned from  Khartoum. The reasons were linked to new developments in relation to Sudanese-Eritrean relations. The rescheduled 5th congress was held in Gondar, Ethiopia, with only 104 delegates representing the organization. The congress adopted a new political programme and organizational structure befitting to the evolving situation. (For details on those changes, see Political Programme in Nharnet.com.)

 

The 33 Revolutionary Council Members Elected at the 5th Congress Were:

 

  1. Ahmed Nasser, chairman

  2. Mengisteab Asmerom, organizational affairs

  3. Khalifa Osman, information

  4. Yusuf Berhanu, economy

  5. Seyoum Oqbamichael, foreign

  6. Mohammed Ali Ibrahim, military

  7. Sahle Tesfai, social affairs

  8. Negash Osman

  9. Samuel Daniel

  10. Ibrahim Ghedem

  11. Amanuel Habte

  12. Tesfai Woldemicahel (Degiga)

  13. Gherezgheher Tewelde

  14. Eyob Beserat

  15. Abdalla Hassan

  16. Berhane Kidane

  17. Woldesus Ammar

  18. Haile Ghebru

  19. Habte Tesfamariam

  20. Ismail Dini

  21. Habtemariam Kifle

  22. Mohammed Adem Artaa

  23. Beyene Kidane

  24. Mohammed Omar Yahya

  25. Tesfai Teklezghi

  26. Mohammed Aselo

  27. Hassen Iman

  28. Idris Ismail

  29. Asefaw Berhe

  30. Berhane Tesfagaber

  31. Gimie Ahmed

  32. Tekle Melekin

  33. Osman Mohammed


Reserve RC members

  1. Mehari Tesfamariam (replaced Ibrahim Ghedem who resigned at the spot)

  2. Ibrahim Mohammed Ali (replaced Haile Ghebru in 2002)

  3. Mohammed Jaber

  4. Osman Shum/Mahmoud Hamid – obtained tie-vote.

 

 

Like the 2nd RC, the 5th RC was affected by split. The mainstream ELF-RC was supported not only by two-thirds majority of the RC (i.e 19), but it also had the support of over 90 percent of the total membership of the organization worldwide. The splinter group was supported by 13 members of the leadership. One ELF-RC veteran and long-time active member of the RC,  Khalifa Osman, resigned from the post and froze his activities with the organization.

 

The struggle continues for establishing a democratic Eritrea of institutions and rule of law. The ELF-RC is scheduled to hold its 6th congress within the year 2005, hopefully inside Eritrea!!