| Memories of a fighter 1969-70
Part 1 By Aida Kidane, posted on 13 May 2004 Narration of Tesfamariam Assefaw ca 50 years old. Told to me in Gottsunda, Uppsala Sweden at his home 4 September 2000 ca 20:00 at his balcony. He had earlier told me his story but as always it is interesting, but I tend to forget that it is better to write down what I could remember and we have agreed to have his story in audio recording. ... I told Haile Duru in Addis that the EPLF had ceded from Jebha. I went to the university of Addis Abeba at 6am and we had scrambled eggs there, when I told him of the situation in the field. I was always with Selomon Welde Mariam in Ala. Once 50,000 birr was given to us which I carried to Selomon. It was contribution from the people. We were fed with fresh bread from Dekemehare and Pall Mall cigarettes, which for that time was a treat. Selomon met Ethiopian soldiers and no Ethiopian soldiers made any advance in Ala area, as Asrate Kassa had understanding with Selomon. But we stupidly were killing each other for Ethiopia's advantage... Tesfamikel Giorgio, who had position in Ethiopian government in early age gave us all we needed, acting as liaison. Selomon went to Bar Centro in Dekemehare meeting Ethiopian officials. Welde Mikel Haile was the first Jebha to flee away and came to Selomon. He was educated in Syria and came through Yemen. He was to be killed in Yemen and given to the Jebha in Denkel. He was given the choice to fight then he escaped and came to Ala. He did not like Issayas. Issayas once said " Struggle is honey covered Ire" (sour) and then ran away from Jebha. Selomon was then told by the then Jebha, as he was a member of them, to unite the fedayeen of all 5 units, reshuffling them. But then, Ermias Debessai and all 108 from Addis had come and he wanted them than the ordinary fadeen who were mostly peasants. Then it was known that all of us 108 were to be killed. So we sent Ermias first to play sick. We made him fall in the ground supposedly in pain. He was not good at acting that I pressed his face with my knees telling him to pretend he had fainted. Next was Tsehaye's turn but he gave me place first and I claimed to have homoroid. Only 3 of the 108 were not killed. I went to the official he sent me to Keyadial Amma, in Barka. They sent me to hospital. Those days, no Muslim cared to look at anyone's behind that claiming haemorrhoid helped. But after sickbay the medic wanted to see my faeces, I thought about it and asked a peasant to give me blood of an animal, and put my faeces on it and the medic felt sorry for me that I was given paper to travel to Sudan. I was not given the travel paper but two Muslim men, one a Asawerta. When we reached Debre Sala, they were smearing their swords. This really scared me deeply. I was sure my end was there. I walked painfully, feigning the haemorrhoid. As I gave up, a man called Redie came our way. He came from Syria after training going to enter the field. When he said his name was Redie, I was very delighted he was a Christian and told him everything. He got shocked and decided then to travel with me. We two decided to flee the men and walking slowly they went ca 10 minutes advancing. We then vanished and travelled for ca 24 hours, but returning to the same spot. Anyway we entered Sudan. Redie had money that we took the lorry to Kessela with goats kicking me on the lorry. I went to the Jebha office and was given only one girish (10 cents) daily for food. After 2 weeks, I met Dej Asberom from Afelba and he gave me a lot of money, after I presented myself to him. He hated Muslims too that I could vent my hatred out. He was with Sabbe. Time came to travel and we, with Musie Bekhit, Selomon, Hagos Mesfin and others, only Christians flew to Aden, Yemen. There in the military camp were 700 ELF fighters all Muslim from Maria and Massawa tribes. The allowance Sabbe gave was misused by Massawans and we were almost starving. As I was forward talking, I asked Welde Ab Welde Mariam for money when he came to visit us. He said that even his escort who carried a bag did not have money. W Ab gathered all of us and told us his story. He was in Massawa and asked a boatman to take him to Dahlak. The boat man, Ali started rowing. Slowly they talked of the current politics. The man said his rows were the solution. One row had Christian written on it and the other Islam. He said if you row only the Muslim, and showed too, the boat circled only to the left, then the Christian, it circled only to the right. When rowing both, they could reach Dahlak. So this is the only solution to our problem said Ali the boat man. When W Ab told us this I wept because it touched me, from my Muslim hatred getting less. W Ab had very large hand, compared to mine. In Aden, we came from the camp to town and begged for more money. Then we were forced to steal the money of the office, the kazna.( Then to another story) In Kessela, two of Issayas friends, Kidane Dagnew and Tewelde were wanted because Issayas had fled. They were secluded. But one day a friend invited them to his wedding and they went there. As they entered the compound, they were seized. Tewelde was huge and struggled. They shut him inside a room and stabbed him about 30 times that he died there. Kidane?s hand were tied and a taxi called, to take them to Haffera, inside Eritrea, a torture centre. Since Tewelde was dead, they wrapped him in a mat, tenkobet and as the taxi went, his corpse fell out. A milk seller saw this, as it was night, and shouted to them. When the fadeen went out of the taxi to pick it, Kidane with tied hand went out and ran. They left the body and coming to Kidane, they shot him at the forehead and run away, leaving both corpses on the ground. The taxi driver, Amin too ran away. The milk seller called the police. He told on Amin. All taxis were checked and blood found on Amin?s taxi. Three fedayeens were caught and sentenced for 3 years. But later were freed for political reasons.......Ends now 4.9.00. A k Story of Tess, direct from audio recording. My name is Tess, born in Segeneiti town and at age 5 moved to Deke Mehari town growing up there, and went to both Habesha and Italian schools. Then we moved to Asmera and I went to Botego school. In 1963 I went to Imba Tekalla town to the Capuchins in order to become a priest. It did not suit me and after a year, I left priesthood school and continued my studies and in 1969, I went to join the liberation movement. Q. Why did you want to join the movement? I was living in the Kidane Mihret area in Asmera. There, 2-3 years older boys were telling us of Eritrea's oppression. They are now in the leading party of Eritrea. That time, we swallowed all story, whether true or not, we started having love for motherland. As I grew up in Deke Mehari town I visited it from Asmera and we heard rumours of fighters in Ala area. I and a friend of mine decided to join the fighters, and went to them to Ala. The fighters we met there were Abraham Tewelde, Welde Mikel Haile, Berakhi son of Negussie Iqubit alias Wedi Fenkil, and Selomon Welde Mariam. After being with them for 4-5 days, they sent us back to Asmera in a mission. Two men were exposed their papers being found out and we were sent to take them out. They were studying at the Asmera University, Kesete and Mekonnen. We told them of the situation. Now Mekonnen resides in Addis Abeba and I hear he is doing well. And Kesete is in the States, now in year 2000. After we told them I do not know if they fled or not. We were also sent to Ato Abraha Segid who gave us a music cassette to the field. Then we met a person Wedi Hakin. We told him we want to go back to the field. But being Ramadan fasting time he was not eager to go right then. So after having shopped for essentials like netsela blanket etc and having told the two of their being revealed and the cassette from the singer, we entered the field in Ala. There, I did not know Abraham well. He was living with a woman, and I saw him sitting, covered in a netsela. I did not see him in military outfit ever. His name was very famous for bravery. But I really undermined him seeing him like that, because our fantasy of a fighter was like a cowboy rolling his guns around haaaa. Then, Selomon told us we were to travel to Kyad-al- Ama, to a village called Mechlil, situated between Keren and Akhordet. It was my first time to travel away, growing up in towns. We were carrying 50 thousand birr, contributions from civilians. Civilians gave a birr each to the cause. Selomon was in charge of collecting money. Villages collect money themselves and while passing by we are given the money. It was good times and the country was green and people had money. Meat was so abundant that we often had direhea with too much meat, but not enough bread. This is 1969. So, I, Selomon, Wedi Fenkil and Bereket Mikel a Mensa man, started walking journey. There were no other means of transportation than walking, no cars or mules. That night we had dinner in Ginda, meeting other fighters. We spent the night on road between Ginda and Imba Tikella, on the road above a railway. And in front of us was the Radio Marina station of the navy soldiers. That evening, our meal was brought from Aboi Yosef restaurant, my present wife's father, bringing us Injera since we had earlier sent message. Civilians were very much collaborating with us. When passing by villages, the people came out and shrilled lilili, for joy of us. The movement was a new phenomena. We were the ELF as the EPLF was not known then. We spent the next night at Mehlab, at General Zere Mariam's home which was being built and we slaughtered a lamb there, just to irritate him. But someone had lied on us to the government. We had moved to Geleb to feign enemy but the commandos came on us. The commandos chased us all the way to Barka. We too were armed. As Selomon is our leader we follow him and a leader tells where to go. Then the road we met Issayas. He was thin and wore a Cuba hat. With him were Tewelde Iyob, Issayas wedi Finansa or Issayas the little, and another dark man perhaps called Gerezghier. Selomon and Issayas talked a lot inside a hut, as we slept outside as guards. We do not know what the two talked about. Issayas looked at us when departing. He was of the Kyada-al-ama then, one of the 38 leaders. He said something I have not forgotten "our struggle is an acid (ire) covered with honey". We did not understand what he meant. We were happy people then being fighters to liberate our country, feeling all our brothers were with us. If I should meet Issayas any time, I want to ask him why he said that meaning at that time. When we departed and separated, Issayas fled. He was fleeing from Jebha to Ala and we went vice versa. Then was a Fertekha or mingling of Fedayeen from all 5 units, and Jebha became one unit. We were there 3-4 days in this regrouping. We started training which to our surprise was in Arabic. We had no knowledge of Arabic, and besides coming from the Kebasa, one gets shocked of the language. I asked Selomon why they trained in Arabic and he said that I should ask them. One can get killed for asking that. So I asked one and he said that the trainers were taught in Syria, Irak etc, and to make me happy, he changed the training to Tigrina. I became happy and Selomon was extremely pleased having succeeded doing his wish. I was his soldier. Had he ordered me to kill, I would have obeyed. Then Selomon was promoted to leader of Fadeyeens. I was very glad that my leader was promoted. But Selomon refused to this promotion. He insisted to be given the new batch of trainees from Addis who were in Barka now, to be given to him. He proposed that the fadeeyens already there were useless in cities and towns, good only inside the fields or rural areas. He wanted the Addis batch to be trained to him. But this made them suspicious since Issayas had already fled. Perhaps some persons had leaked out information. Selomon and Berakhi were taken prisoners and hands tied right in front of us. They took away my gun and gave me a stick and put me with the Addis batch. We were not aware the Addis batch were held as hostages. All were Christians, 108 in number, in three fesila of 35 each and I was added to them. Selomon was tortured tied on a rope and thrown down to roll as a ball, pull him up and throw him again. They thought we were in league with Issayas. They may have got information that Selomon had met Issayas. And Selomon's asking to be given the Christians must have added their suspicions, one can add it up later. I knew what was going on and was taken to another place to the Addis guys. Berakhi wedi Fenkil fled away from them. He had come from Addis. He was strong and brave he had it all. He is martyred now. We the Addis batch were taken somewhere, and I had no idea where we went as the area was new. The Addis group were as prisoners in Barka. And no one dared confer to another. Tigrina was completely forbidden to use that until now I can understand Arabic which I learned then. There, I met Ermias Debessai in the training centre. He was with the other fesila. I was glad hearing he was there, because our mothers were in the same mahber of Kidane Mihret I think. Because of mothers, the children knew each other. He was of the political side and being a couple of years older than me, I felt very safe to be with him. (I talked to Ermias in April 2003 and told him a "Panino" had told me about those times. Ermias was surprised and said, "You meant Tesfa Mariam? He had more than his share of suffering. I have always thought of him for 30 years." Aida) I had been imprisoned a couple of times and freed earlier. One incident was that we carry the flag along with our sticks. In high sun, the flag is put inside house and we in the sun. I became angry and hit the flag with a stone saying this is our trouble. I was obvious seen and as punishment told to stand long in the sun. The sun from my front came to my back side. I was told to turn to face the sun, which I refused to do so. My supervisor hit me with his gun, an M1. I took the gun from him and hit him back, because he was going to kill me with his bayonet. His name is Arun. They are peasants, with no knowledge. There I was imprisoned and sent to Kyad-al-ama but due to my young age, was reprimanded and sent back, and I told them the whole truth that I should be punished for the flag being more important than humans and my punishment being harsh. It was the blue flag. When the flag stuck thorns, I snatched it tearing sometimes. After that, I called sick, for a way to flee away. We had not yet seen night lights of towns. We had no idea to run right or left, we were completely unoriented of the area. I mean of the 108 new fighters or hostages. We see some villages of few huts and we are never told of their names. The only way out is to pretend to be sick and be sent to the Sudan. Ermias called sick and fled. The rest of us agreed to be sick in turns. After Ermias, Tsehaye Fisseha, from Deke Mehari was to be called sick. We others were to pretend to be in shock, holding him from dying in our hand, though he was completely healthy. But Tsehaye could not pretend and said if I "Panino" would try first. My nickname was Panino. It was a risky try. I agreed to try first. If I was sick of stomach, we were given a quinine called Humbub. Any tablet with nice colour was easily accepted even thought as vitamin. One accepted tablets even if it was poison. We carried tablets with us too. If one is suddenly sick in stomach or head, he asks from others, feeling it is temporary pain. One takes the pill with hope and it works. One sickness one can forge, which the Moslems did not like to examine, was haemorrhoid, they did not like to look under the waist we had become aware of. I pretended to walk in pains, using a stick as lead. In time to march, I walked slow. Since I was with others they could not harm me. If I was alone, they might just gun me down. If they did in front of the others, they all may disperse and flee. I went to sick bay, but did not know where, near Michmillat. It was a moving clinic. If the enemy arrives, we could move quickly away, even the sick. There the Hakim(doctor) came. He could only give injection as he was not trained. He asked me my plight and I volunteered to show him my haemorrhoid, he refusing to see it. He felt revolted by me and I was saved. But he was suspicious and said "ya Tusfa, when you have bowel, show it to me if there is blood in your faeces" I had to agree. But where is the blood to come from. There were 4 fighters who went away and brought us meat of wild hogs (mefles) and Agazin, as they were abundant then. One of the hunters was a Christian as I had recognised him to be one. I conferred with him all, that I had to give blood to be taken to the Sudan, if he could help me. He agreed and brought me blood on a can we ate on. So I put my faeces and spilled the blood on it. When the medic saw it, he was shocked and wrote me a letter that I was sent to the kyadal-ama. So I succeeded in this and was allowed to go to the Sudan. But who will accompany me on the journey, as I did not know the way. A letter was then written and given to two Assawortas, who held the letter with them, and written in Arabic, I did not know what it said. To enter Sudan one was given 60 birr only. I felt very uneasy. As I was considered sick, these guides may want the money and kill me. I was thinking a lot about it. I went very slowly, leaning on my stick. But I was healthy. I could run away from them as I was young, only 20 years old. We reached Debre Sala mountain, in Barka region to rest, as there was a small water stream and we drank of it and rested. The two men took out their knives and started smearing the knives with fat. I was quiet. They asked if I would give them a sister. I answered sure, as I could do nothing and my paper was with them and them being my guides. The mountain is climbed in evening so we waited since it was too hot in the sunny daytime. Sitting there, a man called Redie came upon us, to my saving. He later was martyred on EPLF formation, some say he died of happiness of seeing Issayas but he must have died in battle. He was a brave person. He had previously lived in Mekelle but is an Eritrean. Now he came from Syria having been trained there. When he joined us I felt great hope of being saved from my guides' knives. When we presented our names, we were both Christians. I told him frankly they are about to slaughter me and that they have my paper. They kill people in a place called Haffera, really. Haffera is in the border to Sudan. I told him all the Christians were prisoners. He was shocked, and I briefed him of Issayas' fleeing and Selomon's imprisonment. But he was much politically conscious than me. He decided to return with me. But our guides plans were shattered as this guest was amongst us. As all of us were to climb the mountain Debre Sala, they went ahead of us and I then threw away the stick and we went around a way up the mountain and fled to the Sudan. Redie had a guide, a man from Massawa who came from Egypt, studied in a university there. But Redie was our better guide. So finally we entered Kessela. I was full of lice. The people would not cut my hair which had become long. So being new to this country, I was forced to go to the Jebha camp. I told them my paper is soon to come. Redie could not sleep there as they had recently sent him to the field, He would certainly be killed. I was fed there and every morning we were given a Girish(quarter pence) which was enough to tobacco only. While I was there, the Jebha killed Kidane and Weldai. Kidane was a friend of Issayas and had liaison with him. They had contact with wedi Haregot in Addis, Fessehaye Harregot. Issayas has said he will write about them recently. One man invited Weldai who was from Keren, that the man's wife had come from Keren and that Weldai was invited. But we considered Keren as Methat, we did not know the area. As Weldai entered the house, the assailants immediately knifed him, and Kidane was hit hard that he fell unconscious, he did not struggle. Weldai was knifed over 30 times, struggling right inside the man's house. Then, Kidane was tied to make him talk and they covered the corpse of Weldai on a mat, tenkobet, and called a taxi. The taxi drivers name I have not forgotten was Amin, a Sudanese who put the mat in the baggage place. Kidane was hand tied and put in passenger seat, to drive them to Haffera, to torture and make Kidane talk and kill him. This was end of 69 and beginning of 70. As they had done the killing at night, the taxi was called early morning. As the taxi was driving on the bumpy road the corpse in the baggage lock fell on the ground. A milk man, (Halib) saw this and shouted they have dropped a thing. When they stopped to pick their thing, Kidane opened the car door and started running away, his hands tied backwards. They run after him and shot him, in middle Kessela town. They were shouting to Amin the driver to come to them. The milk seller heard the name Amin. That is how they were caught by the authorities, and the driver was caught washing his cab, we heard. But as the Jebha was strong in Sudan, the killers were released. It was explained as a political matter, blood shed being worthless. It is said they were 9 assailants, and 7 of them caught. Some were freed, some imprisoned, rumours said. Some were said to have been killed. But I was not in the Sudan then. I do not know the assailants in name. But one is a Blein man. Because he had borrowed a sweater from me, and it had angered me. We had met in the sick clinic while in Kyadal-ama when he borrowed it then, as I was going to the Sudan. He must have been given pass to Sudan after me. I did not forget him as he was a Christian. There was big separation of religion, not like now, all being equal now. My guides from the field, my killers, came a week after me and asked me how I came before them. I said I happened to come before and that they should give my papers to the office. After that, I did not feel safe with them and wanted to flee, even to Ethiopia if nothing else. I really disliked the place. As Redie was in the outside, he presented me to Dejiat Asberom, who was with Sabbe. He said that our people were suffering from the Muslims. And to protect our country we have to get armed and return to Eritrea. I had no idea of EPLF or any other front. As Dej Asberom was a Tsena Degle and we both had dislike over Muslims, with my experience in the field. He gave me a lot of money. I was not aware he was with Sabbe, and he never mentioned the name Sabbe. But I knew who Sabbe was. Had his name been mentioned, I would have refused, he being a Muslim, so I was fooled. Anyway, Redie and I went to Khartoum in a Lorry truck, hiding up under the truck cover, not allowed to climb down, as the Jebhas could kill us. They had power there. It is usual they catch one and slaughter him, it was common. We reached Khartoum and Redie took me to a house, and there, there were Muslims. What surprise, there were Muslims there too. I was shocked the owner of the house was a Muslim. It is there I met Musie and we became close friends. Then a plane Abasco, came from Aden, Yemen, as their national airline was called Albasco. I still remember the name. It was my first flight. So we flew to Aden. The EPLF was newly formed then. We were the first Christians to come to Aden camp. There were already about 700 Muslims there arrived by ship, from Marya and Massawa tribes. We were quartered obviously Christians in one, and Maryas in one etc, one knew his place. Part 1 |
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Aida Kidane, who is solely responsible for the contents of this page, contributes the above stories. For any comments, the writer can be contacted by e-mail: aikisw@hotmail.com | |||||||||||||