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A few years ago, the Ministry of Tourism
came up with a glossy brochure to entice tourists to Eritrea. It had this
catchy phrase: "Three seasons in two hours". The mid altitude
regions of Bahri Bara and Merara were the center of attention. Located
across Durfo, Bahri Bara is a few kilometers away from Asmera. The area,
blessed with two seasons of rainfall, is lush with vegetation. The former
Italian owned orchards and coffee plantations add to the beauty of the
scenery. But this beautiful landscape has been harboring some ugly scenes
perpetrated on countless disappeared Eritreans.
In the early 70s, Bahri Bara was a corridor to infiltrate Asmera for the
partisans of both the ELF and EPLF. Operating far from their base areas,
these military organizations were ruthlessly competing for this strategic
place which is located close to the nerve center of the enemy. Recruiting
from most of the highland urban regions was also a competing factor. After
the close military disaster with the Commnados in the Ala region, the
Selfi Nasnet units did not venture out from this refuge.
If Sahel was the killing fields for many Eritreans, Bahri Bara was also
not less significant. Recruits from Asmera and other small towns would
be assembled here. Prior to the arduous trek to the mountains of the Sahel,
rudimentary military training was given to them, from the get go, by veteran
guerrilla units. It is here that the terror was initiated - Mind you,
we are not talking about the conduct of drill sergeants, a common feature
of all armies.
What the Eritrean recruits encounter is a deadly environment of guerrilla
units, constantly on the alert from the attack of the larger ELF units,
the Ethiopian Commandos that was largely composed of Eritreans, and other
paramilitary organizations (such as Nech Lebash). These units were under
constant pressure, and tended to be easily irritated. To worsen matters,
the secretive culture of the Left sort was slowly getting the ascendancy.
People in general, peasant or combatant, must be "watched" was
the motto. The platoon entrusted with the task was then led by Woldemichael
Haile, a former veteran of the ELF.
The state of euphoria for the recruits from the Kebessa, after exiting
Asmera started dissipating. A few days of forced march, and the constant
talk about possible spies in their midst, does its job. The perpetual
allusion to informers, the beatings and clandestine killings, traumatize
the green recruits. When the survivors of this ordeal made it to Sahel,
they arrive subdued and traumatized. The escorts were more like cattle
rustlers than fellow comrades. Tekie Berhe was a victim of this, when
he passed away, a few hours from Tebih in Sahel. It was 1972.
This particular incident was alarming to the writer. We met a caravan
of wood laden donkeys on their way to the Kebessa. It was early in the
morning of a foggy season. The wood cutters were courteous and friendly
to our escorts. By contrast, the guerrillas were curt and abusive. After
admonishing the poor farmers for depleting the forest, they dispatched
them with the following warning: "If you disclose our movements,
we will nip your ears (Several years back this method of punishment was
reportedly meted out to Tigrayan laborers in the Durfo area). I was shocked
by this incident. Wood cutting and charcoal burning were non farm incomes
for the poor farmers of Adi Shuma and Karneshem. Th confrontational posture
of the combatants and the subdued manner of the farmers was very unnerving.
To me, the combatants resembled more like custodians of feudal manors
than Robin Hood.
The naive recruits often asked about the famous "base area".
The veteran escorts' replie were either rude or dismissive about it. Innocent
questions about the nearest dry weather road or town was fatal. Whoever
asked that sort of question may be marked as a potential spy or deserter.
Almost blindfolded they would simply plod on indifferent to the geography
and inhabitants of the regions
they passed through. No wonder the 30 years of
Eritrean resistance had almost nothing to show in a memoir or diary form.
In the early 70s two detachments (hailetat) of the EPLF were around the
Kebessa region. This caused tension in Asmera. Soon, Commando units of
the Ethiopian army arrived and a battle occurred at Grat Awli. The EPLF
detachments were forced to retreat with their wounded and scores of recruits.
Unused to the forced march after that battle, tired, thirsty and famished,
they were demoralized. A few simply defected to the garrisons around Dongollo.
I remember Tekle Wedi Keshi. He was my former school-mate at Godaif Elementary
School. Suffering from foot blisters and haggard, I saw him being prodded
on by some of our Ganta leaders. We were resting on a narrow forest trail
(mengedi gebar) near Adi Shuma. I gazed at him, but did not show any acknowledgement
or words of encouragement.
Our detachment reached the Adi Shuma locality in rapid retreat. Tekle's
situation worsened. Unable to put up with the walk, he was lagging behind
with a few other strugglers. I overheard the Ganta leaders accusing him
of faking it, and of having studied at Abadina College (An Ethiopian Police
Academy). In fact, the morons, were confusing it with Alemaya College
(An Ethiopian Agricultural college in Harer, Ethiopia). This was ominous,
for they suspected him of being a spy.
Late in the night at Adi Shuma, Wedi Keshi's hands were tied behind his
back. Our detachment left him and his guards and retreated to the Semhar
area to recuperate. When the Ganta leaders later joined us, my former
school-mate was not amongst them. To allay our fears, word went around
that he was left with a peasant household (ms gebar gedifnayo). A code
word for summary executions to many. This deceptive language was dreaded
by everyone in those days.
The fate of the disappeared during the liberation era was not reported.
A few who dared to raise it to the Dictator at one of his "Town Meetings"
were told "these cases are closed", and were warned not to raise
it again. This is an attempt to portray one of these victims: Tekle wedi
Keshi, from Kushet, a village close to Asmera.
Zekere Lebonna
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