SHIFTA provocation, assisted by the Keshi DIMITROS’

Dimitros Ghebremariam: - (Priest “Liqekahnat”) b. in Maichew (Areza) 1900, elected on 26 March 1952 to the Eritrean Assembly, representing the Medri WodSebera and DekkiTaes district for the Unionist Party. (He served as ASKER and Secretary for Ras Chidanemariam Ghebremeskel and died in Addis Abeba).
SHIFTA provocation, assisted by intimidation by the Keshi DIMITROS’ Coptic Church, was scoring predictable results. People in the villages in rural Eritrea who harboured anti–Unionist sentiment were intimidated and forced to stay away from the Un Commission. In several instances where organized groups of peasants tried to go see the Commission, armed SHIFTA erected roadblocks and prevented the petitioners from reaching their destination. These subversive acts were supplemented by the hegemonic influence of the Abyssinian Great Tradition. All those Abyssinian Eritrean who opposed Ethiopia were called anti-Christians. The Head of the Eritrean Coptic Church and its ruling hierarchy, thereby using religion as a political weapon, The UN Commission concluded that the “clergy movement, led by KESHI DIMITROS and BLATTA DEMOZ, was conducting an intermittent negative campaign against the minority of Coptic Church leaders who were opposed to the Unionist cause. By 1950-1951 the Abuna was rarely consulted by the Ethiopian government regarding the future of Eritrea. Furthermore, the Ethiopian Crown was cultivating the support of KESHI DIMITROS of Serae (…’ AB KIDMEKHA ZELO ISHOKH KEITZREKHA DEMBE AIBTZHIN IYU!). His Son Mr. Yoftahe Dimetros served as Ethiopian Ambassador in Israel in the Derg Government, now he is working as General Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Eritrean Orthodox Church (EOC)   ( source Jelal Yasin Abera)

ASRESSEHEI EMBAYE: - (Notorious Shifta) he had made the MUSLIM POPULATION a target for looting and destruction especially in highland perfected the systematic terrorization, killing and mutilating the defenceless Jeberti of SERAE, Saho of HAZOMO and Kunama of TOKOMBIA area. ASRESSEHEI assisted by the Ras Menghesha family he become a prominent UNIONIST SHIFTA. In the late 1940 his band murdered the B. M. A. - appointed district chief, Azmach BERHE GHEBREKIDAN of Guhcia’. After the annexation of Eritrea with Ethiopia he was promoted and was ordered to the head of the Judges in the Eritrean High Court. He survived several attempting on his life by the E. L. F

BEIENE MOSAZGHI: - (Notorious Shifta) he had made the MUSLIM POPULATION a target for looting and destruction especially in highland perfected the systematic terrorization of both Italians and Muslims (SAHO AND JEBERTI of Akele Guzai). On the roadblock no. 12, a few kilometres from Saganeiti and Addi Khayeh road, the police faced him; BEIENE and his brother FESSAHAIE MOSAZGHI were killed in the battle. The fact that one of the policemen who killed them was an Italian added fire to anti-Italian SHIFTA activities. The MOSAZGHI defiance had now become a personal vendetta primarily directed against Italians, and was to further terrorize the Italian community in Eritrea. Defenceless Italian were killed and mutilated in the Mai-Habar area, and their concession farms were looted or burned. Before long, however, SHIFTA were attacking inside Asmara. Two another of the MOSAZGHI brothers with their band increased their vendetta activities. In the second week of April 1949, a restaurant frequented by Italians in the suburb of Asmara was bombed and burned to the ground, while in the same evening another band killed an Italian at his home in front of his wife and children. The MOSAZGHI bros. Looted and destroyed many Jeberti property in Asmara

TESFAI HABTE: - (Notorious Shifta) Brother, of EMBAYE HABTE then the leading official of the Keren branch of the Unionist Party later became a cabinet minister in the Ethiopian government.
( source Jelal Yasin Abera)

No. 001 Eritrea Police Force - 1951: Extracts from a discussion between Supt. of Police L.M. Braine and shifta leader Ghebry Tesfazien