What is the meaning of silence? General Mesfin Hagos

Excript from Past and Present, Eritrea’s Leadership is to blame. Does Eritrea really learn?

Negarritt-Gazette 89E (NG89E) January 01 2005

How GMH feels today when he thinks or reflects back, just to mention a few

examples, about:

1. The Eritrean civil war, i.e. killing each other between EPLF and ELF in 1960s

– 1980s?

2. The documentary agreement between PIA and the CIA in Asmara, Decamere

or Alla – Seled - Berazio in the 1960s - 1970s, perhaps even later?

3. The death of Abraham Tewolde in Alla, Egela-Hames, Akele-Guzai in 1960s?

4. The killing of Eritrean students, known as ‘Deki Kebessa’ in the ELF in

1960s?

5. The killing and imprisoning of innocent fighters /Tegaldeti/ in 1970s – 1980s

being called Menka-E members? Those dead ones came to the war field

voluntarily to fight the Ethiopian Imperial Rule in order to fulfil their dreams

of Eritrea’s total independence and societal freedom, but unfortunately, they

were labelled by the EPLF leadership as Extreme Leftists (Huluf

Tsegemawian) and Extreme Rightists (Huluf Yemanawian). This was because

of their demand to see the implementation of democracy in practice within the

rule of the EPLF.

6. The death of Woldemichael Haile (Wedi Haile or Te-ame Haile) in 1977?

7. The death of Amanuel Flanssa (Wedi Keshi) in 1970s?

8. The death of Betsaiy Goitom Berhe in 1970s?

9. The death of Ibrahim Affa in 1980s?

10. The death of Solomon Woldemariam in 1980s?

11. The death of Issias Tewolde (Wodi Flanssa) in 1980s?

12. The death of Tesfa-Giorghis Georgo (Wedi Georgo), Addis Ababa, in 1990s?

13. The imprisonment of fighters after the event of demonstration that took place

in Asmara football stadium in 1993?

14. The death of the physically handicapped fighters (Akale Senkulan Tegadelti)

in Mai-Habar 1994?

15. The abuse of our females from Tegadelti and civilians since decades?

16. The execution of ca 150 Eritrean prisoners on June 18 and 19, 1997 in the

outskirts of Asmara, around Kushet?

17. The imprisonment of close comrades, i.e. the Government Ministers, called

the G-11, on September 18 2000?

18. The current death of the youth and adults in Addi Abbetto in November 2004.

They were composed of civilians and Tegadelti?

19. and many more?

B. How would GMH describe the above deaths to the public: murder (as a first hand

murder, or second hand murder) slaughter, friendly killing or shooting, natural death,

etc.? And how would GMH justify the death of each individual?

C. Can GMH tell the Eritrean people about the selection criteria of squads in

organising the process of hujjum wars in the past? Who made decisions on who

should go to die (similar to euthanasia: involuntarily sentence to death)? Who was

allowed to stay to serve the interest of the leaders within the EPLF? C1) Can GMH

tell us today, whether those Eritrean fighters were, in reality, suicide bombers or not?

C2) Did they give their consent when they were asked to do the job of ‘hujjum’? Were

they voluntarily giving their names to go for ‘hujjum’? Or C3) were they forced to do

so because a democratic right of questioning and answering was not an issue at all and

that there were no criteria at all? Or C4) as the EPLF exploiting and commanding

motto insists, ‘do the job first and then ask’, or face a military discipline’.

That means someone asks when he dies. Such a military exploiting measure was

barbaric, unrealistic, impossible, immoral, unethical, and inhumane despicable and

inexcusable act.