Re: [DEHAI] Re: September the birth of Eritrean Struggle Part
Ogbai Fesseha (ofesseha@luce.com) Wed, 24 Sep 1997 12:39:25 -0700
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Selam Debesai Debesai even though I don't know you personally, I agree and I second you for your thoughtful and very understandable answer you provide to dehai members. I myself was there in Corocon. Please keep the good work and courage. History can't and will not be distorted.
Your brother Ogbai Fesseha San Diego, CA
>>> <TS81@AOL.COM> 09/23/97 08:25pm >>> Selam Paulos, Berahan and Dehai,
Paulos hawei I donnow how to thank you for making me aware of what I have missed in Berahan's posting.
Berhan hawei what you have said about Serawit Harnet is outragious and intolelrable. I always tried to be careful not to write my opinion when I am not very familiar with a certain isssue. On this one, count me in. I can do it with my eyes closed.
Your statements about Shaabias infiltration into the ranks of ELA is very familiar to me. I heard it fifteen years ago, when I was 'retained' ( which in fact was inprisoned) in Abdallah Idris Semien Camps. These were the exact accusations Abdellah Idris made about Jebha's (ELA) army. First of all it is a total nonsense, because ELA forces' tenacious believe and trust in thier organization Jebha held them firm long time in Korocon and Tahdai with little or no leadership to guide them or support them. They were being humiliated and demeaned to the lowest level of indignity while their tegadelty sisters were continuously being harassed by the Sudanese army - no guns to protect them. Why did they have to suffer like that ? Why didnt they go and join EPLF rightaway?
If Shaabia had inflitrated ELF, why is it only about 15% of them joined it? And this 15% joined EPLF based on pure political stand point: not religious, regionalism or any other biased or croocked purposes. From their point of view, they believed that they could ultimately bring about political justice and democracy in EPLF through their struggle. Therefore they jioned regardless for their political views against that organization. There were also others who stayed with Abdellah Idris for the same reason. Unfortunately, there were also who betraid their own country and joined the Ethiopian army for pure vengence against Shaabia, and ELF leaders. Ethiopia called them Wedo Gheba. About 25% of the army was scrambled between the two groups of ELF-RC and ELF Saghem. The rest (by far the majority, Berhan hawei and unlike your false statements) prefered to quit rather be a weapon of power hungry and corrupt leaders and were dispersed all over in diaspora. It is very sad to see this once best army of loyalty, of principle, and of unlimited courage, be discredited, humiliated, and spitted upon mercilessly time and again. But one day, I assure you that the murderer Abdellah Idris and his other carbon copies, will have their rightous places in our history, and the hero Melaake Tecle and his other carbon copies will have their rightous places in our history.
I am a living witness to the execution of Melaake. I was there when Abdellah mudered him in cold blood. I knew I shouldn't have gone there, but I was ellected by my unit, I was scared, to tell you the truth, but I didnt have choice. Melaake Tecle as well, went there when he new what awaited him. He had to go, because he said he was responsible for what had happened to Serawit Harnet - you figure it out what he meant by that. As to how I escaped from there, is another story to be told another time and as it is irrelevant to the discussion here.
I am not accusing you of siding with Abdellah. I donnow what side you are, and I really don't care. But, when you come with such distorted accounts of my own history and the history of my comrades, I will respond.
Peace!! Debesai Solomon.
In a message dated 97-09-23 17:57:48 EDT, Paulos wrote:
<<Selam Berhan, Writing about the EPLF's rise and its consolidation of power between "1977 upto 1988" you wrote: "..It [EPLF] applied the "Trojan horse" tactic and infiltrated the ELF from bottom to head with active loyal 'agent-cell' by 1980 EPLF established a strong coalition with the TPLF of Ethiopia and opened channels with western circles especially USA." Never mind that you're mixing two different things but you are making a serious accusation in the above statement. The coalition between the EPLF and TPLF against the ELF is a well documented fact. I am interested in the first part of your statement which evidently needs a lot of explanation. Here is the problem: As I remember it, that same allegation (EPLF infiltration in the rank of the ELF) was Abdella Idris' excuse for ultimately abandoning the ELA (serawit Harnet) in the final hours in August 1981 while the latter was besieged by the Sudanese army and was forced to surrender its weapons to the Sudanese authorities inside Sudanese territory. During the civil war (HadHd QWinat) of July 1980-August 1981, while, unfortunately, the war raged in all corners of Eritrea, brother killing brother, Abdella Idris and his cronies incredibly accused the ELA of retreating unnecessarily and uncharacteristically when it faced the advancing EPLF/TPLF forces. And he, Abdella Idris, was supposed to have been the commander-in-chief! Their theory was that the ELA didn't want to kill their brothers - which was true to the extent that the ELF fighters hated the idea of killing their own brothers and sisters, period, not because any other religious issue that was later raised in some corners - and that there were agents of the EPLF in the ELA. The accusation by these unsavory characters was a fabrication of the truth, which to date lacks a scintilla of evidence supporting it, and an attempt to cover up their dismal failures as political leaders and/or military commanders. Note: At the end of the 70s, the majority of the ELA were Christian highlanders. Berhan, if there was such a thing as infiltration by "active loyal 'agent-cells,'" as you put it, I, and many others I'm sure, if nothing else just for historical purposes, would like to know about it; please present us the evidence. Unless you are prepared to support your statments with facts, you will not convince this reader, and as such the truth suffers, because you are repeating today in 1997 what Abdella Idris, more or less, said in 1981. I had to say the above because such assaults amount to defaming the name of the ELA. And to keep silent is tantamount to accepting the accusations, since this discussion is supposed to be something "we can offer for our young generation," as Berhan put it. Paulos (wedi Mikiel) (Fairfax, VA, USA) P.S. This is not meant to exonerate the EPLF or the role of the EPLF leadership on the civil war, I am merely objecting to Berhan's specific statements. >>
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