Excerpt from Awate Interview With Mr. Mengestab Asmerom By Saleh Younis Jul 25, 2005, 18:45 PST
In September 1975, I was pulled out from the Forces and referred to the Cadre School to receive political course. In March 1976, after completing a six-month course, I was assigned to Akele Guzay (Administration # 10) in the Cadre unit. In June 1977, I was told that I had been reassigned from Akeleguzay to Sahel (Administration # 5), and I traveled to Barka to receive my assignment papers. Once in Barka, at Aliet, I and other cadres gave a three-month political course to individuals who were either held [prisoners] or were returnees from the Falul movement. [Interviewer's Note: The ELF had numeric codes for the traditional provinces.]
In 1977, you were logically an ideal target for the Falul movement. Did they attempt to recruit you? Now that you look back to towards that period, how do you assess the movement?
I don't recall any attempt by the Falul movement to try to recruit me. At the time, I was stationed in Akele Guzay and at that place and within the cadre unit, the impact of the Falul movement was not felt much. When we were new enlistees, there were cadres that attempted to educate us on the differences that emerged following the Second Congress. They used to mention the names of leaders we didn't know and tell us so-and-so is progressive and so-and-so is reactionary.