From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Mon Oct 27 2008 - 07:00:48 EST
Eritreans Have a Never Completely Told History
Mesfn Tesfay (Translated by Selam Seyoum), Oct 27, 2008 - 11:35am
Hidri
Eritreans Have a Never Completely Told History
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Tsegereda Tewelde, 55, is a mother of five with a considerable struggle history who left for Ethiopia with her parents at the age of three months. An excerpt of an interview with her follows:
Q: How did you come to think about Eritrea while you were raised up in Ethiopia?
I started to feel that Ethiopians were undermining Eritreans when I realized the picture of a mother and a child on an exercise book represent both countries are inseparable and Ethiopia is the mother. The first time I started to think about my country and language was when I went to school at Sangeorio in Mendefera after our family came to Eritrea. Then, I was married and returned to Ethiopia.
Q: You returned back to Ethiopia, got married and established a family; did you continue to think about your country after all this?
I continued to go to school after I got married. Outstanding Eritrean students used to join the University of Addis Ababa and General Wingiet School at that time. I met Yohannes, one of the outstanding students who joined the Business School I was attending and he used to tell me about the heroism of Eritrean fighters. He never spoke Amharic with the teachers. He told me that there were great freedom fighters such as Hamid Idris Awate and Isaias Afewerki in the field. It was the first time I proudly spoke out that I am an Eritrean. I used to say 'I am an Eritrean.' My martyred brother Kidane and me got acquainted with Eritrean university students and secretly read the magazine "Tihisha".
Q: Tell us about Eritrean University students during that time?
The courage of Eritreans in Ethiopia was immeasurable. They were determined and very nationalistic. To mention an event, in 1973 an organizer of a group affiliated with the Peoples Front in Ethiopia named Temesgen Haile was caught and tortured by Ethiopian security members. They took him to his apartment to look for documents since he refused to discuss anything. However, he threw himself down from his apartment and died.
Q: Did the death of Temesgen create fear among Eritreans?
The martyrdom of Temesgen created courage on the rest of Eritreans. I had a feeling of revenge. Above all it increased my hatred against the colonizers. Temesgen taught the rest of us courage and perseverance. Soon after that, I made contact with one of the People's Forces members and came to Eritrea with a relative in 1974 to learn about the situation in Asmara. Then a serious battle started on January 1975 on the environs of the capital. I always remember what a woman replied when we asked her how the war was going on, "the enemy has abandoned its weapons, why don't you go and help your brothers". After staying for a long time in Asmara, I flew back to Addis Ababa getting a pass from Amharas whom I knew.
Q: How was the situation in Addis Ababa?
Addis Ababa was full of the regime's slogans when I returned; but I was not frustrated. I directly started working secretly with Melake Belay who worked in the United Nations office and others joined us.
Q: How did you face the risk of working inside the enemy?
Working inside the enemy, considering the sophisticated security assistance of the Western and Eastern world to the Ethiopian regime, was like a fish swimming in a large basket. Despite this, however, the organization and training of the People's Front was strong. What we think was not for how long we would stay alive, but what tasks could we perform while alive.
One evening an Ethiopian whom I knew well was following me and our organization head Melake. He asked me to give him a ride after Melake left giving me work papers. Hiding the papers, I let him get in the car. After a while, he told me to turn the car and I refused. He threatened me and told me that he knew that Melake is Shaebia's member. He snatched the car key but I slapped him and drove the car to the police station. After a long stay I arrived home late.
Q: What do your family used to say when you get home late?
I usually worried more about what my family would feel coming late than being imprisoned by the enemy. My mother and my husband were very understanding. They always remind me that I am married and should not get home late. But since my country is what I oath for, I didn't argue with them. Later on my husband joined the armed struggle in 1977.
Q: What did the Ethiopians do about the situation?
The next morning the man accompanied by a policeman went to Melake's place and told him that I had a car accident. Suspicious of the man, Melake disappeared through another door. Melake called me and we agreed to destroy any evidence and he joined the liberation struggle. I apologized and bribed the man to leave Melake alone.
Q: How did things proceed?
We started to use the man as a source by giving him money. In 1978 a person who used to work with an organization affiliated to Peoples' Front in Addis Ababa surrendered to the enemy. He had 40 of the main Peoples' Front members imprisoned. Melake and his comrades were held and tortured. Melake took all the responsibility and was executed.
Q: How did your activities proceed after the martyrdom of Melake and other comrades?
Eight comrades were executed and forty were imprisoned. The number of members in our organization in Addis Ababa decreased almost down to zero. Later on, we started to work with Afewerki Teweldemedhn (Bureaucracy) from Asmara and Selome who worked in the Insurance Company and was well acquainted with Dergue's higher officials.
Q: How did you manage to work with Bureaucracy being in Asmara and you in Addis Ababa?
I used to work in a well known company and I was the manager of Workers' Association. I was well known and influential around my district. I also knew higher officials from whom I obtained important information. I was able to reach bureaucracy and pass him information through the officials.
Q: Do you know Bureaucracy in person?
Not then, but we met after I came to Asmara. We finished our works and I returned to Addis Ababa to perform other tasks.
In 1980 Bureaucracy told me that he sent me a message (an important person). She was my guest for some time and soon Bureaucracy also came to my house.
Q: How did those who came from Eritrea stay in Addis Ababa?
I had a seal for making an identity card and prepared for many of them. A security man once came to my house and insisted on searching it. Bureaucracy and others with important files were inside my house. My neighbor who worked with the security came out and asked the man for an identity card. Fortunately, he didn't bring it with him so my neighbor took him to the administration office and I was told to come the next morning. The head administrator assured the man that I am a dedicated Ethiopian.
Q: Did you get relief after that?
No I didn't. In 1981 I was told to leave to Italy. Since my house was under suspicion, I changed to another place and registered Bureaucracy as the owner. I went to immigration office the next morning and was told that I can't leave that my name was on their black list. After many complications I went to People's Front in Rome.
Q: Did you keep on meeting with Bureaucracy?
Since I didn't like working in Rome I went to the Sudanese Embassy in Greece and they gave me a house and living permit. Greece was the main place where Ethiopians had political and economic activities. Since I won their trust I was able to collect information about the Dergue's activities and pass the information to Bureaucracy in Italy.
Q: How about your children?
They came to Khartoum in 1983 with the help of Bureaucracy. We spent three months in Khartoum after my husband came from the war zone in Eritrea. The oldest was 11 and the youngest 5 years old. I took my kids to Greece then.
Long time passed before hearing from Bureaucracy and I later learned that he was tortured and executed. Then I left from Greece to Cyprus for the place was risky.
Q: Tell us about Bureaucracy?
I would have preferred the life history of Bureaucracy to be discussed broadly. To mention something, Afewerki Teweldemedhn is the core of People's Front. He used more than 10 names and was hunted by the enemy as a dangerous person. He was a hero capable of doing many great works. Even the Ethiopian famous writer Bealu Girma witnessed his heroism in his book 'Oromay'.
Q: How was your activity after the death of Bureaucracy?
As other Eritreans in Diaspora, I started openly working with organizations in Europe. In 1988 one of the heads of People's Front came and told me that my contact should be with those in the liberation struggle. I started to receive rules and regulations and implement them.
Q: What are your memories of the fallen heroes?
Our martyrs are not only remembered during June 20, Martyrs Day. It is because of their sacrifice that we are able to breathe peaceful air and we have the duty of fulfilling our obligations towards them. My brother is one of the martyrs that I always remember him and his words that he once wrote to me: "struggle harder whenever and wherever you are". I received his letter when I was in Greece that he wrote while he was in the liberation army on 18/3/1983.
"Dear sister Tsigereda: you might have been eager to know my whereabouts during the most difficult times of the 6th offensive that the Dergue regime declared upon us believing it could halt our existence as fighters. The Dergue used chemical gas to destroy our struggle once and forever. Since I was engaged in defending the aggression that the enemy badly lost, I couldn't write to you. The battle has now stopped and it ended in fever of the liberation army. The Dergue and its assistants have given up; and the morale of our people has skyrocketed.
What I would like to say is that since there is no pride with out a nation, we have to keep fighting the enemy wherever we are. Please, continue your national activities there.
I would like to extend my greetings in the name of my comrades who are in the frontlines.
Victory to the masses!
From your brother Kidane Tewelde
Medical Unit, 32.40, Battalion
When I received the letter five months late, my brother Kidane was martyred on 29/08/1983 in Tekel. My brother didn't ask for something to himself from Europe. What he said to me: "struggle, courageously, wherever you are," remains in my memory. It is our duty to work hard to make Eritrea a prosperous country worth the cost we paid for it.
© Copyright 2001-2008 Shaebia.org
----[This List to be used for Eritrea Related News Only]----