Musie T Mikel: Musie joined AA University in 1965 but withdrew to join the Eritrean Liberation Front.[1]. In the late 1960s he defected to Ethiopia and pursued his studies, in the early 1970s, at Haile Selassie I University. According Markakis (1987: 136) Muse Tesfai Mikael was a talented agitator and skilled dialectician who had honed these skills in the student movement. In recognition of his talents, he was put in charge of political education in the training camp, where he gained a reputation among the recent recruit intake. They rallied to his side when he led the challenge to the ELF-PLF leadership in the autumn of 1973, demanding, inter alia, the election of a committee to supervise the actions of the leadership, the participation of all members in decision-making, the election of units, and similar demands which the leaders denounced as anarchist. Executed ca 1975 Yohannes Sebhatu joined Addis Abeba University in 1962-3. He was studying economics, and was a brilliant student. He used to be suspended university form the Uinversity because of politics. Yohannes was also imprisoned a day or so at Kolfe and Sendafa when he was actively involved in the university demonstration (Aida Kidane, 2005). Yohannes was described by other source as the first students in Ethiopian education history to be expelled from Haile Sellasie University, for political agitation. He was the president and founder of a leftist political society at university. One of the best students to ever come out of any Ethiopian University (R.R Balsvik Haile Sellasies student: the intellectual and social background to revolution. Source. Petros Tesfagiorgis(2007) also states that Yohanes Sebhatu, a brilliant Marxist Guru. He was a reporter in an English daily paper in Addis Ababa during the two years of his suspension from the University. Yohanes Sebhatu and Mussie Tesfamicael were executed by EPLF as a member of the “Menka uprising” Executed ca 1975. Mengsteab (2005:51) states that Isaias was never comfortable with the new arrivals from Addis Ababa, especially with Mussie and Yohannes, He succeeded to brainwash a large number of his political operatives that the opposition was an Akele Guzai undertaking. In fact, Mussie and Yohannes Sebhatu were too internationalist in their outlook to fall for regionalist appeals. Using ultra-leftists and spies many progressive fighters were physically eliminated on the orders of the EPLF leaders between 1973 and 1980. Among the first fighters to become the victim of this accusation was Melese who joined the EPLF in 1972. The Menka group also became victims. From then on many new recruits, particularly university students, became victims to witch-hunts. In 1975 and 1976 a large number of the recruits who had joined the EPLF from high schools and university, became disillusioned by the imprisonment of Menka leaders and at the EPLF’s mistrustful attitude towards educated fighters. For example Adhanom Fitwi who joined the EPLF from the Addis Ababa University in 1974, in his interview with Aida Kidane mentioned that he and other students who came from Addis Ababa University were suspected without justification of sympathizing with the Menkae movement - because they were students from Addis Ababa University. Sherman( 1980:64) also states that in 1976 perhaps as many as 200 young EPLF intellectuals were arrested. Solomon Woldemariam,who was in the EPLF leadership from 1971-1977, also suggested that the number of people killed was much larger. Solomon added that around one thousand fighters who participated in the Menka movement were rehabilitated after undergoing serious political indoctrination and self-criticism( Mengiseab,49:2005). Furthermore Teklay Aden, an EPLF security chief who defected to the Ethiopian regime in 1981, revealed that three thousand fighters were physically liquidated by the Front between 1973 and the time of his defection in 1980.. According Meharena Hadgu, Mesfin Hagos was one of the top leaders and nothing is done without their approval. Isayas was the chairman, others being Mesfin, Selomon, Tewelde Eyob who was later killed being part of Menka, and Asmerom Gerezghier. 6-7 committee members were elected, and those like Mesfin were top leaders [Read more ehrea.org/Memeharena.pdf]. Is it because of this, that Mesfin Hagos preferred to keep silent in public? In his interview with the VOA he said that he could not remember where Naizgi was working after 1974. Regarding this, Meharena Hadgu states that Mesfin Hagos was from the leadership and the present situation makes him afraid of retribution. The charging committee was under the top leadership like of Mesfin, Isayas and Romadan. Mesfin is probably afraid that he will be asked to account for the injustices he had helped to perpetrate. [source ehrea.org/whoaret.php] references ehrea.org/Memeharena.pdf ehrea.org/ExcriptPresent.htm Mengsteab (2005:51) Anatomy of An African Tragedy: ehrea.org/HU.htm Sherman( 1980:64) Eritrea: The Unfinished Revolution
Posted on: Sun, 06 Apr 2014 08:47:02 +0000
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