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Aster Haftey, PFDJ’s Hostage
Berhan Hagos Aster Yohannes Aster haftey, How are you? I hope you all are in strong spirit. If you are allowed to communicate with your husband, please extend my warmest greetings. Everyone is praying for you, for your family and for the whole country. We remembered Women’s Day about a week ago, but it wasn’t a joyous occasion. With so many mothers like you, Senait, Miriam, Aster Fissehatsion and thousands of other mothers in prison and held incommunicado, how can we celebrate as we should to appreciate our sisters, mothers and daughters? When regimes wage their wars on mothers, there is nothing of any value left in its leaders. They are waging their wars on our future. I found someone to sneak this letter to you. I wanted to update you on the situation of our beloved country under PFDJ. Aster haftey, I strongly believe that this cruel regime’s days are numbered. Don’t be surprised if the regime collapses before May 24, 2007. Aster haftey, The Eritrean people are cursing their dictator, PIA, also known by various nicknames as Fuehrer, Caudillo, the Great Chairman, Il Duce – or locally “Tifanus” and “Tesfai”. Apparently, “Tifanus” is the name of a bandit in an Eri-TV weekly drama (it is like a soap opera if you were watching them during your stay in the US). PIA is also called “Tesfai” because he only gives false hopes. People are cursing PIA while lined up for hours to get bread at 4:00 AM in the morning only to be told at 8:00 AM that there is no bread – imagine four hours of continuous cursing. People are cursing PIA for the endless ‘giffas’ in the middle of the night, with hostage takers (soldiers) jumping over fences and breaking down doors like a bunch of thieves. Parents are cursing PIA for taking their young children who haven’t even reached eighteen years old, and feeding them to the Sawa wolves. People are cursing PIA for imprisoning thousands of parents over their children who have fled the country. Over 35,000 youths have fled the country, over 100,000 are absent without leave (AWOL) from army/Warsai Yikealo, and another 10,000 are in jail. I don’t even want to start telling you on the religious persecutions. During a latest interview, PIA said that “… it isn’t in Eritrean culture to take hostages…” I don’t know if you heard about it but he made this comment over Ethiopia’s accusations that the Eritrean regime kidnapped British and Ethiopian tourists in the Afar region. The British hostages were subsequently released. As you well know, Aster haftey, PIA’s comment is yet another half-truth. It is true that it isn’t in our culture to take hostages, to torture, to maim and to abuse people. But what PFDJ is doing to Eritreans isn’t in our culture either. You, Aster haftey, Hassen Keckia, Bitweded Abraha, Senait Debessai and tens of thousands of innocent Eritreans, including parents, have been thrown into PFDJ’s extermination camps without due process of law. Because you aren’t imprisoned legally, you all are considered PFDJ’s hostages. This makes PFDJ capable of taking hostages, torturing and exterminating them. PIA, Mr. Alamin and Gen. Sebhat are holding you hostage. Mr. Beyene and his bosses are holding Senait Debessay hostage. PFDJ has taken thousands of parents as hostages demanding ransoms of Nfa 50,000 each. One of Eritrea’s brightest future, Mr. Daniel Rezene, told us a horrible story he heard from an Eritrean doctor who recently left Eritrea that young Eritreans are having both their hands amputated after PFDJ’s tortures. PFDJ isn’t just taking hostages, it is torturing and maiming the whole country; it is dehumanizing Eritrea. This isn’t in our culture, but only found in PFDJ. What can I tell you, Aster haftey, I have only touched up on some of PFDJ’s atrocities. It is a mess! Aster haftey, The regime is collapsing right in front of our eyes, and it wants to take the whole country down with it. Après moi, le deluge! The Foreign Ministry is being depleted through defections. Every other week, some consular officer or foreign ministry staff on trips abroad doesn’t return to Eritrea. PFDJ’s media - Haddas Eritrea, EriTV, and Dimisti Hafash - have such a high defection rate that I wouldn’t be surprised if the staff is now literally chained to their desks. Those who don’t defect are thrown into PFDJ dungeon on a suspicion of preparing to defect. There are numerous defections whenever our national sporting teams and musical/cultural troupes travel abroad. Even “Halewa Wesen” cultural troupe said they have had enough of propping up a regime that is punishing its own people and defected in Australia. Even the PFDJ elite is in a quiet turmoil. Brig. General Musa Reba remains under heavy suspicion. Major General Karikare is under house arrest because he protested the continued abuse of Eritrean people. Mr. Yemane Gebreab has disappeared from the radar as the “government spokesman” and “presidential adviser”. General Sebhat complained and moaned over three hours over Amharic music at a “Cultural Conference” in Asmara. People say that he [Gen. Sebhat] is overstressed or has troubled conscious. He is never allowed to take trips abroad. Even “Menge” (Col Mengistu) had abandoned such long-winded monologue. There are rumors that Mr. Abraha Kassa has been “frozen” [midiskal] for sometime, and Mr. Naizghi Kiflu’s status remains unknown. The position of Minister of Foreign Affairs is still empty after the untimely demise of Min. Ali Said Abdella. Probably, leaving this position empty is the most sensible thing PIA has done in the last decade. There is no need for cheap charade that ministers have any function. The economy has totally collapsed. Housing projects have stopped because private contractors have been banned. Private businesses have been driven out of the country. Fortunately, these private businessmen are making even more money in Southern Sudan, Uganda, Angola, Kenya and Dubai. PFDJ doesn’t have any hard currency, and has resorting to restricting all imports including all the bare essentials needed in the construction industry. Instead, it continuous to purchase armaments. During the 1998-2000, PFDJ refused to buy ammunitions for its troops. Ten years later, it is actively buying ammunition. There is something amiss in this calculation unless PFDJ wants to throw its last dice and go-for-broke. If you ask many, PIA works for Generals Wuchu, Filipos, Tewil, etc…, and not the other way round. PIA must absorb all the hatred, as he should, while barricading himself inside Massawa. PIA is a virtual prisoner. In the meantime, the Generals are having the times of their lives. PIA had everything and he lost it. The Generals had nothing and are now enjoying everything. That must eat up Il Duce, although he needs them for now. Comical Ali is sweating with endless lies so that the Generals can have the most luxurious lives, while he is stuck with a small Toyota, a small house and spending sleepless nights concocting the next lies. So Aster haftey, who works for whom? Aster haftey, PIA’s relations with the world has hit rock bottom. Last week, PFDJ was engaged in war of words with Uganda. I don’t know if you heard about it but PFDJ was heavily involved in a political misadventure to control Somalia through Union of Islamic Courts (UIC). This is like Iran trying to play its cards with the Americans through Hezbollah and Hamas. Il Duce watches too much CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera. This is the problem of reading too many dictators’ manuals. When the misadventure failed miserably, the regime has gone into political and diplomatic berserk accusing everyone of meddling in Somalia. PIA says he has the right to meddle in Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia but nobody else has the same rights. Well, the world has ignored him. Uganda and other African countries have agreed to send AU troops to Somalia. People are now wondering if PFDJ is considering launching undeclared war on Uganda and President Museveni. The last couple of days, PIA has launched yet another fruitless propaganda against the US, after the US declared Eritrea as one of the few worst human rights abusers in the world. An astute observer would notice in PFDJ’s reply to the State Department’s [labeled as CIA’s] report is that PFDJ isn’t disputing the fact that it is the worst human rights abuser in the world, but that PFDJ contends that the US is just as abusive. In PFDJ’s reply to the human rights report, PFDJ is tacitly admitting to engaging in gross human rights abuses. But PIA needs the US to put pressure on the Ethiopian regime to demarcate the border. With relations between Eritrea and the US hitting rock bottom, there is no way that the border will be demarcated anytime soon. PIA is stuck! He doesn’t know what to do next other than to escalate internal and external tensions. It will reach a breaking point and something must give. PFDJ politics has reached such a delusional stage that PIA tells the whole world that PFDJ is more democratic than the US. The purpose of the latest downgrading of Eritrea’s human rights records by the US State Department, the increased Ethiopian rhetoric against PFDJ, PFDJ’s failed support for UIC which has increased the tension with the US, PFDJ’s continued meddling in Darfur and the latest PFDJ warning against Uganda may finally break the last straw of the world’s patience with this brutal regime. Don’t be surprised if the world, esp. US, freezing PFDJ’s assets around the world, including its commercial enterprises abroad and assets held by PIA’s cronies. This would be just the next step after the US government shut down Himbol’s illegal operations in Washington DC. You know what the tragedy is, Aster haftey? The Ethiopian regime has mounted yet another round of intense propaganda war against PFDJ, but PFDJ is responding in lethargic manner. It is a tired regime with lame duck president. Comical Ali (Min. Ali Abdu) is shell-shocked. Mr. Yemane Gebreab has gone into the bunkers and left this job to Comical Ali. This is June 1998 when PFDJ became paralyzed after Woyane’s intense propaganda. Fortunately, the Eritrean public rose up with their pens and lives to fill in where the regime failed through paralysis. Ten years later, Eritreans are aiming their pens at the PFDJ regime for taking you hostages and considers the border problem secondary. Aster haftey, as long as you are in jail, our pen remains targeted at those who are holding you hostage. We will deal with the border in due time – but first thing first – your life, the lives of innocent Eritreans comes first. We are asking Mr. Zemhret if his idea of opposing ‘democracy’ was aimed at holding ordinary Eritreans hostages. We asked Mr. Alamin if he was holding you hostage for a crime of ‘treason’ – treasonous for being compassionate mother - in Eritrea. Hundreds of Eritreans asked Mr. Alamin if he hasn’t brought Mr. Hassan Keckia, Mr. Bitweded Abraha and Mrs. Senait Debessay to court of law because they would be found guilty of treason. Mr. Alamin could only bury his head in shame. Aster haftey, if our enemies must use our words to unleash their propaganda against each other, so be it! PFDJ wrongly believes because it can spend $3 Million USD to launch its satellite propaganda that it can win the ‘war of words’, one can only say, the Dergue didn’t win with $12 Billion USD of armaments and its 70 Million people. A dozen PFDJ clique which can barely afford to spend $ 10 Million on suppressing our rights and freedoms can’t last that long. Aster haftey, PIA is corned from all sides – from his own people, from the world, from his own party members and from Warsai Yikealo. It is a tragedy. He could have talked to your husband and other prisoners that are with you to resolve all these issues. But he chose to gamble with our cherished country created by the sacrifices of hundreds of thousands of our heroes like you. Aster haftey, The opposition against PIA is strong, and only getting stronger. PIA has chosen to resort to extreme repressive regime precisely because he is afraid of Eritrean people. People say that he has fled (‘koblilu’) to Massawa. There is massive security to protect him. His seaside fortresses are protected by the Eritrean Navy just in case infiltrators come by sea. His fast boats are on standby to scoop him and take him to the Naval Base where his personal helicopter is always on standby. About a month ago, PIA left for Libya without the usual Haddas Eritrea fanfare. People were ready to celebrate thinking that he was sneaking out of the country for good, but their quiet excitements were doused when he returned a couple of days later. Aster haftey, this is the state Eritreans are living today. Opposition movement within Eritrea hasn’t gained full momentum because of PFDJ’s intense security sweeps and networks. Eritrean opposition in Diaspora is maturing very quickly. There is a marked difference in the past couple of years in opposition politics as more political activists become directly engaged in various types of campaigns. You may know Elsa Chyrum. She is the super Eritrean mom and sister to many and very compassionate who has single-handedly helped so many Eritrean refugees. Her strength has given the rest of us the energy and inspiration to continue with our strong and active opposition. The perseverance and determination of Asmarino.com is a microcosm of Eritrean perseverance and a reflection of our independence struggle. “Dembe Wufuyat” hosted by Asmarino.com has become the foundation of Eritrean free speech. Awate.com continues to prove that ‘the pen is mightier than the sword’. There are so many other websites that provide different functions and different perspectives. To name some of them: farajat.com, togoruba.org, arkokobay.com, gabeel.net, awna.com, adal61.com, selfi-democracy.com, nharnet.com, maihabar.org, deqebat.com, eritreana.com, orotoa.com, etc… You must have very loyal friends because your friends are running a website called www.friendsofaster.com to keep your plight right in the centre of the world stage. What excites us is how the younger generation has begun to shoulder bigger responsibilities in Eritrean struggle for democracy and justice. The young Eritreans in South Africa, called EMDHR, have such an articulate vision of Eritrea, the coherence to work together and the necessary skills to undertake complex tasks that we can put to rest our apprehensions of the future democratic Eritrea. Eritrea will be safe in their hands! Young Eritreans in Australia, Europe, Sudan, Middle East and North America are organizing themselves to take up Eritrea’s challenges in such mature fashion that one knows PFDJ’s fear mongering about our future is totally baseless. Equal to the tasks have been other civic associations. EDHR, EDHR-UK, Asper, and many other civic societies have been staging rallies and petitions exposing the regime’s atrocities. International organizations such as Amnesty International, CPJ, Reporters Sans Borders and various religious organizations have kept your plights front and centre in world arena. The opposition political groups in Diaspora are doing their best to iron out their differences, and they are making tremendous progresses. There was some misunderstanding during the latest EDA Congress. Some say that this coalition organization has made three steps forward and five steps back. I disagree with them. I think the opposition camp has made five steps forward and two steps back. The political tone within the opposition camp has changed and is increasingly merging towards the centre on many of the contentious political issues. You should see the mature discussions among various political groups on TVZete among Mr. Mehari, Mr. Jabir Yassin and Mr. AbdulKerim Mustafa. Similarly, the discussions on TVADAL between Mr. Arhe Hamednaca and Mr. Karrani Mohammed/Mr. Abdulkerim are manifestations of the mature politics we expect in post-PFDJ democratic Eritrea. The competitions for leaderships are something that we all must learn to feel comfortable with. It is natural and should only accentuate the need for layered control mechanisms within the political and non-political institutional system we must establish. TVRahwa is educating us on the Constitution and just hosted Mr. Semere Kessete [remember him when he was a little kid. He is a man ready to lead our nation. Aster haftey, our future is safe once we rid of this regime). Moreover, political discussions and influences are widening to various individuals and groups outside the inner circles of opposition politics. Aster haftey, I don’t have the crystal ball and I don’t want to give you false hopes, but if one can be sure about anything, I can tell you that all the signs are there to indicate that this brutal and cruel regime is gasping for its last breath. I won’t be surprised if our nation is reincarnated by May 24th, 2007. We are praying for you and all Eritrean hostages. The regime’s end is near, stay strong!
Hawukhi, http://allafrica.com/stories/200703170180.html
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2007-03-21 21:04 :Copyright © 2005 Last modified |
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