Mereja Forum

[eden]

The protest by disabled veterans

In 1994, in Mai Habar, veterans who were disabled as a consequence of war injuries sustained participating in the struggle for liberation were gathered in protest because their pleas for decent treatment and integration into the civil community were not being heard. They started making their way towards Asmara and refused to stay in the camp within which they had been living, segregated from the rest of society. When attempts to disperse them failed, owing to the veterans’ insistence on being given real solutions to their problems, the government sent soldiers who opened fire on the unarmed disabled veterans. Immediately after the war of liberation, whilst reverence for those who had risked life and limb for independence was still high, an event such as this would have caused uproar in the population. However, Isaias Afwerki’s newly formed government manipulated the way the news broke by presenting the massacre in the government run newspaper “Hadas Ertra” essentially as a small altercation which, due to misunderstanding, led to a few deaths. It would be years before the true details of the massacre emerged, by which time Isaias Afwerki’s oppressive and authoritarian intent was obvious for all to see.

Veterans repeatedly persecuted

The atrocious Mai Habar massacre was not the first instance in which Isaias Afwerki and the PFDJ (formerly EPLF: Eritrean People’s Liberation Front) manifested subversive and deadly behaviour towards the citizens of an independent Eritrea. When independence was gained in 1991, only a portion of the freedom fighters (known as “Tegadelti”) were demobilised. Asked to bear with the difficulties that come with organising a new nation state, the Tegadelti who were still serving were given no pay except some pocket money as they worked in assigned public and military posts for two years, until the referendum in 1993. After the referendum and Eritrea gaining international recognition as a sovereign country, without consulting the mass of Tegadelti still serving under him, Isaias Afwerki announced publicly that these veterans would serve two more years without pay. Having been made to be patient without pay for too long, and given no voice in the matter, the Tegadelti confronted Isaias Afwerki and, refusing to let him leave, demanded that they be heard. They did not harm him or anyone else.

As a result of the intervention of senior Tegadelti acting as mediators, Isaias Afwerki was released in a matter of hours, having promised to hear the Tegadelti’s grievances in full. In the succeeding days after the confrontation between Isaias Afwerki and the Tegadelti, those who confronted him and took part in the small uprising were arrested, court martialled and imprisoned. Most of those imprisoned were detained in Adi Kwala, although some of them have eventually been released. The veterans were made to work without pay for four years, regardless of their pleas.

[eden]

[Hazega/Tsazega.]

Ayte'n eden (self nicknamed edu shukor),

Interesting & what a "coincidence" it/he surfaces 29years later at a time that TPLFagame are throwing everything including the kitchen sink (with pans/dishes/spoons/forks) to tarnish the image of Eritrea(ns).

Since you are a humanitarian, would you also share with us on the numbers & fate of TPLF combatants that became amputated in the past 2 years?? I heard some say there was a shockingly high number of them 10s of thousands. Also heard some say that the TPLF leadership wasn't taking good care of them...and also many were the result of poorly rushed ammunitions/explosives training on behalf of TPLF leadership.

Again only asking because you appear to be a humanitarian ...but if you are a selective "political humanitarian" then i will understand why you wouldn't want to delve into the plight of TPLF amputees. After all, many are saying TPLF leadership didn't give a phuk to get 500,000 to 900,000 of its soldiers killed in outdated human wave attacks in several war fronts they launched in the past 2years...so why would they give a phuk about a missing limbs/amputees.

Guessing you don't care about them either to dig up things from 29years ago and to ignore/overlook the more current plight of past 2years of TPLF amputees.

(In clip below a top TPLF leader orders his subordinate commanders to fire on their own TPLF soldiers if they retreat & don't proceed with human wave tactic...its shockingly reminiscent of what TPLF did to Ethiopian soldiers during the Bademe wars...)