The Revolutionary Council of the Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) has concluded a ten-day meeting today. The meeting was convened in June 1 to resolve the seven months old crisis that exploded after the ELF-RC withdrew from the 5th. Ordinary Meeting of the Eritrean opposition umbrella movement, the Eritrean National Alliance (ENA) in Addis Ababa in October 2002.

The ELF-RC resolved to join the fold of the ENA while maintaining the need to revisit the ENA charter in reference to religious and ethnic issues raised by the Charter.

The Council also implemented a major change in the structure of its leadership. The leadership now collectively shares some powers that had been exclusively vested in the Chairman, in the previous meeting of the RC. Mr Seyoum Ogbamichael retains the chairmanship of the organization while Mr. Ahmed Nasser was elected the Vice Chairman and Head of the foreign Affairs office. Additional appointments include naming Mr. Assefaw Berhe as the Director of Organizational Affairs replacing Mr. Mengistab Asmerom who now heads the Information office. Dr. Beyene, who was in charge of the information office now replaces Dr. Sahle as Director of Social Affairs.

Sources inform Gedab News that the ELF-RC is pleased with the resolutions and "has come out with renewed vigor to confront the common adversary." Informed of the resolutions, an ENA source informed our reporter, "If the reports are accurate, they are very encouraging."

Background

Since October 2002, serious debates had been going on among the members of the ELF-RC to resolve the impasse with the ENA. Some opted for a conditional re-entry into the fold of the ENA, others rejecting the idea of going back to the ENA altogether and still others adamantly insisting to rejoin the ENA. Despite these differences, members were unified in their view that the ELF-RC should not be fractured by its differences.