Gedab News has learned that Mr. Taha Suraj, a prominent businessman and community leader, was arrested last week.  It has also been confirmed that Engineer Desbele and Mr. Mohammed Berhan, who had �disappeared� in 2004, are in Asmara jails.

Mr. Taha Suraj is owner of the Red Sea fish retail outlet in Asmara, which is located east of the Cathedral. In the mid 1990s, he established a fish export company, based in Massawa. The company bought fish and other marine products from local fishermen and exported them mainly to Asia. The Company also developed a successful partnership with Asian (mainly Korean) businesses. Until 2002, Taha Suraj�s company was the only Eritrean private company in the fishing sector beside the government�s big companies such as EMPC and EriFish.

About two years ago, the government took possession of Mr. Taha Suraj�s company who was later reportedly offered a nominal compensation. The company joined a host of other businesses currently run by the Eritrean Navy. As of the date of his arrest, Taha Suraj was never compensated for his nationalized company. Beside his business activities, Mr. Taha, a native of Dahlak, is also a well known community leader and philanthropist.

The reason for his arrest or his current whereabouts was not made public by the Government.

Engineer Desbele, who was the head of Water Supply section in the city of Massawa, had �disappeared� last year from his residence in Massawa. The reason for his arrest has not been disclosed.

Mr. Mohammed Berhan, a businessman from Asmara, who also �disappeared� last year, is confirmed to be in the custody of the Eritrean security.  An Asmara-based businessman from the Hajji Hasan family, he is known for his philanthropy, especially during Ramadan and other religious occasions, as is the custom in Eritrea. The arrest of Mr. Mohammed Berhan and one of his relatives took place in Asmara late last year. While the reason of their arrest is not officially known, his disappearance last year is reportedly due to his inquiry about some of his relatives, young men and women, who had disappeared during the widespread arrests of  September 2004.

Roundups, which have now become routine in Asmara, have extended to other major towns. On Monday, 28 March, an extensive round-up was carried out in Massawa. The operation included house-to-house searches and roadblocks. For the first time, the round up also utilized Navy fast boats to apprehend fishermen in the open sea.  Similar rounds up were carried out last weekend in several villages in the �Central region,� including Emba Derho, Addi Segdo, Addi Guadad and Merhano.