Mr. Teclu Ugbamicael, a senior diplomat at the Eritrean Embassy in Canberra, has deserted the PFDJ regime. Prior to his appointment to Australia in 2001, Mr. Teclu served as a consul in both Italy and Germany.

Mr. Teclu is a veteran of the armed struggle with the EPLF since the seventies and has served as EPLF�s representative in Europe for many years.

Our sources indicated that Mr. Teclu was a skilled diplomat unlike "the Ambassador and the Consul who are political appointees with no background in diplomacy and foreign relations".