Gedab News has learned that the sweep of Tuesday, 21 February, was more comprehensive than has been reported.  The round up was carried out in the entire Anseba region: in addition to three high schools in Keren, all other high schools in the region, including those in Hagaz, Ela Ber'ed and Adi-Tekelezan, were affected. All high school students in Anseba, age 17 and above (10th and 11th grades), were all rounded up and taken to Wia.

The round-up started as students were in class, which gave them no chance to say goodbye to their families or prepare themselves. They were taken straight from their desks to the waiting buses. The sudden and harsh manner in which the round-up was conducted has stunned and angered the entire population of Keren, one source who was contacted by Awate, said. Similar sentiments were reported in the other towns.

Wia is a remote location in the northern Red Sea region where the government sends students to "break their spirit."  In 2001, two university students died when the government was "trying to teach them a lesson."  Read testimonies of escapees from Wia here. 

A few days earlier, a similar round up was carried out in the Northern Red Sea Region, affecting schools in Nakfa, Afabet, Massawa, Ghindaa and other towns in the Region.

Meanwhile, the government has ordered all demobilized soldiers and members of the national service to get ready for reporting to Sawa. Those called for �national service� include athletes and other youngsters active in the various sports who had been given permit to pursue their sporting activities. Demobilized soldiers and national service corps who had been discharged for medical reasons (�Medical Board cases�) were also ordered to re-register.

It is expected that this sweeping round-up of young students, which has already started in the Northern Red Sea and Anseba Regions, will be continued in all regions of the country.

One alarming aspect of this new wave of round-ups is that it has affected young students under 18 years of age.