[The following report was published in Tigrigna on August 17, 2006 at Aigaforum.com, a pro-government (EPRDF) Ethiopian website.  Awate.com is translating the report to English for wider publication because we find most of the information published in the report highly credible�either already published by Awate�s Gedab News or verified by our sources but never published.  We are unable to verify the most explosive content of the report: the death of 9 prisoners: 4 G-15 members, 3 journalists, and 2 administrators.  Nonetheless, given the PFDJ�s modus operandi of keeping deaths closely guarded secrets for years, we find the report credible and we hereby provide our condolences to the families of the deceased.  We are attempting to provide as faithful translation of the report as possible.  In some cases, footnotes and brackets have been added by Awate.com to provide clarity and/or substantiation of the report.  The translated article follows.]

Regarding G-15: Their Condition At the Brutal Eiraeiro Prison

Introduction

Recall that following the Eritrea-Ethiopia [border] war, there emerged political differences within the transitional government of Eritrea¹ and this difference was used as a pretext to take measures against dissident members of the PFDJ.  These dissident members of the PFDJ have been detained in secret PFDJ prisons and, from the date of their arrest to the present time, they have not been brought to a court of law, no explanation has been offered and their whereabouts and their living conditions are shielded from the people, the armed forces and their families.  Nonetheless, here we present information on the whereabouts and the condition of those who have been detained for nearly 5 years.

1.  The Location and Formation of Eiraeiro Prison:

1.1  The Environment of Eiraeiro:

Eiraeiro is located in the Northern Red Sea administrative zone, in the deserts of the Sh�eib² sub-zone.  To get there, take the Asmara-Massawa road, via the new road of Serjeka-Gahtelay.  Once you reach the surrounds of Filfil-Selomuna³, veer left, i.e., head northwest at Tsehaf Lam⁴. On foot, the desert where the prison is located is a two hour walk from the nearest road, which is 15 kilometers away.   During the armed struggle, the place was used as a cadre school, health center and as a staging area [for military operations.]  The closest populated area is two hours away on foot.  For the most part, the temperature of the area is over 40 degrees centigrade.  

1.2 Background behind the establishment of Eiraeiro Prison

The construction of Eiraeiro prison was concluded and turned over to the PFDJ in June 2003�Gregorian calendar. [Ethiopia uses its own calendar and when using the Gregorian calendar, it notes it by saying �Ferenj calendar.�] It is known that prior to its construction, President Isaias [Afwerki] and other senior officials toured the area and selected the site.  The builders of the prison were Sembel Construction, a PFDJ owned pre-fabricated assembly company and members of the 32^nd Division.  However, to keep the purpose of the buildings classified, it was announced that the building would serve as a school dorm.  To give this claim credence, bunk beds were transported.  Once the work was done and the prisoners were housed, the bunk beds were moved out.

Within the prison compound, the prisons are constructed in a deep end.  Within these five blocks, the complex includes [2] big buildings with 27 rooms and [2] smaller buildings with four rooms.  Each room is 3 x 3 meters�and there are 62 rooms.  Only one prisoner is allowed per room.  The 3 x 3 meter room contains a shower, a bathroom and a bedroom.  The detached rooms are separated from one another by 3.5 meter walls.  In addition to the solitary confinement prisons, the compound houses rooms for the prison guards, the prison warden, the prison doctor, the financial officer, etc.  Additionally, there is a bakery with ovens.

Prior to their relocation to Eiraeiro Prison, the prisoners were held at Embatkala⁵ at a place which was used as an office for the navy by the Derg [former Ethiopian administration]. Following the fall of the Derg, the PFDJ had used it as an Agriculture College.

2. Details of the Identity and Situation of the Prisoners

2.1 Details of the Identity of the prisoners

After 2001 (Gregorian Calendar), once political differences in the governance of the PFDJ was publicized, it is well known that imprisonment was ordered on the leaders and cadres who held political viewpoints different from those espoused by President Isaias and his followers.   During this period, prominent among those who opposed the direction of President Isaias and had a role in expressing their opposition were 17 members of the PFDJ Central Committee ⁶; 9 members of the private press; and 5 embassy employees.  Subsequently 5 other cadres with administrative roles were added �bringing the total of those arrested to 36.  (This does not include the many innocent Eritreans held in other prisons.)

Of those [the 36], the names of the following individuals are known thus far:

Of the prisoners listed above, the following died in detention.  Cause of death is attributed to various illnesses, pressure [stress] and suicide.

Name of Deceased, Title, Date of Death

1.       General Oqbe Abraha, Chief of Staff of the armed forces, 13/07/2002
2.       Mr Mohammed Sherifo, Chief of Ministry of Local Government, 06/06/2003
3.       Mr. Saleh Kekya, Chief of Ministry of Transportation, 9/6/2003
4.       Ms. Aster Fessehaye, Chief NUEW Anseba Zone, 13/6/2003
5.       Mr. Tesfa Girorghis, Administrator Tsorona subzone, 14/3/2004
6.       Mr. Yusuf, Publisher private press, 13/6/2003
7.       Mr. Medhane Tewelde, publisher private press, February 2006
8.       Mr. Said, private press, March 2005
9.       Mr. Sahle, January 2005

While detained at Embatkala, General Uqbe Abraha was discovered in the midst of a suicide attempt--using a mirror from his room to slash his throat. He was immediately and secretly transferred to Glass, a military hospital in Keren.  After two days of hospitalization, he was returned back; however, due to injuries sustained, and after enduring suffering for prolonged period, he died in Embtakala on the date mentioned.  Five secretly trained grave diggers, Shfeir amongst them, buried him at night.  It is this incident that caused the PFDJ to build Eiraeiro, with specifications that the building not facilitate suicide and, once built, to transfer them.

Regarding prevailing conditions and rights of the prisoners.  While in Embtkala, the individuals mentioned above repeatedly brought forth a request: �bring our case to a court of law.�  However, there were no listeners.  Once they were transferred from Embatkala to Eiraeiro, the pressure they were in was such that they would scream in their prisons.  But seeing that nobody paid heed, they gave up and they no longer scream or bring forth questions.

Regarding the handling of their case.  From 18/9/2002³¹ through July 2006 Gregorian calendar, there was no examiner or examination.  Nor were they visited by any official, save for Dr. Haile Muhzun who visited twice for they medical care.  As for their living conditions: in the past, they used to have their hands chained behind their backs all night, and chained in their front all day.  But recently, the situation has improved for most of them: their hands are chained on their front.   As for Mr. Haile Weldetensae (Derue), Mr. Alazar [Mesfin] and Mr. Feron [Weldu], effective a year ago, they are no longer chained.

Food:  they are provided 6 pieces of bread at one time which is be used for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Meat is provided during holidays; the rest of the time, they are provided lentils, spinach and potatoes.

Bedding: they sleep on the floor and they are provided two sheets: one to be used for mattress and the other as a blanket.

Shower: Three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, or every other day, water is released to the faucets and tubs in their room for ten minutes. They are told that it is for laundry and showers.

Effective February 2006, they have been allowed to sit by the verandas outside their rooms for 1 hour a day.

Listening to television, radio, and other forms of media or reading newspapers or literature is absolutely prohibited.  There are directives banning guards from listening to the radio while in their proximity.

They are allowed two garments, overalls, per year.

Once a month, their beards and heads are shaved.  While showering, while their chains are being shackled or unshackled, while shaving or being provided food, two guards are always present.  While one guard is performing the tasks, the other stands guard with his weapon at the ready.  No guard is allowed to have any kind of conversation with the prisoners. If the prisoners ask questions, the guard provides reports to his superiors, using numeric (prison) codes.

Prisoners never see each other; they never meet.  For instance, when they were moving them from Embatkala to Eiraeiro they used six cars�each car had one blindfolded prisoner and two guards.  The exchange took two days.

Officials who coordinated and provided the vehicles for the transfer of the prisoners from Embatkala to Eiraeiro are:

• Colonel Michael Hans (wedi Hans), commander of division 32
• Colonel Wedi Welela³², chief of intelligence for Administrative Zone 5
• Lt. Colonel Isaac Araia (Wedi Hakim), Prison Warden of Eiraeiro prison.  In addition, there were three other cars.

3. Orientation of guards and their directives

3.1 Orientation of the guards and their conditions

Within this PFDJ prison, there are 150 guards, chauffeurs, doctors and commanders.  Nobody else is allowed in our out of the prison.

In the recruitment and training of the guards, the factors used are: ability to keep secrets; free of any addictions; physically endowed; academic underachiever, etc. On this basis, directives were passed on to special units, and this is how 110 individuals were recruited from the 32^nd Division; the intelligence unit of administrative zone 5; the security guards of Major General [Gerezghiher Andemariam] Wuchu.  After a while, of those trained, 14 were returned to the security detail of Major General Wuchu.  Cumulatively, 14 others have left without permission and trekked to neighboring countries.

Lt. Colonel Isaac Araia (�Wedi Hakim�) used to be the commander of the 2^nd Brigade of the 29^th Division.  Although, generally speaking, he is autonomous, he used to report to Major General Wuchu but following the transfer of Major General Wuchu, he has direct contact with President Isaias.

Directives To and Sentiments Of The Guards

The first directives the guards were given was to safeguards secrets, to never disclose the nature of their job; to never disclose where they work; to ensure use of alternate addresses while communicating with their family; and to never communicate with the prisoners.  They were told that anybody who violates these rules will be treated no differently than the prisoners.  They are unhappy with their working conditions and find themselves in a dilemma after considering that retribution will come on their families if they are to run away.  This is because any person who overstays his 30 day leave by 5 days is visited at his home by members of his unit and taken to custody by soldiers. Most of the guards live in great fear that once the imprisoned die off, the government will disappear them, too, to maintain the secret.  They explain it thusly: if it cannot show any leniency to individuals who struggled for 30 years and freed their nation, there is no way it will show leniency to us.

1The official name of the government of Eritrea is the Transitional Government of Eritrea.
2 See map attached below.
3 Ibid
4 Ibid
5 See Awate�s Gedab News report of December 15, 2001
6 Open Letter to all members of the PFDJ is available at http://news.asmarino.com/PFDJ_Membership/Introduction.asp
7 Mahmoud Sheriffo was in charge of the Ministry of Local Government. In September 2000, the central committee of the PFDJ tasked him to draft electoral and political organization laws. The sequence of events that led to his arrest are found here: http://www.awate.com/artman/publish/article_3629.shtml
8 Haile Weldetensae, "Derue" was in charge of the foreign ministry and represented Eritrea in the peace talks between Eritrea and Ethiopia. The sequence of events that led to his being fired from his job and eventual arrest is found in the Chronology of the Reform Movement.
9 Petros Solomon was the Minister of Fisheries at the time of his arrest but he had been in charge of other ministries, including the foreign ministry, between 91-01. During the armed struggle he was in charge of "72", the intelligence service of the EPLF. http://www.awate.com/artman/publish/article_3629.shtml
10 http://www.awate.com/artman/publish/article_3629.shtml
11 Ibid
12 Ibid
13 Ibid
14 Ibid
15 Ibid
16 Ibid
17 Probably an error in name of official
18 http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9353801/
19 Pheron Weldu was arrested on January 13, 2001. See Gedab News report of January 17, 2001
20 See Gedab News report of November 25, 2001
21 Kidane "wedi Keshi" was arrested in December 2001. Kidane was a member of the paramilitary security unit, Brigade 72,("sebAn klten") which used to be headed by Mr. Petros Solomon, one of the detained reformers. Kidane had been appointed as chief of Intelligence and Security only a year earlier. His arrest is reported to be related to his refusal to arrest the reformers because he believed that the detention was "illegal".
22 Tesfai "Gomorra" Gebreab was arrested on October 23, 2001 a day after he expressed his opinion in a meeting that judgment should be reserved on the G-15 until both sides of the story are aired. During the armed struggle was with Seban Kilten "72", the intelligence unit commanded by Petros Solomon. After independence, he secured a degree from the United States in international relations and was assigned to the ministry of foreign affairs of Eritrea.
23 http://www.cpj.org/attacks01/africa01/eritrea.html
24 ibid
25 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGAFR640062001
26 http://www.cpj.org/attacks02/imprisoned.html#eritrea_Seyoum
27 Ibid
28 Ibid
29 http://www.amnestyusa.org/regions/africa/document.do?id=ENGAFR640042006
30 The EPLF, in contrast to the ELF, did not believe in having Tigrigna and Arabic declared as the two official languages of Eritrea. Early in 2001, a conference on languages was held in Asmara, Eritrea. Idris Aba Arre provided a devastating report on the bankruptcy of "all languages are equal" policy of the PFDJ which has elevated Tigrigna to the sole all-but-official language of Eritrea at the expense of Arabic language which is the choice of half of Eritrea. His paper was published in Eritrea Al-Haditha, the Arabic mouthpiece of the PFDJ, creating a huge buzz among advocates of the Tigrigna/Arabic co-official languages.
31 The G-15 were arrested on September 18, 2001. This error was probably a result of trying to convert from the Ethiopian to the Gregorian calendar, which varies by 7-8 years depending on the time of the year.
32 Wedi Welela is a colonel who has found his element as a strong man in the chaotic years following 2001. On November 4^th 2005, when Asmara was going through an extensive round up, he was given pleas by the Eritrean Electric Authority manager to release its employees. Wedi Welela responded: "Asmera wala titselmit ayg�dsenen �yu! AisemAkkan �ye! [I don�t care if Asmara goes dark! I won�t listen to you!]" http://www.awate.com/artman/publish/article_4233.shtml

 

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