Between September 01 and 02, the Awate Team interviewed Seyoum O/Michael (then with the ELF-RC Foreign Affairs Desk, now its chairman); Abdella Idris (chairman of ELF); Dr.  Habte Tesfamariam (then ELF-RC Spokesperson); Tewelde Gebreselassie (Chairman of Sagem) and Semere Kesete (President of Asmara University Student Union.)   The following segements of the interviews were the parts that solicited the most heated (positive and negative) responses from our readers.  - ED

(1) Semere Kesete�s Message To the Opposition � Interview: 8/15/02

I would like to comment on two things: The Eritrean people are expecting salvation. Salvation is the most urgent. To do this, unity is required, since I believe that it would lead to prosperity. I believe they [opposition] should discard all issues that are below the national interest and should work together. Secondly, there might be differences [among the opposition] as in other parts of the world; but since we have a tradition [blessed with] the spirit of understanding and togetherness, [they should work] to install a democratic system. We should not focus on individual issues.  

(2) Tewelde Gebreselassie Commenting on allegations that his front, Sagem, aided and abetted the enemy:

Therefore, the accusations �they fought against us, they raped women, they took properties, they desecrated grave� is all a fabrication. It is all fabricated. Basically, the concrete information is that, be it before or after the war, months after the signing of the Algiers agreement, our military wing was strictly involved in political and propaganda activities and didn�t have any directives to engage in combat. Even when they had the PFDJ in a vulnerable situation, our forces never engaged in a military activity. Let alone to side with Ethiopia in a battle, our forces didn�t have any directive to engage in a battle.   We were fully involved in organizational activity� 

Our military had not reached a stage where they would operate in guerrilla warfare. If any of our combatants took a decision himself and started to shoot, he will face a severe punishment.   

The leadership decided that an offensive attack should start many months after the signing of the Algiers peace agreement. We trained our forces and the first attack that we carried out was seven or eight months after the Algiers agreement�that was around Adi-Khwala. Before that, we had presence in the conflict areas and we had to do what we had to do: assist our people. Civilians on the battle zones were wounded and were bearing the brunt of the war. We offered medical services.  We had to help them because they were on the verge of dying of hunger.  

Around the region of Senafe for example, people were destitute and hungry. The people grow barley in the area and earlier, before the war, the PFDJ has taken all the barley from the farmers, for the beer factory in Asmara, promising to give them wheat as a replacement.  When the war broke out, they hadn�t received the replacement and they were left without barley or wheat

(3) Dr. Habte Tesfamariam on whatever happened to the ELF arms that were captured by the Sudanese authorities in 1981-82  (Interviewed July 24, 2002):

Well, some of the properties were given back to us at a later stage. And we used it. Also, don�t forget that then we had an army who was carrying arms and attacking the enemy and being chased by the EPLF and by Abdella. We tried to solve our internal problems peacefully but the EPLF and Abdella considered us the main enemy and were attacking us. Our members were being hunted down. For our part, when the Ethiopian offensive was intensified, we gave the EPLF some arms; heavy equipment that they didn�t have�anti-aircraft guns for example� [This] was in 1986.

(4) Abdella Idris on the aspirations of the Eritrean people:

�Before I delve into my bio-data�the revolution of September First under the leadership of the Martyr, Hamid Idris Awate and his colleagues from the first generation, was a struggle for the independence of the Eritrean land and the liberation of Eritreans.   Of those who walked on that path [of struggle] were some of the best and the proudest of our people; the thousands [who were] martyred and wounded so that the Eritrean people would live in a liberated Eritrean land, free [and] in control of their destiny and [where the future] generations would blissfully reap the fruit that their elders sowed.

�We in the Eritrean Liberation Front struggle for the sake of this ideal and principles.  The struggle of generations will not cease until the dream of our Eritrean people for freedom and independence is realized in its true sense, [and so long as there is] the darkness of oppression and excessive injustice and [until] the banner of freedom, democracy, political pluralism, balanced development, participation of the people in solving the problems of the country and the daily concerns [is lifted], safeguarding human rights of Eritreans, their pride and dignity and [until] the mentality of exclusion, marginalisation and arrogance is finished once and for ever.�

(5) Seyoum O/Michael on how he thinks the Reformers movement will conclude:

If we see the record of Isaias, and the oppressive system�. Now, as you can see, he is undertaking a defamation campaign in order to alienate them from the people.  Whether it has basis or not, he is conducting character assassination.  He is [defaming the reformers as] being responsible for the failure of the war, corruption, lost resources, etc. After he creates this, he might liquidate them. The liquidation step is the second step: liquidation can come in many forms. He might arrest them or liquidate them or can present them to court and defame them. By doing that he would try to get out of the crisis; and elongate and strengthen his authority and add a few days to his power.  This is the tradition of the dictatorial system; he has exercised it within his organization and he has done it with others outside his organization. He was doing it until now and he doesn�t know any other way�this is his way

(4) Seyoum O/Michael on �What is the way out?�

The way out�the Eritrean people have to be more vocal and demand the removal of the dictatorial wing. The International community has to be more vocal and apply pressure for a way out� if the situations are diffused, self-appointed presence is a crisis. Therefore, popular pressure from Eritrea should be complimented by international pressure. The dictatorial wing should be encircled and chocked by popular and international pressure to leave the arena. It must leave the arena. That is the only way out.  And the people must establish a transitional authority. We are well poised for that and that is what we are campaigning for.  We are calling for this both in our campaign internationally and with the people. This is what we are campaigning for, especially to those who have relations with it.