1- An Interview With Mehari Yohannes

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Let�s begin with an introduction.  Tell us about yourself?

Well, you know my name.  I joined the armed struggle in 1988.  I was assigned to �72� [intelligence unit] until independence.  After independence, I was assigned to Crime Investigations Unit.

We know during the Armed Struggle, it was considered taboo to speak about oneself.  But we are trying to break through that culture and we are sure our readers want to know a little bit more about you.  Like, when were you born?

I was born in 1973.

OK.  So you are 30 years old�and you joined the field when you were 15.  We assume there is a special skill set required to join the field of intelligence.  What was it about you that made you a good candidate for intelligence?

Well, I can�t speak to that.  In my case it is because I was very young and malleable. 

OK.  What was your first assignment after independence?

I was assigned to Assab, to work in the airport security.  I was there from 1993 to 1997, until I was moved to Asmara on February 18, 1997, to work for the Crime Investigation Unit�

A lot of times, assignments, particularly remote assignments, are a form of punishment.  In your case, why do you think you were assigned to Assab?

I think that had to do with demobilization.  Shortly after independence, those who had joined the armed struggle recently were demobilized, which created vacancies and reassignments. 

Fair enough.  Now, was the Crime Investigation Unit for the newly formed police department?

Yes.  The founder of the police department was Zeru, from Amberber.  I can also mention Shambel Michael, �Cento� (now with Narcotics Control), �Bante�, Simon Gebredengel�

Describe for us what the �Crime Investigative Unit� does.

It is hard to describe because it is a very sloppy operation.  When one is arrested, there is no record of who the arresting officer is, and what the charges against the arrested are.   Often, the arresting officer is reassigned and, for years, the case of the arrested is forgotten.  For example, there was an employee of the American Embassy who was there for two years in the Sixth Police Station�The arresting officers had no idea why he was arrested�

An employee at the American Embassy?

Different from the two arrested in 2001. Actually, this one was a guard assigned to the American Embassy.

So, there are no charges.  But, unofficially, there must be some infraction, some allegation�

He was said to have argued with the bodyguards of Isaias Afwerki.  You only know about their cases when they stage something that draws attention�

Like?

They may say �I will go on a hunger strike until I know why I am in jail.�  And you may be released after they find out that you are still in jail.  For example, there were two guys named Abdurehim and Dawit who were in jail for three years and two months before they were released�

Who are they?

Both were with the Eritrean Air Force.  Dawit was born and raised in Addis Abeba.  Abdurehim may have been with the ELF; he was said to have lived in Syria.  Some say he was a �Fifth Columnist.�  He had developed high blood pressure in jail�

When were they released?

Right before the outbreak of the war [1998.] 

How do you know they were released?

That�s why I call the system very sloppy.  There is no formal system that tells you your crimes.  When you are jailed, you are not told how long you will be jailed.  If you are lucky, you get released; if you are not lucky, you don�t.  Sometimes, they tell you so-and-so is released but then you get confused when the families of those who are supposedly released come to ask you of the whereabouts of the jailed family members.

For example, the nephew of Alamin Mohammed Said [PFDJ Secretary] had been in jail for four years when I got there [in 1997.]  He was about twenty years old then, so he must have been jailed when he was 16.  He had developed mental illness and they told us that he would be released.  Long after that, his mother comes to visit and she says she had heard that those who had been arrested with her son had been released and asking when her son will be released�

What was her name?

I don�t know.  She was dressed like somebody who came from the Sudan; maybe she lives there?  When she started crying, it really impacted me and I had to leave the area.

How frequently do new detainees arrive in jail?

Every night, the cars arrive with new loads of prisoners�

What kinds of cars?  Military cars?  Police cars?

They are landcruisers, they are sedans, they are different cars with five different license plates: civil, government, rentals, commercial and associations.  They always tell the soon-to-be jailed, �we need you for five minutes.�  Four to five years later, the detainees often will wail, �when they brought me here, they said they need me for five minutes!�  These cars, some are tinted�Once, over 30 individuals were loaded up and they were executed (�ny hywet sgumti tewesiduwom�)after being tried by a committee.  They never had a day in court.  Another twenty eight were sentenced for several years and sent to Sembel�

And their crime was�?

Again, nothing is ever said officially.  But what is suspected is that they were accused of being members of Jihad�

Excuse me.  But there are so many charges flying about and I want to make sure I am quoting you correctly here and I would like to ask for specifics.  When was this?

This was two days before 20^th of June [Martyr�s Day].  June 18, 1997.

And what you are saying is that one group of nearly 30 people was executed, after being tried by a committee.  And another group of about 28 were sent to Sembel jail.  Were these 28 also tried by the Committee?

Some were.  From the 28, some were sentenced by the committee; others were people sent there without charges or conviction.

Who is this �committee�?  Is it a military tribunal?

It had seven to twelve members.  I don�t know its makeup.  It was working under the direction of the Prison Office.

Let�s talk about the prison system.  We hear about 2^nd police station, karsheli, sembel, SeSerat�could you tell us how they are organized?

�SeSerat� is a prison for members of the armed forces.  Sembel is for civilians.  Karsheli has two parts: it houses people arrested for petty crimes (like theft) and people whose arrest is known to family members.   This is where they are keeping people like Aboy Hassen [Kekya], Aboy Abdu [Ahmed Younis], Aboy Sunabera [Demena] and Semere [no last name], who was the secretary to Petros Solomon.   It also houses people whose whereabouts are unknown by family members.    If you are released, you are warned to never talk about what you had seen or heard.  Besides these jails, there are also military detention centers.  Every military unit has its own prison.

Who is responsible and who authorizes all of these jailings?

What I can tell you is that the system is responsible.  It is all done by phones; there is no written record.  Everybody is just following orders from above.  The orders are, �detain this person under tight security.�   In jail, there are keys known as �Hade-Hade� [One-One] that are held only by senior staff�

And these keys�

The keys open doors which jail people known only to the senior staff. 

But isn�t somebody ultimately responsible for this sytem?

It is the system and the system protects its own.  For example, [Name Deleted, Senior member of government], impregnated his maid.  When she brought it to his attention, he threatened her that if she publicized what he did, she would be disappeared.  The girl committed suicide.  People close to her who were in a position to know, were arrested for eight months.

If it is the system, does it mean that all the branches of the government and the �mass organizations� can authorize arrests?

They don�t do the arrests, but they notify the security agents.  They will say, �so and so will be at this location on this time.�  Then the security agents pick them up.

If it is this widespread, how are they able to maintain this secret, for so long, from the people?

Threats.  They warn you never to talk about what you�ve seen.  That if you do so, there will be no fogiveness.  They create suspicions and doubt among colleagues.   The entire nation is run by security officers and you whisper only to those you trust your life with.  More amazing is that former E.SA.A.PA [members of the Derg�s party] consider this their opportunity to redeem their history and are spying for the system, having calculated that the system will be here for eternity.

Have you witnessed torturing in jail?

Mostly, it is the deteriorating health conditions of the inmates.  Part of it is psychological torture.  Think: you are taken to jail for �five minutes� and you never know how long you will be jail and if you will ever get out.

THE SEEDS OF DISSENT

Before we talk about your decision process in helping Semere Kesete escape, I�d like to ask, if you don�t mind, what is the one thing that made you turn your back against a system you had been with for fifteen years?

There was no one thing.  It is cumulative.  Alamin�s sister crying for her son really hit me hard.  I�ve also told you about the girl impregnated by [name deleted.]  There was also the case of Dejen�

What is Dejen�s full name?

Dejen Andehishel.  Here�s a man whose entire family, two siblings, his father and his mother are combatants during our armed struggle.  He is a pilot and his father is a colonel.   For three years and five months while he was in jail, his family had no idea of his whereabouts.   After three years and five months, they notify his family that he was in jail.  I escort their son to this house; his mother looks at him and faints.  His siblings and his father are crying and wailing.  I was truly moved�

Why did they decide to release him?

It was around the time they were demoting Captain Habtesion Hadgu and they were looking for a replacement.

So, Dejen�s release was because�

It served their interest; not because they felt sorry for him or his family.

And is he now free?

I don�t know.

When do you think the first seeds of dissent start appearing in you?

I�d say going back to 1993.  That�s when I started witnessing contempt and disrespect on a grand scale.  They had a name for everyone: �hadami� (coward); �wegenawi� [regionalist], �hamsay mesreE� [Fifth Columnist.]  But mostly, I started to change when I was assigned to the jail system.

Do you think the decision to disband �72� affected you?

Well, I didn�t like it.  To see it all so dispersed�

Are there people that you looked up to that you considered mentors and are now in jail?

Petros Solomon for one.  Mahta is another; he is one of those who were arrested for �corruption� while with 09� there are so many�

Do you have any information about where the PFDJ Reformers (G-15) are jailed?

I have no direct information.  The rumor is that they are kept around Imbatkala, with an entire batallion guarding them.  A battalion made up of units considered most loyal to the system.

THE PRISON WARDEN & THE INMATE

Now, let�s talk about your decision to help Semere Kesete escape.  I want to know why him.  Were you friends?  Are you related?

No, not at all.  I met him for the first time on August 13, at 6^th Police Station (Karsheli.)

How did you meet him?

My colleague was walking me to each jail and telling me who is kept where.  There were about a dozen high-profile types and�

Excuse me.  Could you give us the names of the individuals?

There was Dejen.  Feron Weldu.  The two American Embassy employees.  A guy we called �Aboy Adem�, who had been there for five years.  [General] Bitweded.  Aboy Hassen [Kekya], a gentleman whose name I don�t recall, but was a National Assembly member representing the Denakil area, another gentleman who was the deputy administrator of Asab, Aboy Sunabera [Debena], Roma, the wife of Haile �Derue� Weldensaie [former foreign minister, in jail since September 2001].  With Semere, that should give about 12.

And Aboy Abdu [Ahmed Younis]?

Aboy Abdu was in a different jail, also in Asmara. 

OK.  So, you are introduced to Semere Kesete.

Yes, and he says, �I am one of the student troublemakers.�  After that, every time I go to see him, he says, �why don�t you get me out of here?� And I would joke, �If people like you get out of the county, you will destabilize the nation.  Bad enough the damage you�ve done from within.�  Around the same time, my bosses were warning me that in my social life, I had too many friends.   Over time, whenever Semere said, �get me out of here�, I started saying, �if you ever get out, I will accompany you.�  Then I told him that there would be a day when both of us would leave.   From that day on, we started conspiring about when and who else to take with us when we bust out.

The day grew closer.  Friday, on the 26^th (July 2002), the guy in charge told me that there would be a meeting on Monday and Tuesday and where could he find me? Again, the next day, Saturday, he reminds me that there is an important meeting that I must attend on Monday and Tuesday.  I knew that trouble awaited me on Monday and Tuesday�

Just to be careful here.  Do you think the person was trying to warn you and with this interview are we endangering his life and liberty?  

No, he was trying to make sure of where to find me so he can arrest me.  That, I am sure of.

Ok, what then?

That night, Saturday, the lights in the prison were not turned off.  Sunday, I report to duty and relieve my shift earlier.  Around 4:00 PM, I go over to Semere and tell him that we are leaving that day.  I locate two hand grenades in the prison and hand them over to him.  That was our moment.

So you had made your decision that it would be only the two of you?  Why not other inmates?

I was trying to see who else could help us escape and I concluded that the others would not help and actually hurt the chances of our success.

What then?

At 5:50 PM, I go to Semere and say, �Andiamo!� [Let�s go.]  We pass through two corridors and three gates.  Outside the jail, there is a store called �Dukan enda Tesfamariam;� as we pass by, we see a university student who recognizes Semere Kesete.  He smiles.  I don�t want the student to get any ideas and I start yelling at Semere and treating him like a criminal.  The student�s smile fades and he glances away.

You go past two corridors and three gates.  How is it that they don�t spot you?

Because it was Sunday, there were many visitors and the place was crowded.

Meaning the families who actually know that their family members are in jail?

Yes.  So, we head out east, towards Santa Ana, Setanta Otto�

Semere tells me he knows the way towards the Sudanese border.  I tell him that we are not going to Sudan; he shouldn�t even mention Sudan.  I had seen enough people who had been rounded up from inside Sudan to Eritrea.   In fact, the same day I left, two others had gone in the direction of Sudan.  We headed out towards the Ethiopian border�Throughout my intelligence gathering years, I had come to know the area like the palm of my hand.

On the second (August 2, 2002), we arrived at the Eritrean/Ethiopian border.

Which route did you take from Asmara to the Eritrea-Ethiopia border?

That, I won�t say. 

OK.  Tell us then of any close-calls or danger you encountered.

We almost stumbled on a shepherd once�we also saw members of the armed forces hunting for games�as we got closer to the border, the last night, we ran into another group of the army�but they were snoring, and we just shifted course. Once, a lone member of the army was heading our direction and we were just telling each other, there is no surrender, if the choice is him or us and we started gearing up�

In the interview with Semere Kesete, he made the same point that you were ready to kill a member of the army if you had to.  What do you say to those who have a problem with your statement and see that as �evidence� that you are weyane agents?

I consider them messengers of the system.  They have no idea of the pain and suffering of the Eritrean people.  They are the type who wish ill on the people.

So you made it to the border.   What about all the landmines�if you were traveling day and night, were you not concerned that you would accidentally step on them�?

Not then, we had no concerns.  When I think about it now, yes, it gives you pause.

So you crossed the border to Ethiopia.  Who or what do you see?

We see cattle grazing.  Semere asks, �this is Ethiopia?�  I respond, �this is Tigray.  This is Ethiopia.�  He could not believe it.  We enter this house; and they provide us with �Injera� [bread.]  We then go to where the militia are located.   The militia take us to the police.  The police doubt our story; in fact, I almost lose my temper when they keep doubting the identity of Semere.  When we give them the details of our travel, they begin to believe us and ask how I came to know how to get there and I tell them I used to spy on the entire area during my service with Intelligence.

In the debriefing, what kind of questions did they ask you?  I must assume they wanted some intelligence from you?

There were no hard questions.  Just general questions on whether I knew of Ethiopians in jail.  What intelligence questions could they possibly ask me?  They know all our secrets so thoroughly.

How about when you went to Addis Abeba?

Likewise.  There were no problems.

But this must have been a big propaganda coup for them�what was the media coverage like?

They presented it as news; there were no exaggerations or hoopla about it.  I can�t say much about that period; I was exhausted and slept a great deal.

LIFE IN EXILE

Let�s talk about your life after you left Eritrea.  Do you have family?

Yes, my mother.

And how is she?

OK.

And how about in Sweden?  How is life like in Sweden?

I have friends.  Many friends who used to be in the National Service.  There are no problems.

How about your interaction with people who support the PFDJ?  Do they abuse you?

I�ve heard comments like, �you surrendered weapons that were the legacy of the brave to the weyane!� But I am not a meek person; anyone who showers me with abusive comments gets back twice what he gives.  Sometimes, I just ask them to give me their full name and phone number so we can discuss whatever issues they want to bring.  They never do.  You have to pity them because they are so clueless.

Final question.  You have had a chance to look at the opposition and the dissenters.  Do you have a favorite?

Picking favorites? Are you trying to create new problems for me? [laughs]

But surely, you must have�

Let me put it this way.   Change can only come about from the new generation.

Thank you, Mehari.

Thank you.