In 1991with the then US Undersecretary Herman Cohen in London, agreed to sell Eritrea and gain the Presidensy of greater Ethiopia, but thanks to the late PM of Ethiopia, Mr Meles Zeinawi said that the poeple of Eritrea have faught nothing less than a total Independence and Liberation and not a confederation with Ethiopia. Immediately PIA went outside, very furios(as usual) and declared “independence” without consulting his fellow Eplf fighters.

The Day Eritrea died

The Sodeha Eila group have a meeting in Dankalia when they crossed the Red Sea in Mid Dankalia (Red Sea Afar area) and they have got a message from the leader of Selfi Natznet Issayas Afewerki, saying “that tegadalay Mesfin Hagos already elected here with us as a member of the leadership,and send him to us and no need to elect him with your group,” ended the message.The two close friends decided the fate of Navy Commando expert Ibrahim Afa at this very date when the two joined hands.

The story of Selfi Natznet in Ala area, is known for the death of Abram Towelde, and the visit of PIA to the Kagnew Station (US Marine base in Asmara).Thanks to late Mr T/Michael Giorgo’s memoires we were informed what the secret meetings were about.

Here are some articles written by  Skip Dahlgren:

Kagnew Station Eritrea, Ethiopia – The Main Gate, in the 60s. Image Credit: Tom McCandless

During the Vietnam conflict, there was a strict hierarchy for supplying military bases that weren’t located in Nam or directly supporting the troops stationed there.

Despite the economic troubles caused by the closing of the Suez Canal in 1967, the Eritrean capital was a well-to-do multicultural city, partly constructed in the style of a northern Italian town, and largely built in a more traditional African pattern, with thriving commerce throughout.

Kagnew Asmara was a top secret secure operations site on the base!

During the Vietnam conflict, there was a strict hierarchy for supplying military bases that weren’t located in Nam or directly supporting the troops stationed there. The work performed inside was classified, some at the very highest level, and only people who had top secret clearances and above could enter, except under special circumstances, such as when the local nationals who performed some of the maintenance work on the base had to be brought in, closely escorted.

At such times, flashing red ceiling lights and blaring klaxons left no doubt that uncleared personnel were in the secure sections of Tract C. Doors were kept shut, and in this day before computers or networks, any work product that had to be moved between rooms was enclosed in the same brown paper bags that usually were employed as burn bags to destroy any classified paperwork that was no longer needed.

2.The Eritrean civil war in the 70ties in Weki Zager, that brought the whole Eritrean Highladers went all the way to interven and stop the war between the EPLF and ELF.  Several fighters died on both fronts.One of the war commanders was Petros Solomon from the PLF and his counterpart was the late Said Salih. Several fighters died for nothing, but to satisfy their leaders antagonism.

Israel Misghina Ghebrezghi died in that fight. His father a popular attorney Misghina Ghebrezghi was allowed to do a burrial service in Asmara, while the poor majority whose parents were not the pro-Ethiopia entities like Deghezmatches or Qenezmatches of that era. Poor fellows whose only crime was of Eritrea and the self determination for their mother country…Eritrea.Thanks to the intervention of our fathers and mothers was prevented from further disaster in the independence

struggle.The propaganda machine of 03 was at its highest level in black mail.

Eritrean Fighters in exchange of Money in Foreign invasion

Eritrean youth in the service of Issayas Afewerki in the fight for ‘independence” in Foreign Countries.In Rouwanda helping Kagami fighters were Eritrean fighters and Eritrean guns and Arpigees.In the Congo(Zair),in South Sudan and in Gomugofa in Ethiopia and in 1991 up to the Menelik Palace in Finfine (Addis Abeba).In The Sudan helping different oppositions in the North, East and the Rhashida opposition groups.

Years after 1991, Eritrean solders helping terrorists,like Al Shebab,Djiboutian opposition,Ethiopian TPDM and Houtis in Yemen supported by Iran Shites and Huzbulahs in Libanon were engaged.

Fishing and Shell farming and collection in the Red Sea:

When the late Salih Said (Meky) was the Minister of Fishery; he and Isayas Afewerki had an arrangement with the Saudi Fisheries a huge contract to let the Company fish as much as possible in the territorial waters of Eritrea, clos to Massawa and Asseb. The rewrd was a speed boat to Salih Meky and a huge amount of royalty to Issayas Afewerki. This means the contro; pm the amount of commercial fish will not be the responsibility of the Ministry but in the hands of the Cabinet members. There was the so called Inspection group lead by Semere, who was a member of the Halewa Sewra controlling the young inspectors from knowing all the secret deals. Once I remember that the seamen on the Saudi fishing boats the crew of the ships hit the Eritrean young inspectors and kicked them from board and no one protected them from such incidents.These young inspectors were the so called nay 90 tegadelty, who joined the EPLF in 1987-1990 and were first laidoff with only Ethio Birr 1000 as compensation for their armed struggle as fighters. They were all who joined the armed struggle from Massawa.

Chinese Housing and road construction plus mining bid.

First it was the agreement with the South Korean KINGNAM Ltd Co, a contract to build social buildings affordable to be bought by the Middle Class Eritreans, instead it was sold for the (PFDJ) supporters of HIGDEF.It was said that KINGNAM would build in Asmera Sembel areas, Massawa Kutmia areas and Mendefera areas. Actually the Mendeffera contract was abundend during the 1998-200 war. The Chinese Construction companies had only a small chunk of the contract for building houses complex.They failed in the first trial in Massawa fishery jetty, near the railway station in Tewalet area.This did not stop them but when Maumer Kadafi funded the Asseb Massawa road as a reward for Issayas’s support to Kadafi in the African Union and in other sectors by sending Eritrean soldiers to fight in protecting Kadafi.Additional to the road construction project kadafi got the LIBOIL contract to replace the old Italian AGIP oil and fuel comapny. A third contract was the Al Islam Kadafi must coach Abrham Issayas Afewrki as a crown prince for the future kingdom of the Yohannes V dynasty in Eritrea. Well that was a dream not to come true because kadafi is gone and PIA is in bad shape so we are saved from the doomsday by miracle. Ras Alula tried it and PIA is also failing in constructing the Yohannes dynasty in Eritrea.Hellas the situation in Ethiopia may attract some well wishers to that kind of dynasties in the 22^nd centuries like General Sebhat Efrem and General Filipos.

 

Chinese Fish Processing and Fishing Contract

In 1997 I went with a group of members of the Ministry of Marine Resources on a Procurment mission to the Far East including China,South Koea and Singapor etc…This mission as usual was a clandestine mission, lead by a Cadre Haile Awalom. It was said that we will do some shopping including Fish Trawlers and Fishing gears. We started our voyage with Ethiopian Airlines via Addis Abeba to Mombay in India, to Thailand,Hongkong,Singapore,Western Australia and Myanmar (Burma). We followed the route laid out by the Cadre and came back home with two official contracts and one unoffical deal. The 2 official contracts were one Chinese contract to build a US$ 40 million contract with  a joint company of Chinese/Singapor fish processing Co. The Unofficial contract was arms deal with the Chines government of US$ 50million.

The Belessing in disguise for Issayas Afewerki and Hagos Kisha.

 

It was the ANADALCO co from the USA stationed in Kwait, that had won the contract to explore OIL in the Zula bay and around the Shumuha Island in the Massawa water ways.This exploration was in its early stage that Issayas waged the Badme war against Ethiopia, then the Company packed its belongings and took millions unfilfilled contract payments.The first stage of 6 month search for oil only was US$ 25 million, and the second stage was supposed to be a US$ 50 million cash, but it did not materialize according to the agreement.Then in 1998 they left Eritrea and went back to the Gulf State.

 

Blood Diamond:

Dozens more workers alleging forced labour and intimidation at Bisha mine set to join civil action against mining company Nevsun Resources

Gold,diamand,copper and silver are abundant in Eritrea.The Italians alredy tried to mine in Eritrea

however due to their defiet in 1941 they abandend their mining activities.The British done no investment in Eritrea but were pilfering the remains of Italian industries and left after 10 years of stealing the hardware and infrastructure which they found in Massawa and other parts of Eritrea after their victory in the Second World War.Some of their bounties they took them to their colonies in India.

The mining industry was not established until the 21^st century.The PFDJ foreman was well aware the existence of minerals like copper in Debarwa area, which was already exploited by Nippon already in the seventies.They halted it when the ELF tried to scare them and left for good during the Ethiopian occupation by the DERG.

Mining Companies were invited in the early 2010 and have done some survey and the first company was the Ashanti of Ghana, but did not come as favourite.Then followed a Canadian,Australian,South African mining companies including the late comer Newzealander company looking Phosphates in the Afar region. They all had a contract in Eritrea with the regime, which seems ver lucrious contract at 40% for the PFDJ regime and 60% for each company God knows wether they pay tax revenu, yet it is still clandestine work.Announcement by NEVESUN, a Canadian mining Co is open except for the employment of its crew in the mining fields.Bisha is the file where mining activities are taking place bu there is also the Asmara,Embaderho/Adi Nefas

mining activities taking place.More than two Billion US$ is in the pockets of PIA and Hagos G/Hiwet(KISHA) from the mining in 2015/2016 already. All the contracts with the PFDJ are at 40% for the regime and 60% to the Company.Above all the PFDJ is also getting Royalty from the comapnies  which are active in Eritrea.There is also the PFDJ own Company competing with the Foreign Companies with the advantage of  priorities given to it by the regime not to pay a market price to its employees.Medical and other services are deniet to them.In the past military recruits were put to work in the mines at a horrible places without ventilation and no sanitation facilities.

 

Dozens of Eritreans are to join a groundbreaking civil action in Canada as plaintiffs in a lawsuit against Nevsun Resources, which majority-owns the Bisha mine in north-west Eritrea,(following a ruling last week).

Two of them – Kadane, a security guard, and Aman, an administrator – spoke out for the first time about what they claim they experienced at the mine: forced labour, horrendous working conditions and a climate of fear and intimidation.

“The mine was like an open prison,” Kadane told the Guardian. “They can take you and do what they want with you. I was owned by them. We were like objects for the government and for foreign companies to do with us what they wanted.”

 

The civil action against Nevsun, taken on behalf of Eritrean workers by the Canadian Center for International Justice, began in 2014. The company owns 60% of the Bisha Mine Sharing Company, which owns and operates the mine. The other 40% is owned by the Eritrean government.

The lawsuit claims that Nevsun engaged Eritrean-run contractors and the military to build the mine’s facilities. It is claimed that the companies and the army forced Eritreans to work in abhorrent conditions.

 

 

The Court case in vancouver against NEVESUN will reveal all the past mistreatment of the employees complaining against the company and finaly allowed to open a court case in Vancouver in Canada.

The contract signed with the Newzealander Company is not known but it is also 40:60 ratio of agreement.The IMO is not controling the situation of the workers and the signing of contracts.There is always room for corruption and mistreatment of the workers employed or military service personel employed there in the mining activities.As long as the regime has this opportunity without opposition we will see another Congo with the Curse of Blood Diamonds in Eritrea.

 

God save Eritrea

 

T.Yitbarek