On this article I have to say Great Job Emmanuel! You asked the right question(s) but the interviewee refused to answer. Emmanuel again Great Job!
Yemane keeps stating he will not get to it and he will answer the questions presented by Assenna and Emmanuel early in the interview of #16 and others as well by simply stating he will answer it other times. Yemane – you have got to have some hand in the mess. What was your role? What is something you did that you regret? To that question you (Yemane) only points to one event that Yemane feels sad regarding an Ethiopian military individual’s fate around Ethiopian city of Diredawa…. Dear Yemane – Assenna and Emmanuel are asking you a real question – state your part in the mess. We all know that clandestine and secret world are brutal and have to be done, I guess, for survival. Movements do many things wrong but make it by getting what they want at the end. It is a sadly reality in most struggles. These movements, step all over the others until they achieve the aim. In this case – Eritrean liberation. For some it is okay to get to where you get as long as liberation is achieved. To others it is okay but need accountability. Few others – do not care – they even eat up their own family….
My point is – Mr Yemane – you need to come out and state your side of the part where you did messed up or did what you had to do to “survive” – no one will give you the immunity to pretend you are an “Angel” during the years you served the organization. Specially, your own accounts are stating that you were too close to Issayas –right? Until you speak your part in the mess – I have to hold my judgment on your interview. We have heard all that we need to hear regarding Issayas….and I am sure we will also hear more regarding the people in power, in Eritrea, from you and others alike – I have no issue on that and Keep it coming but honesty starts right where you are first.
Other interesting points in all the Interviews with Yemane – How is that you, Yemane, feel okay to name and implicate all the others who wanted to kill you, some others that did take the order to kill and did the dirty game, nick-names and including German police work…. but you are coming as an “Angel” so far. What was your hand?
I found you somehow very “tribal”. For someone who is listening your interview carefully – it is clear you threw few words that portray you as perhaps a bit “tribal”. Have a purpose of Unity rather than infusing otherwise.
To give you credit – you are speaking out. What I have not heard to this point is What was your role? Regrettable or not – what was your role. Do not just tell a story line for every what seems now a “horror movie” – you were part of the cast and did play a role – no?
Emmanuel & Assenna – Well done! Ask the question and it is on the record.
He admits he had money in his “hands” ‘ququb genzeb ab edey neruni’ when he decided to “leave” EPLF. That raises the question how much is ‘qurub’ and whose money is it? I have never heard of a refugee in Germany staying at a hotel on his arrival paying with his own money. He was and still is a man who took advantage of his position and abandoned EPLF and Ghedli. At a time when EPLF had crushed or was about to crush the ‘nadew’ Dergue army. Think of the state of mind this person must have been since he left and nadew was followed by ‘sirihit Fenqil’ and shortly there after May 24, 1991. He may have been excited about his ‘clever’ escape at first, but one can easily imagine his isolation and total lack of self-worth he must have suffered when EPLF emerged from Sahil to liberate the whole of Eritrea. Therefore, this interview is an attempt by him to exorcise his demons by demonizing the very Ghedli and Tegadelti. The Eritrean people know the likes of Yemane and Tesfay are nothing but hademti who are using the current times to add more filth to their already shady past. Once hadami always hadami
Shabbai,
Please use you very small brain for something else. when he said he had money in his hand probably for his ticket any way he left addis abeba to die for what he believed where were you at that time?
N-mwrzay see kedamot ekum ab wege zeywale beleh kemzey natka eu!!!!!
Eritrawit
please just feel sorry for so called shabbai who is in losing his humanity balance as well as his master WEDDI KHOMMARIT ISIYAS ,BUT soon Eritrean people are going be released from their prison .
This snitch can go back to where he crawled from and he might as well take you with him. Again, the Eritrean people know the likes of Yemane and temnewo. There is no way their attempt to justify their ‘hidma’ two decades later with their Ajewjew can be taken seriously. Who are you going to interview next? Teklai “Aden”? They fell from grace long time ago, they are doing this to take the rest of you wannabes with them. Enjoy!
The biggest hidma is the betrayal of the Eritrean people and the state of misery we find ourselves in.
History will treat the Yemanes and Tesfay Temnewos kindly. The real traitors are the PFDJEs and their supporters.
History has already convicted and tossed the likes of Yemane into irrelevance. There is no chance of rehabilitation from that, today or tomorrow. They can only take the likes of you and Amanuel into that oblivion they have been wallowing in for almost three decades with self hate and regret.
Yemane and Tesfay Temenewo are heroes the tyrant Isayas and his blind followers PFDJ are the ones who are destroying our land, our people, our culture, and our religion.
I would like to thank you Aman for you hard work you are really voice for voice less!!!!!!
Dear Yemane,
WAW, this criminal the most important things for them was how they can kill any one who knows about their dirty work by any means. chasing people every were no matter what the sad thing is a person who will do the job he will be killed after. I wonder how many people die in this mess.
Nkulu maltey alewo kbahal hakey eu.
abzey guday zneberkum dem dekey hager aykgedfekumen eu!!!!!!
finally, a man of impeccable integrity steps foreword bearing the most persuasive testimony against an intricate,brutal behavior of ISAIAS AFEWORKI and his functionaries.
YEMANE, when the dust of confusion over the Eritrean mind settles and every citizen starts to think for him-self/her-self clearly, I have no doubt that you will be recognized as an example of a true citizen.
We been hearing many testimony, well the question is what are we going to do about it. Well Yemane is doing a good job and assenna ratting going up and then what. The regime is laughing at us. We need to to take action. The only language the mad dog understand is action, we must be able to hit him hard.
Yemane man of the year !!!. God has saved you for reason. for sake of the mass . if you had killed how could we heard such lively history that you are narrating. God is good all the time.
Yemane what do you think if you prepare it in the form of book. Please write it, as it is . you should not worry about you write up skill. just as it is. what a wonderful back flash!!!
I have not posted in an Eritrean website for a long time.
Your narrative compelled me to put in my two cents. I admire your bravery, intelligence and your ability to communicate clearly.
I’m one of those who has been aware of the dictatorship of the EPLF leadership at least from the early 1980s. However, I did not realize it was this Gesret/bad. Your story about theattemted Stinger purchase is revealing. How is it that they were this naïve? It seems that they were not only cruel but really stupid. Stinger is a weapon much coveted by the U.S. They only gave it to the Afghan resistance in the 80s and made every effort to collect it back later. They were worried about the technology being copied by the then USSR. For such a stupid move, $300, 000 went down the drain. It makes me wonder how much of the hard earned money raised from the Deki Bdama was wasted this way?
Changing the subject, you stated in part 15 that Petros told you to leave Meda immediately when he sensed that you were in danger because of some criticisms you made about some officials. It sounds like he was somewhat protective of you regardless of his other excesses in the organization. But throughout your interviews, he is one individual that you seem to consistently harp on. Were the other’s better? I hear Drue was very much a toy of Issaias. I know your working relationship was more with Petros but you must have some knowledge of Drue and others. What do you have to say about them.
I know what you mean about not being able to speak out in the 80s or 90s. It was indeed suicidal. Even the mildest criticism that I made about the dictatorial tendencies of the EPLF were met with extreme hostility and isolation. They basically destroyed me. You couldn’t have said what you are recounting before now and expected to live or to be believed. Not for someone of your caliber. Even the ordinary crazed Eritrean would have taken you down.
My question to you is whether you perceived Issaias as regionalist? Despite your general sincerity, you sometimes come across as ‘tribal’ to use Mike’s description. My feeling is and was that Issaias was and is still an equal opportunity oppressor.
He kills whoever he perceives is a threat to his power. Contrary to a pervasive perception by some, one was/is not spared because he or she hails from Hammasien. What is your take on this? I think it is useful to shade some light here because this problem is a cancer that still afflicts even those who now condemn Issaias.
The problem is still polarizing our people.
Mike, I don’t agree with your claim that Yemane is not coming clean with his own dirty laundry and role in the organization. I agree that Ammanuel did a great job in this interview. Normally, it is the case that you cannot be trusted by any criminal group unless you incriminate yourself by committing a crime. Then one becomes part of the club. Here, I believe Yemane might have been among the exceptions. It is obvious that he is an intelligent man who was also very careful not to be threatening to Isaias. Remember he nominated him in one of the conferences. That was a shrewd move which demonstrated his survival skill. You can call it an opportunist move but he knew that Isaias was going to be nominated anyway. I prefer to call it a pragmatic move. I think Yemane was also very lucky to be assigned to Mogadishu. Isaias saw him as useful and indispensable. He may even have liked him. Just listening to Yemane, one can tell that he is very personable. I am sure he was also doing an important work in Mogadisu. I think this may have spared him from premature execution while still able to maintain some integrity.
And he left as soon as he smelled the danger. All in all, I believe Yemane’s story is ‘stranger than fiction’. I am transfixed.
My brother was living in Sudan after escaping from the endless national service. His wife tried to join him but could not do so because she was denied exit visa. Then we came to know that if her husband divorces her she can travel without any problem. She just needed to show the authorities that she had a document to prove she is divorced. My brother divorced his wife and sent her a document signed by court. A month later his wife got exit visa to travel to Sudan were they were remarried.
The practice of dismantling families of those who oppose them is very old. I heard about such stories in late seventies but at the time could not believe it.
I still can not understand this interview is he for real? I know EPLF leadership is a mafia but I did not know they were this bad. Yemane why did they tried to kill you? did they ever assassinated anybody in Europe or USA? who killed the chairman of ENSA I think his name is Mengistabe in New York city in late seventies? I really fell sorry for all our brothers & sisters who sacrifice themself during Gedli era but things will change sooner than we expect.
Mike November 7, 2014
On this article I have to say Great Job Emmanuel! You asked the right question(s) but the interviewee refused to answer. Emmanuel again Great Job!
Yemane keeps stating he will not get to it and he will answer the questions presented by Assenna and Emmanuel early in the interview of #16 and others as well by simply stating he will answer it other times. Yemane – you have got to have some hand in the mess. What was your role? What is something you did that you regret? To that question you (Yemane) only points to one event that Yemane feels sad regarding an Ethiopian military individual’s fate around Ethiopian city of Diredawa…. Dear Yemane – Assenna and Emmanuel are asking you a real question – state your part in the mess. We all know that clandestine and secret world are brutal and have to be done, I guess, for survival. Movements do many things wrong but make it by getting what they want at the end. It is a sadly reality in most struggles. These movements, step all over the others until they achieve the aim. In this case – Eritrean liberation. For some it is okay to get to where you get as long as liberation is achieved. To others it is okay but need accountability. Few others – do not care – they even eat up their own family….
My point is – Mr Yemane – you need to come out and state your side of the part where you did messed up or did what you had to do to “survive” – no one will give you the immunity to pretend you are an “Angel” during the years you served the organization. Specially, your own accounts are stating that you were too close to Issayas –right? Until you speak your part in the mess – I have to hold my judgment on your interview. We have heard all that we need to hear regarding Issayas….and I am sure we will also hear more regarding the people in power, in Eritrea, from you and others alike – I have no issue on that and Keep it coming but honesty starts right where you are first.
Other interesting points in all the Interviews with Yemane – How is that you, Yemane, feel okay to name and implicate all the others who wanted to kill you, some others that did take the order to kill and did the dirty game, nick-names and including German police work…. but you are coming as an “Angel” so far. What was your hand?
I found you somehow very “tribal”. For someone who is listening your interview carefully – it is clear you threw few words that portray you as perhaps a bit “tribal”. Have a purpose of Unity rather than infusing otherwise.
To give you credit – you are speaking out. What I have not heard to this point is What was your role? Regrettable or not – what was your role. Do not just tell a story line for every what seems now a “horror movie” – you were part of the cast and did play a role – no?
Emmanuel & Assenna – Well done! Ask the question and it is on the record.
Ahmed salih November 8, 2014
Mike
I agree with you 100%
Shabbai November 7, 2014
He admits he had money in his “hands” ‘ququb genzeb ab edey neruni’ when he decided to “leave” EPLF. That raises the question how much is ‘qurub’ and whose money is it? I have never heard of a refugee in Germany staying at a hotel on his arrival paying with his own money. He was and still is a man who took advantage of his position and abandoned EPLF and Ghedli. At a time when EPLF had crushed or was about to crush the ‘nadew’ Dergue army. Think of the state of mind this person must have been since he left and nadew was followed by ‘sirihit Fenqil’ and shortly there after May 24, 1991. He may have been excited about his ‘clever’ escape at first, but one can easily imagine his isolation and total lack of self-worth he must have suffered when EPLF emerged from Sahil to liberate the whole of Eritrea. Therefore, this interview is an attempt by him to exorcise his demons by demonizing the very Ghedli and Tegadelti. The Eritrean people know the likes of Yemane and Tesfay are nothing but hademti who are using the current times to add more filth to their already shady past. Once hadami always hadami
ERITRAWIT November 7, 2014
Shabbai,
Please use you very small brain for something else. when he said he had money in his hand probably for his ticket any way he left addis abeba to die for what he believed where were you at that time?
N-mwrzay see kedamot ekum ab wege zeywale beleh kemzey natka eu!!!!!
M.HAGHOS November 8, 2014
Eritrawit
please just feel sorry for so called shabbai who is in losing his humanity balance as well as his master WEDDI KHOMMARIT ISIYAS ,BUT soon Eritrean people are going be released from their prison .
Shabbai November 8, 2014
This snitch can go back to where he crawled from and he might as well take you with him. Again, the Eritrean people know the likes of Yemane and temnewo. There is no way their attempt to justify their ‘hidma’ two decades later with their Ajewjew can be taken seriously. Who are you going to interview next? Teklai “Aden”? They fell from grace long time ago, they are doing this to take the rest of you wannabes with them. Enjoy!
Berhe Domenico November 8, 2014
The biggest hidma is the betrayal of the Eritrean people and the state of misery we find ourselves in.
History will treat the Yemanes and Tesfay Temnewos kindly. The real traitors are the PFDJEs and their supporters.
Shabbai November 8, 2014
History has already convicted and tossed the likes of Yemane into irrelevance. There is no chance of rehabilitation from that, today or tomorrow. They can only take the likes of you and Amanuel into that oblivion they have been wallowing in for almost three decades with self hate and regret.
Simon G. November 7, 2014
ከምታ እሱ ዝረኸባ ንዓኻ ትርከብካ ተበልኩኻስ ምርቓ ዶ መስለካ? እዚ ኩሉ ሂወቱ ከወፊ ተዳልዩ ክጋደል ከሎስ እንታይ ኮን ትገብር ኔርካ?
ንሕና ንገድድ ከምዚ ናትካ ሃጠውቀጠው ከነንብብ።
Awet Nihafash November 8, 2014
ስጋኻ በል ፣ እንጀራ እዝጊ ብላዕ ሳይሞን ሓወይ
Helen November 8, 2014
Yemane and Tesfay Temenewo are heroes the tyrant Isayas and his blind followers PFDJ are the ones who are destroying our land, our people, our culture, and our religion.
ERITRAWIT November 7, 2014
I would like to thank you Aman for you hard work you are really voice for voice less!!!!!!
Dear Yemane,
WAW, this criminal the most important things for them was how they can kill any one who knows about their dirty work by any means. chasing people every were no matter what the sad thing is a person who will do the job he will be killed after. I wonder how many people die in this mess.
Nkulu maltey alewo kbahal hakey eu.
abzey guday zneberkum dem dekey hager aykgedfekumen eu!!!!!!
Tsige November 7, 2014
finally, a man of impeccable integrity steps foreword bearing the most persuasive testimony against an intricate,brutal behavior of ISAIAS AFEWORKI and his functionaries.
YEMANE, when the dust of confusion over the Eritrean mind settles and every citizen starts to think for him-self/her-self clearly, I have no doubt that you will be recognized as an example of a true citizen.
Roak November 7, 2014
We been hearing many testimony, well the question is what are we going to do about it. Well Yemane is doing a good job and assenna ratting going up and then what. The regime is laughing at us. We need to to take action. The only language the mad dog understand is action, we must be able to hit him hard.
Girmay November 7, 2014
Yemane man of the year !!!. God has saved you for reason. for sake of the mass . if you had killed how could we heard such lively history that you are narrating. God is good all the time.
Yemane what do you think if you prepare it in the form of book. Please write it, as it is . you should not worry about you write up skill. just as it is. what a wonderful back flash!!!
Delai Firdi November 7, 2014
Yemane,
I have not posted in an Eritrean website for a long time.
Your narrative compelled me to put in my two cents. I admire your bravery, intelligence and your ability to communicate clearly.
I’m one of those who has been aware of the dictatorship of the EPLF leadership at least from the early 1980s. However, I did not realize it was this Gesret/bad. Your story about theattemted Stinger purchase is revealing. How is it that they were this naïve? It seems that they were not only cruel but really stupid. Stinger is a weapon much coveted by the U.S. They only gave it to the Afghan resistance in the 80s and made every effort to collect it back later. They were worried about the technology being copied by the then USSR. For such a stupid move, $300, 000 went down the drain. It makes me wonder how much of the hard earned money raised from the Deki Bdama was wasted this way?
Changing the subject, you stated in part 15 that Petros told you to leave Meda immediately when he sensed that you were in danger because of some criticisms you made about some officials. It sounds like he was somewhat protective of you regardless of his other excesses in the organization. But throughout your interviews, he is one individual that you seem to consistently harp on. Were the other’s better? I hear Drue was very much a toy of Issaias. I know your working relationship was more with Petros but you must have some knowledge of Drue and others. What do you have to say about them.
I know what you mean about not being able to speak out in the 80s or 90s. It was indeed suicidal. Even the mildest criticism that I made about the dictatorial tendencies of the EPLF were met with extreme hostility and isolation. They basically destroyed me. You couldn’t have said what you are recounting before now and expected to live or to be believed. Not for someone of your caliber. Even the ordinary crazed Eritrean would have taken you down.
My question to you is whether you perceived Issaias as regionalist? Despite your general sincerity, you sometimes come across as ‘tribal’ to use Mike’s description. My feeling is and was that Issaias was and is still an equal opportunity oppressor.
He kills whoever he perceives is a threat to his power. Contrary to a pervasive perception by some, one was/is not spared because he or she hails from Hammasien. What is your take on this? I think it is useful to shade some light here because this problem is a cancer that still afflicts even those who now condemn Issaias.
The problem is still polarizing our people.
Mike, I don’t agree with your claim that Yemane is not coming clean with his own dirty laundry and role in the organization. I agree that Ammanuel did a great job in this interview. Normally, it is the case that you cannot be trusted by any criminal group unless you incriminate yourself by committing a crime. Then one becomes part of the club. Here, I believe Yemane might have been among the exceptions. It is obvious that he is an intelligent man who was also very careful not to be threatening to Isaias. Remember he nominated him in one of the conferences. That was a shrewd move which demonstrated his survival skill. You can call it an opportunist move but he knew that Isaias was going to be nominated anyway. I prefer to call it a pragmatic move. I think Yemane was also very lucky to be assigned to Mogadishu. Isaias saw him as useful and indispensable. He may even have liked him. Just listening to Yemane, one can tell that he is very personable. I am sure he was also doing an important work in Mogadisu. I think this may have spared him from premature execution while still able to maintain some integrity.
And he left as soon as he smelled the danger. All in all, I believe Yemane’s story is ‘stranger than fiction’. I am transfixed.
Mohamed November 8, 2014
“They only gave it to the Afghan resistance in the 80s and made every effort to collect it back later.”
Delai Firdi
All the remaining quantities were bought back.
Simon G. November 7, 2014
እዚ ኣንስቲ ሓዳር ምፍታሕሲ ኣብ ግዜ ህግደፍ ዝተጀመረ መሲሉና ‘ምበር ለካ ካብ ግዜ ህግሕኤ ኔሩ። ኢሳያስን ሰዓብቱን ካብ መዓልቲ ናብ መዓልቲ, ፍንፉን ስራሕ ብምስራሕ, ናይ ቀደም ረኬርዶም ይሰብሩ። ዓጀብ!
Mohamed November 8, 2014
My brother was living in Sudan after escaping from the endless national service. His wife tried to join him but could not do so because she was denied exit visa. Then we came to know that if her husband divorces her she can travel without any problem. She just needed to show the authorities that she had a document to prove she is divorced. My brother divorced his wife and sent her a document signed by court. A month later his wife got exit visa to travel to Sudan were they were remarried.
The practice of dismantling families of those who oppose them is very old. I heard about such stories in late seventies but at the time could not believe it.
Selamawi November 7, 2014
ክቡር ኣቶ ኣማኑኤል፥ መጀመርያ ንኣቶ የማነ ተኽለጊዮርጊስ እንቋዕ ኣውጽኣኩም፥ ዕድመን ጥዕናን ይሃብኩም ክብሎም እደሊ።
ጉዳም ነገር ንሰምዕ ኣለና። ቀደም ከምዚ ዝበለ እንስሳታትኳ ዘይገብሩዎ ጭካኔ ዝፍጽሙ ዝነገሩ ደኣሞ ሕጂ እንታይ ይገብሩሎዉ ማለትዩ፧
በጃኻትኩ፥ዝከኣል እንተ ኾይኑ፥ ሕግደፍ ሕጂ ዝጥቀሙሉ ዘለዉ ሜላ ከመይ ከምዝኾነ ዝምህረና ሰብ ርኸቡልና። ንኣብነት ቤት ጽሕፈታት ኣመሓደርትን ሰበሥልጣናትን ናይቶም ዝጥርጥሩዎም ሰባት ተሌፎናት ጠሊፎም፥ ንኹሉ ዝዛረቡዎ ዘረባታት ከምዝሰምዑዎ ይውረ ኢዩ። ከምኡ ከምዝግበር እንተዝፈልጡ፥ ብዙሓት ኣይምተገርሁን፥ ኣይምጠፍኡን ኔሮም ይመስለኒ።
ኣካይዳ ሕግደፍ ምፍላጥ ኣድልዩ ኢዩ። ከም ደቂ ቅንፍዝ፥ እሾዅ መርገምን እንተ ዘይኮይኑ፥ ሠናይ ዘይትፈሪ ርግምቲ ጉጅለ ውሻጠ ሕግደፍ ነዛ ሃገር ከም ሓዊ ኮይና በሊዓታ።
እግዚኦ መሓረነ ንበል!
Hakim November 7, 2014
I still can not understand this interview is he for real? I know EPLF leadership is a mafia but I did not know they were this bad. Yemane why did they tried to kill you? did they ever assassinated anybody in Europe or USA? who killed the chairman of ENSA I think his name is Mengistabe in New York city in late seventies? I really fell sorry for all our brothers & sisters who sacrifice themself during Gedli era but things will change sooner than we expect.