Eritrean rebels claim successful attack on intelligence center

August 1, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) – Two Eritrean rebel groups said today they hit sharply a government camp of an intelligence unit in southern Eritrea town of Senafe killing 13 military.

The rebel Forces from Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) and Eritrean Salvation Front (RSF), who carried out the attack on July 25, believe that the government agents in this base were responsible for killing and capturing of refugee escapees from the “brutal system”.

“Our Afar fighters along with their RSF counterparts on Tuesday at 7 o’clock local time have launched a coordinated and simultaneous commando type operation, in response to ongoing brutal repression and ethnic cleanse against our Afar people and the Eritrean people in general” Yasin Mohammed, RSADO’s communication and information department head told Sudan Tribune on Saturday.

The rebel official said further they captured five government soldiers and brought them back in to Ethiopia. Further, they reiterated their commitment to Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War adding they would hand them over to the UN through the Ethiopian government.

The rebels added they seized 9 Kalashnikov assault rifles, 1 RPG weapon, 1 Heavy Machine Gun, 3 communication phones, and important military documents.

RSADO and DMLEK opposition groups that represent their respective Afar and Kunama Ethnic minorities, have long accused president Isayas Afeworki-led Eritrean government of marginalizing their people and launching an ethnic cleanse against their people in recent years.

The rebel groups have vowed to jointly continue similar and large scale attacks against what they refereed as is “the most repressive regime in the Horn of Africa.”

Recently, the Afar movement, RSADO one among a 13 opposition umbrella group (EDA), has intensified military campaigns against Asmara.

The afar rebels have carried out more than five attacks, in the past six months, causing significant blow to the government. Last November they destroyed a military radar system and attacked military camp killing 285 soldiers deep inside Eritrea’s territories.

The Eritrean government is accused of being reason for worst refugee crisis only next to Somalia in just a few years. Afar with 90% illiteracy rate, worst infant mortality and life expectancy in the country, have now produced most refugees to come out of Eritrea, with hundred thousand fleeing death, malnutrition and kidnapping.

Currently, Some 30,000 Eritrean refugees are being sheltered in Ethiopia, others in neighboring countries like Djibouti, Yemen, Sudan and Saudi Arabia.

(ST)