Two more high-ranking Ethiopian officers join armed opposition

Sept 15, 2006 (ASMARA) — For the second time since last August two high ranking officers from the Ethiopian army have defected to has defected to Ethiopia bitter rival, neighboring Eritrea to join the armed opposition.

Brig. General Hailu Gonfa, a senior Ethiopian Army commander, and Col. Gemechu Ayana, commander of the 8th Mechanized Force, announced Friday from Asamar that they joined the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) abandoning the Ethiopian government.

In a message to the Ethiopian Army after jointing the OLF, the two senior Army commanders said: “At a time when the dictatorial TPLF regime is resorting to increased suppression against the Ethiopian people by stealing the people’s voice, continuing to be at the service of such a repressive regime would only aggravate the people’s suffering. In this regard, we call on all members of the Ethiopian Army to detach themselves from the illegal regime and follow our example.”

The Eritrean official Shabait website said that an “interview conducted with Brig. General Hailu Gonfa and Col. Gemechu Ayana would be presented next Monday”.

Earlier last month, an Ethiopian general, Brig. Gen. Kemal Geltu, who was the commander of the 18th army division, defected with a colonel and some hundred soldiers to Eritrea where they announced their adhesion to the opposition Oromo Liberation Front

Also on 16 August, tow capitains of the Ethiopian army with ten soldiers arrived in Eritrea. Captains Bededa Regassa and Negesso Watyo told the Eritrean press “the unrest is spreading to different parts of the country.”

(ST)

Statement by Brigadier General Hailu Gonfa and Colonel Gemechu Ayana