Afar rebels continue attack, claim killing 30 Eritrean troops
January 1, 2009 (MEKELLE, Ethiopia) — An Eritrean rebel group, The Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) said it has killed and wounded 65 government troops during a raid it carried out last week at a military intelligence center inside the country’s Araata zone.
“Some 100 gallant fighters of RSADO in December 24 sneak in and opened attacks at a military intelligence area sited at Araata zone of Dekhale specific area and killed 30 Eritrean troops and wounded 35 others” RSADO’s Executive committee member and head of information and propaganda, Yasin Mohamed told Sudan Tribune.
“During the attack a number of weapons and communication equipments are seized” Yasin said, adding “important military documents are also burnt down.”
A high ranking military officer, where no name is given, is believed to have been killed during the raid.
“The latest attack is retaliation to the wide repression the Eritrean government is tightening against Eritrean Afar ethnic citizens,” he said.
“In the past few weeks alone hundreds of Afar-Eritreans have been beaten, arrested, many are made disappeared others are also killed in a broad day- light.” Yasin said.
The rebel RSADO is a member of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA), an umbrella opposition of 13 Eritrean political forces.
The People’s Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) is the only legal political entity in Eritrea. The one party political system in Eritrea does not recognize the existence of other political forces.
The Afar rebel also said that such attacks will continue until the government is deposed and a democratic rule is replaced in the Red sea nation. It has called on all Eritrean opposition groups and citizens to unite together in the struggle to topple the current administration.
In mid-November, 2008 the group alleged killing over 250 government troops during an attack carried out at a military training center based at Denkelliya region of Afambo local area.
(ST)
Thyinka
Afar rebels continue attack, claim killing 30 Eritrean troops
Argh!! Africa will never develop and wars will continue to confound the raging poverty. It seems like some parts of Africa are living in the 19th century Europe and America where imperialism was widespread.
Why can’t they just stop their war-mongering and become fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers. I believe all the parties to the conflict are in their individual capacities. The dictatorial regimes in Africa must stop misrule as to leave the option of war the only way to solve bad governance. Democracy can do a better job in changing undesirable rulers.
Clinging to power at the expenses of letting your country burn is far from patriotism. The rebels should stop being used by the West especially America. America is the biggest democracy in the world but it has tendency to act selfishly through its CIA to fund wars around the world.The only just wars in Africa were the wars against the colonialists and their surrogates like the Arab minority clique in Northern Sudan. Enough! No more war.