Eritrean rebels claim killing 12 government troops
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
October 22, 2011(ADDIS ABABA) — Two Eritrean rebel groups on Saturday alleged killing and wounding 27 government soldiers in a military operation they jointly carried out inside the Red Sea nation.
“Joint military units of Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) and the Eritrean National Salvation Front on 20 October 2011 launched a surprise attack against military intelligence units,” the rebels said in a joint military communiqué.
“After the two hour operation, 12 were killed and more than 15 wounded”.
Launched under the code name “Operation Democratic Change”, the rebels said the assault was carried out in Kermed, Adi Metras, Ingra Abo, Adi Tela’a and Meshal Akran localities of the Eritrean Afar region.
The rebels said the causalities were all members of military intelligence units of President Issayas Aferwerki’s brigades of the 27th Division.
A number of military hardware was also destroyed and various types of weapons captured by the joint forces, Sudan Tribune has learnt.
On daily basis, hundreds of Eritreans flee the country to neighboring Sudan and Ethiopia in protest to prosecution by the rule in Asmara. But they are also motivated by tough economic conditions in Eritrea.
According to refuges in Ethiopia, a one party rule running since the country gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 and the ever-increasing oppression mainly targeting the young Eritreans also against minor ethnic groups like the Afar and Kunama nationals has led to exiled rebels intensify their struggle to overthrow the current rule.
Communities at the localities where the latest battle took place have for long time been suffering with flagrant human rights violations due to the oppressive policies of the regime, the rebels said.
“Specifically, up on Eritrean Red Sea Afar habitant there is a serious violation of international humanitarian law such as: security rights, due process rights, liberty rights, political, equality social and welfare rights.”
RSADO has long accused Issayas led government of implementing genocidal policy against the Afar minority in Eritrea. Following the 1998-2000 bloody border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, Afars in Eritrea are under suspicion by their own government for having secretive relation with Ethiopian Afars.
The Afar are allegedly seen by Asmara as “friends of enemy”.
RSADO spokesperson, Yasin Mohamed Abdela in Ethiopia told Sudan Tribune that the attack was in retaliation to “The oppressive practices of the regime against innocent Eritreans and the youth in particular”.
He vowed such military operations will be stepped up until the fall of the current rule in Asmara.
Mean while the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) in an annual summit it held in Ethiopia Afar region’s Semera town condemned “the murder, torture, rape, disappearances, expulsions, forcible confinements and aggression” by government against the Afar nationals in the country.
The Semera declaration reaffirmed commitment to establish with all Eritrean nationalities – a liberal democratic federation based on the principles of freedom, autonomy and equality for all nationalities.
”We declare that it is the solemn will of the Afar people to participate in a reformed Eritrea on the basis of these principles: the rule of law, democracy, the equality of each nationality and each nationality shall exercise the rights of self-government and self-determination in a federated autonomous region”
(ST)