Eritrea: The Military and corruption in Eritrea (Part 1)

The president holds a meeting of the cadres (1993):

After independence the former guerrilla fighters automatically became members of the Eritrean defense forces (EDF). The ones who had minor injuries were however demobilized or transferred to the war disabled branch. From outside Eritrea as always seemed to be a calm and tranquil country, but there simmered an ill feeling within the rank and file of EPLF combatants. Everybody was not satisfied with the leadership because things were going at a slow pace. While in the field the combatants in the frontline were active either digging trenches; fighting or learning classes, while the ones in the civilian department were busy as doctors, teachers, technicians, builders. During the liberation era no one was idle because even the least competent ones did something fruitful. After independence the opposite became the norm of the day and everyone starting from the top leadership to the bottom was almost sitting idle. I remember when Isayas said that we were in honeymoon for the last two years. In 1993 prior to the referendum, Isayas held a meeting of EPLF cadres which I had the chance of attending at the cinema Capitol. His sole aim was to tell us that a transitional government has been established and the government is not in a position to give salary because the coffers are empty. I myself presented him a question and I quote; “When I hear that there is a meeting of cadres I thought you would surprise us by saying we will start getting salary. But this has become like the story of the man who replied, ‘I am here’ when he heard ‘where is the man who spent the night with an empty stomach’ and was told ‘OK! Today also you will get nothing.” So, you are telling us now the government coffers are empty. But how come you made an increment to the civilian workers who have been claiming that once Eritrea is free we want nothing, and not give a single coin to us the ex fighters?” After smiling at the story Isayas said he will answer the question together with the other questions but evaded it.

The most interesting question at the meeting says, “While we have been in the struggle we used to work ardently everything was coordinated, we had meetings and we used to have criticism self criticism, but now we can’t even hold our place of residence in cleanliness. I live at Kagnew Station (Ex American Military Base in Asmara) and the place is full of shit and in disarray. I really wonder what happened to our progressive culture of productive co-operative work or Ma’etot.”  The president kept silent and said the next question. There were other question but the last question asked by Asmerom Gerezgiher (Later major General and chief of logistics) asked a vital question by saying, “You said wages are not that much important and that people can live without wages after all, but I say; beside other things wages are very important because we are claiming that we will embark on reconstruction and development and to do this we need a control mechanism. If people are to do some tangible work they must have wages and we can supervise them on the job. Isayas as usual did not give any reply to this specific question from Asmerom, the veteran fighter who joined the liberation struggle in 1966 and was a central committee member. The meeting Isayas held for the military cadres was more political than the one I was present. I heard that they totally objected the composition of the Provisional Government of Eritrea which was composed of the members of the regional parliament and members of the central committee of EPLF. Isayas was very nervous but the decision was nevertheless not reversed. Besides the meeting Isayas held for EPLF Asmerom Gerezgiher held a meeting for the rank and file at Kagnew Station and told them that there will not be any salary for the coming five years. They totally opposed it and he told them that it is a presidential decree.

The May 20 insurrection:

On the third day some fighters from the Kagnew station, most of them novices recruited to the front in 1989-1991 rose up spontaneously and occupied the airport and later the banks. They were soon followed by other fighters and it looked as if a coup is happening. Some fighters in Assab also followed suit and demanded their right for a salary. The Asmara movement soon gathered momentum and thousands of fighters including veteran fighters from the commando division and the mechanized units joined them. Even the famous artist Wedi Tkul was seen running with them. The demobilized members of the department of security were simply amazed and became onlookers. Because the movement was not a planned one but something that flared up; from nothing nobody ever had a hint about it. Isayas after hearing about the issue came to the airport to calm the uprising otherwise known as the May 20 insurrection. He tried to appease them but they refused and they agreed to accompany him to the stadium to hear what he would say. They asked him to go by car but he refused and they walked to the stadium which was about three kilometers far. He made a speech praising our heroes and repeated many times about the responsibility of nation building and that the government inherited an empty coffer. He was rebuffed and some fighters even told him on his face that he is living in a villa and having it nice while they stand guard during the night suffering cold. He became very furious and retorted by saying, “Are you claiming that I never know cold?” Another famous announcer told him that he considers him and his cronies like all African leaders who are not concerned about the suffering of their people. Another one said, “Isayas, 1986 you were touring the trenches to lecture us about the corruption of the field commanders and you pointed out that unless we monitored them, after independence they will spit upon from their high rising apartments and spit upon us. At that time I believed you with an open heart and was proud of you as a leader. But, now I feel betrayed by you because you are having an easy life with the corrupted generals.”

Demonstration of disabled fighters:

Such was the feeling and expression of the fighters that. To make a long story short, Isayas gave a brief explanation of the uprising expressing it as a natural phenomenon but after two months he secretly gave an order for the detention of more than seventy fighters considered as ring leaders. But as far as I know, those arrested were simply participants that joined the uprising after it started. The real architects were the impatient novices. They were condemned to be imprisoned from three to fifteen years. Not only this, Isayas knew the novices were the perpetrators of the untimely insurrection and he ordered for the demobilization of all fighters who joined the revolution from 1989 onwards. As a result, more than ten thousand young fighters were suddenly demobilized after getting a paltry 3000 Eth. Birr. There followed a decree that salary for fighters will begin in 1994 but actual cash will be received start in 1995. Another decree which was received by surprise by every fighter was that the government will pay every fighter one USD for a day as a compensation for the time he spent in the struggle and this cash will be handed over after conversion to every fighter at an opportune time. The families’ of martyrs will also be given 10 thousand birr for every martyr. All these hopes were however dashed when the government crushed a demonstration by disabled fighters. The peaceful demonstration was brutally silenced by the 525 special commandos on the road from Nefasit to Asmara. Nearly half a dozen were killed half more than that wounded. I heard of no fighter who received any cash as compensation for his time in the struggle.

The slogan of fighting corruption:

Whenever the president was asked by foreign or domestic journalist used to answer that Eritrea is clean from corruption. However towards the end of 1995 he proclaimed that the fight against corruption has begun. As a result every news outlet in Eritrea used to drum the slogan. The reason for starting this was a simple episode that started at Massawa Customs for which was station director. A certain lady whose was a messenger but who we ordered to help with the documentation was lured by some traders and as a result some Inland Revenue declaration of goods missed. This was discovered by mere chance and the case reported by me to the customs and Inland Revenue director Aalzar Mesfun the chief of government He never understood the impact of the issue and did not take any steps. However when I was transferred to Asmara we raise the issue and soon the police came and we briefed them about the incident. The issue became a court case and the responsible people were fined and the government employees imprisoned from one to three years. When the verdict was pronounced in the radio the President became so furious and he established the special court. He also ordered the nullification of all earlier verdicts so that they can be presented to the special court. The special court which is known for its notoriety, denies the accused is denied any witnesses, it does not allow him to hire a lawyer and appeal is forbidden. In such a way, countless people from all walks of life were summarily arrested on hear say and tortured. When presented to the special court some of them were given 12 years. There were some who were imprisoned for one year and half simply for owning a taxi which they purchased with cash transferred to them from Diaspora relatives.

The arrest of Red Sea corporation employees: It was at the end of 1996 the whole of Eritrea was shocked when unofficial news filtered that the employees of the Red Sea Trading Corporation’s (PFDJ owned) managers and employees were detained. They were attending the inauguration of the Toyota Company also owned by PFDJ and all were collected and led to the high security prison. Much was said about the manager and employees of the Company. In a country where there is no free press hear say travels like wild fire. As far as I know, they were arrested because the late Dessu Tesfatsion was so insubordinate to all PFDJ leaders except his close friend Isayas that he even used to despise them openly. He ones told Hagos Kisha head of economic dept. on the phone, “Kisha, do you know that while you have been enjoying hamburger in America I was killing people inside Asmara, how come you want to give me orders now?” Dessu said similar unpleasant things to Abdella Jabr and Yemane Monkey. So, the leaders conspired to fabricate a case and detain them. Isayas opposed their detention, but after Dessu travelled to Japan without Hagos’s permission they insisted for their detention and Isayas gave the green light. After they were imprisoned Berhane Haile and Wedi Ar’adom committed suicide and the case became complicated. As a result a committee was formed to decide their case and the issue became a prolonged one leaving them in prison for five years without any court hearing. Finally they were presented to the special court and were sentenced from five to six years and some of them paid 10 thousand USD because they borrowed money from people and established a private trade. No case of corruption was registered against them except minor issues based on owning property or selling goods in postdated checks which is a legal trade norm.

As mentioned earlier, prior to the Ethio-Eritrean war, there was no corruption as such in Eritrea. If there was any, it was too elementary to be mentioned in the mass media. At that time the president used to say, “If someone invites me to a cup of coffee it is corruption!” But as far as I am concerned, Isayas received two special cars from the Emir of Qatar and Kuwait in 1993-1994. The Red Sea Corporation (09) truck drivers used to deliver to his house sacks of White Taf (Xa’eda Taf) the special grain used for baking injera the staple food of Eritrea and Ethiopia. But the basic point here is that corruption started in earnest after the war with Ethiopia and especially after Isayas decreed that the Military will start a marshal plan to reconstruct the country through the so called Warsay Yikealo campaign. After this destructive campaign, the military did everything to accumulate power and money and a vehement competition and enmity started between them. As a consequence the people and the economy suffered greatly.