Picture of martyr Melaake Tekle, chief of the ELF security services who was killed on 25.03.1982 at Rassai when Martyr Abdella Idris and his group staged a coup against the ELF leadership accusing them of defeatism and handing their arms to Sudan. They arrested the ELF leadership opposed to them, including the Chairman, Ahmed Nasser. Melaake resisted arrest and was killed. The ELF was preparing to hold a seminar to resolve its differences in Rassai when this sad event happened.
After the EPLF (set a precedence of involving a foreign organization in the internal affairs of the Eritrean revolution) allied with the TPLF to drive the ELF to Sudan, the majority of the Eritrean Liberation Army was disarmed by Sudan and was hosted in Tahdai and Korokon. A small group led by martyr Abdella Idris remained with its arms in the border with Sudan in what was known as Shamal (North). The Abdella Idris group staged a coup ‘in order to end the chaos and start military activities' as it claimed. It held its congress and retained the name ELF. Other factions were also formed. One group (Sagem) opted to return to Eritrea after it was given permission by the EPLF and later united with it. Another faction of the group (Sagem) rejected the idea of uniting with the EPLF and take refuge in Tigray. A fourth group formed what was later known as the ELF-RC.
Abdella Idris, in a new book released early 2016 accuses Melaake TeKle, Ibrahim Toteel ansd Tesfay Tekle of being agents of the EPLF inside the ELF; adding that they worked to dismantle the ELF from within. He states that the aim on 25.03.1982 was to arrest Melaake Tekle, but he resisted and was killed in exchange of fire. He states that Melaake thought that his role with the EPLF was known by then and he opted to die resisting arrest. He further states that by that time the ELF was not aware of his involvement with the EPLF.
Abdella Idris, in a new book released early 2016 accuses Melaake TeKle, Ibrahim Toteel ansd Tesfay Tekle of being agents of the EPLF inside the ELF; adding that they worked to dismantle the ELF from within. He states that the aim on 25.03.1982 was to arrest Melaake Tekle, but he resisted and was killed in exchange of fire. He states that Melaake thought that his role with the EPLF was known by then and he opted to die resisting arrest. He further states that by that time the ELF was not aware of his involvement with the EPLF.
The division and disintegration of ELF was one of the saddest happened in the History of the Eritrean Revolution. It was also the beginning of the darkest era for our people and country. Why? Even though we achieved independence under the leadership of EPLF the Eritrean people paid unnecessary heavy sacrifice of tens of thousands because of lack of lack of unity. No matter what Exclusion of ELF and dominating the field was Issayas strategy from his beginning.ELF was excellent on dealing against the Ethiopian enemy in all spheres,but its leadership was tactically weak on dealing against EPLF leadership.
ReplyDeleteBack to ELF,it is always in my memories the good days of a great heroism and victories achieved by the Eritrean Liberation Front and its fantastic Liberation Army, at the same its unexpected devastation and its setback. In my understanding and experience the disintegration and weakning of ELF starts 1) when Heruy Tedla steps from the leadership and started his devastatingly movement within the ELF. That created holes within the ELF and weakned its bases.
2) The ELF leadership internal cracks started mainly in 1978 and accusation of each other brewing especially after the Liberatated area was taken back by the enemy.They were finger pointing to each other's department about lack of countering the enemy.
3) ELF had the most tested army and well organized huge Mass organizations.But its leadership was not prepared to the level needed, instead it was messed up with deep internal power crises. Yes there were many external factors of its defeat, but its main defeat comes from the division of its leadership. Martry Abdela Idris accusation of Melake Tekle and other members of the leadership cannot make him free from the historical account responsibility of devastation and setbacks. Infact his strategic plan of staging a Coup against the ELF leadership and change the conference place of Rasay to a bloody war zone was unequivocally wrong. If this conference had been successful its outcomes could lead us to another shape of history and may be the present situations could take another form of political process. Accusations can be forwarded from any side of the angle but in the absence of a unified presence and existence of genuine rule of the land no body can be taken as the right one. Whether small or great whether intentionally or unintentionally all of us who are involved in that historical era have share of responsibilities.