Remembering the veteran hero Andemichael Kahsay on his birth anniversary (12 October 1942)

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Remembering the veteran hero Andemichael Kahsay on his birth anniversary (12 October 1942)

Researched and compiled by Resoum Kidane 21/09/2025

Introduction

 Andemichael Kahsay was a veteran war hero of the Eritrean struggle for independence. During the liberation struggle, he served as the EPLF representative in Rome from 1977 to 1991. During those years, he gained extensive experience in diplomatic work and developed a deep understanding of international relations, aided by his multilingual skills. He spoke French, Italian, Arabic, English, and Amharic. One of his significant achievements during the liberation struggle was building strong relationships between the EPLF and European left-wing organizations and political parties in the 1980s. He played a crucial role in establishing the Research Institute for Comparative Education (RICE) in Rome in 1979 and was involved in organizing the Permanent People’s Tribunal Conference in 1980 in Milan, Italy.

After Eritrea gained independence, he held several senior positions in the government, including Eritrea’s Ambassador to the United States and Italy, and he also served as the Mayor of Asmara. Andemichael was a selfless, modest, skilled diplomat, and courageous individual who hijacked an Ethiopian military plane and flew to Aden when he was a military pilot in 1972

Ambassador Andemichael Kahsay dedicated his life to the struggle for Eritrean independence from the age of 14 until his tragic and mysterious death in 2003 at the age of 61. The circumstances surrounding his death, as well as those of other veteran fighters, have roots that extend back to the 1960s and 1970s and raise many unanswered questions about the killings of ELF and EPLF fighters under suspicious circumstances. Notable figures who met similar fates include Mahmoud Ibrahim Muhammad Saeed (Chekini), Dr. Fitsum from the ELF, and Abraham Tewolde, Tuku Yihedego,Weldenkel Haile (Wedi-Haile), Isayas Tewelde (Wedi-Flansa), and Fisehye Woldegebrel Ibrahim Afa from the EPLF. Ultimately, the judgment regarding the mysterious deaths of Andemichael Kahsay and other veterans will be left to history.

 This compilation aims to honour Andemichael by bringing together relevant information that sheds light on his life, during which he dedicated 46 years (from 1957 to 2003) to serve his people and country. It also serves to commemorate his contributions during and after the independence struggle

Early life

Andemichael was born in Liban, Awraja Seraye (present-day Zoba Debub) on 12 October 1942. His parents were Qenazmach Kahsay Berhanu from Adi Gobo and Hadas Merach from Liban. Qenazmach Kahsay Berhanu was one of the founders of the New Eritrea Pro-Italy Party, an Eritrean political party established in 1947. However, he later became a member of the Independent Bloc (pro-independence) in 1949. Andemichael had several siblings, including Asfha Kasay, Kidane Kahasay Tedros Kasay, and possibly others.

Asfha Kasay

ቀናዝማች ኣስፋሃ ካሕሳይ

Andemichael grew up in an atmosphere of threat due to the intimidation faced by his father, a member of the Independent Bloc, from members of the Unionist party. He recalls the assassinations of his father’s friends, Blatta Azamch Berhe on 12 February 1949, and Blata Kahsay Malu on 16 May 1950, both of whom were part of the Independent Bloc.

መንጎ ጥቅምቲ 1949ን የካቲት 1950ን ካብ 18 ዘይውሕዱ ቀንጺሎም እዮም። ካብቶም ፍሉጣት ኣብቲ እዋን ዝተቐትሉ እዞም
ዝስዕቡ ይርከብዎም። ብላታ ካሕሳይ ማሉ- 12 የካቲት 1949 ሸኽ ዓብደልቃድር ከቢረ- 27 መጋቢት 1949 ኣዝማች በርሀ ገብረኪዳን - 16 ግንቦት 1950 ኣዝማች ዓብደልቃድር ጃብር-15 ሰነ 1950 ሲኞር ቪቶርዮ ሎንጊ 20 ሓምለ 1950 http://emnetu.com/Biography%20of%20Blatta%20Kahsay%20Malu...

These acts of terror and assassination were orchestrated by Colonel Nega Haile Sellassie, originally from Shoan (Ethiopia), who was appointed as an Ethiopian Government Liaison Officer in Asmara. He used his position to promote union with Ethiopia in the late 1940s through propaganda and the financing of shifta (outlaws) to intimidate and assist members of the Independent Bloc. As a result, Andemichael developed a strong resentment toward the Amhara, the ruling class of Ethiopia, from an early age.

 Andemichael began his primary education at San Giorgio (ሳንጆርጆ) school in Mendefera. According to Tesfa G. Gebremedhin (2017), San Giorgio School is one of the oldest academic institutions in Eritrea, initially established as an elementary school for grades one to four during the Italian occupation in 1902. Those who knew Andemichael have stated that he demonstrated exceptional brilliance as a student at San Giorgio.

In 1957, he continued his education in Asmara, where he lived with his older brother, Kenazmach Asfha Kashay, who was a school inspector during the Federation period.

While studying in Asmara, Andemichael started listening to broadcasts by Woldeab Woldemariam from Cairo. According to Alex White (2023), Woldeab Woldemariam was a frequent broadcaster on Radio Cairo in Tigrinya and Arabic, advocating for Eritrea's liberation from Ethiopian rule. He began broadcasting from exile in Cairo after surviving seven assassination attempts over a six-year period (1947-1953). Woldeab’s broadcasts strongly influenced a new generation of Eritrean nationalists, including Andemichael. In an interview, Andemichael explained:
 
 “I was 14 and in sixth grade in 1957. You could hear the grown-ups talking about it. We did not have a radio at home, but in tea shops, people listened to Wolde-ab. At that time, we didn't even speak Amharic. One day, an Ethiopian teacher came to our class. Eritrean teachers at that time had a starting salary equivalent to $20, which later became $80. In contrast, Ethiopian teachers started with a salary of $250, as all revenues from the port and other sources went to the Ethiopian Federal Government. Our Eritrean teachers wore Khaki uniforms year-round, but this teacher arrived in a three-piece suit and a necktie, which made quite an impression. He wasn’t just a teacher; he was an intelligence officer responsible for indoctrination. He went to the blackboard and wrote 'Haile Selassie' on one side and 'Wolde-Ab Wolde Mariam' on the other. This was our first Amharic class, and he asked, ‘Who is better?’ One of our classmates stood up and said, ‘Wolde-Ab Wolde Mariam.’ This created a sort of confrontation. It was unconscious resistance, but it was definitely there.” (Killion, Tom,1997)

 The broadcasts of Woldeab Woldemariam from Cairo significantly contributed to Andemichael's patriotism and helped develop a strong nationalist sentiment in the 1950s while he was a secondary school student.

Ande Michael became increasingly patriotic when Tigrinya and Arabic, the official languages of Eritrea, were replaced by Amharic, which became the most hated subject in all schools in Eritrea during the late 1950s. In his interview, Ande Michael recalls, “When we went to high school in 1959, our group resisted Amharic. We had a favorite method of causing disruption: eating dried chickpeas during class. It was very noisy, and we became known as the 'chickpea market.' We were notorious. Ethiopian teachers were also transferred to Eritrea to teach Amharic, and those teachers, wearing army uniforms (apparently to intimidate students), were met with open hostility.”

As Amharic became compulsory in all schools in Eritrea, sporadic student strikes became common, especially in Asmara. The first student strike occurred at Haile Selassie Secondary School (now the Red Sea Secondary School) in 1957, when Amharic was made mandatory. During the student demonstration in 1957, a student named Tuku head-butted a police captain and was arrested, along with 300 other students who participated in the strike against the imposition of Amharic as the language of instruction in schools. They were jailed for a month, and their imprisonment sparked a national student strike on May 22, 1957.

Worku Zerai, in her interview, recalls, “In the 1950s, policemen did not want to arrest women and would tell them, 'You go home, you are women.' But the women refused to leave their male comrades. The policemen were also in a dilemma because when the Eritrean students sang patriotic songs, they identified with them. Still, they attacked the demonstrations with tear gas” (Wilson, Amarit,1991).

In 1958, the Workers' Syndicate organized demonstrations to challenge the Eritrean government’s actions regarding the dismantling of Eritrea's status. The general strike lasted for three days before being crushed by Ethiopian troops. Over 200 people, and possibly many more, were arrested in Asmara and provincial towns during the course of the strike.

The imprisonment and torture of students, workers, artists, and musicians forced them to join the underground movement, forming a coalition of radical nationalists known as the Eritrean Liberation Movement (Harakat; Minkisikas Harenet Eritrea). This movement played a significant role in the revival of Eritrean nationalism during the 1950s. During this brief period, Mahber Shew'ate succeeded in politicizing civil society, including students, workers, and teachers. Mahber Shew'ate was founded in 1958 to advocate for Eritrea’s independence from Ethiopia.

It is believed that in the late 1950s, Haraka (Mahber Shew'ate Union of Seven), which consisted of clandestine cells with seven members in a secret structure, played a crucial role in raising national consciousness, particularly among the younger generation of that time.

According to Emnetu, who knew AndeMichael and his family well in Mendefera, Ande Michael used to distribute pamphlets in Mendefera early in the morning during his summer holidays. The pamphlets were prepared by the clandestine Group of Seven, of which Ande Michael was a member. In his interview, AndeMichael mentioned that he became a member of these clandestine cells while in ninth grade, with a leader named Mehammed.

His friend, AndeMichael Kahsay, added, “We used to distribute pamphlets in Mendefera at night.” AndeMichael also recounted that during protests against the Amharic subject and anti-Ethiopian sentiment; he drew the Eritrean flag on paper and secretly distributed it in public places. The politicization of students, workers, and teachers led to various demonstrations in Asmara. As a result of Mahber Shew'ate’s efforts, there was a student demonstration in September 1960 opposing the removal of the Eritrean flag, the changing of the name of the Eritrean Assembly, and other related issues.

In May 1962, another significant demonstration involved 300-400 high school students who went on strike in Asmara demanding the restoration of the Eritrean flag, seal, and arms. One of the teachers who taught Amharic to Ande Michael dismissed the students' efforts, saying, “Your demonstration cannot make a difference; it is meaningless to restore the Federation.” This incited Ande Michael Kahsay, leading him to attack his Amhara teacher, resulting in his dismissal from school before completing his high school education in May 1962. (White, Alex 2023)

Andemichael Kahassa jointed the Ethiopian Air Force

After being expelled from school for assaulting his Amharic teacher and for his involvement as a student activist at Haile Selassie Secondary School, Andemichael left Eritrea in June 1962 to ensure his safety. In his interview, he stated, "I escaped from Amhara in Eritrea, but I went to the land of Amhara." Indeed, Ethiopia was not safe for him, as he harbored a deep-seated animosity toward Amhara since childhood. He stayed in Ethiopia for a few months before returning to Eritrea when Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia dissolved the Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea in November 1962, in violation of UN Resolution 390. After returning to Eritrea, Andemichael attempted to join the armed struggle by contacting Ato Yemane Kaselayo, a representative of the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF). However, his recruitment was ultimately unsuccessful. Subsequently, he applied for a job at the library of the Eritrean Parliament. Although Andemichael passed the entrance test and medical examination, the employer withdrew their job offer because he did not meet the requirement for a police clearance certificate. As a result, he began working with his Jewish solicitor in Asmara for a year.

In 1965 Andemichael  travelled to Debre Zeit ( Bishotu) with his friend called Semere to join the Ethiopian Air Force (ETAF). In this occasion Andemichael was accepted after meeting the requirement of Air Force Fitness Assessment score and medical assessment, but Semere not accepted because of his vision problem. When Andemichae began the ETAF pilot training programme, in the same batch there were also two other Eritrean candidates Abraha and Dawit Gebrezsbhere besides Andemichael, but later Abraha and Dawit Gebrezsbhere withdrew from the school of flying training.

In the 1960s the flying training schools in Ethiopia Air Force  were located in three separate Air Force Bases: the first one at Bishoftu where Andemichael had his initial flying training from 1965 to 1966, the second and the third was at Diredawa and Asmara air force bases where Andemichael received his training in 1966 to 1967 and 1967 to 1968 respectably After completed his flying training in military aircraft.at Diredawa in 1967, he transferred to Asmara Air force base to continue his training.

When Andemichael arrived in Asmara there was a large-scale military confrontation between the Ethiopian troops and ELF fighters. Consequently the Ethiopian ground force and Air force committed numerous barbaric atrocious against civilians.  

ዝኽሪ ህልቂት ሰላማዊ ህዝቢኤርትራ ብግዜ ሃጸይ ሃይለስላሴ

Scorched Earth: The 1967 Killings

According Africa watch report (1991) between February and April 1967 the army burned 62 villages   In the villages, the Ethiopian Air Force pilots have been deliberately flying low, causing loud noise near the rooftops of houses to terrify the residents. Andemichael, concerned about this situation, asked the pilots about the reason for their actions. Their response revealed that their intention was to instill fear in the civilians. One pilot even stated, "We want to frighten Eritrean pregnant mothers and cause miscarriages." Andemichael became furious with the pilot after he said hurtful words and assaulted him.

In 1968 Andemicael back to Bishouftu Air Force Base to complete  his training programme,  and he was  graduated in 1969. Andemicael was promoted to Flight Lieutenant ( junior officer rank) which took a long for the position; it was more likely because he was an Eritrea.

Throughout his training, Andemicael faced countless challenges from the Air Force officers who sought to dismiss him.  Despite meeting the requirements of the Air Force Fitness Assessment—where the leg length must be a minimum of 99 cm and a maximum of 120 cm—his boss suggested that Andemicael could suffer a broken leg in a crash landing due to his height. This suggestion was accepted by the head of the training school, Atenafu, who was taller than Andemicael himself. Their intention appeared to be to dismiss Andemicael on the basis of his physical height; however, this was rejected by other instructors from different nationalities  the attempt to dismiss him persisted from the Air Force  In early 1971  after an independent disciplinary committee found him guilty because of physical assault to the officer called shaleqa lieutenant colonel) Sheferw, Andemichae was banned from flight for a year

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Left to Right: Tewdros Kahasey. Yemani, Andemichael Kahasey

Although Andemichael received his full salary throughout his period of confinement not allowed to fly he was under close surveillance. He spent most of his time reading books in order to avoid any conflict with the staff within the Bisheftu  air base. Despite this, one day while Andemichael was at the officer club his boss deliberately pointed his finger at him and loudly declared that he should not be trusted and would one day defect to Somalia (in the 1966 there was a conflict between the Ethiopan and  Somlian government).

Thereafter Andemicael went to his boss’s office to seek an explanation. He was told: “we advise that you should not be trusted because your are a security concern”. Afterwards Andemichael, who had a strained relationship with his superiors, went to see the Yugoslav doctor, serving in the Air Force, to obtain a sick note.  On being asked by the doctor why he needed it, Andemichael explained his circumstance and that he was being treated unfairly in the workplace   by the officers  because of him being an Eritrean. The doctor who understood his circumstances issued a him note to take a rest for three weeks   Two hours after arriving back at his office, Andemichael received a phone called from his boss instructing him to attend  a medical assessment.  His boss advised the doctor to issue a medical report on Andemichael . Although his boss was intent on dismissing Andemicael from the Air Force on the grounds of his  medical condition, the doctor confirmed that  Andemichael was fit for flight duties, which allowed him to pursue  his career as a military flight pilot. While he was at the Bishftu  Air Force base apart from two members of the air force others particular the officers,  always regarded him with suspicioun, and Andemichael disliked them, too.

In the early 1970s  the Ethiopian air force began to systematically bomb villages  in revenge to the killing  of General Teshome Ergetu, the commander of the 2nd division of the army  who had been ambushed by ELF guerrillas on November 30, 1970. Furthermore, to suppress the rebellious movements the Ethiopan government deployed to Eritrea additional ground forces as well as more pilots.

When the battle between the Ethiopian forces and the Eritrean liberation fighters was escalated in 1972, Andemichael left Bishftu Air Force to fly to Asmara Air Force base on 15th of  June  1972.  He was assigned to the squadron T.28 one of four squadrons.   

At the time of his arrival  Andemichael already realized that  it was against his conscience to participate in  military missions aimed at quashing the Eritrean armed resistance and  bomb villages. He decided  not  to stay any longer  within the airforce . On his day of arrival Andemichael had flown a T28 military aircraft  and  redirected  it to Aden where the EPLF had a representative office. On his landing at the airforce base he was interrogated   by security service for a week to find out the reason for his  hijack.  He made clear that he was not seeking political asylum but wanted to join the EPLF. Despite this, Andemichael was jailed for four months at the airbase  then for a further year and a half year  at the main prison.

1968 Al Eqab' ( The Punishment Group that hijacked an Ethiopian aeroplane to Karachi)

• Mohamed Osman Yusuf Saig and Mohamed Ali Omar Afarorah who hijacked, an Ethiopian passenger plane, a Boeing 707, in March 1969;
• Mohamed Saied Salih Sengour etc., who hijacked an Ethiopian Airline plane in September 1969;
• Ali Mohamed Omer, Hamid Shateen; Mahmoud Suleiman who hijacked Ethiopian Airline plane, Boeing 720, in November 1969.
• Ali Said Abdella who destroyed an Ethiopian Airline Boeing 720 at Karachi Airport in 1969;
• 

During the Derg era   members of  Ethiopia Air Force those of Eritrean origin became victims of  enforced  disappearance. As a consequence   many Eritreans member of the Ethiopia Air Force  either  went into exile or  joined the armed struggle.  Stephanos Haile ex MIG PILOT   was one of those  who  joined the EPLF  1977. Click hereስቲፋኖስ ሃይ to read his full story

ስቲፋኖስ ሃይለ

Andemichael joined the EPLF
.

After his release from imprisonment, Andemichael spent a couple of months resting at the EPLF representative office in Aden. Thereafter, he joined the EPLF from Aden along with other new recruits who had arrived from different countries. These included: Semere Solomon from Sweden, Woldenchael Abrha, Tekley Haraka, Gebremichael from Germany, and Zecarias Nugru from former the Soviet Union (USSR) ( Solomon,2024). From April to June 1974, they all received military training at Gereger, Asmara. Andemichael, who had previously served as a military pilot, later recalled his experiences on the first day of that training.

“On my first-days of military training during the army struggle, there was an air strike and my commander ordered “quick bring the gun and shoot it” as I heard his words I laughed and thinking how is he expecting to shoot down a combat plane with A:47 (giving my history in that case I was military pilot in the Ethiopia Air Force) to my surprise my commander taught  me the biggest lesson “he said if you don’t believe, that you can’t fight one of the biggest armies with just a gun, you’re in a wrong place, he continues I know you can’t shoot a combat plane with a gun but it is always about believing” , and that is when I know, my country will get it independent no matter the obstacle. Ambassador Andemichael Kahasay Source https://x.com/SemirWoldu/status/1780809705809482222/photo/2

Upon completing the training in June 1974, Andemichael was assigned to the Public Administration Unit (known by its code name “06”). The main task of Unit 06 was to establish underground networks, or “cells,” in urban areas to recruit individuals willing to join the EPLF. He served in this unit until December 1976. Subsequently, Andemichael was elected to the Central Committee (CC), a high-ranking body within the organization. From 1977 to 1991, he served as the EPLF’s representative and spokesperson in Europe.

1.On 17th May 1978  Andemichae released a statement in Paris, click on the link below to watch video

2. On 3 August 1978 he released another statement in Rome to explain the reason for withdrawing from the town of Dekamhare. .Here is the full transcription of the EPLF spokesman Andemicael Kahsai speaking (2 shots) 2.56 [ source https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/239623/

 EPLF SPOKESMAN: "Well the Ethiopian military junta has....since the beginning of July 1978 have issued a new full-scale offensive in Eritrea employing over 150,000 forcefully recruited peasants and hundreds of tanks. The present Ethiopians offensive aims at the reconquests of major strategic posts in Eritrea and opening the road to Addis Ababa. In this offensive the Ethiopians have been able to reconquer certain strategic posts in the west like Tessenei and on the south Adi Ugri and Adikeih from the E.L.F. and in this situation the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front has decided to adapt new tactics to the present situation to guarantee the continuation of the struggle and the revolution. And as such we have evacuated the town of Dekamhare (Decamere) lying on the strategic Asmara-Massawa road. In general there is no change in the balance of forces between the Ethiopian aggressors and our forces; in fact our forces have not entered, until now, into a direct confrontation with the Ethiopian aggressors. As far as the foreign forces being involved in the conflict are concerned until now we have not witnessed the direct participation of foreign forces, Cubans or otherwise although it’s clear that behind to massive Ethiopian campaign in Eritrea there is a full backing of foreign forces particularly that of Soviet and Cuban forces. The Ethiopian regime is now conducting saturated bombing on the liberated villages and towns in the countryside and this has caused an immense number of Eritreans to flee to the Sudan. In the fighting of the last two weeks, close to 15,000 Eritreans have flooded into the Sudan already 300,000 refugees are staying in the Sudan and we have received reports of endemic diseases, especially cholera, spreading within these refugees due to the absence of assistance from humanitarian organisations and governments. And this situation is likely to be aggravated with intensification of the war."

(6 Dec 1978) Interview in Beirut with Michael Kassai, a member of the central committee of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Eritrea (PFLE) giving details of Soviet and Cuban involvement. Click 

Additionally in a separate press statement he had also claimed that two top-ranking Soviet generals and Cuban personnel are supporting the Ethiopian government in its war against Eritrean rebel Click here to hear his statementAmdemicael Kahsai, member of central committee of EPLF speaking in English (3 shots)

Furthermore, during strategic withdrawing from the liberated town of Dekamhare in 1978, Andemicael Kahsai had multiple conversations with John Pilger in London... John Pilger was a prominent Journalist authored several articles about Eritrea during the 1970s, (Tesfay, Yared,2025)

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Andemichael played a key role in strengthening the relationship between the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) and European left-wing movements. His efforts helped facilitate the International Symposium held in London in February 1979 and contributed to the formation of RICE, which was instrumental in organizing the Permanent People’s Tribunal Conference in Milan, Italy, in 1980. The Permanent Peoples' Tribunal was formally established in Bologna on 24 June 1979. The Eritrean case was the third taken up by this court, following hearings on Sahrawi and Argentina.

After the EPLF peace proposal was rejected by the Derg at the Berlin submmit in May1978, the EPLF submitted its peace proposal, ‘The right of the Eritrean people to self-determination’ to the Permanet People tribunal in 1980. The preliminary sessions of the Eritrean case held in June 1979, and the ‘trial’ was held in Milan between 24 and 26 May 1980.  The tribunal’s verdict recognised the Eritrean people’s right to claim self-determination which was the first time this claim was recognized. Among the Eritrean movement's leaders in attendance were Ermias Debessai, Bereket Habte Selassie, Ande Michael Kahsai (the EPLF's spokesman in Rome) and Arefaine Berhe . (Leonardo Cohen, 2023) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nana.12936.

Andemichael brief at the meeting in Rome that the EPLF was to start negotiations with the Ethiopian government. 1980.   [ video clip ITALY: REPRESENTATIVE OF ERITREAN PEOPLE'S LIBERATION FRONT SPEAKS ABOUT OPENING NEGOTIATIONS WITH ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT. (1980)

While serving as the EPLF spokesperson in Rome, Andemichael taught himself French, Italian, and Arabic. This linguistic proficiency enabled him to build extensive networks with left-wing political parties, organizations, and individuals across Europe, and to develop a deep understanding of international relations.
As a result of Andemichael’s diplomatic initiatives, along with the efforts of RICE members in Europe, the Eritrean independence struggle gained significant support from European left-wing parties during the 1980s.

For example, the Socialist Party in France that won the election in 1981 allowed the EPLF to have a head office in Paris in 1982. It coincided with the EPLF being forced to move its main office from Beirut following Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon. The EPLF had also received great support from a member of the Labour Party in the UK in the 1980s, following a visit to the field in Eritrea in 1985, by Glynis Kinnock, wife of the Labour party leader. Alastair Campbel, a close adviser to Neil Kinnock, also visited the Eritrea field and interviewed Isaias Afeworki, one of the leaders of EPFL. Petros Tesfagiorgis  (2011) also  states that it has to be remembered that in 1981 the Executive Committee of the Labour party has passed a resolution in support of the right of the Eritrean People to self determination and the EPLF. A discussion paper was prepared by the famous Africanist and author Basil Davidson.   A door was opened to get political and diplomatic support from social democratic parties in the West, Europe, Canada, Australia and other places where democratic rule reigns.

Furthermore Andemincael  established solidarity with individual leftwing activists in Europe.  Among them was a Swiss leftist (a member of Communist Party) Katharina Strehler who developed friendly relation with Andemincael until his death in 2003. According Yohannes Sebhatu , Katharina  got opportunity to know Andemichael while she worked as a  volunteer at the Rome office and involved in fundraising for purchasing sanitary pads, medical equipment, and specialized nutrition for premature babies etc. to send to the liberated area of  Eritrea. Katharina describes Andemichael:

He was a man who is attractive but uninterested in women, and all his time dedicated to the liberation struggle of his country.  

ዓንደሚካኤል ኣዝዩ ጽቡቕ ኣዋልድ ሃነን ዝብላሉ ግሩም በዓል ሻም እዩ ነይሩ። ብፍላይ ኣነን ሓንቲ ህንዳዊትን መታን ንዕኡ ክንርኢ ኢልና ኣብቲ ቤት ጽሕፈት በጃኹም ብነጻ ክንሕግዘኩም ኢልና ኣብኡ ንሰርሕ ኔርና።ዓንደሚካኤል ግና ምሉእ ልቡ፣ ቀልቡን ኣብ ቃልሲ ስለዝነበረ ነተን ደቂ ዓዱ’ኳ ይዘውር እምበር ንሕናስ ሃንቀው ኢልና ድኣ ተረፍና። Sourceዮሃንስ ስባህቱ ሃብተስላሴsource assenna.com

During the liberation struggle Andemichael as a representative of the EPLF in the Rome office was also involved in coordinating the annual Bologna Festival event in liaison the Bologna Festival committee and the EPLF (Eritrean People's Liberation Front)  main headquarters in the liberated area.  This event has been taking place every August since 1973. Here is a picture of Andemichael with his family at the  Bologna Festival in August 1990. 

Andemichael’s life in Post independence

Following Eritrea’s independence, Andemichael Kasasy served with dedication in various high-level government positions. Prior to liberation, he had represented the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) in Italy. After independence, he became the first mayor of Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea—renowned for its European-style architecture inherited from the Italian colonial period. Andemichael held the mayoral office from 1991 to 1993, after which he was succeeded by Sebhat Efrem, who served as mayor from 1993 to 1995. 

Andemichael-Kahsay,--the-mayor-of-Asmara-in-his-office,-Asmara,-August-1991l

During his tenure as mayor, Andemichael had the opportunity to meet Woldeab Woldemariam, a prominent nationalist figure who had greatly influenced him. Woldemariam was known for his powerful broadcasts on Radio Cairo in the 1950s, advocating for Eritrea’s liberation from Ethiopian rule. 

A historic photograph captures a moment of celebration: Ali Said Abdella and Andemichael Kasasy—who had hijacked Ethiopian airplane and warplane to Karachi in 1969 and Aden in 1972, respectively are seen rejoicing alongside their revered mentor, Woldeab Woldemariam. Woldemariam had returned to witness a free Eritrea in 1991, after spending 40 years in exile.

. 
WeldeAb WoldeMariam, Ali Said & Wedi Bare. Amb. Andemichael Kahsay is just behind them.

The valuable experience and knowledge in international relations that Andemichael Kasasy gained while serving as the EPLF’s representative in Italy from 1977 to 1991 prepared him for high-ranking diplomatic roles following Eritrea’s independence. 
In the post-independence era, Andemichael held senior government positions, including ambassadorial appointments in Rome and Washington. From May 1993 to 1994, he served as Eritrea’s first ambassador to Italy—a milestone in the country’s efforts to establish formal diplomatic relations with other nations.

 After completing his term in Rome in 1994, Andemichael was appointed as Eritrea’s ambassador to the United States, serving in Washington from 1994 to 1995  The United States became one of first countries to recognize the new state of Eritrea after the 1993 referendum and established diplomatic relations with Eritrea. Hagos Ghebrehiwe was the first ambassador to Washington between June 1993 and July 1994 He had first represented the EPLF in the United States, in 1989. 

 

Andemichael Kahsay giving his credentials to then President Bill Clinton in the White House, Washington DC

When he completed his term of being ambasador to Washington in 15/06/1995, a farewell reception was organised to bid goodbye Andemichael. In a 2003 interview he states that this farewell had been organised by the Eritrean community in Washington and he shared his memory of  redirecting the T 28 military aircraft to Aden in June 1972. He also mentioned that he had felt excited to attend the first Eritrean Air Force graduates ceremony after Eritrea's independence in 1993 

After holding the highest diplomatic rank as Ambassodor from 1993 to 1995, Andemichael served in ministerial role as as Minister of transport and communications minister from 1995- 1997

Memhir Yemane and his cousin Andemichael Kahsay

In 2001 the relations between the Italy and Eritrea deteriorated when Antonio Bandini, Italy’s ambassador to Eritrea lodged an official protest with the Eritrean government over the arrest on 18th September of former members of Eritrea’s ruling party (the so-called G15. Following a period of tense relations between the two nations, Eritrea and Italy had named their new ambassadors to each other in 2002[read note). The new Eritrean envoy to Italy was Andemichael Kahsai. His Italian counterpart was named as Emmanuelle Pignatelli. Eritrean envoy to Italy was Andemichael Kahsai. His Italian counterpart was named as Emmanuelle Pignatelli.( New Humanitarian,2002)    

Although the appointment of Andemichael as ambassador to Italy  for the second time marked a significant moment as Eritrea sought to establish diplomatic relation with the Italy.  He was recalled from his ambassadorial position in Italy in 2003 but frozen out.   After being shunned for months, on the 13th of August 2003 Andemichael died mysteriously in Asmara after allegedly falling down a flight of stairs https://awate.com/isaias-eritrea-no-official-is-safe/ The next morning the mass media of the country broadcasted the death of Ambassador Andemichael as follows:

“ He passed away Wednesday August 13th at 5:00 p.m. in the afternoon after he encountered an accident earlier that afternoon.”

The comment below was posted on  Facebook  by Berhane Woldemichael   to share his memory of Andemichael  with  Seaeson (Andemicheal’’s daughter)

"I came to know Andemikael when he was posted in London as head of the EPLF office there. We became good friends and I learned a lot of his heroism from many others. Ande was a giant of a guy both physically and in many other ways. His untimely death was indeed shocking but his memory never fades.  Sesen Gualey, you may remember me when you visited me in the UK with your mother. I hope you are well and please keep in touch.  May the great Andemikael Kahsay Rest in Peace" 

The cause of Andemichael’s mysterious death

The testimony provided to Human Rights Concern Eritrea (HRCE) and other reliable sources claim he was murdered.  Regarding his mysterious death HRCE released a brief account: 

“After the murder he was brought by a group of people (definitely security agents of the state) to the 35th hospital (Selasa Amestegna), located towards the south-eastern part of Asmara. It was nighttime and by the time of his arrival he was already dead.  

The body of Andemichael was examined by the duty medical officer. The officer found the upper part of his body including his face covered with fresh blood from a serious injury.  After a careful examination, the duty officer concluded that the cause for his death was deep stabbing, most probably by a sharp dagger/knife on the side of his neck where the knife had cut his main artery. 

While the medical officer was writing a report based on her findings, she was stopped and instructed to write that the cause of Andemichael’s death be stated as an accident from falling on a stone from an elevated position.  She did as instructed. The medical officer was threatened to not mention anything on the cause of the death beyond what was stated in the report. It was a very severe warning that shocked the officer to the extent that she felt her life was in danger. Soon after, she fled the country to save her life”  SOURCE  HRCE

Based on information gathered from various sources, the unexplained death of Andemichael Kahsai appears to be linked to a covert agreement regarding the disposal of nuclear waste along the Red Sea coast. This secret arrangement was allegedly discussed between Eritrean President Isaias Afewerki and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi during Andemichael’s tenure as Eritrea’s Ambassador to Italy. Due to his awareness of this clandestine deal, Andemichael was recalled to Eritrea in 2003 and subsequently sidelined. This recall and isolation may have contributed to the circumstances surrounding his death. According to CyberEthiopia Andemichael Kahsai, who frequently accompanied President Isaias on trips to Italy, was the individual who discovered and denounced the illegal dumping of toxic waste in Eritrea. His criticism reportedly cost him his life, as his body was later found near the Ministry of Labor (Taba).

In reference to the secret nuclear waste disposal agreement, Yohannes, in his paper, cites Katharina—a long-time friend of Andemichael—who stated that he had naively signed a document as the Eritrean government’s representative in Italy, unaware of the hidden agenda behind the bilateral agreement. Upon later discovering the true nature of the document, Andemichael was deeply regretful and reportedly struggled with intense self-hatred.

Katharina further noted that prior to his recall, Andemichael had become increasingly depressed, restless, and reliant on alcohol. His condition worsened after returning to Eritrea, leading to liver cirrhosis due to binge drinking. Despite his deteriorating health, he continued to drink heavily, possibly as a way to cope with his emotional turmoil and despair.  ዮሃንስ ስባህቱ ሃብተስላሴsource assenna.com 

 

source ዮሃንስ ስባህቱ ሃብተስላሴsource assenna.com

Reports and allegations from opposition groups about the dumping of industrial and nuclear waste also indicate that Italy was not alone. Iran has all along been watching the Eritrea-Italy "toxic deal" from a distance. Through the broker Mohamed Qassim Hamd, Teheran has since 2007 been able to dump 680 tons of toxic waste on the coast of the Red Sea. On June 11, 2007, for instance, Teheran dumped its industrial waste under the supervision of Col. Mehari Desta, a key official of the Eritrean Navy who reports to Brig.-General Fitsum Gebrehiwot. The Eritrean government is believed to havereceived several hundreds of millions of dollars from Iran.
source www.cyberethiopia.com/

Furthermore Tesfa-Alem Tekle (2010) states that the exiled Eritrean political organization, the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO)  foreign affairs head, Nessredin Ahmed rpoerted: “Our reliable inside sources indicate that the Eritrean government has allowed nuclear and industrial toxic wastes coming from foreign countries to be dumped on the soils and waters of Eritrea,” These allegations, which the Eritrean government has not publicly addressed, include claims of toxic waste being buried in the Danakelia region and along the Red Sea coast, affecting local communities

In conclusion, Andemichael had been a member of Central Committee of the EPLF between 1977 to 1994, then became member of the new party People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) and Member of Parliament until he died on  2003.   People who knew Andemichael during the liberation struggle also descrbed him as dedicated person, modest, honest, and sociable. Andemichael Kahsay dedicated his life to the struggle for Eritrean independence for 46 years until his tragic and mysterious death. On the 13th of August 2003.

President Isaias Afewerki has a history of eliminating individuals who possess knowledge of his secret dealings.A number of innocent freedom fighters had been eliminated by Isayas’ agents  (dictator) which raise many hitherto unanswered questions about the suspicious circumstances of their deaths. To name a few of them 

1 Tesfamichael Georgio and Habteselessa G/Medhin  who knew the secret meeting of Isayas with US officers in Asmara in 1971. Both of them were eliminated 1993 and 1975 respectively. 

2.Mebrhatu Woldu (Wodi Woldu) in 1979 Wodi Woldu with his wife while on honeymoon were killed in a road accident ብዙሕ ምስጢራትዝፈልጥን ንኢሳይያስ ድማ ከምኢብራሂምዓፋ “ስሱዕ” ኢሉ ጸሪፉዎ ዝነበረን ‘ገስጋሲሓረስታይ’ መብራህቱወልዱ፤ናይግድን ክጠፍእ ስለዝነበሮ፤ብድሕሪመርዕኡ ኣይሰሙን ኣይሳልስቲ ምስ ሰበይቱ ተሰወረ። read more http://www.ehrea.org/wa11.php

3.The mysterious death of Ibrahinm Afa (Secretary of the Military Committee in the Politburo Standing Committee)  in 1985 .Ibrahim  knew very well that Isseyas was ambitious for power and he used to call him "selfish”.There are still questions to be raised about the mysterious death of Ibrahim Afa. Read more reported on the mysterious death of an EPLF veteran

The EPLF/PFDJ is notorious for the mysterious death of its innocent fighters during the liberation struggle and post indepdent  who threat to Isayas and would be called “martyrs” without specifying the cause of their martyrdom. 

Andemichael, who had trusted Isaias for many years, never imagined he would become a victim himself. Ultimately, he became a scapegoat due to his awareness of the secret nuclear waste disposal talks. Given the history of mysterious deaths within the EPLF during and after the liberation struggle, Andemichael’s fate, though tragic, is sadly not surprising

During the liberation struggle, the ELF was not without fault either. Its leaders did not hesitate to eliminate anyone they considered a threat to their authority. In the 1970s, figures such as Kidane Keflu, Dr Fitsum,Mahmoud Ibrahim Muhammad Saeed (Cheki)n and others fell victim of their leaders and collaboraters 

The mysterious death of veteran fighters like Ande Michael Kahassa did not begin after liberation by the PFDJ but has roots going back to the 1960s and 1970s.

 Leaders of the ELF and EPLF along with their collaborators who have been involved in eliminating innocent fighters during the liberation era will be harshly judged history!

Ultimately, the judgment regarding the deaths of Andemichael and other innocent veteran fighters will be left to the public

Eternal glory to our martyrs

References

Africa Watch Report (1991) Evil Days 30 years of war and famine in Ethiopia(Anon) AEROPLANE HIJACKINGS BY ERITREANS 1969-1971 http://www.harep.org/Africa/69h.pdfCohen, Leonardo (2023) The global circulation of Marxist perspectives on the national question: Borochovism at the service of the Eritrean cause https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nana.12936Hagos, Mesfin (2023) An African Revolution Reclaimed"HRCE (2015) -the-tragic-killing-of-ambassador-andemichael-kahsay asmarino.com/press-releases/427Johar Saleh Gadi (2020) The Massacre of Ona and Besekdira: https://awate.com/massacre-ona-besekdira-scarsKidane, Lt. (2009)  EPLF's History of Mysterious Deaths http://www.ehrea.org/EPLFd.htmKillion, Tom (1997) Eritrean workers' organization and early nationalist mobilization:1948-1958.In Eritrean Studies Review vol.2 no.1, 1997New Humanitarian (2002) New envoy to Italy named .https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2002/09/23Solomon, Semere (2024)Eritrea's Hard-who Independence and Unmet Expectations: From the perspective of a veteran freedom fighterTekle, Tesfa-Alem (2010) Calls for probe into Iran toxic waste dumped in Eritrea https://sudantribune.com/article50093Tekle, Tesfa-Alem(2010)e Eritrean political group seeks probe over allegedly dumped nuclear waste  https://sudantribune.com/article35869/Tesfay, Emnetu A Short biography - the driving force https://www.emnetu.com/Biography.htmlTesfay, Emnetu ታሪኽ ህይወት ኣዝማች በርሀ ገብረኪዳን https://semayat.comTesfay, Emnetu Biography of Blatta Kahsay Malu A pioneer martyr of the Eritrean revolution for independence https://emnetu.com/Tesfagiorgis, Petros (2011) Mary Dines, the Eritrean Maria Teresa, Has Passed Away. https://www.asmarino.com/articles/1107-mary-dines-the-eritrean-maria-teresa-has-passed-awayTesfay, Yared (2025)   John Pilger’s Reporting . https://x.com/ytmn2/status/1892241794886426957White, Alex (2023) Radio Cairo and Egypt’s Battle for East Africa. https://newlinesmag.com/essays/radio-cairo-and-egypts-battle-for-east-africa/ Wilson, Amarit (1991) Women and the Eritrean Revolution: The Challenge Road

Note

1.Osman Salih who established the Gen Secretariat (Amana Ama) in October 1969 was involved in the formation of the PLF coalition among the PLF 1 and PLF 2 and Sabbe’s (Amana Ama) in Beirut in 1972.  A year later PLF1 ( led byEssayas) and  PLF2 (led by Ramoden) were 'merged and formed EPLF, and  Sabbe continued to serve as foreign affairs secretariat (Foreign Mission). Sabbe managed to get the first group of freedom fighters trained in China and Cuba. He joined ELF in 1961 from Jeddah upon invitation by Idris Mohammed Adem (head of ELF) and later became Secretary of Foreign Mission. After sectarian conflicts in ELF, he established General Secretariat (Amana Ama) in Oct. 1969. In Feb 1972, delegates from the PLF1 & PLF2 and Sabbe’s (Amana Ama) held a meeting and formed an alliance called ELF-PLF. Sabbe was to serve as foreign affairs secretariat (Foreign Mission). In March 1976, Sabbe disassociate himself from PLF declared he was setting up ELF-PLF.

2Antonio Bandini, was asked to leave Eritrea after he protested against the government's detention of dissident politicians in September 2001. Bandini was also the representative of the European Union in Eritrea. Immediately after the expulsion, Eritrea’s ambassador to Italy was asked to leave Rome. The row intensified after EU diplomats in Eritrea were recalled by their governments for "consultations" on the situation. Before last year’s breakdown in diplomatic relations between the two countries, Italy was Eritrea’s largest donor. The newly-appointed ambassadors will assume their functions shortly, the Eritrean foreign ministry said.   https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news/2002/09/23.

3.Tesfa-Alem Tekle June 10, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – An Eritrean opposition political organisation, the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organisation (RSADO) on Tuesday renewed its appeal up on the international community to investigate hazardous waste allegedly dumped inside the Red Sea nation.
In an interview with Sudan Tribune, RSADO’s leader, Ibrahim Haron, said the international community has gave “deaf ears” in responding to the group’s first official appeal in 2010, when a brown coloured toxic waste materials were first detected.
While strongly denouncing what he said was the Eritrea government’s “irresponsible and criminal acts” the opposition official alleged that the nuclear and industrial toxic wastes were exported from Iran to Eritrea in exchange of money.
Haron said the toxic wastes were dumped in Southern Red Sea region of Danakelia area and by the coastal lines of the Red Sea, where tens of thousands of Afar ethnic minority largely depend on fishery to survive.
Sudan Tribune can’t independently verify these allegations. Since the dumping was reported in 2010, the government in Asmara has never reacted over these series allegations.
The group said the adverse effects of the toxic waste materials has started to affect thousands of people, animals and the natural resources, one way or the other adding the consequences will continue to affect the generations to come.
“Sadly, such in human act has started to seriously harm the mothers, children of the Red Sea Afar communities living in the areas where the toxic waste materials are thought buried and its vicinities,” Haron said.
As a result he added, the number of mothers with breast cancer is steadily rising while the physical and mental characters of new born babies and children have been observed.
“RSADO has strived to send few number of its members to the area and confirmed that there are cases of cancerous tumours, which affects fishermen around their legs and inflammation legs that deterred their physical movements,” he said. If true, Iran’s dumping of toxic waste in Eritrea will be in breach of the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, which came into force in 1992.

4.Tesfa-Alem Tekle August 30, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA)
An exiled Eritrean political organization, the Red Sea Afar Democratic Organization (RSADO) on Monday urged the international community to investigate the allegedly dumping of foreign toxic waste by the waters inside the tiny Red Sea nation.
“Our reliable inside sources indicate that the Eritrean government has allowed a dump to nuclear and industrial toxic wastes coming from foreign countries on the soils and waters of Eritrea,” RSADO foreign affairs head, Nessredin Ahmed told <i<="" i="" style="box-sizing: border-box;">.</i
The toxic industrial and radioactive wastes were allegedly dumped at a remote barren area known as Denkelya and by the coastal lines of the Red Sea, where tens of thousands of Afar ethnic minority mainly depend on fishery to survive.
The allegation could not be independently verified at this point. The opposition official said that his political organization, in collaboration with international environmental organizations and concerned bodies is seriously following up the situation. However he accused the international community of paying little attention to their concerns.“This is an environmental crime being committed by a government in its soil against its people,” Nessredin said adding “,Unlike years ago, now the fish population is being depleted. Our Afar brothers on [the] ground have confirmed [to] us that it is taking them two to three days to come back with enough [fish].”

5.Italy & Iran vie for industrial waste dumping sites, Italy has before 2005 been looking for a site to dump its toxic industrial waste. In 1988, Rome had reached agreement with the military regime in Addis Ababa about a dumping site along the coast of the Red Sea. At that time, the Eritrean rebel group EPLF of Isaias Afwerki had condemned the agreement. But years later on March 14, 2005 President Isaias met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and their talks were about a site for dumping Italy's industrial waste. The agreement was signed under the cover of promoting bilateral agreements. Accordingly, 136 tons of toxic industrial waste was dumped in Massawa, near the site called Edaga, and another near Tiwalet, a secluded military zone. The person who knew and denounced the crime of dumping toxic waste in Eritrea was Andemichael Kahsai, who was Eritrea's ambassador to Italy, and who was always accompanying Isaias to Italy. The criticism cost the ambassador his life, as his body was later discovered near the Ministry of Labor (Taba). The Eritrean government has received US $21 million from the toxic waste disposal deal. The act has continued to this day. Unlike the numerous news reports on state-owned Eritrean media that President Isaias Afwerki had signed trade and business agreements with Italian investors, no single Italian business ever took off in Eritrea, signifying that the deal was only about where to dump Italy's industrial waste. But Rome was not alone. Iran has all along been watching the Eritrea-Italy "toxic deal" from a distance. Through the broker Mohamed Qassim Hamd, Teheran has since 2007 been able to dump 680 tons of toxic waste on the coast of the Red Sea. On June 11, 2007, for instance, Teheran dumped its industrial waste under the supervision of Col. Mehari Desta, a key official of the Eritrean Navy who reports to Brig.-General Fitsum Gebrehiwot. The Eritrean government is believed to have received several hundreds of millions of dollars from Iran source www.cyberethiopia.com/

6.ዓንደሚካኤል ኣብ ዓዲ ጣልያን ኣምባሳደር ከሎ ብፍላይ ኣብቲ መወዳእታ ጊዚኡ፣ ጠባዩ እንዳ ተቐየረ መጺኡ። ሕጉስ ዝነበረ ሓራቕ፥ ሕዙን ዝን ዝብል፥ መንጸርጸሪ ኾይኑ። ድቃስ ስለዝኣብዮ ድማ መስተ የዛይድ ነበረ። ናብ ኤርትራ ምስ ተመልሰ ብዙሕ ጊዜ ይድውለሉ ነይረ። ዝበዝሕ ጊዜ ብቐትሩ ብናይ ስኽራን መንፈስ የዛራርበኒ ነበረ። መጠኑ ክሰቲ ብዙሕ ምዒደዮ። ኣሕ ኣብዚሑ፣ ብዙዕ ይጠዓስ ነይሩ፣ ምስ ሕልንኡ ኣዝዩ ተባኢሱ፣ ነብሰ ጽልኣት ኣማዕቢሉ፣ መጨረስታ ብጓሂን መስተን ፌጋቶ ሓመመ። ሓሚሙ ኸሎ’ውን መስተ ኣየቋረጸን። መሊሹ ድኣ ኣዛይድዎ። ሕርቃንን ጓህን ምሒር ረሚሶሞ ነበሩ። ንሞት ብዙሕ ይደልያ ነበረ። ሞቱ ከቃላጥፍ ድማ እዩ መስተ ዘብዝሕ ዝነበረ።”
እንዳበለት ሓደ ክትነግረኒ ኸላ ኣግሂዳን ኣንቲዓን ክትነግረኒ ዝጸገማ ነገር ከምዘሎ ኣስተብሃልኩ። ወሰን ወሰን ትኸይድ ከምዝነበረት ቆብ ኣቢለያ። ንለባም ኣምተሉ። ኣይዘንጋዕኩን። ቀስ ገይረ ኮርኪረያ። ቀስ ገይረ ጎርጊረያ። ሰላሕ ኢለ ኩዒተያ። ስለምንታይ ኩነታቱ ካብ ክፉእ ናብ ክፉእ ይኸይድ ከምዝነበረ ጸገሙ ከምዚ ዝስዕብ ኣዕሊላትኒ። ንሳ’ውን ከምዚ ኣነ ጎራጉረ ዘላፋልፋ ዘለኹ፣ ንሳውን ንዓንደሚካኤል ጠፊኡኩም’ዶ ኸምኡ ገይራ እያ ነዚ ተነቃፊ ሓበሬታ ረኺባቶ። ዕላላ ከመይ ጀሚሩ ከመይ ከምዝወድአ ካብቲ ብድምጺ ዝቐዳሕክዎ ዝርርብ ከምዘለዎ የቕርበልኩም።
“ ኢሰያስ ደጋጊሙ ንዓዲ ጣልያን ክመላለስ ከሎ ጊዜ ትዝክሮ ዶ”
ኣነ ድማ ህውኽ ኢለ “እወ ነተን ኣኣውሊዱ ዝሰደን ውሽማታቱ ክረክብን ካብኣተን ደቒሉ ዝወለዶም ደቁ ክርኢ ክማላለስ ከሎ’ዶ?” በልክዋ።
“ኖ እቲ ቀንዲ ንሱ ኣይኮነን፣ ካብኡ ዝዓቢ ሚልዮናት ዝረኽበሉ ቢዝነስ ክገብር እዩ ዝመጽእ ነይሩ”
ኣነ ድማ “ነዚ ፋብሪካ ባራቶሎ ምእንቲ ዘበናዊ ቴኽኖሎጂን ብሉጽ ኢንቨስትመንትን ተባህሉ ብጥርሑ ሸይጠዮ ዝበለና እምበኣር ሚልዮናት ገንዘብ ረኺቡሉ እዩ እቲ ኣብ ሚላኖን ሮማን ብስም ውሽማታቱን ብሽም ኣንስቲ ፊሊጶስን ብዙሕ ፓላሶታት ገዚኦም ዝበሃል እምበኣር ሓቂ እዩ?”
“ኖ ካልእ ማእለያ ዘይብሉ 900ሚልዮን ዝበጽሕ ገንዘብ ዝረኸበሉ ዓቢ ቢዝነስ እምበር”
ኣነ ድማ “ ኣሃ፣ እዛ ናይ ኣለቡ መኻን ባናቶም ናይ ሳልሳ ኮሚደረን ባናናን ፋብሪካ ድኣ ክንድኡ’ዶ ተውጽእ እያ፣ ንሳ ድኣ ዓመት’ኳ ዘይሓከመት፣ ካበይ ኣምጺኣ ጥቓ ቢልዮን ክትገማገም?”
“ኖ ጺን ኢልካ ዘይትሰምዕ። ረኤኻ ብዛዕባ’ቲ ገንዘብ ኢሰያስ ንበይኑ እዩ ምስቶም ማፍያ ናይ ዓዲ ጣልያን ተሳማሚዑ ወዲእዎ። ነቲ ገንዘብ ድማ ኣብቲ ኣብ ሳይፕረስን፣ ካሪብያንን ዘሎ ሕሳቡ ኣታዊ ገይሮሙሉ። ሚስኪናይ ዓንደሚካኤል ድማ ኣይበልዐ ኣይሰተየ ንመንግስቲ ኤርትራ ወኪሉ ነዚ ሚስጢራዊ ውዕል ፈሪሙሉ። እዚ ድማ እዩ ኣሳቕዩ ናብ ሞት ዘብጽሖ ጠንቂ” ትብለኒ።

ኣነ ድማ ብዛዕባ ምንታይ ትዛረብ ከምዘላ ግር በለኒ። ብዝኾነ እስኪ ስቕ ኢለ ክሰምዓ ኢለ፣ ዘረብኣ መታን ክትቅጽል ብልበይ “ እዘን ሰራማት ማፍያ መርዚ ዝነበራ ፒሮ ገይረን ሰሚመንኦ ኢየን ዝኾና” በልኩ ብውሽጠይ።
ወዮ ሰበይቲ ሰጋእ በለት። ዕላላ ከተቋርጾ ዝደለየት መሲሉ ተራእየኒ። ግን ድሕሪ ቁሩብ ስቕ ከምዚ ዝስዕብ ቀጺላ።

“ዓንደሚካኤል ብጣዕሚ ገሪሂ ሰብ እዩ ነይሩ። በዚ ገንዘብ’ዚ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ካብ ድኽነት ፍጹም ክገላገል እዩ ኢሉ እዩ ኣትይዎ። ኤርትራ ካብ ጫፍ ንጫፍ ከም ዓይኒ ዓራት መንገዲ ክዝርግሓላን፣ ዓበይቲ ብኢንዳስትሪን ክትከለላ ኢዩ ዝብል ምኽንያት ኢዮም ሂቦሞ። ጉድኣቱ ውሑድ፣ ረብሕኡ ግና ዓቢ ኢሎም እቶም ማፍያን ኢሰያስን ኣእሚኖሞ። ተገሪሁ ንህዝብን ሃገረን ኤርትራን ወኪሉ ድማ ፈሪሙ። ብዙሕ ከይጸንሐ ድማ ኩሉ ተጋሂዱሉ። ኣብ ክወጾ ዘይክእል ጣዕሳን እህህታን በጺሑ፣ ቀስ ብቐስ ብጓሂን ብሕርቃንን ድማ ናብ ሞት በጺሑ” ትብለኒ ሕጂ’ውን ንለባም ኣምተሉ ግዲ ኢላ ኾይና ዝግ በለት። ኣነ ግና ዓሽየ ግዲ ኾይነ ቆብ ኣየበልክዋን ክትድርጉሓለይ ብዘስምዕ ቃና “ወይለይ ማፍያ ድየን ቀቲለንኦ።

ኣነ ድኣ ሰኺሩ ከሎ ካብ ኣስካላ ጸዲፉ እንድየ ሰሚዐ”ይብላ
“ኖ እቲ ንሱ ዝፈረሞ ንህዝቢ ኤርትራ ካብ ትውልዲ ናብ ትውልዲ ሰለሎ ዘእቱን ንዘዝተወልደ ኤርትራዊ ኣሳጽዩን ኣሳቕዩን ዝቐትል፣ ንሓዋሩ ዝተቐብረ ፈንጂ ብምዃኑን፣ ንኢሰያስ ጥራይ ዘርብሐ፣ ህዝቢ ኤርትራ ጥብ ትብል ሳንቲም ዘይረብሓሉ ብምዃኑ ድሒሩ ስለዝተረድኦ እምበሪ።”
ኣነ ድማ “እንታይ ድዩ ነገሩ በልክዋ” ብድንቁርናይ ከይትዕዘበኒ ነተን ቃላተይ ዳርጋ ውሕጥ ኣቢለ ትሕቲ መልሓሰይ ብኽበሃል ዝኽእል ኣቀራርባ። ሕጂ ዘረብኣ እንተቐጺላ ትም ኢለ ክሰምዓ ኢየ ኢለ ምስ ነብሰይ ቃል ኣተኹ።
“ ኣባይቲ ርእሲ ምድሪ ባጽዕ እንተላይ እቲ ኣብ ገምገም ባሕሪ ናይ ዓለም ኪኢላታት ዝሃነጽዎ ኣዝዩ ብሉጽ ቪላታት ናይ ሲኞር መሎቲን ክፈርስ ከሎ ትዝክሮ’ዶ” ትብለኒ። እነ ድማ ህውኽ ኢለ “እወ” ይብላ።
“ኣብኡ እዩ እቲ ናይ ጣልያን መርዛም ናይ ኑክሌር ሓተላ ተቐቢሩ ዘሎ። ንወደብ ምስፋሕ’ዶ፣ ከም ናይ ዱባይ ዓበይቲ ዘበናውያን ህንጻታት ንምስራሕን ኢሎም ነቲ ገዛውቲ ኣፍሪሶም ነቲ ቦታ ብዶዞራት ኣዕሚቖም ኢዮም ፊሒሮም። ነቲ ብዓባይ መርከብ ተጻዒኑ ዝመጸ ኒክሌራዊ ሓተላ ቀቢሮሞ” ትብለኒ።
ኣነ ድማ ኤርትራዊ ህግደፋዊ ኒሕ ሒዙኒ፣ “እዚስ ዘይእመን እዩ። ካብዚ ኹሉ ልዕሊ 1200 ዝኸውን ገማግም ባሕሪ እትውንን ኤርትራስ መቕበሪ ሲኢና፣ ገዛውቲ ኣፍሪሳ፣ ሰፈርቱ ኣበሳቢሳስ ኣብ ትሕቲኡ ቀቢሮሞ ክትብልኒ። እዚስ ፍጹም ዘይእመን እዩ። ገማግም ቀይሕ ባሕሪ፣ መሬት ዳንካልያ ኣይረኣኽዮን ዲኺ። እንታይ ዘድክም ነይርዎም ኣብቲ መንገዲ ዓሰብ ስቅ ኢሎም ዘየቐምጥዎ እቲ ሑጻ ብሓደ ለይቲ ባዕሉ ቀቢርዎ ምሓደረ” በልክዋ።
“እታ መርከብ’ኮ ኣዝያ ዓባይ ብምዃና መጸግዒ ወደብ ስለዘድልያን ኒኩለራዊ ሓተላ ድማ ብቀጥታ ካብታ መርከብ ክጉሓፍ ስለዘለዎ፣ ብዘይካ ኣብ ባጽዕ ወይ ኣብ ዓሰብ ዓበይቲ ወደባት ኣብ ካልእ ንኣሽቱ ማርሳታት ክትጽጋዕ ስለዘይትኽእል እዮም ኣብ ወደብ ባጽዕ ኣጸጊዖም ኣብቲ ጥቓ ወደብ ዝርከብ ኣባይቲ ኣፍሪሶም ኣብ ርእሲ ምድሪ ቐቢሮሞ” ትብለኒ።
ካብዚ ንንዮው እንታይ ኢለ ከምዝምክትን ከምዝምጉትን ሽዑ ኣይመጻለይን፣ ክሳዕ ለይቲ ሎሚ’ውን ኣይረኸብኩን። ካልእ ኣማራጺ ስለዘይብለይ ድማ ነቲ ዛንታ ኣሚነዮ ኣብ ልበይ’ውን ዓቑረዮ ጸኒሐ። ሚስጢር ናይቲ ብሃታ ሃታ ብዶዘራት ዝፈረሰ ኣባይቲ ባጽዕ ካልእ ክኸውን ኣይክእልን እዩ። ነቲ ናይ ሽዑ ጉያ ጉያ ክዝክር ከለኹ፣ ኣብ ባጽዕ ሽዑ ሽዑ ገለ ተኣምራት ናይ ምዕባለ ንርኢ ኾይኑ እዩ ዝተሰምዓና። ካልእ ሚስጢር እንተሎ ኸኣ እቶም ምኽንያት ዘይውድኦም ኣብ ወጻኢ ዘለዉ ደገፍቲ ህግደፍ ሃየ ይንገሩና።
ዮሃንስ ስባህቱ ሃብተስላሴsource assenna.com

7. Dr. Fitsum was a member of the ‘other’ 19-person Executive Committee Elected by 1st ELF Congress in 1971  and against the civil war like Chekini.  I think because both of them had different views from others ELF leaders; eventually they became the scapegoat of the ELF leadership.

8.Family members of Chekini strongly believe that he was assassinated by his organisation the ELF. I became aware of  Chekini assassination in 2007, when I received an e-mail with brief information along with his picture from his niece. The mysterious circumstances of the death of Mahmoud Ibrahim Muhammad Saeed (Chekini) are similar to the death of Tuke who became the victim of his own organization, the EPLF. As can be seen from the table below they had similar lives.

9. Ibrahim Berhan (2001 states that Kidane is one of those gallant and brilliant fighters,TeGaDeLTi,who was assasinated in Kassala,Sudan in the late 60s.He was not only a heroic fighter who relentlessly opposed the sectarian and backwarded political outlooks of the then Jebha,he was a decent person with exceedingly pleasant personality.Those who were incarcerated with him in Sudan's jail in the late 60s attest to those facts.Once he was released the butchers of the then Jebha killed him and put his body in a trunk of a taxi.So was the barbaric acts of QiYaDa ALaMa that left no options for the true and patriotic fighters that they have to emabark upon seeking a different path of pursuing the nationalist agendas source) http://www.ehrea.org/wedk.php. Mesfin Hagos in his book also mentioned how Kidane and Woldey were mureded by the ELF leaders collaborater . "I told the commissionaer that it was the ELF fida-iyeen Welday Fkak and that he could not have acted without the order of the ELF security chiefs. Such measures could not have been taken without the knowledge and approval of Said Saleh  who as a member of PGE ‘s security Committee, would have been the highest ELF security officer  in Kassala at the time" Hagos, Mesfin 2023, page 43.

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