Ethiopian soldiers defect to Eritrea

[Ghazi]

Eritrea: Four Defecting Ethiopian Soldiers Arrive

29 September 2009

Asmara — Four defecting Ethiopian soldiers who arrived in Eritrea recently opposing the TPLF regime's racist policy said that the regime is preventing Army members to meet with their families, and that it is taking harsh measures against the ones who violate the order.

One of the defecting soldiers, Private Abdelwahab Abdelqafar, stated that the regime is resorting to such measures out of fear that members of the Army would agitate the public against it. He further noted that Ethiopian youths are being deployed in the fronts under false promises that they would become pilots, health professionals, engineers and the like.

Indicating that the TPLF regime is weaving various conspiracies and ploys with a view to fomenting conflicts and animosity among the Ethiopian people, and thereby advance its narrow interests, Private Abdelwahab disclosed that as a result there prevails mistrust and hatred among Army members.

The defecting soldiers are Gebregziabher Amare Gebre and Jemal Mohammed Berhan, both from the Tigrayan ethnic group, Abdelwahab Abdelqafar Hassen from the Oromo ethnic group, and Abraham Gietu from the Guragie ethnic group.