Interviewed by: Günter Schröder - Khartoum, Sudan

Early History of Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF)

 Günter Schröder: When I interviewed Abdelkerim Ahmed he mentioned that at the end of 1959 a meeting took place at Jebel Meqattam in Cairo where the decision was taken to form the ELF. What meeting was that and how did it relate to the meeting of July 1960 which is usually said to have been the one during which ELF was founded?

That meeting at Jebel Meqattam was not for forming the ELF, just students were there discussing. There was Harakat, at that time the activities of Harakat had reached Kassala and from there to Cairo.

For this reason the students who were not in favour of Harakat discussed here and there. So this was just some kind of discussion between the students but not one of insisting of taking the decision to form ELF.

The meeting of July of course was the final one of many discussions, many meetings between the students. Some saying, let us see this Harakat, some said, we are not going to accept this Harakat. There were many of them, but the true meeting for the formation of ELF was in July 1960. Abdelkerim of course was one of the students at that time.

At that time even the formation of ELF was not the main thing which had been discussed among the students, just what we are going to do. In the meeting of July, of course, there was a full discussion at that time because all of that what had been discussed by the students was taken into consideration. So, after full discussion, the decision for the formation of ELF was taken.

Günter Schröder: The attack on the Ethiopian embassy at Cairo, was that before or after that meeting?

It was not one attack, there were two or three attacks, but of course at that time; it was during the visit of Haile Selassie in Cairo. It was at the end of 1960. So it was after the formation of ELF.

Günter Schröder: This committee formed in Cairo, it did not prove to be quite effective. Many of its founding members after half a year or a year dropped out. By 1962 only 3 active members were practically left. When was Osman Saleh Sabbe taken into this leadership and when was its name changed into Supreme Council?

It was in 1962. I think in the middle of 1962, in July. The Council included Idris Mohamed Adem, myself and Osman Saleh Sabbe.

Actually in 1962 the Supreme Council comprised 7 members, 3 of which were known and 4 were not announced, remained underground:-

• Mohamed Saleh Humad,

• Taha Mohamed Nur,

• Osman Khiyar,

• Said Hashim,

• And later in 1967 Tedla Bairu was included.

Günter Schröder: What decisions were taken in 1962 concerning the connection to the field? Who was the link from Kassala to the military leadership in the field and who headed the Kassala office and how did it work?

At that time we sent Sabbe to Kassala and he went inside and had a meeting with the fighters. After the death of Awate there were some disturbances so they elected one of them and when Sabbe came and discussed with them the whole matter he also appointed another leader in the field. The leadership body appointed was temporarily and in Kassala there were elected Taher Salem and others who formed the commanding body for the activities inside Eritrea and the connection to the political leadership. This was all temporarily.

But in 1965 when we held a meeting in Kassala with all the commanders of the regiments at that time, after studying the situation, we decided to divide Eritrea militarily into four zones. So from 1965 everything had been arranged. In Kassala we established the Revolutionary Command to look after all the activities of the four zones and to be in direct contact with the leadership. Any time Sabbe visited them and then I visited them. Beginning from October 1964, after the revolution in Sudan against Aboud, from that time on, for us it was convenient to come to Sudan without any obstacles so from that time we managed to come.

So I stayed in Khartoum and Kassala directing the activities through the Revolutionary Command at Kassala.

Günter Schröder: So who participated in this meeting in Kassala when the zones and the Revolutionary Command were created? Who was there from the Supreme Council?

The three of us were there, Idris, myself and Sabbe, and of course, the commanders of the platoons of that time, there were many of them, Omer Ezaz, Taher Salem also, Ramadan, Dinai, Abdelkerim. We were discussing with them and deciding, the members of the Supreme Council, but we were taking, we were asking all the views of all the people who were in charge of the military activities inside.

So we saw that to spread the military activities all over Eritrea we have to divide it into four zones. Because at that time it was only in the Barka and the Gash region. So to bring it to the highlands, to Keren, to Sahel and so forth, for this reason the four zones were created. At least that was managed; They managed to spread the armed struggle to many parts of Eritrea. And then in 1966 we also formed the 5th zone. At that time, because of practical circumstances we decided that. At that time I was the only of the Supreme Council present, after studying all the circumstances we decided to form the 5th zone.

Günter Schröder: The Revolutionary Command, when it was first founded, it had 8 members and 4 supplements?

Yes.

Günter Schröder: Later on the distinction between the supplements and the members seems to have been blurred and there were changes also in the composition. What was the original concept and composition of the Revolutionary Command?

The idea for the Revolutionary Command really was not to stay in Kassala. Just in the beginning they were going to stay in Kassala but the decision was they have to move into Eritrea. But because of practical problems they were continuing in Kassala. The change in the members of the Revolutionary Command was not so big, it was very limited. Till the activities of this Revolutionary Command stopped or were ended they continued, mainly they continued. There were no changes in the members of it that we can mention, they continued. Maybe among the aides there were some changes, there were one or two changes.

Günter Schröder: One change was that Omer Jaber was replaced by Azein Yassin?

Omer Jaber was temporarily appointed because at that time he was a student in medicine. So he was not finally appointed. So there were no changes.

Günter Schröder: But one Mulu was appointed but later on defected to the Ethiopians?

Mulu was not at that time in the Revolutionary Command when it was appointed. It was in the very beginning, Mulu, before the formation of the Revolutionary Command, was taking part in the activities of the information sections for Tigrinya. After the formation of the Revolutionary Command he did not continue for a long time.

When he faced a problem in his activities and also some members came who were more qualified than himself, even in the Tigrinya language, he began to be annoyed. So, not because he made a decision, made up his mind, he went to Ethiopia. That was the true incident, when he felt he will not take true part in the Revolutionary Command and others came who can play the role better then himself, he left and it was in the very beginning he felt this.

Günter Schröder: Concerning the diplomatic activities of ELF, how did the contact with China come about?

We tried to make contact with China for a very long time. There was a political leader of Djibouti called Mehamed Harbi who later died in a plane crash. That man had a good relation with the Chinese and at that time the Chinese declared that they are going to stand firmly by the African liberation movements. And this man established good relations with the Chinese. He introduced us, at least through him our memorandum reached to the Chinese.

After that, in 1966, when our office at Damascus was good established, the Chinese also managed to establish diplomatic relations with Syria, after Egypt to Syria.

So our contact to them became direct and they, after many visits and discussions in the embassy, agreed to accept, to receive a delegation. Thus Idris Mehamed Adem and Osman Sabbe in 1966 went to China. They stayed there for three weeks and asked them for military aid. Then they said fine, for military training they will accept five cadres. And then, they said, we will see another delegation in the coming year and then we will see and discuss more details of this help or aid.

We sent five cadres:-

• Isayas,

• Ramadan,

• Mahmoud Chekini who died in the field,

• Ahmed Ibrahim,

• Mahmoud Adem.

After that our relation with them through the embassies at Cairo and Damascus continued.

In May 1967 another delegation was to visit China. I was the head of the delegation; with me were Mehamed Saleh Humed and Taha Nur. We stayed there for one month, 45 days, and we visited all the regions of China and at that time it was the period of the Cultural Revolution. In the end of the visit they accepted to give us military aid, to accept about 20 cadres to be trained and of course we send the 20 cadres and we received the military aid. And at that timer it was a big amount of arms.

After that Haile Selassie visited China and everything stopped.

Günter Schröder: How was the connection with Cuba established?

With Cuba it was also through our office in Damascus. At that time our office in Damascus was very active; all our political activity and information work abroad was through this office. And the Syrians also were in favour of our activities.

We were, of course, at that time visiting the Chinese embassy, the Cuban embassy, they were at least revolutionaries accepted by all freedom fighters. So we contacted them in Syria and in Cairo.

They accepted about 8 cadres to be trained and we sent them our students, our cadres, and they got their training and came back. In 1967 or 1968, I visited Cuba.

The visit was to attend the conference of the revolutionary culture and many writers, journalists and political figures came from Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa to attend this conference. After the end of the conference I stayed in Cuba for about 27 days.

And at that time they accepted to escalate their aid and to help us concerning training and military aid, arms and so on. They were very active and they decided to send some people to see the field.

Unfortunately, our divisions began to take place, so they somewhat hesitated.

Günter Schröder: This delegation from Cuba, did it ever reach to the field?

No, because of the division taking place they did not go. Our relation with Cuba stopped very early. Just they trained some of our cadres, nothing more.

Günter Schröder: In the seventies, however, there were again political contacts?

At that time, after the first congress, a decision was taken to make some political relation with them to consolidate the relation with them. It was decided that I will be the representative there. But also this purpose was not fulfilled. Because they began to stop their relationship when they saw the divisions between us.

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