MOST OF G-15 REPORTED DEAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASMARA 000267

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR AF/E AND DRL
LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2019
TAGS: PGOV PROP PHUM ER
SUBJECT: MOST OF G-15 REPORTED DEAD

REF: ASMARA 161

Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d).


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Nine of the 11 imprisoned members of the
G-15 are dead, according to a recent news article from the
website assenna.com. The website published Tigrinya
documents supposedly from the Office of the President that
detail the arrest and cause/date of death for nine members of
the G-15. The news story may be an attempt by the popular
website to force the Eritrean government's (GSE's) hand and
admit to the whereabouts of the former political leaders. If
the story is true, the only two living, imprisoned members of
the G-15 are Petros Solomon and Haile Woldensae, both former
ministers. End Summary.

G-15: A BRIEF HISTORY
--------------


2. (SBU) The G-15 is a group of Eritrean political activists
who were imprisoned in September 2001 for criticizing the
president's one-man rule. Each member was a Central Council
member and high ranking official who held significant clout
both during and immediately after the war for independence.
These members continually pushed the president for democratic
reform during the country's formative years. However,
between January 2000 and the political crackdown in September
2001, President Isaias shuffled, demoted, and politically
ostracized various members of the G-15 to consolidate his
power. On September 14, 2001, the GSE arrested 11 of the
G-15. Of the remaining four, one member (Mohammed Berhan
Blata) recanted his statements, and three were out of the
country at the time (Mesfin Hagos and Adhanom Gebremariam,
both now involved in Eritrean opposition movements; and Haile
Menkerios, now UN A/S General for Political Affairs).

THE NINE DECEASED
--------------


3. (SBU) The following are the names, bio details, and the
reported conditions under which the nine members died:

- Beraki Gebreselassie (former Ambassador to Germany): died
July 19, 2007 from chronic kidney condition.

- Jermano Natti (former PFDJ Executive Committee): died March
17, 2008 from chronic bladder and kidney infections.

- Berhane Gebregzabhier (former Secretary of Industry): Died
June 20, 2002. Court carried out the death penalty based on
the recommendations of Naizghi Kiflu.

- Hamed Hamid (former Ambassador to Saudi Arabia): Died
November 7, 2005 from a snake bite.

- Estifanos Seyoum (former Secretary of Finance): Died
September 28, 2007 from chronic diabetes and various
infections.

- Salih Idris Kekia (former Ambassador to Sudan and Director
of the Office of the President): Died August 15, 2003 from
complications of an earlier suicide attempt that left his
left side of the body paralyzed.

- Aster Fessehatsion (former Director of the Ministry of
Labor and Social Affairs): Died April 14, 2003 from a chronic
heart condition and a hunger strike.

- Mahmud Mehamed Sherifo (former Minister of Local
Government): Died December 21, 2003 from high blood pressure,
diabetes, and asthma.

- General Ogbe Abraha (former Minister of Labor and Social
Welfare): Believed to have died first among the G-15 (Note:
the Assenna website claims to have not obtained General
Ogbe's death certificate. End note).

TWO STILL ALIVE?
--------------


4. (SBU) The report did not mention Petros Solomon and Haile

ASMARA 00000267 002 OF 002


Wold'ensae (both former Ministers of Foreign Affairs) among
the dead. The ommission of these two names may lend the
story some credibility in that Petros Solomon is believed to
still be alive (reftel). Leaving these two off the list of
the deceased may also provide hope to Eritreans who still
expect to one day see an internal changing of the guard.

WHY RELEASE THE INFORMATION NOW?
--------------


5. (SBU) The information of the arrests and subsequent deaths
of the G-15 members supposedly came from "secret documents"
loaded onto laptops stolen from the president's office,
according to the Assenna website. Embassy sources state that
many Eritreans believed the G-15 to have died long ago; the
documents appear to support this belief.


6. (C) COMMENT: The G-15 members were as important to the
struggle and the development of the country as those in power
currently. The underpaid, overworked, and increasingly
disgruntled military is the most likely impetus for change.
Should the military oust Isaias and his cohorts, the absence
of these nine G-15 members would be a significant void in the
contingent of ex-fighters who have the credentials and clout
to establish a democratic civilian government.
MCMULLEN