“He” either miscalculated a failure of Judgment – or – he – underestimated the Ethiopian people

The Eritrean invasion of 1998 is still fresh in the memory of the people who inhabit the border areas. The devastating army not only killed and brutalized said people, but also stole and vandalized their property. They were robbed of their cattle and other domestic animals and their family members were abducted

The Irob minority group is one of the most abused victims of the horrific invasion. Each family in the region has lost a relative in the war or to the cruel abductions. The men and women who were snatched from their families and homes are still in the hands of the abductor.

Nonetheless, last week, the Eritrean regime stated that it returned to Ethiopia the last of the prisoners. However, everyone familiar with the case knows that Eritrea is still holding hundreds of prisoners of war and innocent captives of the appalling occupation. The Ethiopian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Eritrea had not released all the Ethiopian soldiers captured during the 1998-2000-border war. What about the civilians?

Neither the Ethiopian government, nor the ICRC and other international organizations is addressing the issue of the women and men, including clerics, abducted from the Irob and other affected areas. The Irob clergy and other groups notified the world community about the kidnapping of the innocent civilians from day one of their abduction. However, nobody has openly demonstrated concern for them. The whereabouts of the numerous farmers and other civilians abducted from those areas (hundreds from the Irob region alone) is still unknown.

We demand that the Ethiopian government appropriately and forcefully voice such concerns until every Ethiopian’s freedom is secured (including the freedom of the abducted civilians who are equally as Ethiopians as the soldiers).

We appeal to the Ethiopian public to put pressure on the authorities not to allow innocent Ethiopian citizens to languish in Eritrean concentration camps.

We appeal to the International Committee of the Red Cross, to Amnesty International, and other humanitarian organizations to investigate the whereabouts and conditions of the Irob and other Ethiopian hostages languishing in the concentration camps and slave labor camps in Eritrea. We also appeal to the government of the United States and other world powers to pressurize the Eritrean government regarding the Ethiopian civilian detainees and prisoners of war still confined in Eritrea.

The following is a partial list of civilians abducted from the Irob region whose whereabouts remain unknown:

No.	Name	Gender	Village	Kebele	Wereda	Year

1	Abdu W/Yohannes Tesfu	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
2	Abeba G/Giorgis Kurbia	F	Herra	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
3	Abraha Gebray Kahsay	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
4	Abraha Gebru Woldu	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
5	Abraha Imalmali	M	Dilbi'are	Alitena	Irob	1999
6	Abraha Sebhat Mosa	M	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
7	Abraha Tesfay Gebray	M	Dayya	Alitena	Irob	1999
8	Abraha Zigta Tesfay	M	Gammada	Alitena	Irob	1999
9	Abraham Solomon Gebray	M	Gabihar	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
10	Abrehet W/Yohannes Imal.	F	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	2000
11	Adayyu Miratse Fessuh	M	Mas'hafta	Weratle	Irob	1998
12	Adduma Hagos Tesfu	M	Halal'asa	Ara'e	Irob	1999
13	Ado'ali Sebhat Medhin	M	Alibadim	Weratle	Irob	1999
14	Adoni Yohannes Gebru	F	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
15	Ado'umar Welde Gebray	M	Uhudamo	Weratle	Irob	1999
16	Alema Gebray Tesfu	M	Darro	Weratle	Irob	1999
17	Alema Hailat Lemlem	M	Sarayt'arah	Weratle	Irob	1999
18	Alema Hailemariam Giday	M	Katti	Weratle	Irob	1999
19	Alema Tesfay Adagiss	M	Awo	Alitena	Irob	1998
20	Alema Tesfay Kahsay	M	Dayya	Alitena	Irob	1999
21	Alema Tessema Gebray	M	Abe	Weratle	Irob	1999
22	Assefa Hagos	M	Maichia	Endalgeda	Irob	2000
23	Asfaha Giday Tesfay	M	Argullo	Alitena	Irob	1999
24	Atakilti Beyene Woldu	M	Wankabo	Weratle	Irob	1999
25	Berhane Medhin Hagos	M	Sabatit	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
26	Berhe Tesfay Woldu	M	Darro	Weratle	Irob	1999
27	Berhe W/Gabriel Beyene	M	Agarale	Agaralecoma	Irob	1998
28	Birhane G/Michael Hadgu	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
29	Birhane Kidane Tesfay	M	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	2000
30	Birhanu Tsairu Hagos	F	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
31	Biserat Hagos Kahsay	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
32	Burur Hagos Gebru	F	Halal'asa	Ara'e	Irob	1999
33	Dehab Hagos Hawku	F	Saratta	Weratle	Irob	1999
34	Desta Gu'ulay Hagos	M	Garassa	Weratle	Irob	1999
35	Desta Tesfay Mosa	M	Amomaet	Weratle	Irob	1999
36	Desta W/Girogis Hailu	M	Ara'ecoma	Ara'e	Irob	1999
37	Fana Abraha Gebru	F	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
38	Fessehaye Missgina Tesfay	M	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
39	Fessuh Tsadwa Hagos	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
40	Fessuh Welde Sebhat	M	Dola	Weratle	Irob	1999
41	Fessuh Wolde W/Selassie	M	Garassa	Weratle	Irob	1999
42	Freweini Woldu Hagos	F	Saratta	Weratle	Irob	2000
43	G/Giorgis Kahsay F/Tsion	M	Hido	Endalgeda	Irob	1998

44	G/Meskel G/Egziabher	M	Enguraile	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
45	G/Yohannes Hagos W/Gior.	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
46	G/Yohannes Mehari Danne	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
47	Ghiday Hagos Sebhat	M	Madd'a	Sebeya	G/Mekeda	1998
48	Girmay Teka	M	Maichia	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
49	Girmay Tesfay	M	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
50	Girmay W/Michael Tesfat	M	Amomaet	Weratle	Irob	1999

51	Hagos Amru Kahsay	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
52	Hagos Hailu G/Selassie	M	Maichia	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
53	Hagosa Hagos Kama	F	Wankabo	Weratle	Irob	1999
54	Haile Berhe Woldu	M	Weratle	Weratle	Irob	1999
55	Haile Hagos Kahsay	M	Awda	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
56	Haileselassie Giday Desta	M	Darro	Weratle	Irob	1999
57	Hailu Berhe Woldu	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
58	Halibo Kahsay Hagos	M	Darro	Weratle	Irob	1999
59	Kahsay Hagos Tesfu	M	Ara'ecoma	Ara'e	Irob	1998
60	Kahsay Mehari Hadgu	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
61	Kahsay Miratse Fessuh	M	Mas'hafta	Weratle	Irob	1999
62	Kahsay W/Michael Debessay	M	Amomaet	Weratle	Irob	1999
63	Keshi Adduma G/Medhin, Rev.	M	Maichia	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
64	Keshi Girmay Fitiwi Tesfu, Rev.	M	Unguraile	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
65	Keshi Hadgu Gebray, Rev.	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
66	Mahari H/Selassie Giday	M	Agarale	Agaralecoma	Irob	1999
67	Mahari Hagos Tesfu	M	Halal'asa	Arai	Irob	1999
68	Maisiso Gebru Robli	M	Gibidawo	Alitena	Irob	1998
69	Mebrahtom W/gabriel Beyene	M	Agarale	Agaralecoma	Irob	1998
70	Medhin Fessuh Debessay	M	Amomaet	Weratle	Irob	1999
71	Melles W/yohannes Kahsay	M	Kafna	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
72	Mesgena Yohannes Hagos	M	Assefat	Agaralecoma	Irob	1998
73	Mihret Berhe W/Selassie	F	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
74	Misgina G/Giorgis Kurbia	M	Herra	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
75	Negusse Tesfay Woldu	M	Darro	Weratle	Irob	1999
76	Seyoum Woldu Tesfay	M	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
77	Teame Gebray Hagos	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
78	Teame Kidane Tsadwa	M	Sabatit	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
79	Tesfay Gebray Hagos	M	Weratle	Weratle	Irob	1999
80	Tesfay Hagos Kahsay	M	Hahayti	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
81	Tesfay Kahsay Tesfu	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
82	Tesfay Negusse Lemlem	M	Gibidawo	Alitena	Irob	1999
83	Tesfay W/Girogis Beyene	M	Aburta	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
84	Tesfay Yohannes Hagos	M	Sab'ata	Ara'e	Irob	1998
85	Teum Funa Hailat	M	Garassa	Weratle	Irob	1999
86	Tsega Abraham Tesfay	F	Haidille	Weratle	Irob	1999
87	Tsegay Miratse Fessuh	M	Mas'hafta	Weratle	Irob	1998
88	W/Giorgis Beyene Suba	M	Enguraile	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
89	W/Giorgis Kahsay Tesfu	M	Addaga	Weratle	Irob	1999
90	Welde Sebhat Mosa	M	Dola	Weratle	Irob	1999
91	Yohannes G/Selassie	M	Maichia	Endalgeda	Irob	1998
92	Yohannes Hagos Kahsay	M	Amuidaga	Weratle	Irob	1998
93	Yohannes Mahari Hagos	M	Haidille	Endalgeda	Irob	1999
94	Yohannes Tesfay Woldu	M	Adocoma	Weratle	Irob	1999

The Prisoners Exchange Between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the Case of Irob Captives Irob Community In North America P.O.Box 5533 Arlingon, VA 22205

The Prisoners Exchange Between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the Case of Irob Captives

Irob Community In North America

P.O.Box 5533

Arlingon, VA 22205