Latest news with #Mengistu
Al Jazeera
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Away from the global spotlight, Eritreans are trapped in a garrison state
American writer and security analyst Paul B Henze, who served in the Carter administration as a deputy to National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, once made a very astute observation about Eritrea's current president, Isaias Afwerki. In his 2007 book, Ethiopia in Mengistu's Final Years: Until the Last Bullet, he noted 'Isaias impressed me as remarkably similar in temperament and attitudes to Mengistu [Haile Mariam, Eritrea's former dictator who has overseen the killings of tens of thousands of opposition figures and civilians]. He has many of the same mannerisms, a rather bulldoggish seriousness, a defensiveness behind a facade of feigned reasonableness that is not really convincing. One senses a stubborn, fundamentally authoritarian personality.' The similarities Henze saw between Mengistu and Isaias have proven correct and highly consequential over the last three decades. After declaring victory against the Mengsitu regime in 1991, Isaias was able to oversee the emergence of an independent, sovereign Eritrea. For a brief moment, Eritreans were full of hope. They assumed independence would bring more freedom and better economic prospects. There was talk of turning Eritrea into Africa's Singapore. However, the euphoria of independence was short-lived. The dream of transforming Eritrea into a prosperous liberal democracy did not appeal to Isaias. He wanted his country to resemble not Singapore, but Sparta. He rejected the democratic constitution drafted by the pre-eminent Eritrean jurist Bereket Habte Selassie and ruled Eritrea with an iron fist. In no time, he turned Eritrea into a garrison state. He transformed Eritrean institutions and society at large into tools to fulfil his geo-political fantasies. Eritreans became unwilling pawns in the president's many military schemes, with no space left for their personal dreams and aspirations. Isaias ruthlessly dealt with even his closest colleagues and allies who dared to suggest that Eritreans enjoy some basic liberties that people elsewhere in the world often take for granted. In May 2001, 15 senior Eritrean officials, many of whom had been on the president's side throughout the independence war, issued an open letter urging him to reconsider his autocratic mode of governance and hold free and fair elections. At the time, three of the 15 officials were living abroad, and one eventually changed his position and rejoined the Isaias government. The remaining 11, however, were swiftly arrested on unspecified charges. More than 20 years later, the fates of these 11 men are still unknown. No one knows for sure if they are alive or dead. No legal or religious counsel or family member has been granted access to them. There have been no charges, no trials, no conviction and no sentence. Though these senior officials are among the most prominent in Eritrea to be meted such treatment, their fate is hardly unique. Anyone in Eritrea who dares to question the great wisdom of the infallible President Isaias meets the same fate. In the nightmarish gulag state that President Isaias created, no one is free to study, work, worship, run a business or engage in any other normal activities. There is a mandatory and indefinite military service which keeps every Eritrean citizen in servitude to the supreme leader for their entire lives. While everyone in Eritrea suffers from Isaias's institutionalised tyranny, religious and ethnic minorities suffer the most. Religious persecution in the country is so extreme that in 2004 the US Department of State designated Eritrea as a 'country of particular concern' under the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. There is also significant ethnic persecution in Isaias's Eritrea. In a May 2023 report, for example, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, underlined the harsh conditions faced by the Afar community who inhabit the Dankalia area of the country. Babiker wrote: 'The Afar are one of the most disenfranchised communities in Eritrea. For several decades, they have been subjected to discrimination, harassment, arbitrary arrests, disappearance, violence, and widespread persecution.' In the end, Paul Henze's insight about the fundamentally autocratic personality of Isaias proved not only right, but also an understatement. The oppression and violence of Isaias's rule in the past three decades matched and at times surpassed that of Mengitsu. Regrettably, the world rarely acknowledges the plight of Eritreans, who are forced to live their lives as unwilling servants and soldiers of their authoritarian president. The toll of Isais's endless war schemes on Eritreans is still rarely mentioned in discussions about the region. Eritrea under Isaias is a country always on a war footing. Right now, it is not only agitating against Ethiopia, but also actively involved in the civil war in Sudan. In fact, one would be hard-pressed to find a period in Eritrea's post-independence history that it was not at war with one of its neighbours, or involved in some regional conflict or civil war. War is the modus vivendi of President Isaias. The world is now paying some attention to Eritrea, because of the looming risk of conflict with Ethiopia. But even if conflict between the two neighbours is somehow prevented, the misery of Eritreans stuck in Isaias's garrison state will continue. Forgotten and left to their own devices, Eritreans will continue to suffer in a brutal dictatorship where the individual is seen just as fodder for the mighty Eritrean Defence Forces. This must not be allowed to continue. The world must not avert its gaze and forget about the plight of Eritreans once their country is no longer mentioned in the news. The world needs to act before more Eritreans lose their lives and dreams fighting in Isaias's forever wars. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
Express Tribune
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Hamas frees more Israeli hostages
Friends and family of Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov celebrate as they watch his televised release by Hamas at his family home in Tel Aviv. Photo AFP Family and friends of released Israeli hostage Omer Shem Tov clapped, burst into tears and popped bottles of champagne as they watched him walk free on Saturday after being handed over by Hamas in Gaza. Shem Tov was among six Israeli captives freed by Palestinian fighters as part of the seventh hostage-prisoner swap to take place under the first phase of a fragile truce which took effect last month. Fighters released four hostages seized in Hamas's unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack on Israel and two men who had been held captive for a decade. Images published by the military showed an elated Shem Tov reuniting with his parents at a reception centre inside Israel. "You have no idea how much I've dreamt of you!" he told them mid-embrace. "So have we," his parents replied. "You are your mother's life," Shelly Shem Tov told her son. Earlier in the day, Hamas fighters had paraded Shem Tov along with Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert on stage in central Gaza's Nuseirat area, where they waved and held release certificates before being handed over to the Red Cross. In the central Israeli town of Gadera, dozens of Wenkert's friends waited on tenterhooks for his release, before celebrating with cheers and dancing. The first hostages released on Saturday were Tal Shoham, abducted in the 2023 attack, and Avera Mengistu, who had spent more than 10 years in captivity in Gaza. The pair appeared pale and dazed as they were brought onto a rainy stage in the south Gaza city of Rafah. Dozens of relatives, friends and supporters of Mengistu cheered and clapped as they watched footage of his release in the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon. Mengistu's family said in a statement that they had endured more than a decade of "unimaginable suffering" during his captivity. Images published by the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu showed Mengistu embracing his family as he arrived at an Israeli reception centre. Emotions ran high in the Israeli commercial hub of Tel Aviv, where hundreds gathered in intermittent rain to watch the captives' releases in the plaza dubbed Hostages Square. As the men walked to freedom, the crowd clapped and wept. One spectator held up a placard reading "rain of tears and hope".
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Hamas hands over final 6 hostages under first phase of cease-fire in exchange for 600 Palestinian prisoners
Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Six living hostages are back home in Israel after Hamas released them in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisons on Saturday. Hamas has now released all 25 living Israeli hostages as the first phase of the agreement ended. The cease-fire began Jan. 25. Hamas and its allies continue to hold 63 Israeli hostages in Gaza. At least 32 of those are believed to be dead, according to the Israeli government. Hadar Goldin, a soldier, has been held since 2014. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the freed hostages "return from the depths of hell to begin the process of healing and recovery alongside their loving families, who fought with all their strength for them." He said the "completion of a hostage deal is a humanitarian, moral, and Jewish imperative." Hostage details Two hostages were captured about a decade ago and the other four were taken during the attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. The hostages released Saturday were in stages, and they received medical assessments before being reunited with their families. Tal Shoham, 40, and Avera Mengistu, 38, were first turned over to Red Cross officials in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Shoham was kidnapped from kibbutz Be'eri with his two children, his wife and mother-in-law, all of whom were released in November 2023. Mengistu, who is an Israeli from Ashkelon, crossed into Gaza in 2014 and was captured. Shoam's family said: "This is an unforgettable moment, where all emotions are rapidly mixing together. Our Tal is with us." A video showed Mengistu meeting family members upon arrival at Ichilov Medical Center in Tel Aviv. He was captive for 3,821 days. His family said: "Ten years and five months of unimaginable suffering have passed for our family. During this time, relentless efforts were made to bring him back - prayers and cries, some silent, that went unanswered until today." Then, in a separate location in Nuseirat, central Gaza, three hostages, Eliya Cohen, 27; Omer Shem Tov, 22; and Omer Wenkert, 23, were released. Thousands, including Hamas fighters, gathered. Children appeared on the stage wearing shirts with photographs of killed Hamas leaders. They were kidnapped at the Nova music festival near the border with Gaza. Though they were thin, their condition conditions were better than previously freed hostages. Wenkert was seen in video footage reuniting with his parents, Niva and Shai, at an Israeli Defenses Force facility near the Gaza border, after 505 days in Hamas captivity. Shem Tov blew a kiss toward the crowd. His family said "thank you to God, to the people of Israel for their prayers, strength, and love. Thank you to the soldiers who sacrificed for this moment, to everyone involved in the negotiations and diplomatic effort. "We will continue to fight together with all the families and the Hostages Families Forum, Our lives are intertwined until everyone returns." Cohen's family said it is "overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude," and had no information about his condition until he was released. "This moment, which should be filled with joy, is also accompanied by pain over what he endured there, and for the families of those killed in the war," the family said. "Finally, Eliya can be surrounded by his loved ones, his family, and his girlfriend, and begin a new path." Hisham al-Sayed, 37, an Arab-Israeli from a Bedouin community in southern Israel who walked into Gaza in 2015, went to the Red Cross in Gaza City, according to an Israeli security source and a Hamas source. The family of Al-Sayad, who spent more than 3,600 days in captivity, said: "After nearly a decade of fighting for his return, the long-awaited moment has finally arrived. We extend our gratitude to the entire people of Israel, who stood by us and supported us over the years. A special thanks to the families of the hostages and the headquarters that embraced us and saw us as a natural part of the struggle to bring everyone home." Prisoner details Of the 600 prisoners and detainees, 50 had been serving life sentences, another 60 long ones and 445 were destined since the war, according to the Palestinians Prisoners Office. The Palestinians Prisoners Office said on Saturday that it had received the list of some 600 prisoners and detainees expected to be freed in return. Of those, 50 had been serving life sentences, 60 had been serving long sentences, while 445 were detained in Gaza since October 7, 2023. At the European Hospital in Khan Younis, families awaited the arrival of the buses of the Red Cross. More than 100 Palestinian women and children under the age of 19 were released. Second phase Israel and Hamas are conducting negotiations to extend the cease-fire, which ends Saturday. The second phase could include Hamas the release of remaining Israeli hostages, alive and dead, in exchange for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. Hamas on Saturday signaled it is prepared to hand over all remaining Israeli hostages, alive and dead. Hamas said In a statement it seeks a "comprehensive exchange process" that will lead to a "permanent ceasefire and complete withdrawal of the occupation." Alon Pinkas, former ambassador and consul general of Israel in New York, told Al Jazeera, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, "is not interested in phase two. This phase will include Israeli force reduction in Gaza on day 42, which is a week from now. On day 50, it includes not just a force reduction, but a withdrawal. "Politically, he can afford neither the withdrawal nor the official end of the war." Body returned Friday night On Friday night, the remains of another hostage, Shiri Bibas, arrived in Tel Aviv on Friday night, after an outcry over Hamas having released the wrong body. Bibas' remains were to be among those of four hostages returned by Hamas on Thursday, alongside her sons, Kfir and Ariel, and another captive, Oded Lifshitz. But forensic tests by Israeli authorities confirmed those remains were two boys and Lifshitz, the fourth body was not that of Shiri Bibas - and nor did it match that of any other Israeli hostage. "Last night, our Shiri was brought home. After the identification process at the Institute for Forensic Medicine, we received the news this morning that we had feared: our Shiri was murdered in captivity," said a statement from her family provided by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum on Saturday. Another four hostage bodies are scheduled to be released next week.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Six Israeli hostages freed ahead of Palestinian prisoner release
Hamas has released six more hostages held in Gaza, in exchange for 602 Palestinian prisoners to be freed later on Saturday. The released hostages included four kidnapped during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel - Tal Shoham, Omer Shem Tov, Eliya Cohen and Omer Wenkert. The two other men freed, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, have been held in Gaza for years - Mr Mengistu since 2014 and Mr al-Sayed since 2015. The six are the final hostages still alive to be returned as part of the first phase of a ceasefire deal set to end next Saturday. Israel and Hamas have yet to agree the terms of a second phase. Later on Saturday, 602 Palestinian prisoners are set to be released, the majority of whom were detained after the 7 October 2023 attack. The BBC understands those released will include 50 prisoners serving life sentences and 60 with high sentences, according to a Palestinian prisoners' media office statement. The bodies of four more hostages are expected to be transferred to Israel next week in what is supposed to be the final step in the first phase of the ceasefire. There are 59 hostages still held by Hamas, around half of whom are believed to be alive. More are set to be freed in the next phase of the three-stage ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which is scheduled to start on 1 March. Hamas began releasing hostages, facilitated by the Red Cross, in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in January. Initial chaotic scenes become more choreographed, with hostages flanked by fighters on stages before the handovers. Mr Shoham, 40, and Mr Mengistu, 39, were passed to the Red Cross in Rafah, south Gaza before being transferred to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Mr Shoham was visiting family at Kibbutz Be'eri in October 2023 when he and others, including his wife and two children, were kidnapped by Hamas. His captured family members were released after 50 days. In a statement, his family said: "This is an unforgettable moment, where all emotions are rapidly mixing together. Our Tal is with us." Mr Mengistu, who is Ethiopian-Israeli, had been held by Hamas since September 2014 when he crossed into north Gaza. He and Mr al-Sayed, a Bedouin Arab Israeli who entered Gaza in 2015, had both suffered with mental health problems in the past, according to their families. Following his release, Mr Mengistu's family said they had endured "10 years and five months of unimaginable suffering". Separately, at Nuseirat in central Gaza, Mr Shem Tov, 22, Mr Cohen, 27, and Mr Wenkert, 23, were freed in another public show by Hamas. All three were taken captive at the Nova music festival on 7 October 2023. Mr Shem Tov had initially escaped by car when Hamas fighters descended on the festival, but was captured when he went back to rescue his friends. Mr Cohen had hid with his girlfriend, Ziv Abud, in a shelter at the festival, but was discovered and driven away. The shelter was bombed, but Ms Abud survived and escaped. Mr Wenkert managed to send text messages to his family when festival-goers were being attacked, to tell them he was going to a safe shelter, but they lost contact with him. Mr al-Sayed was released privately in Gaza City later on Saturday. Crowds in Tel Aviv's Hostages Square greeted the public releases with cheers as they watched them unfold on a live feed. Families celebrating the return of the six men called for all remaining hostages to be released. "Our only request is to seize this window of opportunity to secure a deal that will... return all hostages home," Mr Shoham's family said. Remaining hostages include Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli-American soldier captured on 7 October. His mother, Yael Alexander, who was watching Saturday's hostage release, told the BBC it was "amazing" to see them freed, but for her family it is "very tough" waiting. "There are more than dozens of young men alive, like my son, still waiting to be released," she said. "This is the main goal, to release the live people now from Gaza." Saturday's joyful scenes contrasted with earlier this week, when the bodies of hostages Shiri Bibas, her two young sons and another captive Oded Lifschitz were returned to Israel. Key events that led to Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal in Gaza Family of Israeli hostage Shiri Bibas says new returned body is hers
The Independent
22-02-2025
- The Independent
Hamas freed five Israeli hostages under phase one of ceasefire
Hamas has released five Israeli hostages, including Avera Mengistu, who had been held captive in Gaza for over ten years. Mengistu was captured in 2014 after crossing into Gaza and was released alongside Tal Shoham, 40, who was seized during Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel. The hostages were handed over to the Red Cross in Rafah. Three additional Israelis—Omer Wenkert, 23, Omer Shem Tov, 22, and Eliya Cohen, 27—were also freed after being kidnapped during the same attack.
