May Day 69: Betrayal and Massacre in Dessie

Letter to the editor

Look #4 on this picture and you might have immediately recognized that  something is wrong in his mind. He bowed his head while the rest are headup and with confidence.  Look again #7 and #11, who are younger in age and experience, gave their life for the cause of the working class and EPRP.

The full name of #4 is Fenti Beyene who joined that May Day operation of 1969 Ethiopian calendar for propaganda and agitation task to be carried out overnight in the eve of May Day 1969. He has a good experience in martial art and he could have defended himself and others but he did the opposite by betraying his comrades who are younger to him.

When I was in Mirmera session1972, he was a torturer /security body guard and a driver to Wollo’s regional Hizb Dehninet. Some still bitterly remembers him for his betrayal and crime against his comrades. 99.9% of the operation in that night was successful except the sub-city where Fenti participated (North east of Dessie) and the rest of comrades were caught red handed with materials in use. This was a tragic moment as no one escaped the massacre of Dergue’s cadres and the news spread wild all over the province with shock. Some of the theory survived until now is that the whole members of the group were caught because somebody in the group has infiltrated or betrayed his comrades and this implies Fenti Beyene was the culprit. He is the only ALIVE person from that group and I am sure he "enjoyed" life under the Dergue as bodyguard and might have continued working under Woyane as security worker.


#9 and #11 were my close friends and we were comrades. #9 (Mohammed Yimer) was a gifted with oratorical skills as well as sound understanding of theoretical and practical knowledge. He used to teach/help us singing "YETGILU NEW HIYOTE" without any support and it was amazing how he tried to practice inside a big auditorium full of 5 to 7 thousand students (morning/afternoon shift). He was a son of poor family and always was expected to do something to help them. #11 (Jemal Abdulqadir) is a son of Yemen and Ethiopian parents. He was a staunch supporter and activist in EPRYL.

#5 was a brilliant student in our high school who used to sell Lottery tickets on the street and a good organizer of self-help projects among students. The rest are teachers and Ediget Behibret Zemachs and we knew each other during those high school days. I am happy that after many years helped tell the truth about this picture and hope to see it again without the devil among comrades.

Finally,these martyrs are fruits of the heroic student movement in W/ro Siheen High School who will be remembered proudly by current and future generations.The irony is, the murderers and torturers of these martyrs are set to get pardon and be released from jail without a due respect to them and a due consultation and approval of their families.  Colonel Ejigu,Captain Yimam, Abdulhafez Yessuf, Fenti and others who are directly responsible for this massacre should not be allowed to walk around with their hands dripping the blood of our comrades!  Never!