Ethiopia :Intel officers ask about ‘answerability’

After the government held an evaluation regarding the leakage of information, disarray in information keeping and cyber intelligence, members of the intelligence have asked to whom they were answerable to. ESAT obtained audio supported evidence regarding the query from sources in the Intel office. High government officials and appointees also attended the meeting.

The question was posed by Intel officers working under the Federal government and graduates of the Mekele Institute of Technology (MIT), an institute founded under the cover of MekeleUniversity during the period in office of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

“Is our responsibility protecting the security of the Nation or the political regime?” asked the officers. A senior government official responded saying “there is no Intel officer who also does not have political duties. From the outset, intelligence is a work of sustaining a regime in power and this is done by professionals. It requires one to trust the regime. One who believes in Ginbot 7 Movement’s outlook and thinks that the regime should be removed through force, would disintegrate the system even if he is remarked for having the skills of Tesfaye Woldeselassie or was trained by Mossad for 20 years.”

It was also discussed during the evaluation that there is a difference and fall out within the chain of commands of the Nationality and Immigration Department, Defense Intelligence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Police, Anti-Terrorism Taskforce and Information Network Security Agency (INSA).

Some government officials have said that secrets of the government have been passed to third parties to the extent that it has become impossible to protect secrets.

Intel officials that came from Oromia and Southern regions complained why there was a dominance of one ethnic group within the Defense Intelligence. The official responded saying that balancing the Force was a long-term work.

Responding to the question that there is a rumour that Meles Zenawi was killed by foreign forces, the official said Meles died due to “huge workload and his inability to put up with the medical treatment”.

In the mean time, five members of the Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Service have been detained suspected of working and passing information with and to Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT). Mebrate Tamrat, Jemal Awol, Dejene Admas, Hailu Cherkos, Capitan Assefa Abraha have been detained by securities.

Similarly, students and intelligence heads found in the 28 universities of the Country have started an evaluation meeting. It has been decided during the evaluation that Aksum, Debre Tabor and Debre Birhan Universities have witnessed huge protests thus should be under stringent Intel surveillance. ESAT News