In an event that is sure to embarrass Eritrea’s long-time ruler,
two pilots of that country’s armed forces fled the country on
Tuesday, flying in none other than the presidential jet. According to
Jazan News, on Tuesday the air force captains flew the aircraft at
low altitude across the Red Sea towards Saudi airspace, and were met
by two Saudi F-15 fighter jets before landing at a regional airport in the Southwestern city of Jizan.
The
two pilots have been tentatively identified as Yonas Woldeab
and Mekonnen Debesai -- a witness at that airport reported seeing two
men disembark from the aircraft, and multiple sources report they’ve
sought political asylum from Saudi authorities.
According
to Radio France Internationale, the two individuals are not just any
“ordinary” military officers, as they worked directly for President
Afewerki and were involved in secret missions to Somalia, including ferrying equipment for the Islamist
al-Shabaab militia. The U.S. has in the last few years turned its
attention onto Eritrea due to its government’s alleged support of
al-Shabab, which is categorized as a terrorist organization and is recognized as the Somalia branch of al-Qaeda.
The
latter claim by RFI seems further corroborated by Eritrea’s dispatching
of a high ranking military officer, General Tekle Habteselassié, on an
“urgent” mission to Riyadh. A blogger familiar with events claims the
aircraft in question is an Israeli-built IAI Astra 1125, a twin-engined
VIP jet transport, and the only such aircraft currently known to be operated by Eritrea.
This
latest embarrassment comes on the heels of additional high profile
defections -- in August, the athlete selected to carry Eritrea’s flag
during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games sought asylum
along with three other athletes. In 2011, thirteen players from the
country’s national soccer team defected while at a tournament in
Tanzania.
Eritrea has long been criticized for its poor human
rights record, along with the worst ranking for press freedom in the
world. The country’s president, Isaias Afewerki, has held that position since
1993, and has been described as “unhinged,” “cruel and defiant.”
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