Ethiopian POW in Eritrea "could be freed soon"

Colonel Bezabih Petros

Ethiopian prisoners of war (POW) in Eritrea such as Colonel Bezabeh Petros (younger brother of opposition politician Prof. Beyene Petros), Colonel Tadesse Muluneh and many others arrested during the 1998-2000 Ethio-Eritrea border war and other times by the Eritrean regime could soon be freed, a member of the exiled Ethiopian Orthodox synod, His Eminence Abune Mekarios indicated. 

The Abune, who heads Ethiopian Ortodox churches in North America and Asutralia said this in a recent interview he held with ESAT Radio from Eritrea. Abune Mekarios said that he went to Eritrea to seek amnesty for Ethiopian  prisoners arrested in Eritrea from the Eritrean regime.  The religious figure said, I have met with most high ranking officials of the Eritrean government and held successful decisions with them. They have promised me that they will all be released soon. Anticpate for a joyful announcement. 

Colonel Bezabeh Petros is one of the most proficient Ethiopian air force members popular for his "heroic acts" during the Ethio-Somali war of 1977-78. A father of 3 boys and two girls, Colobel Bezabih was hit in 1984 in Eritera when he was flying his fighter mig jet and served as prisoner of war for 8 years in sahel desert . When the Derg regime fell and the current regime came to power, Col.Bezabih was freed and he resumed his flying career as top flying instructor until   his plane was hit in May 1998 and he was captured by the Eritrean regime this time.  He has been imprisoned since. 

Colonel Tadesse Muluneh, an Ethiopian air force pilot during the previous regime and one time leader of the Eritrea based Ethiopian Peoples Patriotic Front (EPPF), was detained in Asmara last

year and has been arrested in 2011 from his home in Asmera. Col. Abebe Geresu, a defecting soldier from the current Ethiopian army and later founding and executive committee member of Tinsae Ethiopia Patriotic Union (Tinsae Ethiopia), has been arrested in Eritrea in March 2012.  In addition, to these figures, there are thousands of Ethiopian civil and war prisoners in Eritrea that were captured in different occasions.