Book Title : “Fitsum New Imnetie”
“Key Shibir”, “Red Terror”
“The truth of Kefetegna 15”
By Nesibu (Alulla) Sibhat
Reviewed by: Abera S, Chicago Illinois USA
As seen above, the book is titled Key Shibir (Red Terror). When I first saw the title, I was debating with myself whether or not to read the book. I asked myself a million dollar question. Why should I read about the red terror? Why on earth any Ethiopian would read about Red Terror? I asked over and over before I started reading the book. Alulla came to Chicago to visit me and his friends in Chicago around September of 2009. During that visit, Alulla shared his experience with Derg’s torture by showing me his feet. I remembered closing my eyes right away when he took his shocks to show me. I knew what he went through from his feet and by looking at his face with his eyes full of tears.
I remembered that day and helped me decide to read the book. Once I started to read it, I could not stop. When I have to drive, I always make sure the CD version was in my car so that nothing was left out. After concluding reading the book, many things floated around my mind. The story was like watching a movie with so many chilling feelings. The book is written well and written with many supporting evidences. I simply say that the book is amazing with flawless personal ending. Why the book is amazing? There are many reasons why it’s written amazingly:
1) Alulla defined EPRP and its main mission very well and better than the founders of EPRP in many ways.
2) Alulla and other EPRP members were very committed for the Ethiopian people and for the EPRP party ideology in particular.
3) It clearly explains why EPRP members were ready to die for the Ethiopian people and for the struggle against fascism.
4) Tortures in any form or shape did not break the spirit of EPRP members during Red Terror era.
5) Lastly, the organization of the book with many detailed information and with many lists of names killed by Derg simply made the book amazing.
Alulla told the world how his generation meant to the Ethiopian people and what it meant to the EPRP in general. He told us the youth was ready to fight the fascist by carrying out slogans that meant a lot to the general population. He told us there was no flapping in terms of scarifying for the Ethiopian people and for the EPRP for that matter. There was no spin. Rather, it was all real and real to scarify. Alulla explained it well about the objectives and the mission of EPRP way better than the founders explained their foundations.
The interesting part is to see justices were served by seeing one of the Derg member, the killer and the ring leader of Keftegna 15 torturer being caught in Denver, CO. It is a great feeling to see Kefelegn Alemu is being sentenced for 22 years of prison time here in the US. It is gratifying for Alulla to be able to write a book about his personal life experience in Ethiopia and in Keftegna 15. If people have not read this book, I recommend everyone to read it. If you don’t have the time to read the book, have the CD version and you will sense the pain what Alulla went through with his own voice. You will learn more about the Ethiopian priceless and brave youth. You will learn about the EPRP member’s rock-solid commitments to these days. In the same token, you will learn more how the Derg government was determined to destroy the Ethiopian people.
Thank you Alulla for sharing your pain and your commitment for the Ethiopian people in your new book titled “Fitsum New Imnetie”. I salute you for writing the book with your personal story which is also the story of all Ethiopian youth in the 70s and 80s. Thank you so much!
Abera S.
Email: aberasisay@ymail.com