(Yoseph Berhe is an Eritrean journalist who recently gave himself to the Ethiopian army following the battle at the Zalambessa-Egela front. The article under the above headline appeared in the latest issue of the Tigrigna newspaper Woyen as translated by WIC)

The body that is entrusted to guide and co-ordinate media activities in Eritrea involving the dissemination of news and information is known as the Ministry of Information.

Following the eruption of the Ethio-Eritrean conflict two years ago, this task was mandated to two bodies operating under the Popular Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ). These two bodies, which are to work on behalf of the Ministry of Information, are the Organizing Committee for National Holidays and the Research and Archives Section. Zemihret Yohannes is deputy chairman of the Organizing Committee of National Holidays. The two bodies are directed by the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson. This Office is directed by Yemane Gebremeskel. The three PFDJ officials have equal status. Zemehret has been acting as Minister of Information since April.

Independent newspapers in Eritrea are supposed to carry official news. These news are sourced by three officials: Yemane Gebremeskel, Daniel, head of the press department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Information. Journalists are not allowed to edit or supplement news items issued by the Ministry. Private newspapers have to be censored before going to the press. The censorship Committee at the Ministry of Information is composed of three individuals. Two of them, Asmerom Habtemariam and Mesfin Tesfay, are trusted members of the PFDJ. The third committee member, Ilak Yared, was a member of the former Workers Party of Ethiopia (WPE). He has extensive experience in censorship and is a cruel, anti-free press individual.

There are two types of news in Eritrea: Official (government) and non-official news.

Official News Eritrean official news fall in two categories. The first one consists of those that are supplied to the Voice of the Masses, Hadas Eritrea and Eritrean Television.

The second category consists of news issued for the private press. The latter type are 100 per cent lies. They are meant to deceive the urban population. News items given to the government media are prepared with maximum care. They target to deceive the Ethiopian people.

Non-official news Non-official news are disseminated by PFDJ-organized groups at the Kebele level. These groups disseminate news that contradict government position and those broadcast on the radio. Let me cite two examples.

1. "A Tigrean woman was caught while poisoning a water well in Mainefeh, near Asmara."

2. "A Tigrean was caught red-handed while laying a mine in Massawa."

3. "Badme was captured because a Tigrean-born Brigade Commander had conspired with the Woyanes. The Commander was captured during the fighting".

News of this kind are prepared and distributed extensively. All of these aim to incite violence against Ethiopians in Eritrea. They have no other purpose.

The official and non-official news are issued by the officials I have mentioned earlier, or from the departments they head.

The only independent journalists in Eritrea are those working for the foreign media. These are Goitom Behon of Deutche Welle, Alex Last of the BBC and Reuters, Samy Solvan of Reuters, Carol Pino of AFP and VOA, Steven of AFP, Resom Gebrehiwot of AP as well as Aklilu Solomon of VOA.

Eritrean-born correspondents of foreign nationality are all supporters of the PFDJ, and they disseminate news supplied only by the front. There are some among them who also act independently, such as Goitom, Resom, Pino and Last.

Goitom and Resom work in such a manner because of their political affiliation to the PFDJ. Last and Pino, however, are bribed.

Alex Last is a 24 years old youth with little experience in journalism. He lives with Robel Mekonen, a member of the press department of the PFDJ. Alex's expenses for beer, food, cigarettes and even house rent, is paid for by Robel. These are the benefits that force Alex to come up with the kind of news he does.

Carol Pino is a mistress of Gebre Selassie Yoseph, the Eritrean Finance Minister. This writer has seen on several occasions Carol Pino dancing the night away at the Warsa night club, with Germa Asmerom, former Eritrean ambassador to Ethiopia. Given her life style and the house she lives in, it is clear that she is abundantly subsidized.

There is one surprising law in Eritrea. It concerns one that requires Eritrean- foreign correspondents notify Yemane Gebremeskel before they produce a given news item. This mechanism has been instituted to deny the existence of outright censorship in Eritrea.

Let me tell you my experience related to this issue. Some journalists, including myself, were sent to the front, following news of fighting at Badme on the 17th of February. Myself, Alex Last, Samy went to Tokhombia. The programme was that officials from the front would come and take us to the front. We were staying at a Hotel in Tokhombia, while waiting for the arrival of the said officials. Things started to change two hours later. Eritrean troops have started fleeing. They were retreating to Barentu through Tokhombia. While we were at the Hotel the owner started to pack. We went out and saw that Tokhombia was flooded by retreating Eritrean soldiers. A few moments later, we heard the sounds of heavy artillery bombardments. So we joined the retreating army, and left for Asmara.

The same night, I went to the "Warsa" night club, and met Yemane G/Meskel there. There was little left of the bottle of whisky infront of him. Yosef G/Selassie was there too. Yemane asked me about the situation at the front. He didn't tell me why, but I know that the Voice of the Masses had that day announced that we were pushed back by the Ethiopians. There is no news that is broadcast on that radio without the prior knowledge of Yemane.

Baffled by his query, I told him what I saw. He asked me whether there were any foreign journalists who witnessed the retreat besides me. He was visibly happy when I told him about Alex's presence. I asked myself what could have made him so happy. I know it was not the liquor. The source of Yemane's joy is the fact that no other foreign journalist has seen the retreat, except Alex, and he know how Alex would present it.