Ona and Besikdira Massacre that was committed 54 years ago by the Ethiopian army is among the deeply etched events in the memory of old and young Eritreans. Ona and Besikdra are located few kilometers in the north eastern suburbs of Keren. On November 30, 1970 Ethiopian troops entered and rounded up the inhabitants of Besikdira only to kill innocent civilians, including women and children. On the following day, December 1, 1970, soldiers entered into the village of Ona and committed large scale massacre with brutality that was never seen before in Eritrea. During these terrible days, one thousand civilians were killed in such manner.
On the 54th anniversary of remembrance for the victims of the Ona and Beskdira Massacre, a book authored by Netsereab Azazi “Ona and Besikdiea- the massacre of Senhit Villages from 1970-71” was inaugurated in Keren. The author contacted a number of residents, eyewitnesses, and survivors in addition to secondary sources from the archives. The verification and authenticity of history contained in the 550 pages of the book was substantiated by the testimony of 125 people (survivors) and lots of pictures as well as reliable use of secondary sources.
The book focus on the sequence of events from November 21, 1970 where Major General Teshome Ergetu, commander of Ethiopian forces in Eritrea was killed, up to November 30 and December 1, 1970 when the massacres occurred in retaliation of the commanders death. Apart from Ona and Besikdira Massacre, brutality of the colonial army in sites where great civilian losses occurred such as Geleb, Debresina and Habrenqeqa are also included. The exhaustive research coupled with simple and artistic presentation done by the author makes the book catchy and credible.
“Ona and Besikdira- the massacre of Senhit Villages from 1970-1971” shows how the one thousand people died on those fateful days, including entire families. While the colonizers have chosen to forget Ona and Besikdira Massacre and others, the people of Eritrea cannot. The publication of the book will have an important contribution in preserving historical memory and promoting knowledge of Eritrea’s experience to the young generation. It a must read book for every Eritrean particularly the youth and initiatives must be taken to translate into all Eritrean languages and international languages.
Written by Simon Weledemichael