It now appears to be confirmed that there was an attempt to kill General Sebhat Efrem, former minister of defence and current minister of mining.

This was reported on Eritrea Hub on December 20th. Since then others, including VOA have carried similar reports. Now Eritrea’s ambassador to Japan, Estifanos, tweeted this:

Today there is further information – which still to be confirmed.

The attempt on General Sebhat’s life may have been because he betrayed a group of lower ranking soldiers who had organised a coup. They had asked him to lead it.

He apparently agreed and then leaked the information to President Isaias, who started arresting them all.

Those that remained free concluded that Sebhat had leaked the information.

Apparently the soldier who fired at him in his home missed and then attacked him physically as his gun wouldn’t fire again. He used the gun butt – hitting the general on his head and face.

President Isaias has visited the general in AbuDhabi, where he was taken for treatment, but refused Sebhat’s  wife permission to accompany him out of the country.

This indicates the low level of trust.

General Sebhat is one of the few senior Eritreans from the EPLF’s war of independence to still be free and in a ministerial position.

Sebhat Efrem at the EPLF Second Congress, 1987, lower right. Most of his colleagues, including Petros Solomon, former head of intelligence and later Foreign Minister (front row left) was jailed indefinitely. So was General Berhane Gebreigziabher, head of the militia army (front row, centre).