(Written by a former resident of Eritrea)
Life on the campus changed even more radically after that. During the day there were soldiers everywhere, and there was violence at night. For weeks, Saba found it difficult to sleep, as she was so disturbed by the sounds of students being murdered or raped by government soldiers.
The situation became intolerable. She actually saw the dead body of a friend lying in the street. There was blood everywhere. It became so difficult to survive that many students stopped going to class and everyone became intent on finding a way to escape. Every day seemed to get more hazardous, and as she didn’t want to take the risk of traveling on public transportation, she wasn’t able to see her family for weeks.
Incredible numbers of people joined with the freedom fighters, and that created even more areas in the city that were unsafe, as the government soldiers were ruthless. Roads leading out of the city were controlled by the government’s army, and there were check points where special permits had to presented to enter or leave the city.
The permits were difficult for Saba and her friends to obtain, and without them, the soldiers at the check points would demand money. Without it, there was always a risk of being raped or put in prison.
Life had become extremely difficult for Saba that she felt that prayer was her only option.
City telecommunications were disconnected for about a month, and when reconnected, she got a telephone call from her family at midnight. Upon hearing her mother’s voice, she burst into tears, and asked how they could help her get back home. Her mother said she’d provide the money, and Saba was finally able to rejoin her family when her mother bribed a soldier at a check point by placing money in his pocket.
It was wonderful to be home again, but the absence of her father was confusing. She hesitated to ask her mother or any of her brothers and sisters about it, as she was frightened that they would only have bad news to tell her. She guessed that something awful had happened.
The following night was the strangest one yet. Saba and her family were saying a prayer before beginning their dinner when they heard the sound of gun shots in the eastern part of the city. There were only a few in the beginning, but the violence escalated until it seemed that a full scale battle was taking place.
All the family members that were home hid under their beds until the shooting stopped, and it was then that they learned that the freedom fighters had attacked using hit and run tactics like guerilla fighters.
The Ethiopian soldiers had not been able to cope with the attack, and as compensation for their losses, they made life even more difficult for everyone living in the city by murdering people at random and raping even under age girls. They also continued to put people in prison without explanation.
During the weeks that followed, people couldn’t go to work or to school. It was difficult to get enough food and mothers worried about the effect it would have on their children. The situation continued to worsen and the enmity of Eritrean people continued to growth against the Ethiopians.
An era of political consciousness occurred as the governmental armyincreased in size, and citizens worried about the growing number of official restrictions. City life was completely changed with gunmen on every corner, and they seemed to have the right to do whatever they pleased. People were searched from head to toe and robbed of their belongings. It was no longer safe to wear a watch, a marriage ring or anything made of gold. Wallets were taken. All of the women were subject to rape. No one had control over his life anymore; you could be killed in an instant.
After the hit and run attack by the rebels, the following weeks were quiet, but gun shots were heard at night, and the government’s army was everywhere. Every time you left your home, you ran the risk of being stopped for money. Saba’s mother had been finding it almost impossible to even think of going to the market for anything on the way, and she was afraid to leave the children alone, as the soldiers could kill them as soon as she left her door. Now that Saba was home, however, the problem was solved, as she could look after the children while the shopping was done.
At other times – when Saba left the house - it was difficult to avoid being confronted by a government soldier, and she was finally caught and taken to prison. It was a dreadful place; dark and evil-smelling, and the first night was unbearable. They took away her clothing and made her sleep naked on the cold cement.
The next day they returned her clothing and demanded that she admit the allegations they had drawn up, and when she wouldn’t, they said that if she would agree to give herself to one of the top authorities of the prison, she would be freed. She felt like screaming at them and held onto her dress tightly. She wanted desperately to be released but was completely unwilling to do as they requested.
They then inverted her body and immersed her head several times in urine until she lost consciousness. When she awoke, they gouged out her finger and toe nails using a pick. She still refused, so they broke glass and made her walk on it with bare feet.
As the days passed and the torture continued, she felt that she had lost complete control of her life and when she decided to refuse to eat in an attempt to gain release, her natural beauty disappeared and her muscles wasted away. She looked like nothing more than a skeleton covered in skin.
Through all of this, she refused to submit and never showed weakness even in the most trying situations.