My Accomplishments And Hardships By The Dictatorial Eritrean Government

I, Yodit Menghisteab Desta, am writing my testimony regarding my father’s impressments and hardships by the dictatorial Eritrean government.

Since I was a baby, I was raised by my father, Menghisteab Desta and my step mom, Ghenet Tsegae. My half sister, Yordanos and myself were growing as best friends since our childhood which we established stronger bonds among us. I never knew my biological mother until I grew up. When I was in my high school age, my biological mother, Tsigweini Geresus, sent me a visa to join her in US. Even though it was hard for me at the time to leave all my families and younger siblings back home in Eritrea, I chose to join my biological mother for better opportunity to myself. I know, if I come to US, I will get educational

Unfortunately, the Eritrean government was not supportive at all to cooperate me on exit visa that my first and second visas were expired on 1998 on 2001 consequently. The dictatorial Eritrean government motive was and has being to exploit the free young men and women labor indefinitely through the national service excuses. I personally, did not accept the exploitation that is a modern slavery by my own government. Worse than that, I refused to be a maid of an old military personals usually considered as the second or third wife as many Eritrean young women’s final

However, my father’s situation regarding his well –being and future life makes me stay up all night and I still remember the suffering I had when I was told he went to prison due to my own action; leaving the country, Eritrea. More than that, my younger brother, Bereket Menghisteab Desta also left the country, Eritrea and lives in Ethiopia as exile. My father cannot go back to Eritrea any more due to fear of his life. If he goes back, I am definitely sure; he will be arrested for life or killed by the Eritrean government just because his adult children were left the country by their own actions. More than that, If he cannot go back and take care his children, he will be missing his children so much that will affect his wellbeing and his children will be father less that is a moral suicidal to him as a