Col. Asrat Bogale, a prominent and long time opponent of the Woyanne regime in Ethiopia, has passed away early Friday morning after receiving medical treatment in Paris.
Col. Asrat Bogale left Ethiopia over 30 years ago when the Derg military regime came to power. He hijacked an Ethiopian Airlines plane and forced it to land in Djibouti. After 2 year in jail, he was granted political asylum by the French Government and joined Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU).
When Woyanne came to power 17 years later, he joined Kefagn, an armed resistance group that was formed by Shaleqa Atana Wassie and others to fight the ethnic apartheid regime.
Later on, he formed his own clandestine group, and worked closely with the late Dr Kitaw Ejigou’s Ethiopian National United Front (ENUF).
He also took time to author 7 books, according to his daughter Rebecca Asrat who is currently living in Canada.
Col. Asrat is survived by his wife Wzr. Almaz Bantirgu and 8 children.
Memorial service for Col. Asrat will be held Thursday in Paris.
Messages of condolence can be sent to [email protected]