“ It is recalled that many people were hit, imprisoned and killed in the clash between the Provisional Ethiopian Government and the residents of Gondar Town at “Adebabay Eyiessus avenue. Although the military forces of the government committed the crime many civilians have been arrested in connection to the clash.”

2. “Mota”

“Nine died in Mota woreda Mitad Bet Kable in a fire exchange between the EPRDF forces and armed civilians of the Kabale resident. EPRDF forces lost six while three of the civilians were shot dead.”

3. “Debre Berhan”

“Fifty residents of Debre Berhan kabale have been arrested accused of “feeding” rebellions. They were all tortured and some paralyzed due to torture”

4.“Others abducted and killed include:”

“l. Adyenew Gelalye Cheye - Gelila Kabale Peasant Association
2. Fete Demeke - Zelalem Desta Peasant Association
3. Yene Sew - Zelalem Desta Peasant Association
4. Unidentified residents - Felege Selam Peasant Asssociation
5. Five unidentified prisoners from Mota Prison cell, two unidentified residents of Ashemen kollela Peasant Association. Total number of killed Peasant Association Dwellers in July and August has reached 30.”

The organ of the Central Committee also listed a number of people who were tortured and imprisoned without the due process of law, as well as whose property confiscated.” (See Andinet Vol.1, No. 19, pages 1, 8 for detail.). All these were for choosing not to become members of EPRDF but the opposition AAPO that is now renamed AEUP. The sabotage continued until AAPO was paralyzed and incapacitated to organize the people any more until it was re-established as AEUP.

Now, after nine years, again the same organ of the Central Committee of AEUP has began reporting the same kind of evils being committed against AEUP members who chose to organize themselves under the banner of AEUP. Nothing seems to stop the EPRDF from practicing its evils on those who refuse to accept its dominance. At the time in which AEUP intensified its organizational performances, EPRDF has begun its overt and covert sabotage with the hope that it will ones again paralyze the struggle of the people to free themselves from the suppressive rule of tyrant EPRDF.

Recently, in November 2003, “Andinet” reported that the EPRDF covert forces have been re-engaged in killing cadres and officials of the AEUP in all parts of the nation where AEUP is active in peacefully organizing and escalating the political awareness of citizens. (See aeup.org for details.) In most cases like in the case in Giera district police refuses to investigate reported murder cases on the pretext that “Government officials are not subject to criminal investigations.” This means that, according to the guidance given to police any EPRDF official can kill any person and would not be investigated for his action because he is an “official.” of the EPRDF. In some, where the killings are overt bogus investigators are assigned to carry out inquiry only for pretension that the cases have been examined. Actually, the so-called investigators refuse to listen to what the plaintiffs say and decline to accept evidences they submit. They consider only what the EPRDF murderers have to report.

AEUP is not armed and cannot confront murderers with a military force. AEUP is established by law and respects the law of the land. But when the ruling party is beyond and over the law of the land there will be no one in a position to execute the rule of law. The possible episode to prevail next may be anarchy and civil war. On the side of AEUP, much has been done so that these will not ensue.

The effort AEUP exerted in line with this includes:

(1) Bringing the case to the attention of the Parliament through its one and only one representative.
(2) Bringing the matter to the attention of the Prime Minister and his cabinet through a formal letter of petition submitted to the prime minister.
(3) Notify the various government officials of various ranks and files the crimes being committed in their administrative zones.
(4) Teach the people to struggle peacefully in spite of the malicious actions of the EPRDF

All these have been made. There had, however, remained only one thing to do in the part of AEUP; and that was to bring the matter to the attention of the general public including to the armed forces of Ethiopia, organized political forces, NGOs, international organizations, governments of the world, democratic forces of the world and donor governments of the world. This has been executed through a press release of the issue in November 28, 2003.

EPRDF has remained a challenge to all democratic forces of the world rejecting to accept the rule of law in the land it rules by force. The European Union has officially denounced the tyranny of the EPRDF calling on EPRDF to dispose a level ground for opposition parties to compete in the coming election. EPRDF has turned a deaf ear to this call. It is afraid that if such level ground is available it will loose the election. It has therefore opted to preplan all sorts of sabotage to rig the coming election.

The United States is reluctant to interfere. It is to be recalled that contrary to its supreme constitution that denounces tyranny the current administration had demonstrated its friendship with the tyrant government by inviting Meles Zenawi to visit the White House in 2002. Observers say that the US administration did that to win the cooperation of the Ethiopian Government in fighting terrorism. However, democratic forces in Ethiopia and the United States are optimistic that the administration will have a limit of tolerance for a tyrant to rule its fellow citizens setting itself above the rule of law. They also believe that EPRDF is a sleeping communist that sooner or later it will become a challenge to the United States too as did the Talibans in Afghanistan. EPRDF has strengthened its tie with China awarding Chinese contractors a number of international tenders worth hundreds of million dollars.

The EPRDF however has become a more and immediate challenge to the newly established association of opposition political parties, the Ethiopian Unity Democratic Front (EUDF). EUDF, which is not at the moment a political party but an association of opposition political parties, is challenged by the EPRDF than any other organizations other than the AEUP. According to its charter of establishment an attack to a member of the association is an attack to the association itself. The association is also committed to coordinate the efforts and power of all members whenever such an attack on a member party is charged. It looks like that the EUDF is under preparation to respond effectively to this attack. I am afraid that there is little time to wait. People are dying!

Other organizations that are challenged are organizations that are engaged in democratization and the prevalence of the rule of law in Ethiopia like the Ethiopian National Council, (ENC), which recently involved itself in a political controversy quoted by the Indian Ocean News Letter as a source of unreliable information. It is believed that when the EPRDF is killing people who challenge its political sustainability “democratization” will become in a great challenge. NGOs established to promote democratization thus are more affected than any other organizations operating in Ethiopia to bring about a change in the political arena of the nation. Democratic forces therefore expect the ENC to concentrate on this challenge instead of engaging itself in compulsion of News Agency.

While the challenge charged by the EPRDF is strong indeed the response to the protest of the AEUP to protect its members by taking the necessary legal action against the illegal imprisonments, abduction and killings enforced by the EPRDF seems desperate. Up until now, EUDF is unable to issue a single release in support of the causes of its member, AEUP and condemn the brutal actions of the EPRDF. No NGO has come forward to echo the loss of lives in the outward crime committed by the EPRDF and called for the seizure of the malicious practice. ENC seems to have engaged in a different affair rather than condemning the blockage of the road to democratization. AEUP however has continued its struggle for democratization echoing its voice to reach all concerned that it is in a throat-to-throat charge against the EPRDF. It is ardently sending an SOS message to all friends. A friend in need is a friend indeed! It is time to respond.