H E President Thabo Mbeki
President of the Republic of South Africa and the African National Congress
C/O Department of Foreign Affairs
Union Buildings, Pretoria
Re: Open Memorandum about Political Prisoners & Prisoners of conscience in Ethiopia
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the people who have assembled here today and Ethiopians living in South Africa, I have the honour to present this memorandum to your representative here at the Union Buildings. This memorandum is different from our previous memorandums. It is prepared out of desperation.
Your Excellency,
We are aware that you have just returned from Ethiopia after attending the Ordinary Session of Heads of State of the African Union. We are also aware that you have inaugurated the UNISA building, and launched the 2010 World Cub in Addis Ababa. We are delighted about both events. It further shows the unity of Ethiopians and South Africans.
Your Excellency,
We are not aware whether you have been sufficiently briefed about the plight of political prisoners, prisoners of conscience and the election crisis in Ethiopia. We are not aware whether you have been sufficiently briefed about the reason why Meles invaded Somalia. If you have been briefed sufficiently, we are confident that you would not have had a hand shake with Meles, let alone publicly appear with him at a function! We are not aware whether you have been briefed about the famous prisoners of Ethiopia that are incarcerated in Kaliti prison. If you had been, we are confident that Your Excellency would have raised these issues, and visited the prisoners during your recent stay in Ethiopia.
Your Excellency,
Please be informed that on February 19, 2007 there will be a politically charged “trial” of the leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP, kinijit). Sources that are close to the party indicate that the secrete negotiations between Meles and the prisoners have broken down. Hence, the TPLF controlled court is widely expected to sanction the continued incarceration of the respected and popularly elected leaders of the party. In our view, by most accounts, the February 19 trial in Addis Ababa will be similar to the historic Rivonia mistrial in which anti-apartheid struggle heroes were sent to jail for more than a quarter of a century. We therefore request Your Excellency to break your silence!
Your Excellency,
As you know Prime Minister Meles and his minority dominated regime continue not to abide by the basic rules of democracy. When Meles realized his election defeat, he found an excuse and declared a state of emergency. Under his direct command, his mono-ethnic army, the Agazi, conducted wanton destructions, resulting in the brutal suppression of democracy. These destructions are well documented. They have precipitated the December 15 2005 Resolution of the European Parliament and the draft bill of the United States Congress (HR 5680). Meles’s own Enquiry Commission concluded that he was responsible for the massacre of 193 people.
In 2006 the besieged Prime Minister conducted a series of military and diplomatic adventures. Unfortunately, Africa has not been able to see this. In spite of the glaring human rights abuses, the election crisis, the border crisis, rampant inflation, TPLF’s occupation of Somalia, the members of the African Union decided to appoint the butcher of Addis Ababa to lead NEPAD and APRM. This is indeed incomprehensible not only to millions of Ethiopians that have voted for democracy on 15 May 2005 and those people who are waiting for justice, but to the entire continent. The appointment of Meles legitimizes the brutal rule of TPLF in Ethiopia and puts a death nail to the aims and objectives of the African Union.
Your Excellency,
Several political parties, civic movements like ours and human rights organizations have issued various communiqués about the political killings in Addis Ababa, Ambo, Awassa, Azezo, Borena, Bedeno, Dessie, Dire Dawa, Dupti, Gambella, Goba, Gojam, Gondar, Hadiya, Qebri-Dahar, Makelle, Nazreth, Nekempte, Nejo, Ogden, Yabelo, Yirgachefe, etc. These killings have never been investigated.
The absence of democracy is turning legally registered political parties to clandestine movements. High ranking military officers, diplomats, senior civil servants, judges, journalists and other professionals continue to defect from the regime. To the best of our information, the following organizations are either clandestine parties or are in the process of becoming clandestine movements:-. The Afar Liberation Front, The Alliance for Democracy (AFD), The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP, Kinijit); The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF, hibret); The Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party (EPRP); The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); The Ogden National Liberation Front (ONLF); The Ethiopian People Patriotic Front (EPPF); The Ethiopian Patriotic Front (Paul Twat), The Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM); The Anuak Justice Council (AJC); The Ethiopian Teachers Association (Dr Taye W Semayate) and The Ethiopian Orthodox Church (Patriarch Merkorios). Hence, Africa should not wait to see another Darfur.
The list of political prisoners is endless. According to human right sources, there are tens of thousands of political prisoners in Ethiopia. To assist Your Excellency below we have listed a dozen most popular political prisoners of Ethiopia and their unofficial bio data:-
Engineer Hailu Shawel, 75, Formerly Cabinet Minister & Chairman of CUDP, kinijit.
Judge Birtukan Mideksa, 35, Former High Court Judge & Vice President of the CUDP
Dr Berhanu Nega, 55, Associate Professor of Macroeconomics & Mayor Elect of Addis
Ababa.
Professor Emeritus Mesfin Wolde Mariam, 78, Former President of Ethiopian Human
Rights Council, CUDP
Dr Yacob Wolde Mariam, 58, Formerly Associate Professor of Laws & Member of the
United Nations Tribunal on Rwanda, CUDP
Dr Hailu Araya, 65, Formerly Associate Professor of Languages & United Ethiopian
Democratic Party (UEDP Medhin), CUDP
Artist Debebe Eshetu, 65, Renowned comedian and Television Personality, CUDP
Dr Befekadu Degefe, Formerly Associate Professor of Macroeconomics and President of
Ethiopian Economic Association, CUDP.
Ato Tsegaye Gebre Medih Araya, 58, Poet and Veteran leader of the EPRP, UEDF
Ato Seye Abraha, 55, A Tigrean nationalists, Former Minister of Defence.
Ato Daniel Bekele, 45, Human Rights Lawyer
Kifle Tigneh Abate, 65, Vice chairman of CAFPDE, UEDF
Your Excellency,
We will not be able to sufficiently detail the Ethiopian crisis in this memorandum. Nonetheless, as you can see above, the crisis in Ethiopia warrants an African intervention. One fact is also clear. No peace can be established in Ethiopia and the Greater Horn of Africa region while CUDP leaders are in prison. The border problem with Eritrea and the instability in Somalia will not be resolved without the installation of a democratically elected and accountable government in Addis Ababa. The peace and reconciliation process will be long and difficult, but we believe the release of the popularly elected, senior citizens and academics from prison is the first step in the right direction. We therefore request that South Africa breaks its silence, and use its influence on Meles so that ALL political prisoners and prisoners of conscience are released. We request South Africa to facilitate a national reconciliation conference. This type of preventive diplomacy is by far better than sending peace keeping forces.
Finally, I take this opportunity to thank the People and Government of South Africa for allowing us to freely express our opinion.
Respectfully,
Tamiru Woubet, Mr.
Chairperson
——– CONTACT
Ethiopian Community Association in South Africa
Tel: 27+0824819541 or 27+ 0827444860
P.O.Box 17051
Doornfontien 2028
South Africa
