Relatives of two prominent exiled Ethiopian politicians are among 35 people jailed in connection with an alleged plot to overthrow Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government. VOA’s Peter Heinlein reports Ethiopians shocked by news of the arrests are scrambling to learn the identities of the accused plotters and details of their alleged crimes.
Ethiopian officials Monday said they had nothing to add to a
statement issued Saturday announcing the arrest of 35 alleged members of
Ginbot Seven, an opposition group based outside the country.
Ginbot Seven, or May 15th , is the date of Ethiopia’s disputed 2005
election. The group’s leader, Berhanu Nega, is a charismatic politician
who was elected mayor of Addis Ababa
in that election. He was arrested
afterward, convicted of treason, and sentenced to life in prison along
with more than 100 other opposition leaders. All were later pardoned.
Berhanu now lives in the United States,
where he is an economics
professor at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.
Saturday’s government statement said security forces had foiled a terror
network formed by Berhanu to wage armed struggle against the government.
Spokesman Ermias Legesse said a search of suspects’ homes had revealed a
cache of weapons, military uniforms and a plan of attack.
In a telephone interview Monday, Berhanu confirmed that Ginbot Seven’s
aim is to overthrow the government by any means possible.
“Our position is very clear from the beginning,” said Berhanu. “This is an
illegal
government. This government is in power by coup de etat in 2005. This
govern has usurped power by force and therefore any mechanism to get rid
of an illegitimate tyranny is legitimate as far as we are concerned.”
Ethiopian media said those arrested included an active duty army
general, Teferra Mamo said to be leader of Ginbot Seven’s military wing.
The only other suspect identified was Melaku Tefera, an organizer for
the opposition Unity for Democracy and Justice party. He was identified
as the head of Ginbot Seven’s civilian wing.
Melaku was among the opposition leaders convicted of treason
and later pardoned following the 2005 election. He now joins UDJ leader
Birtukan Mideksa, who was re-arrested earlier this year and ordered to
serve out her life sentence.
Berhanu Nega said Monday he had been told that the accused included a
cousin of his living in Addis Ababa,
and the 80-year old father of Tsige
Andargachew, an exiled Ginbot Seven official living in Britain. Berhanu
told VOA security forces had surrounded his parents Addis Ababa home and
confiscated their cellphones.
“This is a government that accuses your relatives for what you do,” he said.
“Whatever it is that you do. That is why Ato (Mr.) Tsige Andargachew’s
father is in pris on. Maybe my cousin is in prison for the same reason.”
Several Ethiopian opposition figures Monday expressed concern over the
arrests. Member of Parliament Bulcha Demeksa agreed that Ginbot Seven
would be considered an illegal organization under Ethiopian law. But he
expressed skepticism about the reports of a coup plot.
“I honestly believe this is not true,” Bulcha said. “The government of Ethiopia has used such accusations so many
times to make it a reason to arrest people..
The election approaching. Anybody who could be a viable candidate for an
opposition party will be caught by this net.”
A government spokesman Monday said he was busy in meetings and could not
confirm reports of the arrest of Berhanu Nega’s cousin and Andargachew
Tsige’s father, or that Berhanu’s parents’s cellphones had been
confiscated.
The spokesman told VOA further details of the arrests and the coup plot
would be forthcoming in the next few days. He declined to speculate on
what charges might be filed against those detained, but said the
suspects would soon be brought before a judge to hear the charges read.
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