JANUARY 4/2008

1991--2008

Haile Abaye: 17 YEARS OF DISAPPEARANCE

June 1991-- Haile Abaye, a veteran member of the opposition Ethiopian People's Revolutuionary Party (EPRP) and a military leader of its armed wing (the EPRA) was wounded and captured by the soldiers of the Tigrean People's Liberation Front (TPLF) which is presently in power in Addis Ababa. Haile was captured as the TPLF forces advanced on Gondar/Addis Ababa and opened a side attack on the EPRA.

 A long time active leader of the Ethiopian Students Movement, Haile (also known as Fanno) was one of the militant youngsters to join the EPRP and later on the EPRA to fight for "the liberation of Ethiopia and her people". A fighter for democracy during the Emperor Haile Sellassie's reign and a militant against the totalitarian regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam, Haile Abaye (known in the field as Ambaye) , was reportedly killed by his captors in June 1991 but later reports contradicted this and indciated that he was taken to Tigrai, imprisoned and later disappeared along with Tsegaye Gebre Medhin, Yishak Debre Tsion, Amha Belete, Sitotaw Hussein, Teklai Gebre Sellasie, Hagos Bezabih and other leaders and militants of the EPRP.

SOCEPP is now asking the ruling EPRDF to account on the fate of Haile Abaye. If Haile has become one of the martyrs of the Ethiopian people much like Geleb Dafla, Meskerem, Girma Golja, Wasihun, Amberbir,Jaber,Gaim and countless others killed by the TPLF/EPRDF, then his relatives and comrades should know of this and grieve their loss appropriately. Till then, Haile becomes one of the disappeared amongst dozens and dozens of others lost in the dungeeons and underground prisons of the repressive TPLF/EPRDF regime of Meles Zenawi.

SOCEPP