December 21, 1999
INTENSIFIED REPRESSION TARGETING AMHARAS
It is no secret that official (ethnic) politics of the EPRDF government, dominated by the Tigrean people's Liberation Front, discriminates against Amharas (the major ethnic group next to Oromos) whom it collectively accuses of having dominated in the past all other ethnic groups. Massacres of Amharas in Asebot, Arba Gugu,etc were reportedly encouraged by the EPRDF. The government has also tried as much as possible to purge Amharas from the civil administration, the school system, the foreign ministry and has discriminated against the Amhara regions in the allocation of development funds, the opening of schools, health centers, etc SOCEPP has ow received the report that the EPRDF officials are stepping up their repression in areas inhabited by Amharas ( Kilil 3 and other areas). · Northern Shoa which is seriously affected by famine has been totally ignored in terms of relief aid while the prisons in the area (Debre Brehan for one) continue to fill up with detainees accused of anti-government activities. · Government police and cadres have been on a virtual rampage in the area of Amara Sayint beating up people. One young woman has also been bayoneted and hospitalized. The government has yet to explain why its cadres took such arbitrary actions against the people. · Scores of people in Quara, Agew Midr, Chilga have been reportedly detained and some beaten (in Metema, Aikel) on the unproven accusation that they are working with "anti-peace forces". A climate of fear and apprehension is spreading in many Amhara-inhabited areas as government security forces violate rights with impunity. It is as if they consider themselves as a foreign occupying power, many observers have noted commenting on the behavior of the EPRDF cadres in rural Amhara areas. Others state that one only has to compare the towns of Gondar and Dessie which have fallen to pieces with Makalle in Tigrai to observe the extent and reality of the discrimination practiced by the Tigrean government. This same government is harassing the poor people to contribute money for the war against Eritrea while it, like the previous regime did during the 1983 famine, is preparing to spend millions of Birr to celebrate in February the 25th anniversary of its foundation. SOCEPP expresses its sympathy to the plight of Amhara peasants (some of whose lands have been confiscated on the grounds that they could not pay debts incurred for fertilizers they had been forced to buy from the government in the first place), and calls on the EPRDF government to stop the relentless repression against the Amhara people and to take legal action against the cadres in Amara Sayint and other places who have violated the rights of the people.
STOP THE ANTI-AMHARA REPRESSION NOW
SOCEPP
