December 11, 2003

IN an open letter sent to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (p.o.box 1031,Addis Abeba) and the Federal Parliament (p.o.box 80001,Addis Abeba)s, the peoples of Sheka and Mejenger have decried the lack of any official response to their plea against the gross violations of their rights. The peaceful attempt by these people to organize themselves and to have their own zone was met by a brutal repression on the part of the authorities and as a consequence more than 250 people were killed, thousands maimed and more than 500 jailed at the time (March 2002).

At present, more than 125 innocent people are behind bars and the plea for justice by the people continues to be ignored. The government claimed in fact, and erroneously, that the zoning problem has been solved and has gone ahead with a resettlement project that denies the Sheko –Mejenger peoples their rights. The letter to the PM makes it clear that the guilty ones have not been brought before a court of law even though their names are known. For example, the killers of students Markos Mikera and Bontu Lantu, the ones responsible for the purge of Sheko soldiers and the fleeing of hundreds of peasants into the forest, that is to say (1)Lieutenant Kebede Lulu, (2) soldier Samson Weldetsadik, (3)soldier Dereje (4) lieutenant Dawit Timitias (5) interrogator Basha Shukri (6) soldier Abera (7)the police commander Wodajo and others were just transferred to Sidama zone.

The Sheko-Mejenger people are demanding the immediate release of the 127 people in prison, the trial of those responsible for the killings and criminal acts, the setting up of an independent investigative commission, the immediate halt to the move to lump the Sheko district into the Bench zone, the cessation of the deforestation of the area under the cover of activities by investors, the halt to the harassment of Sheko intellectuals and the proper of zoning of the area by an independent body.

SOCEPP supports the legitimate demand of the Sheko peoples and calls on the authorities in Addis Abeba to stop the violation of rights they are still committing in the area and to give a proper rely to the demands of the people.