July 11, 2001

GOVERNMENT SOLDIERS COMMITTING GROSS VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS

The EPRDF government has in the past months sent thousands of regular soldiers to various towns and outposts in central, south, eastern and western Ethiopia. Many of these soldiers are reportedly taking violent and illegal actions against the civilian population and wreaking havoc.

 * Breaking into people's houses;

 * Gang raping women;

* Beating up civilians who are identified as supporters of opposition organizations;

* Illegal detentions;

* Extra-judicial killings

* Robbery in private dwellings and cars at roadblocks;

* etc

 by soldiers have been reported from many areas with special mention being made of the repression in the Hadiya, Welaita, Alaba and Tembaro areas. In Fincha, eastern Wellega, a government soldier threw a grenade in bar and killed three innocent civilians and two soldiers following a private dispute he had with another soldier. In this area, a woman was also gang raped by four or five soldiers. The government has let loose the soldiers in this manner in areas where people had voted against the ruling party in the last elections. The apparent aim is to terrorize the people and to take vengeance against those who had dared to cast their votes according to the diktat of their conscience. Some sources also allege that the ruling front, weakened by its won internal crisis, is trying to project a tough image by letting loose the soldiers on the people.

The fact remains that people in many towns and villages are living in fear and being subjected to an arbitrary repression. This has to stop and SOCEPP joins its voice to all the others who have been calling for a halt to this ongoing repression and violations of rights.

SOCEPP