IN JUNE 1991, the forces of the TPLF/EPRDF (now in power in Addis Ababa) attacked the areas in Gondar and Gojjam then held by the Ethiopian people's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) that had been struggling against the Mengistu Haile Marian regime. In the all out war that ensued, some EPRP leaders and veteran members fell into the hands of the TPLF at Sankisa (Quara region).

These were: Tsegaye Gebremedhin Luccha (also known as Debteraw),a founding member of the EPRP, the Ethiopian student movement, a poet; Yishak Debretsion, leading committee member of the EPRP; Sitotaw Hussein and Belete Amha (members of the leadership committee); and veteran members like Tekali Gebre Sellassie, Hagos Bezabih and Desalegn Amsalu. At around the same time Sudan handed over to the TPLF/EPRDF Azanaw Demile, an EPRP cadre, who was a refugee in the Sudan. All of the above were imprisoned briefly at Bahr Dar where they were seen by many people and then transferred to Tigrai. The denial by the TPLF/EPRDF authorities that they never captured or imprisoned the above is denied by the testimony of many eye witnesses. The ruling EPRDF has, over the years since it assumed power, imprisoned and disappeared as well as killed EPRP leaders and members.

The EPRDF continues to deny that it has ever held the above under custody. This denial has fuelled the suspicion that it may have secretly and arbitrarily executed them in prison. The other sad aspect is the fact that local and international human rights organizations continue to maintain silence over the fate of the above disappeared.

SOCEPP calls on the TPLF/EPRDF to account for the fate of the disappeared EPRP leaders and calls on the international human rights organizations to do the same.

SOCEPP