March 12, 2004

The latest US State Department Human Rights report on Ethiopia has once again presented a partial view of the violation of human rights by the EPRDF ruling over Ethiopia. The tendency to compare the present violations with that of the defunct regime to the benefit of the EPRDF still persists and the number of the disappeared is erroneously maintained at below forty. The local Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) has also, for unexplained reasons, limited the number of the disappeared to less than forty.

The truth about the number of the disappeared is however different. More than 100 people have been disappeared and recent reports from the Ogande, from Hararghe, Gamo Gofa, other southern regions.Gondar, Gojjam,Wello, Kaffa,etc.. prove, at least, very many more people have been disappeared by the EPRDF. The erring reports fail to mention the disappearance of journalists Kumsa Berayu and Berhanu Ijigu, of political leaders and activisits like Tsegaye Gebre Medhin, Sitotaw Hussein, Yishak Debretsion, Teklai Gebre Sellasie, Hagos Bezabih, Hagos Atsbiha, Azanaw Demile, Belete Amha, Aberash Berta, Lemma Mekonen,Tesfaye Kebede, Ashenafi Mengistu, Abebe Ainekulu,Teshome Beyene,Mot Byanor and many others. Why the number of the disappeared is minimized remains unexplained.

The EPRDF is one of the worst violators of human rights in Africa and no amount of whitewashing can hide its repressive acts against the people of Ethiopia. Fifteen thousand political prisoners, hundreds disappeared, tortured, maimed, thousands forced into exile, very many summarily executed, this and more makes up the human rights record of the EPRDF. It is time for the apologies and cover ups to end.