May 25, 2002

 DENOUNCE THE MASSACRE AT AWASSA

Thousands of people peacefully demonstrating against an arbitrary decision by the ruling EPRDF were blocked outside of Awassa town (Southern Ethiopia) and more than a hundred have been shot dead and close to 300 others wounded on May 24 around 11 am Ethiopian time.

The demonstrators, mostly rural people from Derasa and other people, were carrying the green yellow and red Ethiopian flag and were protesting against the EPRDF decision to turn Awassa, the capital of the Southern region, into a federally administered town. This decision is motivated by the desire of the ruling EPRDF to control the commercial and other beneficiary activities of the bustling town and to impose its monopolistic and ethnic control. The Southern people are opposed to the arbitrary decision which has been taken without consulting them at all but their protest was peaceful and their march on Awassa was just to express their views for the officials to take due note of.

The EPRDF authorities ordered their soldiers to open fire at the unarmed people and reliable sources have confirmed that more than a 100 have died and close 300 others wounded. This is a massacre, a crime to which the EPRDF government has to answer. SOCEPP vigorously condemns the Meles Zenawi government which has once again (Areka, Adebabye Iyesus, etc..)committed a bloody massacre deserving world wide condemnation.

SOCEPP