ETHIOPIA-HUMAN RIGHTS: TRIAL OF DEPOSED MILITARY RULERS OPENS

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

ANACLET RWEGAYURA

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 14 1994 (IPS) - THE TRIALS OF ETHIOPIA’S DEPOSED MILITARY RULERS ENTERED THEIR SECOND DAY AT THE CENTRAL HIGH COURT HERE WEDNESDAY WITH FAMILIES OF VICTIMS WHO WERE ELIMINATED BY THE REGIME DEMANDING APPROPRIATE SENTENCES.

PRESIDING JUDGE DESSALEGN ALEMU CALLED OUT FORMER HEAD OF STATE MENGISTU HAILE-MARIAM, WHO FLED TO ZIMBABWE IN MAY 1991, AS THE FIRST ACCUSED.

MENGISTU AND HIS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE CHARGED WITH GENOCIDE, MURDER, CAUSING BODILY HARM AND FORCING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF OPPONENTS OF THE MILITARY JUNTA WHICH RULED ETHIOPIA HIGH-HANDEDLY FROM 1974 UP TO MAY 1991.

THE CHARGES ARE BOUND IN A 269-PAGE PRINTED DOCUMENT, WRITTEN IN THE OFFICIAL AMHARIC LANGUAGE, WHERE THE PROSECUTION HAS LISTED NUMEROUS ACTS OF GENOCIDE IMPUTED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE THEN RULING PROVISIONAL MILITARY ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE (PMAC).

TWENTY-TWO OFFICIALS, INCLUDING MENGISTU, ARE BEING TRIED IN ABSENTIA. THEY FACE THE SAME CHARGES AS 51 OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PMAC.

HOWEVER, ONLY 46 OF THE DEFENDANTS APPEARED IN COURT TUESDAY. FOUR OTHERS WERE REPORTED TO HAVE DIED WHILE IN DETENTION BY SPECIAL PROSECUTOR GIRMA WAKJIRA

HOWEVER, 12 OF THE TOP DEFENDANTS, INCLUDING MENGISTU, HAVE ADDITIONAL COUNTS AGAINST THEM. THEY ARE CHARGED WITH MURDERING 1664 PERSONS, CAUSING BODILY HARM TO 99 VICTIMS AND FORCING THE DISAPPEARANCE OF 193 OTHERS.

THE TOP DEFENDANTS PRESENT AT THE TRIAL ARE FORMER PRIME MINISTER FIKRE SELASSIE WOGDERES, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT FISSEHA DESTA, CHIEF OF INTELLIGENCE TEKA TULU, CHIEF OF STAFF GENERAL ADDIS TEDLA AND KASSAHUN TAFESSE, A REGIONAL ADMINISTRATOR.

THE OTHERS ARE MARSHALL LEGESE ASSEFAU WHO WAS ADMINISTRATOR OF TIGRAY REGION, MAJOR ENDALE TESEMA, GESSESE WOLDE-KIDAN, CAPTAIN WUBISHET DESSIE (A FIELD COMMANDER), TESFAYE GEBRE KIDANE AND FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER BERHANU BAYE.

THE LAST TWO TOOK REFUGE TO THE ITALIAN EMBASSY IN ADDIS ABABA AT THE TIME OF THE FALL OF THE MILITARY REGIME AND THEY ARE BEING TRIED IN ABSENTIA.