JUNE 15/2005

In June 1991, numerous leaders and members of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) fell into the hands of the soldiers of the present ruling Front/TPLF-EPRDF/. They were captured in parts of Gondar and Gojjam regions and later taken and imprisoned in Bahr Dar (Gojjam) to be later taken to Tigrai.They have disappeared since.

The disappeared are Tsegaye Gebre Medhin/Debteraw/,Sitotaw Hassan, Amha Belete,Yishak Debre Tsion--all four were members of the EPP leadership committee- Teklai Gebre Sellasie, Hagos Bezabih, Desalegn Amsalu and Azanaw Demile who was forcefully deported by the Sudan and handed over to the TPLF. The officials of the ruling group have always refused to account on the fate of the above while spreading deniable reports of their "execution" or their "never having been captured. In addition to the above, Ms Aberash Berta, Lemma Hailu, Kebede Tesfaye, Wondusirak Desta, trade unionist Abebe Ainekulu, journalist Berhanu Ijigu, Teshome Beyene, Mot Bainor,Demissie Tesfaye, Eyob Tadesse, detained from Addis Abeba, Bahr Dar and Arba Minch in the mid 90s have all disappeared.

Dozens of political dissidents have disappeared after being arrested by government security forces and in almost all cases the officials have denied any knowledge. What makes the case of the EPRP disappeared is the fact that their case has been ignored by international human rights organizations that report on other disappearances.

SOCEPP once again demands an account from the EPRDF on the fate of the disappeared.