March 1, 2000

UPDATE ON THE REPRESSION NEWSPAPERS BANNED, FORMER EDITOR JAILED, BUSINESS LEADERS ROUNDED UP

The Ministry of Information and Culture has,last week, banned three private newspapers: GOH, ATKUROT and MORESH. Overt and covert moves by the government have led to the closing down of 17 independent newspapers of which only three have reappeared. The government has also detained Maeregu Bezabih who was editor in chief of Addis Zemen, Yezareitu Ethiopia and Yekatit during the times of the Mengistu regime. He was also charge d' affaires at the Ethiopian embassy in London and a press officer at the embassy in Geneve. At the time of his arrest, Maeregu Bezabih was a public relations officer at the European Union. The government accuses him of (writing and thus) "inciting, urging, encouraging and supporting" the killing of 389 people during the Red Terror. Observers note that his arrest had little to do with alleged Red Terror crimes while being actually motivated by his expressed opposition to the EPRDF and his refusal to join/support the EPRDF by being its employee. · The EPRDF government has in the past days detained scores of people in Bahr Dar region in what reliable reports indicate is a political (and economic) move aimed against Amara business leaders and personalities. Thus, police have detained and taken to an undisclosed detention center a number of people including the following : · Ato Amanuel Yilma: political scientist and educator; AtoEyesus Abai:Land Developer; Ato Genanew Aychilum :Electrical engineer and educator; Ato Yilma Belatchew: Business leader; Ato Lema Haile Sellasie:Banker; Ato Getnet Tiruneh: Business manager; Ato Yihenw Belay: industrial economist/consultant; Woizero/Mme/Eyerusalem Berihun: Business woman; Ato Endris Mohamed: Business man; Dr. Anchinalu Wassie: Business leader and Eyob Gebre Hanna: Business man.

SOCEPP