Ethiopia:"US state department and right groups liars and ill-advised" EPRDF (Woyane)regime

EthioGuardian, Ethiopia(06-05-2009): The tension and confusion in EPRDF camp is increasing everyday. The recent accessions are forwarded towards the American state department and right groups. EPRDF is aggressively attacking the American state department, Human Right Watch and Amnesty International. The state TV called all the human right reports baseless, far from truth, and intended to destroy the good image of the EPRDF regime and its good human right record. In some instances, the government tried to bring some vague evidences to prove its innocence. The state TV called these organizations liars, unwise and ill-advised.

According to Zenawi’s mouthpiece, the stateTV (ETV), all documentations and investigation reports of US state department, Amnesty international, HRW, including satellite images- confirmed by a U.S.-based science group, which proofed the destruction of villages in Ogaden region- are all fabricated lies to destroy EPRDF’s good image

EPRDF used to be a good allay of the former bush administration and received millions dollars in development aid. Despite all its poor human right records, the bush administration helped the dictatorial regime for long. The EPRDF regime went to Somalia to keep the Bush financial support flowing. This trend seems to come to an end. The recent accessions show the frustrations and nervousness of the shacking EPRDF government. With a new administration in America that is concerned about human right records, Zenawi knows that he can’t use the old technique of killing his own citizen and get more support. The very new technique is attacking the accuser, the American state department Human Right Watch and Amnesty International.
The economical crisis, the change in the American administration, the distrust in its military, the ever increasing public dissatisfaction, pushed the EPRDF regime to a level of madness. A week ago the government claimed to have arrested some coup plotters, denied any visits, and refused to give name and locations of the detainees. The next day it called them they were just desperados, who did not have a power to remove a government. When the EPRDF lost any attention from any of the western country or any other state, Zenawi used a non-existing Somali government to label the detainees and the alleged organization, Ginbot7, as terrorists, which showed its blind view and desperation.
The Zenawi regime is accused of genocide by genocide watch, violator of press freedom by independent free media organizations, and repressor of human right by almost all human right organizations. These increasing accusations are causing a lot of fracture in the EPRDF camp.

Ethiopia:Senior Ethiopia officers "plotted assassinations"

"Senior Ethiopia officers "plotted assassinations"
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Senior military officers in Ethiopia, including a general, had plotted to assassinate top EPEDF officials, EPRDF (Weyane) Communications Minister Bereket Simon said Friday, adding that 40 people were under arrest.

"While six of the suspects were army officers on active duty, including one general, 34 of the suspects were ex-army men expelled from the army on grounds of misconduct," he told a press conference.

Bereket said the plotters belonged to the Ginbot 7 (May 15) opposition group, saying it was linked to the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) headed by Berhanu Nega, currently living in the United States.

He said the government believed that the "desperado" group was not planning to stage a coup, but intended "assassinating individuals, high ranking government officials and destroying some public facilities and utilities ... like telecom services and electricity utilities.

"The police have also found evidence implicating some ex-CUD members released on pardon. With the exception of some three or four of the desperado group who are still at large, the police have arrested almost all members of the conspiracy."

Berekt told AFP the government knew about the plot from its inception, adding, "If there had been laxity from the government, there would have been problems."

The mass arrests were reported on Sunday by state media, which said the National Security Taskforce had also found weapons including bombs, computers and communications equipment, military uniforms and documents.

The CUD won an unprecedented number of seats in the May 15, 2005 elections, which the European Union and other observers said fell short of international standards.

Around 200 people died in violence that erupted after the CUD accused the party of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of rigging the ballot.

Berhanu, 51, currently a university professor in the United States, was elected mayor of Addis Ababa in the polls. He was subsequently jailed for two years along with other leaders of the CUD, and left the country after his release.

Ethiopia's next general election is scheduled to be held in June 2010.

In a statement on its website following the initial reports of arrests Ginbot 7 said it "has no desire to engage in a tit-for-tat with the dictators in Addis Ababa, nor the time to waste replying to baseless accusations by a regime that rules Ethiopia by the barrel of the gun."

"Ginbot 7 remains committed to work for the establishment of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law in Ethiopia. No amount of scurrilous accusations, threats or blackmail by the regime will deter us from pursuing the cause of democracy and freedom," it added.