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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Mon Sep 05 2011 - 17:35:21 EDT
Ethiopia arrests 29 over bomb plots
Mon Sep 5, 2011 6:38pm GMT
* Suspects accused of links with rebel group
* Nine are opposition party members
* Official denies political motive
By Aaron Maasho
ADDIS ABABA, Sept 5 (Reuters) - Ethiopia has arrested 29 people, including
nine opposition party members, for plotting to carry out bomb attacks in the
Horn of Africa nation, a senior security official said on Monday.
Demelash Woldemikael, deputy commissioner of federal police, said the
individuals had been rounded up since Aug. 27 and all had links with the
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a secessionist group Addis Ababa blacklisted
as terrorists last year.
"They were all trained by the OLF and we've found plenty of evidence proving
that they plotted to bomb targets," Demelash told Reuters.
Seven of the suspects are members of the opposition Oromo People's Congress
party, while two are from the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, Demelash
said.
He said the suspects had appeared in court and been remanded in custody to
enable police to carry out further investigations.
Opposition politicians and rights group Human Rights Watch have accused
Ethiopia of cracking down on opposition campaigners from the Oromo ethnic
group, Ethiopia's biggest with 27 million people out of a population of 80
million.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is Washington's closest ally in the
Horn of Africa but has been criticised by rights groups for crushing
dissent. Meles says "terrorists" are using political party membership to
hide their activities.
The government said it had arrested 121 Oromos in March after accusing them
of being OLF members.
Two opposition leaders from the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement and the
Oromo People's Congress were detained late last month on suspicion of OLF
links. The two men were included in the nine party members mentioned by
Demelash.
Ethiopia's main opposition coalition, Medrek, said the two had been detained
after meeting a delegation from international rights group Amnesty
International, which confirmed it had met the two leaders.
The government said last week claims there was a link between the meeting
and the arrests was "unfounded fabrication".
Demelash rejected the idea there were any political motives behind the
arrests of the 29 suspects.
"We have the evidence to prove against that. Their political activity had
nothing to do with their incarceration," he said.
"They were posing as peaceful activists but were in fact operating with the
OLF, which is responsible for past killings of innocent civilians," Demelash
said.
Oromia produces most of the coffee in Africa's biggest grower, along with
oil seeds, sesame and livestock, all of which are major exports. (Editing by
David Clarke)
C Thomson Reuters 2011 All rights reserved
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