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From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Tue Sep 13 2011 - 16:53:49 EDT
ht*tp://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/10/06ADDISABABA2708.html*<http://wikileaks.org/cable/2006/10/06ADDISABABA2708.html>
http://www.cablegatesearch.net/cable.php?id=06ADDISABABA2708&q=2790853
S E C R E T ADDIS ABABA 002708
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2016
TAGS: PTER [Terrorists and Terrorism], PREL [External Political Relations],
PGOV [Internal Governmental Affairs], ET [Ethiopia], ER [Eritrea]
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: RECENT BOMBINGS BLAMED ON OROMOS
POSSIBLY THE WORK OF GOE
Classified By: CHARGE VICKI HUDDLESTON FOR REASONS 1.4(b)AND(d).
¶1. (S) SUMMARY A series of explosions were reported in Addis
Ababa on September 16, killing three individuals. The GoE
announced that the bombs went off while being assembled, and
that the three dead were terrorists from the outlawed Oromo
Liberation Front (OLF) with links to the Oromo National
Congress (ONC). An embassy source, as well as clandestine
reporting, suggests that the bombing may have in fact been
the work of GoE security forces. END SUMMARY
¶2. (U) On September 16, three bomb explosions were reported
in the Kara Kore area of Addis Ababa. The explosions were
heard at 4:45 a.m., 7:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m. The National
Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), together with the
Federal Police Anti-terror Task Force later reported that the
bombs were "part of a coordinated terror attack by the OLF
and Sha'abiya (Eritrea) aimed at disrupting democratic
development." The NISS said that the intended terror plot
had failed and the bombs had mistakenly gone off while the
suspects were preparing them while hiding out at an illegally
built house. Two of the suspects died immediately, while
another died on the way to the hospital. One other is in
critical condition. The police task force reported having
others in custody related to the plot and that evidence shows
the terrorists had ties to Oromo groups - the Mecha and
Tulema Association (MTA) and the ONC. They also said that
the bombs used contained parts sourced from Eritrea and were
consistent with bombs used in previous terrorist attacks.
¶3. (S) On September 20, Dr. Merera Gudina (strictly protect),
the former leader of the ONC (and a typically reliable
information source), contacted Post to report that the
deceased had not died not while constructing a bomb, but
rather at the hands of GoE cadres. Dr. Merera said that the
men had been picked up by police a week prior, kept in
detention and tortured. He said police then left the men in
a house and detonated explosives nearby, killing 3 of them.
He did not indicate whether the men were ONC or OLF
affiliated.
¶4. (S) Clandestine reporting indicates that the bombs did not
explode inside the structure, but rather appear to have been
placed outside and detonated.
HUDDLESTON
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