Ethiopia accuses Eritrea, opposition of recent explosions

Mar 11, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopian authorities said they found evidences show that Eritrea and Oromo rebel group are behind the recent explosions in Addis Ababa.

Three explosions outside of a hotel restaurant and in a shopping district of Ethiopia’s capital at midday on Tuesday 7 March, wounded four people and blew out windows.

In a statement they sent to the official ENA on Saturday, the National Intelligence and Security Service and the Federal Police Anti-Terrorism Task Force said the evidences show that the Eritrean government, and opposition elements backed by Eritrea “such as the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and other traitors” were behind the explosions.

According to the statement, “investigations carried out on the types and make of the explosives used in the recent terrorist attempts confirmed that most of the explosions were carried out using a grenade known as C-4”.

The statement further said “the findings of the investigation indicate that such type of grenade cannot be possessed by individuals, and added that there are indisputable evidences that the grenades were smuggled into the country from Eritrea”.

Ethiopia has been hit by a series of violent protests in which more than 80 people have died since elections in May, which the opposition says were rigged.

Top opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) leaders were among 131 people charged with treason and planning to commit genocide stemming from those protests.

In January, several public buildings and hotels in Addis Ababa were damaged by explosive devices planted by unknown people.

Last month the Federal Police Anti-Terrorism Taskforce issued a statement saying it had foiled a plot to “unleash armed urban terrorism” in the capital by a group linked to the CUD.

The statement said authorities seized a cache of dynamite, bombs and small arms.

(ST)