Donors press Ethiopia to probe electoral deaths

ADDIS ABABA, June 29 (AFP) — Western donors on Wednesday pressed the Ethiopian government to probe the deaths of at least 36 people who died in electoral violence early this month, they said in a statement.

An Ethiopian policeman beating a university student using the butt of his assault rifle as another armed policeman moves in, in the capital of Addis Ababa on Monday, June 6, 2005. (AP).

They also called for the release of more than 1,000 people who were detained after the violence that wracked the impoverished Horn of Africa country after the May 15 polls, which the opposition claimed was marked by fraud.

The donors’ envoys urged both sides to stick to truce deals signed in June 10 and 13 after the violence after meeting Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and the leaders of the opposition.

“For these agreements to succeed, all sides must maintain a commitment to non-violence and full participation in the investigation process, and without prejudice to recourse to the courts, acceptance of election results thereafter,” the envoys said in a joint statement.

“All detainees should be charged or released as required by the constitution,” the statement said.

“The prime minister has promised an investigation into the events of June 8 (when most people died), and we look forward to the results of that investigation,” the statement said.

“The government has the primary responsibility for ensuring that the rule of law is upheld in Ethiopia and that such a tragic loss of life is not repeated,” it added.

Protests against provisional poll results showing a ruling party victory led to clashes in the capital in which police opened fire on crowds during demonstrations, killing at least 36 people on June 8.

The violence was followed by a massive police crackdown in which thousands of people, many of them opposition supporters and activists, were rounded up and placed in detention at a military camp south of the capital, Addis Ababa.

On Friday, police announced that had released 2,665 detainees from the Zewai military camp and Wednesday said they had freed an additional 400 people.

The exact number of those still being held at Zewai was not immediately clear as the police said Wednesday that 1,387 people were still in custody but after last week’s releases had said that only 465 detainees were left there.

“There is no place for retaliation or threats in this process,” the statement added.

“We … call on all leaders to prevent such activities (of violence) and call on all Ethiopians to reject such politics of hate. All sides need to put the interests of Ethiopia first or the democratic progress this country has made in recent years could be lost,” the statement added.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, which postponed the announcement of official final results by one month until July 8, has that date as well as a decision on possible election re-runs or vote recounts will depend on the investigations of electoral fraud.

“Whatever the outcome of the current electoral process, we trust Ethiopians will adapt to the reality of a multi-party state and embrace new habits for overcoming political differences,” the envoys said.