Ethiopia arrests Oromo rebels after raid on dam site – TV
June 26, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) – Ethiopian authorities on Friday arrested three rebels from Oromo Liberation Front accusing them of carrying a raid on a dam construction site in the western part of the country and beating Chinese workers.
Ethiopia TV reported that rebels were planning “terrorist activities” there, and were later caught by security forces. “The culprits beat Chinese technicians working at the site, robbed laptops, printers, digital surveying machines and other equipment at the site,” it further said.
The Chinese technicians were transported to hospital after being badly beaten by the OLF gang during the attack this week at the Neshie Dam..
The three were paraded on TV, together with guns, communications equipment and bomb-making materials.
Established in 1973, Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which Ethiopia considers it as “Terror group” has been fighting for the liberation of the southern Oromo region since 1993, alleging government discriminates the Oromos, largest ethnic group of the nation.
The Ethiopian government which describes the Oromo rebels as “anti-peace elements” accuses arch-foe Eritrea of supplying weapons to destabilize political stability in the country.
However an opposition figure told Reuters that the government’s version on the arrests was not credible.
“Unless there is ample evidence that the three persons apprehended as terrorists were attempting to carry out terrorist activities along the dam site, we cannot trust what the government is alleging,” said Gebru Gebremariam, chief whip in parliament for United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF).
“The government always carries out massive arrests of the Oromo people under the pretext of terrorism.”
(ST)
Dongjol
Ethiopia arrests Oromo rebels after raid on dam site – TV
Sorry,
The government of Meles Zenawi must be blehind. There are anti-peace elements for instance in Gambella shooting innocent citizenry in to death and acting above the law(constitution)and yet no one dare questioning them.The OLF had to follow the leadership seen being practiced.
Is majority vote democratic during substantive issues other than procedural ones?I will expect an answer from the EPRDF of Meles Zenawi.
Thanks,
Dongjol
Jabeessa
Nothing new!
Well, all the times ETV tells us the capture and detention of OLF, CUD, ONLF, Ginbot 7 etc members branding them terrorists, anti-peace, gangs bla..bla.. Have we heared new thing here? No! Ofcourse not!
Since the pullout of OLF from transitional gove’t of Ethiopia, the number of Oromos (mainly innocent) have been escaleting even today. All the times they feel bad, they (government people), just rush out and detain anyobody who they feel good in detainig. POWER ABUSE???!!!
This is, but the extension of the previous act. Three months ago, they declared that they have detained the plotters of Ginbot-7, but tody they are propagating that they captured and detained OLF members. What a heck is this? Why not they call all people living in this land called Ethiopia terrorists.
Finally, I have seen nothing new here, but a bunch of lies, propaganda they have been using previously to detain people.