Network of Ethiopian Scholars (NES) - Scandinavian Chapter
Press Release No. 18,
2. november 2005

Ethiopiens magtfulde premierminister Meles Zenawi anvender meget voldelige magtmidler i sine bestræbelser på at imødegå demonstrationer fra tilhængere af oppositionskoalitionen CUD (Coalition for Unity and Democracy), der har nægtet at samarbejde i Parlamentet. Den politiske situation er uoverskuelig med sporadiske sammenstød mellem demonstranter og sikkerhedssyrker og mange dræbte og sårede.

Meles is unleashing fascist terror against the elected opposition leaders and the people of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian people and the world must unite to stop the madness of officially instigated criminal violence.

We received the enraging news of the shooting of people straight to their chest and the arrest of duly and democratically elected leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) with great sadness. We have known all along that the Meles regime is a terrorist dictatorship. For a while it tried to play the democracy game. It ended up playing so ineptly in the end its true colors are now fully exposed for the whole world to see. It has now unleashed a reign of terror against democracy, human rights, and the Ethiopian people.

(Left): A huge opposition rally (1.2 million people) last May 08, 2005 in Addis Ababa in Support of the Opposition, CUD. (Right): Troops ordered by the prime minister to intimidate, arrest, and kill people in June 8, 2005 popular protest. - Caption and photo montage: Ethiomedia, Photo: Courtesy of Andrew Heavens

Never has Ethiopia in its history produced such morally and intellectually committed opposition leadership to human rights, democracy, good government and genuine commitment to bring about development that can transform the conditions of the poor and the very poor.

Never has Ethiopia seen opposition leaders in its history who felt the weight and gravity of their responsibility to the Ethiopian people and their aspirations to vote and express voice. For seven Months from May to October the opposition leaders pleaded, offered various proposals, wrote letters to open dialogue and solve the problems in order to create the climate for genuine public debate. The regime showed an ostrich mentality and flatly refused to enter into any form of civilized dialogue. Instead the regime CHOSE to bring the nation to the brink and has preferred to unleash a state of terror.

It is time the international community act to condemn the regime that steal elections, violate its own constitution, fiddle the numbers to create a rigged parliament, showed a desperate interest to cling to power, use ethic divide and rule, impose fear on the people, kill unarmed people, rig elections, try to bribe individuals for cheap support, break oppositions rather than stimulating the creation of a viable opposition to institutionalize a viable democracy in the country. It is high time that the UN, EU, and the international community especially the USA and UK begin to speak sharply and clearly and condemn this regime, isolate it and assist the Ethiopian people to experience a democratic renaissance for the first time ever in their country's history.

This is not time for indecision or hesitation. This is time to act to stop repression and the violent imposition of an emerging terrorist dictatorship an escalating disorder. There is no doubt that the Ethiopian people are behind their opposition leaders and continue the struggle to free their respected leaders. The indiscriminate killing of the people will make the people angry and if they take action against the regime's agents, it is entirely the doing of the regime. All grave consequences for this horrific situation lie in the regime and all those who finance and arm this regime to kill people whose only crime is to stand decisively for Ethiopia to give a sustainable democratic order and freeing their imprisoned and abused leaders.


NES condemns the regime's current murders and terrors as utterly fascistic and calls for the immediate and unconditional stop to all such terror on the people.

We condemn the killings, arrest and injury of the people with such fascistic force.

We condemns the arrest of the CUD leadership and calls for their immediate and unconditional release

We hold the regime entirely responsible for driving the country to the brink of terror and chaos

We call on the international community to support human rights, democracy in Ethiopia with consistency and condemn the regime, request for unconditional release of the opposition leaders and stop any support to regime which is expanding its fascistic suppression.