Ethiopian Review
July 19, 2005

Representatives of the Coalition for Unity & Democracy (CUD), United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), and the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) held a meeting with the American, British, Finland and EU ambassadors last night in Addis Ababa.

At the meeting, which was held at the British Embassy, the opposition representatives informed the Western ambassadors that the Meles regime has made it impossible to conduct the vote probing process by continuing to harass, arrest and torture opposition party members and supporters.

The opposition parties expressed their disappointment that the US and EU, who are financing 40% of the Meles regime’s budget, are not using all their leverages in order to avert bloody confrontations between the government and the people.

The representatives explained to the ambassadors that the opposition parties are going against the wish of the people to try to facilitate a peaceful outcome. But it seems that this only emboldened the EPRDF to intensify its harassments, torture and killings of civilians who are suspected of supporting opposition parties.

Finally, the opposition representatives pleaded with the ambassadors that unless they use all their leverages on Meles Zenawi to convince him to respect the agreement he signed, things will be out of their control soon.

The opposition leaders expressed their deep disappointment and sadness that the US and EU are not willing to apply on the Meles regime the same kind of pressure they applied on the former Ukraine, Yugoslavia, Georgia, and other governments that tried to steal the people’s vote.