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Ethiopia opposition leader’s father arrested

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — The father of Ginbot 7 high ranking official Andargachew Tsige has been roughed up and taken to Maekelawi prison by Meles Zenawi’s gunmen, according to Ethiopian Review sources.

On Friday, April 24, several gunmen surrounded Ato Tsige Habtemariam’s house in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa. The gunmen then roughed up the 80-year-old Ato Tsige and took him to Maekelawi the same day.

Ato Tsige continues to languish in jail. He is diabetic and recently had a heart bypass surgery.

Attacking elderly parents of opposition party officials — which did not occur even during the brutal Derg regime –shows how far Meles Zenawi’s traibalist dictatorship would go to silence dissent. Such inhumane attacks, uncharacteristic of Ethiopian tradition, also indicates the regime’s desperation and paranoia.

Earlier today, Ethiopian Review and EMF have reported that Ginbot 7 chairman Berhanu Nega’s family home has been surrounded by Meles Zenawi’s gunmen. Dr Berhanu’s father, Ato Nega Bonger was roughed up and mobile phones belonging to both Ato Nega and his wife, Wzr. Abebech Woldegiorgis were confiscated. Family members have been beaten up, at least on person was taken to jail.

The {www:Woyanne} regime alleges that Dr Berhanu Nega and Ato Andargachew Tsige, leaders of Ginbot 7 Movement for Democracy and Justice, are behind a coup plot that it claims to have foiled.

20 thoughts on “Ethiopia opposition leader’s father arrested

  1. Pathological liar tribal junta woyanes, how low are you gonna go, you are arresting 80 years old men? who is terrorizing who? Meles is the mother of terror. he belongs in The Hague. he is panicking. sooner or later he will go down.

  2. Kezih Behuala Yewoyane Nuro Yezaf lay enkilif new. Yekerewun Tikit Ken Bemebanen Yicherisewal.

    Ye Ethipia Yesidet Mengist Baschekuay Yikuakuam!
    Ke G7 ena OLF gar Wodefit!

  3. It seems that uncontrollable grieves have blanked the city of Addis Ababa – grieves for its fallen heroes, grieves for the unjustified arrests of its military leaders and some civilian officials and veteran soldiers.

    The citizens of Addis are right now panicking and do not know what to make out of all these tragedies except asking the usual question: “Who will be next either to go to Kaliti or to go to the grave?” Some of them, in fact, could have started erasing their important documents from their computers hard drives in case the Meles Federal police come and confiscate them and arrest the owners of those hard drive documents.

    The dictator himself, having found some cracks in his reliable and most formidable army in East Africa, his support from Washington eroding day by day, and some of his soldiers abandoning their military duties and fleeing to Eritrea, is in a state of turmoil, and he might be packing up his belongings to go to exile if it is that simple.

    Most of these misfortunes have fallen upon him after that tantalizing dinner he had had with his friend Al Bashir in Addis Ababa few days ago: the two criminals were sitting together and devising plans to evade justice and save their skins rather than save their citizens from hunger and diseases. I wish that very night the two criminals were slain and left dead and their leaderships given to some ones better than themselves.

  4. If all the above happens to be true,
    I don’t know the reason why a father is blamed for his son.Roughing up an 80 yrs old man is totally unethical,unfair and unacceptable.This individual is at risk of dying from any stressful situation.I don’t care what his son has done but the old man has the right to lead peaceful life because time is precious to him,he should enjoy for the rest of his life to the maximum he could.I really condemn the woyanne officials for doing such inhuman action.Ato Melese and other officials have to think about their fathers too.

  5. OH GOD, WHAT CAN WE REALLY DO TO DEMOLISH EPRDF? BE A SUICIDE BOMBER LIKE SOME ARAB NATIONS? EVERY REGIME WILL FALL SOON OR LATER THAT IS A FACT, BUT FOR SOME THE CONSEQUENCES WILL BE CATASTROPHIC. AND EPRDF IS ON THAT LEAST.

  6. TPLF is provoking us to revenge. Had Mengistu HM questioned Zenawi Asress, that time as his mecenary son was selling out Ethiopia? Meles shall think twice – His Children are studying in USA and UK luxuriously with the blood-money paid by poor and dying Ethiopians.

  7. Again, I ask—how would Meles would like it if Ethiopians go after his loved ones as he does to others? Mistreating elderly people is one of the ultimate cruelties.

    ABEL, I know we are all frustrated right now, but if you yourself wouldn’t do such a thing as suicide bomber, it is not right to tell others to do it and kill innocent bystanders. Ethiopians in nature are peace loving people regardless they are Muslims or Christians; with the exception of Woyanes of course. A lot can be done if all opposition groups come together including OLF and ONLF and join EPPF to get rid of these blood sucker woyanes.

  8. “Attacking elderly parents of opposition party officials — which did not occur even during the brutal Derg regime”
    When were you born Elias? Woyanne has actually learned all these brutality from his father Derg!

  9. Abel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Ha Ha Ha, You selfish, you don’t even have a gut to kill your poverity. Your mother is begging on Addis road and you boasting on the net. Have a life, cause I know you don’t have life. EPRDF stands for a hard working people who live in their country not like you a parasite who lives by a pension money.

  10. ምንም ሆነ ምን ለልጆች ስራ ደካማ አዛውንቶችን ማንገላታትና ማሰር: ከመጠን ያለፈ አምባገነንትና ጭካኔ ነው:: ይህ እውነት ከሆነ ወያኔ ተስፋ ቆርጣል ማለት ነው:: ምናልባት አሁን ወያኔዎች ስለ ደርግ ቢጠየቁ ትክክል ነበር ሳይሉን አይቀሩም::

  11. Weyane is evil and I do not expect something good from them. This is exactly what they have been doing to Oromo elders in the past; denigrating and demeaning respected people to achieve cheap political goal. Wayane has mistreated patients or withheld treatments etc in many prisons. In Dedhesa concentration camp TPLF has incarcerated severely sick patients, pregnant women and children. The style of TPLF is comparable to that of Nazis. Thus it is not surprising that they have arrested a severely sick elderly father of an opposition member. They do that regularly- yesterday to me today to you! TPLF thinks it will demean Andargachew or any opposition member, but their aim will backfire; public revolt and dissent cannot be stopped by such evil scheming. Weyane will fall!

  12. Wayane needs drama to survive. It´s just the beginning but not the end. It´s not political secret that a minority regime always needs internal drama. May God help the father to withstand this ugly situation which is fabricated by Weyane thugs.

  13. What does it mean to jail an 80 yrs old man blaming with government over throw? Look what this Dedebit graduates are doing? After they gave Ethiopian land to the Sudan’s government they begin to blame with Ginbot 7 for any inquiry that comes from the People of Ethiopia and the military . Let say it be true, one thing that we should understand is if Weyaniyes General is the member of ginbot 7 then what next? Whether it is true or not it is great gain for Ginbot 7 movement b/c the government controlled the liar ETV and Ethiopian Radio gave masmedia coverage that advertises Ginbot 7 through out the world specialy in Ethiopia.
    Now by hook or crook, it is time to join G7 to facilitate the death of the tyrant dedebit graduates! Thank you

  14. Our hope was to slowly civilize these people[1] [Ethiopians],” Dr. Berhanu Nega.

    Unbelievable! Dr. Berhanu Nega does not deny the fact that he wanted to see the current government gone by any means. Forgetting, this is the first government in the Ethiopian history attempting its best to enshrine democracy through out Ethiopia. The first government shading a light of freedom to nations and nationalities. The first government paving the way for the Ethiopian economy to take off. The first government entertaining multi-party system. Need I say more!

    Dr. Berhanu does not deny that the trickling light of democracy is shining upon Ethiopia. However, when he was interviewed by daily news, he was asked why he went back to Ethiopia from his cozy life in the USA. He said, according to the daily news, “Our hope was to slowly civilize these people [Ethiopians].” How arrogant can he be that he went to Ethiopia to civilize the uncivilized? He indirectly implied that our people are ignorant and need to be civilized like Americans and yet he expects the uncivilized people to practice democracy like the USA. If what he said was true, he failed to deal with the uncivilized people; therefore, he is unfit to rule or govern. Can somebody tell this out-of-touch Dr. to wake up and smell the roses? This is beyond arrogance; a very hippocratic and conceited attitudes shown to Ethiopians.

    Dr. Berhanu… keep your civilization in the US. Our people are very proud of their cultures, religions, and nationalities. They don’t want someone with PhD to teach them civilization as if civilization equates with PhD. Just for your information, the very people that you think are uncivilized are flourishing economical, socially, and politically. I admit that there are some growing pains. Nevertheless, they are on the right track. As economist, do you read comments made by IMF, World Bank, the Economist, or other intellectual magazines. I hope you do.

    I am extremely proud of the very diligent, professional, and legal work of the Ethiopian Security forces that squashed the Ginbot 7 civilized terrorist organization. I guess the uncivilized majority always wins. I cannot help it but to be sarcastic at Dr. Berhanu’s comment.

    The Ethiopian government turned a blind eye to those people who supported Ginbot 7 by donating a $500 US dollar or more. I think this people should be held accountable. The govenment need to launch an awareness that Ginbot 7 actions against their own people are unwarranted, uncalled for, and an illegal. AND any future donations made to Ginbot 7 with the intention to cause chaos, murder, and property damages on the Ethiopian people and government must be held accountable. The Ethiopian government with collaboration from foreign friendly countries should prosecute the wrong doers in their country of habitual residences. Until we [Ethiopians] become fully civilized, the Ginbot 7 is not going to sleep. We should use their civilized laws to the fullest extent to bring them to justice.

    Haile B.04/28/09

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