PRESS RELEASE
Ginbot 7 Movement for Freedom and Justice rejects the claim made by the regime in Ethiopia that no war crime took place in the Ogaden region.
On June 11 this year, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) had issued a report supported by satellite photos that accuses Meles Zenawi’s regime in Ethiopia of rampant war crimes, including the burning of villages, mass execution of civilians, rape, torture, and blockade of food in the Ogaden region.
To minimize the impact of the report, the Meles regime had setup a 7-member inquiry commission that would investigate the charges made by the HRW.
No one had any illusion that the ‘inquiry commission’ that was put together by the accused war criminals would find any crime against the regime, since its only purpose was to give political cover to the regime.
As expected, the so-called ‘inquiry commission’ has issued a report accusing HRW of fabricating stories of war crimes in Ogaden.
The ‘inquiry commission’ did not address charges made by the Red Cross, Amnesty International, the New York Times and others that are similar to what the HRW reported.
So who is to be believed? These international human rights and humanitarian groups, and the New York Times, or a commission set up by the accused?
Ginbot 7 takes this opportunity to appeal to the international community to take the necessary steps to bring officials of the Meles regime to justice for the horrific war crimes they continue to commit against our brothers and sisters in the Ogaden region and against all the people of Ethiopia.
Ginbot 7
www.ginbot.org