The following press release was issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Quite recently, in the month of April 2004, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and its collaborators, with a shared vision and hidden agenda, disrupted the ongoing efforts to build sustainable peace, economic development and democracy in Ethiopia. The OLF is one of the political parties, or Fronts, which participated in the Transitional Government of Ethiopia from 1991-1994, after the overthrow of the Derg regime. It was unfortunate that, as the country intensified the democratisation process towards the adoption of the Constitution of the country, the OLF decided to withdraw itself from the system and waged war against the whole process.

The OLF’s terrorist acts are not a new phenomenon. OLF has been engaged in various destabilising activities since it walked out of the Transitional Government back in the 1990’s.

Since then, it has recruited promoters with the intention of realising its hidden motives and has attempted to wreak havoc in several schools in Oromia Regional State.

In this regard, certain teachers and students who sympathise with the OLF’s mission were found to be engaged in disrupting the learning and teaching process and instigated violence in several schools of the region in which serious damage to human life and property of an un-estimated amount was caused.

Following the violence, the Oromia Regional State Police, with the assistance of the public, put under its custody those suspects who allegedly participated in the aforementioned criminal acts. The cases of some 25 offenders were brought before the Penal Division of the respective regional courts. After examining the charges and evidence, the courts convicted them of the offence. As far as the cases of the remaining 565 suspects are concerned, the police investigation report has been submitted to the Prosecution Department for a final decision.

Currently, the individuals whose names are referred to in the letter have been brought before the judicial authorities of the respective area as prescribed by the Constitution of the F.D.R.E and the Criminal Procedure Code of Ethiopia. The judicial authorities, considering the seriousness of the criminal acts for which the named suspects are held and the need for additional time to carry out further investigation, granted an order for the suspects to remain in a remand home on temporary remand for further investigation.

Therefore, as soon as the police investigation is finalised, the cases of Abebe Chimdi, Dinsa Serbessa, Mosissa Futasa, Tesfay Teressa, Ashebir Oncho, Marga Legesse and Weldeyesus Mengesha will be submitted to the appropriate judicial organs in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Code of Ethiopia.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

ENDS