Abbay Media News
Yassin Ibrahim
Under Mounting Mass pressure, the Ethiopian government released prominent political prisoners today.
Among the released are the award winning journalist Eskinder Nega, Vice president of UDJ party Andualem Arage, and leaders of the Ethiopian Muslim movement Ahmed Mustefa and Ahmedin Jebel.
There has been generally continuous mass protests for the last two years that progressively increased in number and in intensity. Regardless, the government of Ethiopia turned deaf ears to the call for reform including forming a transitional government with the inclusion of the ruling party. To the contrary the government flexed its muscles by deploying its elite and special forces to stop the uprising by killing, beating, arresting and torturing protesters and even bystanders. The elite Agazi forces shot at random anyone they wanted not sparing even children, women and the elderly. Children as young as 9 and elders as old as in their 80’s were killed, tortured and badly beaten.
The last call for country-wide boycott that took place this week turned to a major protest specially in Oromia region forcing the government to release the leaders of the Oromo Federalis Congress Bekele Gerba, Gurmesa Ayano, Dejene Taffa and others. The protest, however didn’t stop but spread to even wider areas including the Amhara region.
All the signs and predictions indicate the Ethiopian government, which is only standing due its military power, is fast approaching its demise.
On their way out of jail Eskinder Nega and Andualem Aragie stated that their fight isn’t over yet and that their peaceful struggle for freedom, justice and democracy will continue until and unless victory is secured.
