Ethiopia Arrests Nine Including Two Journalists on Suspicions of Terrorism

Tesfa-Alem Tekle

29 June 2011

Addis Ababa — Ethiopia Federal police anti-terror task force on Wednesday said it has detained nine people including two journalists, which it said were involved on terror activities.

The minister of government communication affairs, Shimeles Kemal, said the suspects are believed to have been recruiting terrorists to organise a terrorist cell.

He added that the suspects were planning to carry out attacks on the country’s major infrastructure facilities, telecommunications and power centres in collaboration with domestic anti-peace elements.

Ethiopian officials said the two journalists, Reeyot Alemu, a columnist for the independent weekly and Feteh, Wubushet Taye, deputy editor of Ethiopian Awramba Times were arrested, not in relation to their journalistic activities, but due to their involvement in the terror activities.

Sudan Tribune has learnt that among the arrested two are opposition party members.

Federal Police officials said the detention was not political and that there is concrete evidence of their plans and charges will be pressed accordingly.

Arch-foe Eritrea was providing financial support to the suspects, a joint statement released on Wednesday by government communication affairs office and federal police anti-terror task force said.

The Ethiopian government has recently labelled five groups, three domestic and two international, organisations including al-Qaeda and al-Shabab as terrorist entities. Eritrea which Addis Ababa routinely accuses of sponsoring instability in Ethiopia and backing terrorism was however not included on the terror list.

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