Ethiopian opposition MP shot

2005-06-14 13:01

Addis Ababa - Police shot and killed an opposition politician, prompting authorities to detain six officers, a government spokesperson said as the government rejected an opposition offer to renew a peace deal.

The government said the peace deal would not work unless the opposition took further steps to end political violence that has left 37 dead.

One of the latest victims was Tesfaye Adane Jara, who had just been elected to parliament. He was shot on Sunday afternoon near his home in Negale Arsi, 250km south of the capital, said Beyene Petros, vice chairperson of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces.

"He was sitting and chatting with friends when police opened fire for no reason," Beyene added.

Police under investigation, leaders under house arrest

Information minister Bereket Simon said on Monday six police officers were being interrogated.

"The policemen who were involved in this incident were arrested and they are under investigation, if they are found guilty, they will be charged according to the law," he said.

The ruling party and the two main opposition groups signed a two-page document on Friday in front of diplomats pledging to condemn all violence and exercise restraint. Then the government began arresting opposition leaders, prompting them to call the non-violence deal meaningless.

Hailu Shawel, leader of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), was placed under house arrest hours after his party declared the agreement "not worth the paper it is written on". But after intense diplomatic pressure, the party leadership announced they accepted the deal "unequivocally and without reservations" late on Saturday.

Ethiopian authorities also placed a senior CUD official, Lidetu Ayalew, under house arrest on Saturday. The government said Hailu and Lidetu were threatening state security and were behind a week of protests in which police fired on demonstrators.

More deaths reported

Dr Yerdaw Ashagari, the medical director of Menelik Hospital, where all the dead from the protests have been taken, said the toll had risen to 36 as of Sunday. All 36 had died last week and it was not immediately clear why some deaths had taken longer to report.

The independent Ethiopian Human Rights Council said two staff members investigating last week's deaths and arrests were arrested on Monday by uniformed police.

Two other investigators are missing, one of them since last week, said Adam Melaku, executive secretary of the council.

Police were not immediately available for comment.

Finance ministers from the world wealthiest countries on Saturday agreed to include Ethiopia on a list of 18 countries to receive total debt relief in order to assist development.

- AP