Prominent Ethiopians of Tigray origin call for the removal of the TPLF regime

ESAT News (January 20, 2016)

Renowned Ethiopians of Tigray origin said in a statement today that the only way to stop the quarter century of human rights violations, mass arrests, extrajudicial killings and the suffering of Ethiopians is to remove the minority regime.

In a statement sent to ESAT, the nine prominent Ethiopians who hail from Tigray said the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) has been hostile, oppressive and brutal to all the people of Ethiopia, including the people of Tigray that it claim to represent.

They said the gang of criminals at the TPLF, who rule with iron fist, are responsible for the mass killings of innocent citizens as seen in the different parts of the country and at various times in Addis Ababa, Gambella, Ogaden and other parts of Ethiopia.

They also expressed their outrage against the brutal killing and arrest of protesters in the Oromia region and the killings perpetrated by operatives of the TPLF against the people of Gondar.

The statement said the hand full of corrupt officials at the TPLF have taken control of the security, economy, religion and every aspect of the lives of the people. They said the TPLF officials and their cronies in the ruling coalition EPRDF would be held responsible for the human rights violations, sufferings and loss of lives in the last forty years, since the days of TPLF as a guerrilla armed group in the 1970s.

The signatories of the letter are Abreha Belay, the editor-in-chief of Ethiomedia, Dr. Aregawi Berhe, Belaynesh Teklu, Gebremedhin Araya, Dr. Gidey Asefa, Girmay Gezahegn, Kahisay Berhe, Negassi Beyene and Tesfaye Asbeha.