Ethiopia : Is the Red Terror 2.0? 

Raselass 

Several media and human rights organizations, such as the Guardian, BBC, Aljazeera, Amnesty,  the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, and the UN Human Rights Council, have reported many  cases of extrajudicial killings and torture of civilians in detention centers. The Guardian  published a report on September 8, revealing that more than 185 people were executed  without due process under the order of the command commission.  

This article aims to raise awareness among the members of the Amhara state of emergency  command post leaders to prevent them from committing crimes against humanity, war crimes,  Red Terror, and genocide. The current leaders were recruited by Meles and Berket for their lack  of education and understanding of international law, making them prone to committing terror.  It is crucial to note that Red Terror refers to extrajudicial killing. 

Red Terror is back under the new leadership of Col. Abiy Ahmed, Gen. Abebaw Tadesse, and  Col. Temesgen Tiruneh. Various reports reveal that more than 1450 people were executed  without due process under the order of the command commission.

Historical Precedence  

An example of historical precedence is Mengistu Haile-Mariam, who was charged with  genocide, crime against humanity, and terror despite not personally killing his opponents. He  was held responsible for leading his army and cadres who committed the Red Terror. This same  principle applies to current leaders such as General Abebaw Tadesse, Col. Temesgen Tirunerh,  Gen. Birhanu Jula, Col. Abiy Ahmed, and Mr. Arega Kebede.

What is Red Terror?  

In short, Red Terror is nothing but extrajudicial  killing. 

The legal definition of “an extrajudicial killing or execution is the deliberate killing of a person  without the lawful authority granted by a judicial proceeding”. It typically refers to government  authorities, whether lawfully or unlawfully, targeting specific people for death, which in  authoritarian regimes often involves political opposition, critics, intellectuals, trade unions,  dissidents, religious and ethnic groups. 

Of course, the state has the power to take anyone to court and pass a death penalty but red  terror is an extrajudicial killing to terrorize and rule by fear. What is happening under the  command of Col. Temesgen Tiruneh, Col. Abiy Ahmed, General Birhanu Jula and General  Abebaw fits the legal definition of Red Terror. They have authorized the army to round up and  kill young people as revenge or suspicion of being a member of Fano or supporting Fano or  have not intervened to stop it after it is being reported by the local and international media with concrete evidence. Their naïve view is that they didn’t pull the trigger and they are not  accountable.  

The Fourth Geneva Convention adopted in 1949 is one of the key international laws that  protect civilians during times of war. It stipulates that civilians must be protected and must not  be targeted. Violations of these protections, such as extrajudicial killings, can constitute war  crimes. 

1970s Red Terror 1.0  

Red terror in the 1970s was carried out before the invention of mobile phone cameras. The  actions of terror were not captured on cameras but even those executed and buried in secret  locations had to be exhumed when the time came. Now the world is different and most of the  killings are captured to make prosecution very easy. The internet is also a global database and  anyone whose name is mentioned with regards to war crime and genocide will not be granted  protection in Western countries unless they flee to North Korea. Hence, the command  Post official whose names are mentioned will not receive protection in the West. What is clear is  this government will come to an end either with the public uprising or ballet box in the near  future. Hence, that is why it is found important to list the names of the command office  leaders. 

The fact on the ground  

The EPDM and Ezema are descendants of the EPRP, with many members having previously  been a part of it. They argue that their fight against Mengistu was due to the Red Terror, but  fail to realize that people are labeled as criminals after the fact. During a time when it was 

popular to be a revolutionary, many joined groups like EPRP without intending to become  criminals. However, their actions and inactions led them to automatically become part of a  criminal organization. 

EZEMA, MENA and PP Amhara who are in Power sharing  

The MESON members are an example of this, as they followed without questioning the  advantages and disadvantages of decisions made by party leaders. Recently, Dr. Berhanu Nega’s  endorsement of extrajudicial killings of innocent Amharas has been revealed, which is why PP  and Ezema members need to distance themselves from these parties. 

If party leaders are proven to be committing war crimes and gross human rights violations,  EZEMA/MENA/PP members will be responsible for supporting them. Even fleeing to Western  countries will not provide asylum to members of criminal organizations. Therefore, party  members should examine the decisions made by their leaders and ask themselves if they are  ethical and moral.

Editor’s note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com  

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