• by IPS Correspondents (london)
• Monday, December 26, 1994
• Inter Press Service

LONDON, Dic 26 (IPS) - The ongoing trial in Ethiopia of former officials in the defunct Mengistu regime for crimes against humanity represents an overwhelming victory for human rights and decency, say international campaigners and observers.

In the dock are 3,400 former officials who, during the 17-year rule of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam, are alleged to have murdered, raped and tortured both opposition figures and ordinary civilians during the communist military dictatorship.

This reign of terror -- the so-called Red Terror -- came to an end in 1991 when anti-government guerrillas ousted the regime. Only Mengistu -- who fled to Zimbabwe -- and a handful of his top henchmen, escaped.

In their wake they left at least 100,000 dead, according to conservative estimates, while tens of thousands more starved to death when the junta sought to hide the scale of the 1984 famine from the world and otherwise manipulated the country's periodic food shortages to stifle dissent in the countryside.

"What is happening now in Ethiopia is an overwhelming victory for human rights and decency and deserves the full support of the international community," says Dr Martin Hill of Amnesty International.

Human rights campaigners bill the long-awaited trial as the biggest ever for government-led genocide and crimes against humanity since those held for Nazi war criminals at the end of the second world war.

They all agree that with the trials, Ethiopia is sending a strong warning to leaders across the continent and beyond that the abuse of authority will not be tolerated. "This is an important sign that there will be no impunity for massive human rights violators," Hill said.

"Trials for major human rights violations are necessary -- in former Yugoslavia, Ethiopia, Rwanda or elsewhere in the world. They show that people responsible for political killings, torture and other violations will not get away with their crimes," Hill added.

Added Rakiya Omar, co-director of the London-based group Africa Rights: "Ethiopia is helping to stamp out the culture of impunity we see in many regions of the world.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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