[BBC] ETHIOPIA: TWO ARMY GENERALS REPORTEDLY TENDER THEIR RESIGNATION LETTERS
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BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Sep 1, 2001
Text of report by private Ethiopian newspaper Moged on 1 September
A source has said two army generals have tendered their resignation letters at
the ongoing meeting for senior army officials above the rank of major, which
began on 12 Nehase 1993 [18 August 2001] at the National Palace [in Addis
Ababa]. According to the source, participants at the meeting, which is being
chaired by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, [Chief of Staff Let-Gen] Samora
Yunus, Defence Minister Tefera Walwa and Foreign Minister Seyoum Mesfin,
are searched manually and with a device by bodyguards of Prime Minister
Meles before entering the meeting hall. The source added that there was no
understanding at the meeting and that a number of the generals were
criticizing [Prime Minister] Meles. The deputy commander of the air force,
Brig-Gen Haile Tilahun, and the commander of the 108th Corps, Maj-Gen
Abebaw Tadese, have requested Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to relieve them
of their duties. Maj-Gen Abebaw Tadese, who was moved from his post at the
108th Corps to head the operations department at the Ministry of Defence, has
threatened not to go back to his office at the ministry at the end of the
meeting.
Another officer, Maj-Gen Alemshet Degife, has voiced his strong opposition to
the prime minister and other officials. The source added that Prime Minister
Meles had given no response to the letters of resignation.
Source: Moged, Addis Ababa, in Amharic 1 Sep 01 /BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.
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