(BBC) Ethiopia: New set of guards takes over presidential palace guard duties
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Ethiopia: New set of guards takes over presidential palace guard duties
BBC Monitoring Service - United Kingdom; Mar 22, 2001
The TPLF [Tigray People's Liberation Front - the dominant organization
within the ruling party] is currently facing internal dissent due to tribal
divisions in the organization. As a result the front is divided into two
groups, 15 against 13, it has been learnt.
The main reasons for the division amongst leaders and politburo members of
the TPLF and EPRDF [Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front-ruling
party] are Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's maladministration, his soft stand
against Eritrea, the cause of the Ethiopia-Eritrea conflict and the measures
taken, the stand of the government on the issue of access to the sea, and
also on the longstanding political and ideological differences, particularly
between socialist ideology and capitalism which are prevailing now in the
country.
The 13 EPRDF and TPLF politburo members who have taken a stand against Prime
Minister Meles and his associates are the following:
1. Mr Tewolde Woldemariam [Desta], second in command of the EPRDF and TPLF
[adviser to the prime minister],
2. Mr Siye Abraha [Hagos][former defence minister],
3. Mr Abay Tsehaye [former TPLF secretary-general and currently adviser to
the prime minister],
4. Mr Gebru Asrat, president of Tigray Regional State,
5. Mrs Aregash Adane, deputy president of Tigray Regional State,
6. Mr Alemseged Gebreamlak [Lema], head of EPRDF political affairs [adviser
to the prime minister on political affairs],
7. Mr Bitew Belay, head of regional state issues,
8. Mr Hasan Shifa, former police commissioner,
9. Awalom Wolde, former Ethiopian ambassador to Eritrea,
10. Mr Solomon Tesfaye,
11. Mr Abraha Kahsay,
12. Mr Gebremeskel Hailu.
The main issues for their differences are "shall we save the country or
hasten our downfall" and "should we revive [the organization]", reliable
sources report.
The other group which is on the side of the prime minister consists of 15
people including the internal affairs minister, Mr Kinfe Gebremedhin, and
the foreign minister, Mr Seyoum Mesfin. This group says "the path we have
arrived at and are following is the correct one and we should continue along
it" and this is their stand...
On Friday [16 March] a huge number of soldiers led by Gen Samora Yenus,
drafted in from an unknown place, took over the guarding of the Grand Palace
[in Addis Ababa] from the former guards witnessed by a special police force
unit. According to reliable sources a general is now leading the guarding of
the palace...
Both groups are currently engaged in a secret campaign to look for
supporters and enlarge their camps...
When the differences between the TPLF members emerged, Mr Neway, economic
adviser to the prime minister, and Mr Girma Biru, tried their best to
resolve the differences by advising both groups to resolve their differences
through dialogue. There were also rumours that Mr Kinfe Gebremedhin verbally
abused Mr Siye Abraha and they wanted to fight...
People say the differences erupted during the 26th TPLF anniversary in
Mekele...
After the Mekele meeting, Prime Minister Meles sent an open letter to the
president of Tigray region, Mr Gebru Asrat and his deputy, Mrs Aregash
Adane, Mr Siye Abraha and Mr Abay Tsehaye dismissing them from the TPLF
politburo...
There is a rumour that Gen Samora ,who is now guarding the palace with his
special brigade, is going to be appointed as chief of general staff and Gen
Tsadkan [the current chief of staff] as defence minister. If Gen Tsadkan is
appointed as defence minister the appointment will violate the constitution
of the country, which says that the defence minister should be a civilian...
Source: Mebrek, Addis Ababa, in Amharic 22 Mar 01 p 1
/BBC Monitoring/ © BBC.