Search
  1. Home
  2. East Africa
  3. Ethiopia
  • News

Mengistu extradition request

    JOHANNESBURG

    South Africa said on Monday it was reviewing a request from Ethiopia to extradite exiled former dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam to Addis Ababa to face trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, news reports said.

    Mengistu, currently undergoing medical treatment in South Africa, has lived in Zimbabwe since 1991 when he fled Ethiopia. He arrived in South Africa on a Zimbabwean diplomatic passport, and officials said they were considering a formal extradition request filed on Friday. Last week, a presidential spokesman in South Africa ruled out the possibility of deporting Mengistu,
    saying there was no extradition treaty between South Africa and Ethiopia. Zimbabwe has given similar reasons in the past for allowing Mengistu to remain.

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

    Share this article

    Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

    We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

    Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

    Become a member of The New Humanitarian

    Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

    Join