Southern state officials arrested over rights violations

At least 90 government officials of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' State (SNNPS) have been arrested by the state authorities in the Sheko Zone for involvement in human rights violations and abuse of office, a member of the Investigation and Peace Restoration Committee of the SNNPS told IRIN. The zone was rocked by ethnic clashes between the indigenous Sheko-Mezhenger and settler ethnic communities in March, in which over 100 people were killed. The clashes reportedly broke out when the Sheko-Mezhenger tried to dislodge other ethnic groups in an attempt to take over the main town of Tepi, said the source. Over 2,000 houses were destroyed and more than 5,800 people displaced in the clashes. Those arrested include 41 policemen, 11 administrative officials and 39 militia, all from the Sheko Zone, said Sahelu G. Wolde, the deputy head of the education bureau of the SNNPS and a member of the Committee. Another source told IRIN that "the entire zonal police leadership has been arrested". One of those held was the assistant police chief of the state, said the source. The arrests were made after the four-member Committee, which had been in the area for five days, held discussions with the various ethnic groups, said Sahelu. He said the clashes had been caused by "lack of proper management on the part of officials, and incitement by others for their own reasons". He went on to say that the troops deployed in the area to help restore peace were withdrawing now that peace and tranquillity had been restored there. The Committee was now engaged in "reconciliation, and the resettlement" of those affected by the clashes, he said. "Those arrested will all be charged with human rights violations and other crimes, and brought to court soon", Sahelu told IRIN. The European Union in July called on Ethiopia to hold a public inquiry into clashes between security forces and protesters that reportedly left 128 dead. The appeal by the EU followed a weeklong diplomatic mission it sent to Tepi to establish what had happened there. [For more details see "ETHIOPIA: EU calls for public inquiry into Tepi, Awasa killings"]