Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP)

MARCH 17/2009

SHAME ON THOSE WHO INVITE A TYRANT TO THEIR TABLE
(BY WAY OF AN OPEN LETTER TO BRITISH PM GORDON BROWN)

It is sad to learn that once again the tyrant in Ethiopia, the very man who has ordered so many massacres (Arba Gugu, Water, Adebabaye Iyesus, Gambella, Ogaden, etc), has been invited to London’s next meeting of the G20.

Prime Minister Gordon who vociferously calls for the arrest and trial of Sudan’s Omar Beshir has apparently no qualms or moral restraint to invite a criminal tyranny like Meles Zenawi to London to take part in an international conference.

Whether the G20 deliberations would ever benefit the peoples of Africa is a matter left alone as the point of our message is that inviting tyrants and those who have committed war crimes to the deliberations is a shameful act in the first place. Meles Zenawi is guilty of genocide, war crimes and gross human rights violations. In Ethiopia, more than 5 million people need food aid, millions are impoverished, and lack of foreign currency and overall economic malaise has increased the unemployment rate.

Corruption is rife and Meles and his wife are the top of the list of the most corrupt in the country. Inflation is worsening and food price increase has passed the 100% limit. In short, the reign of Meles Zenawi has proved a total disaster for Ethiopians of whom more than 35,000 are suffering in dungeons, labor camps and ghost prisons. Does all this make Meles Zenawi a proper guest for discussion on serious matters that ostensibly claim to have the interest of African peoples at heart?

The British government under former Prime Minster Tony Blair aided and abetted the repressive regime of Meles Zenawi. British trained and armed security personnel took part in the daylight murder of human rights activist and teacher Assefa Maru in Addis Ababa. The notorious security chief Kinfe Gebre Medhin was trained by Britain. When Meles Zenawi lost the 2005 elections and massacred more than 200 people and jailed more than a hundred opposition leaders to crown his fraud neither Britain nor the EU imposed a serious ban on his regime.

The latest invitation sent to Meles by Britain to attend the G20 meeting in London next month is nothing but a continuation of this unholy tolerance of a tyrant. We object to this very strongly and call on Ethiopians in the Diaspora to express their objection in all possible ways.

EPRP
P.O.Box 73337 BP 22
Washington D.C. 20056 U.S.A


EPRP
Bois Colombes 92270
France

Tel. : (202) 291-4217
Fax : (202) 291-7645

Website: http://www.EPRP.com
E-mail: ESPIC@aol.com