SOCEPP On Findings of Secret Prisons in Ethiopia

Of Secret Prisons and Labor Camps in EthiopiaSolidarity Committee for Ethiopian Political Prisoners (SOCEPP) Newsletter, April 2007

The recent issue of SOCEPP Newsletter discloses that the regime of Mele Zenawi, in Ethiopia, runs concentration camps in many places. The well known labor camps are in Dedesa, Zwai and Bir Sheleko. In these camps, the beating of prisoners is routine. Prisoners are starved and subjected to force labor. One reports that most of the hoards and wardens in Zwai hail are from ethnic group of the Prime Minster. Psychological torture and humiliation of the prisoners are also routine in these camps. Secret prisons have been identified in Quiha Tigrai, Welkait, Metekel, Holeta and other places. Prisoners are held incommunicado, denied medical treatment, beaten severely and mistreated daily. Reports indicate that such prisoners who die are buried in secret.

Source: http://www.debteraw.com/

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I wish the newsletter had more details, however, the fact is that the TPLF had established these secret prisons commonly known as "Bado 6" by the local people since early 1970s when this TPLF first occupied Welkait. To this day, thousands have been incarcerated in these underground torture chambers. Saddly, many do not make it to come out of it alive. Many of the youth from the native people (Welkait-Tegede) are still being incarcerated without the due processes of the law and for every minor or no reason. Some are are arrested for speaking out against the injustice committed on the Welkait-Tegede people, and others are detained because of a baseless suspicion of sympathising with the Ethiopian People's Patriotic Fron (EPPF).