Dokument #1116273
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
The Ethiopian Review and The Indian Ocean
Newsletter reported in March 1995 that the Tigrean Alliance for
National Democracy (TAND) was formed in Washington, DC in February
1995 following a meeting of the Multi National Congress Party of
Ethiopia (MNCPE), the Tigray People's Democratic Movement (TPDM),
the Ethiopian Democratic Coalition (EDC), and former members of the
TPLF (Ethiopian Review Mar. 1995, 11; The Indian Ocean Newsletter
25 Mar. 1995, 4). TAND denounced what it called the undemocratic
tendencies of the Ethiopian government (ibid.; Ethiopian Review
Mar. 1995, 11).
A Toronto-based representative of the TAND
stated in a telephone interview on 5 September 1996 that the
organization is an informally structured coalition of people
opposed to the Marxist tendencies of the current Ethiopian
government. This source said the group includes some prominent
former members of the TPLF, such as Argawi Berhe, a leader and
founder of the TPLF, Hailu Mengesha and Bisrat Amare (ibid.). TAND
is opposed to the ethnic decentralization policy of the Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and it advocates a
"true multi-party democracy" for Ethiopia (ibid.).
According to this source, the TAND is not
active in Ethiopia, nor would it be possible given the current
government's negative attitude toward opposition parties in general
and the dislike of the TPLF for people who have defected from the
party (ibid.). This source added that TAND members would not risk
going to Ethiopia at the present time and that family members
remaining in Ethiopia try to maintain a low profile, so as to avoid
drawing the government's attention (ibid.). Recent TAND activities
have consisted of organizing discussion forums on the current
Ethiopian political scene (ibid.). The group does not issue
membership cards (ibid.).
Another Toronto-based member of the TAND
corroborated the information on the informal structure of the TAND,
and its opposition party-like stance, stating that while the group
is not officially active in Ethiopia, it monitors the political
scene in the country.
Additional information on the group could
not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB. The two
attachments from March 1995 report on the founding of the TAND,
while the June 1996 document is an opinion piece on Ethiopian
politics written by a member of the TAND which may be of
interest.
This Response was prepared after
researching publicly accessible information currently available to
the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does
not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular
claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of
additional sources consulted in researching this Informatio
Request.
References
The Ethiopian Review [Atlanta]. March
1995. "A Tigray Group Formed."
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 25
March 1996. "Ethiopia: Government In Talks With CAFPD."
TAND, Toronto. 5 September 1996.
Telephone interview with member.
TAND, Toronto. 29 August 1996. Telephone
interview with member.
The Ethiopian Review [Atlanta]. June
1996. Hailu Mengesha. "The Basis for an Effective Political
Leadership in Ethiopia," pp. 30-32.
_____. March 1995. "A Tigray Group
Formed," p. 11.
The Indian Ocean Newsletter [Paris]. 25
March 1996. No. 664. "Ethiopia: Government In Talks With CAFPD," p.
4.
Africa Confidential. 1995-96.
Africa Research Bulletin. 1995-96.
Country Reports on Human Rights
Practices for 1995. 1996.
DIRB Ethiopia Amnesty Country File.
1995-96.
DIRB Ethiopia Country File. 1995-96.
Ethiopia: Accountability Past and
Present. 1995.
Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Daily Reports. 1995-96.
On-line search of media reports
(NEXIS).