Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998 states that the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) is one of the political organizations to which "political opposition remains closed" because they "have not renounced violence and do not accept the Government as a legitimate authority" (1999). However, the Political Handbook of the World, describes the EPRP as the "only really organised opposition" to the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Forces (EPRDF) (1998, 308). Although the EPRP also fought for the overthrow of the Mengistu regime (ibid., ION 1 Nov. 1997; 28 Nov. 1998), its relationship with the EPRDF and the Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF) were never cordial (Political Handbook 1998, 308).

The Indian Ocean Newsletter states that after the overthrow of Mengistu in 1991, the EPRP "turned against" the EPRDF and set up a moderate party "before the general elections in 2000" (28 Mar. 1998), but it advocates armed combat against the present regime (ibid.). The ION further states that EPRP's former leader, Kiflu Tadesse, who reportedly left the party in 1980 and and another former official, Kebede Desta, who left the opposition in 1991 and tried to "set up an EPRP look-alike in Addis Ababa" both live in the US (ibid., 1 November 1997). The two former leaders reportedly advocate national reconciliation with the regime in power, and have appealed to the EPRP to seek reconciliation with the EPRDF. The EPRP allegedly turned down the appeals arguing that previous attempts to talk to the government only resulted in the arrest of one of their members, Abera Yemane Ab, who was still in prison in November 1997 (ibid.).

In 1997 members of the EPRP were accused of alleged participation in the Red Terror campaign or torturing and murdering people in Woreda 9, 13, and 16 during the early revolutionary days (Addis Ababa Tribune 4 Apr. 1997; Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) 18 Apr. 1997). Cases of thirty three EPRP members were reportedly heard in court (Addis Ababa Tribune 4 Apr. 1997), although reports on the outcome could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate 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 see below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Addis Ababa Tribune [Addis Ababa]. 4 April 1997. "Ethiopia: Warrants Issued for Red Terror Members." (NEXIS)

Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1998. 1999. [Internet] http://www.state.gov/www/global/hu...ghts/1998_hrp_report/ethiopia.html [accessed: 22 Mar. 1999]

Ethiopian News Agency (ENA). 18 April 1997. "Ethiopia: Alleged Red Terror Perpetrators Appear in Court." (NEXIS)

The Indian Ocean Newsletter (ION) [Paris]. 28 March 1998. "A New Party for Year 2000." (NEXIS)

_____ . 1 November 1997. "Ethiopia: Dawit on Political Fishing Trip." (NEXIS)

The Political Handbook of The World:1998: 1998. Edited by Arthur S. Banks. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications.

Africa Confidential [London]. January -December 1998. Nos. 1-25.

_____. January-December 1997. Nos. 1-25.

Africa Research Bulletin: Political Social and Cultural Series [Oxford]. January-December 1998. Vol. 35. Nos. 1-12.

_____. January-December 1997. Vol. 34. Nos. 1-11.

_____. Country Reports on Human Rights Practices 1997. 1998. United States Department of State. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office.

Ethiopian Register [Minnesota]. January -December 1998. Vol. 10. Nos. 1-10.

_____. May -December 1997. Nos. 5-12.

Horn of Africa Bulletin [Uppsala]. January-December 1998. Vol. 10. Nos. 1-6.

_____. January-December 1997. Vol. 9. Nos. 1-6.