Document #1172105
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Author)
The information contained in this response
was provided by the Chargé d'affaires at the Embassy of
Ethiopia in Ottawa and a Professor of Political Science at the
University of Montana, who specializes in Ethiopian affairs, during
telephone interviews with the IRBDC (13 Feb. 1992). The
Chargé d'affaires and the Professor of Political Science
both concurred that the Ministry of the Interior was (and is) in
charge of the internal security apparatus including the police,
prisons, and the intelligence service. The Chargé d'affaires
added that in the previous regime, the Ministry of the Interior was
also responsible for protecting the government against those whom
it deemed "anti-revolutionary". Such people, he further clarified,
would be killed. The Chargé d'affaires explained that
Kebelles were responsible for the arrest of petty criminals such as
thieves; they reported to the police but had no direct contact with
the Ministry of the Interior. Country Reports for Human Rights
Practices 1979 (1980) corroborates this by stating that "the
power of arrest of neighbourhood associations (Kebelles) is not
subject to any formal controls but they are required to report to a
higher authority the names of persons held for over 24 hours." The
Chargé d'affaires emphasized that the Ministry of the
Interior has changed personnel but its structure, responsibilities
and functions remain intact.
2) The Chargé d'affaires and the
Professor of Political Science both agreed that as the Ministry
responsible for Internal Security, the Ministry of the Interior was
heavily involved in the fighting that took place in Eritrea and
Tigray. The Chargé d'affaires added that the Ministry of the
Interior regarded Tigray and Eritrea as enemies of the
revolution.
3) The role of the Ministry of the Interior
in the resettlement and collectivization programs in the north and
other parts of the country is currently unavailable to the IRBDC in
Ottawa. The Chargé d'affaires insisted that the Central
Government and regional administrators played a big role in this
exercise. Documentation Réfugiés (31 Aug.-9
Sept. 1990) states that "certains gouvernements et organismes
d'aide occidentaux ont prêté leur appui au programme
de reinstallation." For further information on this topic please
refer to the attached document.
Embassy of Ethiopia, Ottawa. 13 February
1992. Telephone Interview with Chargé d'affaires.
University of Montana, Missoula. 13
February 1992. Telephone Interview with Professor of Political
Science.
Documentation-Réfugiés [Paris]. 31 August-9
September 1990."éthiopie," p. 16.
Documentation-Réfugiés [Paris]. 31 August-9
September 1990. "Ethiopie," p. 16.