Current information on the relationship between the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) [ETH12075]

The relationship between the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) and the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) remains conflictual.

Ethiopian government officials accuse the EPRP of active involvement in armed fighting against the EPRDF in power in Addis Ababa while the EPRP charges that "repression has increased and many opposition groups are denied legal status" (Ottawa Citizen 20 Jan. 1992).

The Horn of Africa of July-August 1992 reported that the North American branch of the EPRP had declared in June 1992 that it would adopt a more cooperative approach and that it would hold meetings in Addis Ababa. However, the EPRP denied this report and accused the EPRDF of falsely attributing EPRP membership status to "EPRDF hirelings" who were not even members of the EPRP (Ibid.). The EPRP, together with the Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (COEDEF), a foreign-based opposition group of which it is a founding member, has started broadcasting its own radio programmes through the Voice of Ethiopian Patriotism heard in October 1992 on Radio Moscow (BBC Summary 10 Oct. 1992).

An immigration counsellor at the Ethiopian Community Centre and a representative of COEDEF in Washington both corroborated the fact that the EPRP was still opposing the EPRDF government (21 Dec. 1992). The EPRP is reportedly actively fighting in Gojjam and Gonder, while it remains a member of the foreign-based COEDEF (Ibid.). They further stated that EPRP members are subject to arrests if found, the party is remains banned and the EPRP cannot hold meetings in the open in Ethiopia (Ibid.). The COEDEF representative added that some EPRP members were abducted while in Sudan in recent months (COEDEF 21 Dec. 1992).

Additional or corroborating information is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.

References

BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 10 October 1992. "Ethiopia New Opposition Radio Heard on Moscow Radio Transmitter."

Coalition of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (COEDEF), Washington. 21 December 1992. Telephone interview with a representative.

The Horn of Africa Bulletin. July-August 1992. Vol. 4, No. 4. "EPRP Introduces Its Programme; EPRDF Attempting to Set up a Fake 'EPRP'."

Ethiopian Community Centre, Washington. 21 December 1992. Telephone interview with an immigration counsellor.

The Ottawa Citizen. 20 January 1992. Anna Asimakopulos. "Ethnic Strife Plagues Ethiopia, Says Opposition."

Attachments

BBC Summary of World Broadcasts. 10 October 1992. "Ethiopia New Opposition Radio Heard on Moscow Radio Transmitter."

The Horn of Africa Bulletin. July-August 1992. Vol. 4, no. 4. "EPRP Introduces Its Programme; EPRDF Attempting to Set up a Fake 'EPRP'."

The Ottawa Citizen. 20 January 1992. Anna Asimakopulos. "Ethnic Strife Plagues Ethiopia, Says Opposition."

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