An Eventful Week!

Seventy-one leaders and members of the CUD, as well as journalists working for the private newspapers, appealed to the Prime Minister on June 22, 2007, claiming collective and individual responsibilities for the violence following the May 2005 electoral dispute and pleading for forgiveness from the government and the public.

"They have been granted total amnesty," declared Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, speaking at a press conference on the morning of Friday. "As I speak, they must have been released with their constitutional rights restored."

The only condition imposed on them is to live up to their promises made in their appeal to him that they respect the constitution and recognise all the institutions mandated by it, according to the Prime Minister.

Indeed, 38 leaders and members of the CUD were released on Friday morning from Kaliti Prison. There were just under 100 family members and supporters gathered in front of the prison to welcome their loved ones, chanting and some waving the Ethiopian flag, while all the prisoners were taken to their respective houses, loaded in three white Toyota minibuses.

A day before, the President granted them pardon, signing on certificates of amnesty handed to each prisoner upon their release. The President put his handwriting along with his signature, wishing them the best of luck, said an eye witness who claimed to have seen the certificate given to Mesfin W. Mariam (Professor).

It was a historical day in the saga of almost two years that has exacted such a toll on the Ethiopian collective psyche. The sense of relief and jubilation is felt across town, with many saying they have seen a glimpse of reconciliation among the warring political forces.

For Louis Michel, European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, the day represented "a big leap for democracy in Ethiopia".

Nevertheless, judging by the question Mr. Boulanger asked the elders involved in the mediation process on Friday afternoon at the Sheraton, whether or not the amnesty granted to the CUD leaders was full, it was clear that many of the Western embassies were put out of the loop during the mediation process.

It was begun 18 months ago, with Ephraim Isaac (Professor) spearheading an Ethiopian style mediation.

"Those of us who believed the solution for a national problem is not coming from outside but is indigenous, have taken the initiative free from any political, religious and partisan bias," said a three-page statement 20 of the elders gave at the Sheraton on Friday afternoon. The elders included eminent persons such as Tsion Andom, a woman imprisoned for seven years following the assassination of her brother, General Aman Andom, by the Derg; Mamo Wudineh, a veteran author; Amede Lemma (Fitawrari); Zewdie G. Sellasie (PhD and Degazmach); and Dawit Zewdie (PhD), a prominent humanitarian activist.

The core mediators were four, however: Haile G. Sellasie, prominent athlete; Bekele Endeshaw, a retired ambassador; Daniel G. Sellasie, a pastor and head of Ethiopian Prison Fellowship; and Tamru W. Agegnehu, chairman of the Ethiopian Lawyers' Association. It was this group that was first allowed to visit CUD leaders in jail, a week after the government imprisoned them in November 2005.

They were accused of fomenting urban revolt to "oust the constitutionally installed government through violence, committing treason and inciting genocide". The same week, ambassadors of Western embassies had put out a statement characterising the detainees as "political prisoners" and calling for their "immediate and unconditional release". The Prime Minister depicted this call - ironically given from the same room the elders had a briefing on Friday at the Sheraton - as "shameful".

Although the government was under intense international pressure, particularly from the European Commission (EC) and its member countries, with some suspending aid and other scaling down, the Administration of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi remained stubborn on its position that the law needed to be upheld. Nevertheless, a majority of the CUD leaders had refused to defend themselves in a court of law when the state prosecutor finally brought the case against 131 defendants in December 2005.

It took 19 more months for the CUD leaders to be convicted on charges of outrage against the constitution and resorting to violence to oust a constitutionally installed government. Thirty-five were sentenced to life imprisonment, while three others were served jail sentences that range between 18 months and 18 years.

During the course of litigation, and in spite of political persuasion, the country lived through a national tragedy and trauma of the electoral bloody violence and a subsequent political uncertainty. A climate of suspicion and fear has taken their places immediately after an unprecedented political debate and assertiveness, bordering confrontation. 

There was, however, a parallel indigenous effort by Ethiopian elders that has been working to secure the release of CUD leaders, their rank and file, publishers, editors and civil society staffers. It was Ephraim that used to shuttle between the detainees and the authorities at the beginning, according to sources. Then he had started to go with Pastor Daniel and Haile. At some point, the government denied complete access to foreigners from visiting the detainees, thereby giving the elders the only leverage over the meditation effort.

"We are happy to know numerous people are out of jail," Ephraim declared on Friday in front of members of the media and the diplomatic community.

Mediation and forgiveness were nothing new in Ethiopian political history, according to Ephraim. Emperor Yohannes had done exactly that to Emperor Menelik before the latter was to be crowned King of Shewa in the late 19th Century; Emperor Menelik subsequently had forgiven the son of Emperor Yohannes, Ras Mengesha.

He described these historical incidents as "extreme examples of reconciliation".

"Our tradition does not allow vengeance," said Ephriem. "Those who ask for forgiveness are heroes, and those who grant it saints."

Although enamoured by what he had come to achieve in resolving contemporary political confrontations, seemingly; he did not spare "foreign forces" that he blamed for meddling in the Ethiopian internal affair.

"Our compatriot stayed in jail longer due to a misunderstanding by foreign forces," Ephraim told the gathering. "Due to lack of deep understanding of our culture, their good intentions have done more damage than good."

He declined to be more specific in naming those he described "few individuals who tried to spoil the occasion". According to those close to the mediation effort, he was referring to Western political figures such as Mrs. Anna Gomez, head of the European Election Observers team during the May 2005 national elections, as well as Congressmen Smith and Payne; the latter authored and still pushed for the United States (US) Congress to adopt a human rights bill against the Ethiopian government.

Ephraim blamed these "few individuals" for taking personal initiative to treat Ethiopia like "a banana republic". Ironically, he echoed precisely the same phrase Prime Minister Meles had used the same morning when speaking to the media. He too refrained to spell out names, but it was clear that his characterisation of "those outraged because their orange revolution came to an end" was a reference to Mrs. Gomez, as "those neo-liberals who want to run Africa from a distance" was to the two congressmen.

"Although we respect that these individuals are entitled to their views, they appear to have entertained such views," Meles said. "This country will not respond to this. This country is incapable, unable and unwilling to be run like a banana republic from Capital Hill."

As the elders were determined to prove that this was a successful mediation effort strictly initiated by Ethiopians and conducted strictly without an involvement from foreign meddling, so was the Prime Minister keen to prove two things: that he did not flinch to any attempted pressure from external forces; and that he asserted the primacy of rule of law.

"The point has been made," agreed a professor, anonymously. "The rule of law has been asserted."

Unlike Lidetu and company, who were originally staunch advocates of orange and rose revolutions, and tried to draw political currency from the political saga that unfolded last week, the Prime Minister was conciliatory in his tone. He said he is not interested to see revenge or vendetta.

"Orange revolution is behind us," he told the media. "There is a new chapter. People are given a second chance as long as they seek it."

Little was said from many of those who have been "given a second chance" last week. The majority of them were simply too busy receiving their well-wishers flocking to their homes to speak to the media. According to those close to them, there will be a joint statement they have planned to make on Monday, July 23.

There is an exception, though. Chairman of the CUD, Hailu Shawel, spoke to correspondents from the Associated Press and Reuters immediately after he has arrived at his home. He was uncompromising, combative and defiant, according to those who were in the house during the interview.

Hailu said he signed an appeal for amnesty "under duress" and he has nothing to apologise for protesting the May 2005 national election, according to a report filed by the Associated Press. He condemned the government for failing to live up to its promises to let them reclaim seats in Parliament and release all opposition members in jail, according to the AP report.

"They (the government) are worse than they were two years ago," Hailu was quoted by the Associated Press. "They do not change . . . They want to cover their losses. We know they lost an election. We know we won."

The mood in town was different. Even strong supporters of the CUD, who were seen shocked and in a state of denial at the beginning of the week when the news of an appeal for pardon disclosed by the government, were celebrating the release of their leaders. For those supporting the ruling party, they saw last week as a closing of a period that was characterised by indefinite uncertainty, and a time to start afresh where no one claims to have leaders incarcerated for disputably being "political prisoners".

Both sides share, however, a strong view in seeing Prime Minister continue with his "newfound mood of reconciliation" and grant amnesty to people like Tamrat Layne, former Defence Minister and former senior officials of the Derg era.

" "This will, for real, open a new era in Ethiopia's modern history," s aid a retired man and a father of two.