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The Ethiopian Government has been detaining citizens for the past few days, and the Deputy President of the Balderas for Genuine Democracy party, Mr. Amaha Dagnew, was among those abducted from their homes. The Balderas Party leaders, followers, and supporters have been repeatedly targeted by the government, with a particular focus on preventing the party from holding its mandatory general assembly meeting, which is a requirement to finalize its national status.
On March 11, 2023, Mr. Amaha was detained by the government and released after being aimlessly transferred between many holding stations, making it hard for his colleagues and family to find out where he was held. He was picked up without any warrant or justification. Unfortunately, he has now been abducted once again without explanation on April 1, 2023.
The government’s actions are particularly troubling as Balderas For Genuine Democracy is a legally registered political party. The government often uses scare tactics to prevent the party from gathering, including detaining prominent party leaders and harassing business venues that might host meetings.
The current detention of Mr. Amaha Dagnew, however, appears to be related to the government’s recent crackdown on prominent Amharas after a call for an all-out anti-government protest was made across Amhara Region cities by a body called the Amhara Public Committee. The protest was held on April 2nd, 2023. The government has not yet released over a hundred ethnically profiled Amharas that were detained ahead of the protest. The government also conducted forced entry into homes of a number of Amharas across major cities. The agents were reported to harass and go through peoples’ houses without any warrant or explanation.
The abduction of Mr. Amaha Dagnew and the government’s ongoing targeting of Balderas for Genuine Democracy party members and supporters is a deeply concerning development. The government’s actions are a clear violation of the rights of Ethiopian citizens and demonstrate a concerning disregard for the rule of law.
