The Face of Repression: Political Prisoners

Flyer from the Ethiopian Students Union in Berlin, October 1978

I’m pleased to present another original translation of an Ethiopian Student Movement flyer. This flyer was issued in West Berlin, nominally a part of West Germany, in October of 1978. By this time the worst of the so-called “Red Terror” had more or less run its course: the Derg and its agents had massacred untold thousands of civilian leftists, now including supporters not only of the EPRP but of Meison and WazLeague, and begun to consolidate its rule, its popular support bolstered by its defeat of the Somali invasion of 1977–1978. But the Derg’s repression was not over; the legacy of imposing its will on the Ethiopian people would be jails and prisons filled with dissidents. We can see that the rarified atmosphere of sharp political debate in the Ethiopian student movement has begun to take a back seat to calls for simple and concrete solidarity against repression, as it becomes clear that the Derg’s two years of vicious repression have borne bitter fruit.

Thanks again to the MAO Projekt for excavating and archiving these leaflets, and to comrade LM for the translation from German to English. I’ve made some minor edits to the translation.—ISH

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THE SITUATION OF 20,000 POLITICAL PRISONERS IN ETHIOPIA

Back of the flyer

The struggle of the Ethiopian peoples for independence, democracy and progress against the reactionary forces and the military junta led to many bloody disputes and have cost many people’s lives. The movement of over sixty nationalities of Ethiopia for the right of self-determination has been quelled repeatedly with armed violence by the military junta. In his speech in September 1978, Mengistu Haile Mariam admitted that during the wars between regular government troops and the liberation fighters in Eritrea over 70,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands made homeless. In the Ogaden War between Ethiopia and Somalia around 100,000 people were killed. At the same time several thousands of the oppressed minorities got shot by the chauvinist Amhara (“Neftegnas”).

For over a year the junta has been hunting down the leaders of the peasant, trade union, workers, women and youth organizations, religious leaders and intellectuals, who struggle for national independence and sovereignty, equal rights, wealth, progress and democracy; both openly and secretly with soldiers and death squads. Daily the number increases of those who are murdered during the day or night in their houses, in their workplaces, on the field, on the street, in private and public transport. We know from unofficial sources that almost 20,000 political prisoners are jailed under inhuman conditions in prisons. Because these 20,000 prisoners “cost much money” for the military junta, it cedes them — without any medical care — to illnesses and epidemics and starvation. Thousands have been partly or fully crippled by brutal torture and or have lost their mental abilities by brain injures. Many are disappeared, some are killed.

Since the end of September 1978, especially during one week, in both Ethiopian radio broadcasts “Radio Ethiopia” and “Voice of Revolutionary Ethiopia” and the two Ethiopian newspapers “Ethiopian Herald” and “Addis Zemen” and in public speeches of the members of the military junta the continuing of the “red terror” against political enemies is being propagated; their slogans include, “The prisoners must become canon fodder!” or “Instant execution of all prisoners!”. Not long ago we got information from unofficial sources, that the military junta already murdered some political prisoners; some are missing and the others are waiting for the so called “red terror”.

We Ethiopian students who live in Germany appeal to all who are for peace, freedom, independence and democracy, to unite in solidarity with the Ethiopian people’s masses and to condemn the repressive actions of the military junta and protest against it in public. We invite all democratic forces to withdraw support the military regime and stand against them with the democratic cause in Ethiopia. Challenge the Ethiopian newspapers “Ethiopian Herald” and “Addis Zemen” at the Ethiopian embassy in Bonn, Brentonastr. 1!

For further information on the founding of a committee for the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia contact: A. Selassie, Postfach 104804, 69 HEIDELBERG

(Ethiopian Students Union - Berlin) 

The attached protest letter should be sent directly to the Provisional Military Council on the following address: P.M.A.C. PO Box 5707, ADDIS ABEBA, ETHIOPIA

Snapshot: May Day, 1975

I’m pleased to present another original translation of a leaflet from the revolutionary Ethiopian student diaspora of 1970s West Germany. The leaflet was produced for May Day 1975 by the Ethiopian Student Union of West Berlin. Unlike the broader Ethiopian Students Union in Europe, which was dominated by Meison supporters, the West Berlin organization is clearly in the camp of what was shortly to be declared as the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP). The leaflet presents a snapshot of both the events in Ethiopia at a pivotal moment, and the sense of participation in a global, revolutionary anti-imperialist movement. 1975 was the first year when Ethiopia saw legal observations of the traditional world-wide socialist and workers holiday; revolutionary opponents of the military regime including contingents from the radicalized Confederation of Ethiopian Labour Unions made a strong showing.

The logo at the top of the flyer is the logo of the Ethiopian student movement; it shows a red flag, a rifle, a pick, the yoke from a plough, and a pen. The German-language original of this leaflet is from the MAO-Projekt archive of German radical materials. Many sincere thanks to comrade LM for the original translation. I’ve made some minor edits to the translation and added some paragraph breaks for readability.—ISH


1 MAY 1975

The first of May is the day on which the whole working class of the whole world stands up and shows their solidarity against the international bourgeoisie, and demonstrates their unity in their common struggle for democracy, freedom and equality.

Before and after February 1974 

The history of struggle of the Ethiopian people against its enemies, feudalism and imperialism, is characterized by peasant uprisings, national movements, demonstrations of students, strikes of local trade unions and open violence. The hard struggle of the working masses began long time before February of last year. The long-term struggle of the people and its growing consciousness, the deepening crisis of international capital and the disintegration of the ruling classes connected to it and the famine in Wollo and Tigre and environs were the direct and structural reasons for the revolutionary movement in February of last year.

This revolutionary movement has the greatest historic importance in the history of the struggle of the Ethiopian masses. The whole struggle against the feudal-fascist regime of Haile Selassie and imperialism was not led with petitions, but with strikes, demonstrations, mutiny and revolutionary violence. The oppressed masses stood together, by smashing the reactionary repressive mechanisms, firmly behind the principles of equality, justice and democracy. Concretely, it found its expression in the successful 4-day general strike, with which the working class made its enemies tremble. The heroic Eritrean people supported with its 14-day armed struggle, by going from victory to victory, essential to the fall of the absolute ruler.

The Ethiopian workers, peasants, students, teachers and all oppressed parts of the society struggled untiringly and smashed the three bureaucratic governments of Aklilu, Endalkachew and Imru and finally deposed the autocratic Haile Selassie. The military committee, which was founded in February ’74 during the uprising and fulfilled to an extent the demands of the people, abused its power and undemocratically declared itself the “Provisional Military Government” and resisted the demand of the people for an “Provisional People’s Government”. The Ethiopian working class shows again class consciousness, by manifesting its role as vanguard of revolution by its historic resolution and by concluding the creation of an Provisional People’s Government and determined their duties. The junta continued its anti-people-directed politics, with backing of American imperialism. It abolished all democratic rights, used the students as alibi for their interests, massacred democratic elements among the army and air force and murdered unemployed. It hunted down, tortured and murdered before the military court militant student leaders like Melese Tekle, Rezene Hagos and Giday. Hundreds and thousands of proletarians are imprisoned in the worst jail of the world, the “Alem Bekagn”. Just to name some of many: Eshetu Chole, Zewde Badads, Melese Gugsa, Yohanes Admasu, Aboma Mitiku and Tibebe. The junta has executed leaders of the national movement like TADESSE BIRU and others, who demanded self-determination for the OROMO people.

Back of the flyer

The junta collaborates with the USA: during the regime of the murdered Aman Andom a deal was made which decided the selling of weapons to Ethiopia for 100 million US dollars. Another example is the latest decision by highest authorities, to ship military aid to Ethiopia. All this proves the collaboration of American and Ethiopian government, to strength the counter-revolution.

The politics of the junta in context of the national question is openly fascist: in January and February 1974 they declared open war on Eritrea. Villages like Umhajjar, Adi Keih Adi Quala were destroyed and hundreds of thousands of Eritreans are forced to go to exile in Sudan. Despite all repression the Eritrean masses show, that the chauvinist, fascist junta and their American lords are paper tigers.

The Ethiopian working class struggles untiringly against the fascist junta. Their leaders, who rejected in a resolution collaboration with the fascists, are in jail. The junta already dismissed  a local trade union federation and is dismissing the Confederation of Ethiopian Labour Unions as a whole.

On the political side, the setting back of the February Revolution came from the lack of proletarian party. The Ethiopian working class urges its construction. But the junta, which liquidates all proletarian elements, and calls itself socialist, prepares the forming of a united “national and socialist party”, which is in reality a fascist party for their own interests. The Ethiopian working class struggles steadily for the fall of the fascist military dictatorship and for the creation of a PROVISIONAL PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENT, which guarantees all civil rights and democratic rights and a constitutional assembly, in a struggle for a democratic republic. Therefore the Ethiopian working class calls all democratic and progressive forces of the world to morally and also materially support the struggle of the working class against the fascist junta and imperialism, for the cause of the oppressed masses, especially for the buildup of their party in the struggle for the PROVISIONAL PEOPLE’S GOVERNMENT.

To the importance of this day: We are in a historic phase, in which the working masses gain victory by victory. The example of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Guinea Bissau, Eritrea, Oman and Dhofar, Palestine, the unity of the Arabs and the defeat of Kissinger, the defeat of fascism in Greece and in Portugal, the intensive struggle of the working class in Italy, Spain and other capitalist and absolutist countries show all the great achievements of glorious socialism towards the death struggle of ailing imperialism. The more united and cohesive the world proletariat struggles, the closer comes the death of the international bourgeoisie.

LONG LIVE THE PARTY OF THE REVOLUTIONARY PROLETARIAT!

LONG LIVE THE UNITY OF THE PROLETARIAT OF ALL COUNTRIES!

DOWN WITH THE FASCIST MILITARY JUNTA!

DOWN WITH INTERNATIONAL IMPERIALISM AND ITS LACKEYS!

UP WITH INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY!

ETHIOPIAN STUDENT UNION BERLIN – WEST
Responsible: Ernst A. Kraft
1 Berlin 41, Handjerystr. 24