Arrests in Ethiopia

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33521, 30 April 1974, Page 13

Arrests in Ethiopia

GV.Z, Press Assn—Copyright) ADDIS ABABA, April 29. The Ethiopian armed forces have announced the arrest of three generals in the latest series' of swoops in the capital. The officers are General Haile Baikedagne, who was! dismissed from his post as Deputy Chief of Staff a week ago at the army’s demand; General Abebe Gemmeda, ! former commander of Emiperor Haile Selassie’s body-) guard; and General Deresse! Dubale, former ground forces! [ commander-in-chief. The group of middleranking officers and men callling themselves the Co-ordin-ating Committee for Peaceful Solutions to the Current Problems, are now trying to j decide on a suitable place to! ■hold their captives. The 12 Ministers in the; I former Government and other' ■ 'officials — 22 in all — who 'were rounded up by troops in armoured cars on Friday, are expected to appear soon . before a tribunal consisting of civilian and military . judges. ’! The Co-ordinating Committee has issued a call for a [ speedy trial of the former /Ministers, who are charged with alleged Administrative I crimes, including crimes ' aganst thousands of victims of the drought in central and : northern Ethiopia. li The Co-ordinating Commit- ■ tee alleges that while the drought was bringing famine ’ to the people of Wollo, the ' Cabinet of the former Prime 1 Minister, Mr Aklilu, pretended that there were no problems, giving the impression to the world that Ethiopians were indifferent to cal-,

amities which caused suffering to their fellow-citizens. Adds Ababa’s radio service has repeated the armed 'forces’ communique calling on ■ all Ethiopians to give the new Government of Mr Endalka)chew a chance to carry out its programme of social and economic reforms. The armed forces also appealed to all workers to return to their

jobs today, to resume their normal duties, and to maintain law and order. There has been a show of strength in the capital by the army: vehicles armed with machine-guns and laden with steel-helmeted troops have patrolled the streets, perhaps as a deterrent to any possible demonstrations, and to encourage people to return to work.