Ethiopia has been enjoying independent and trustworthy institutions since the dawn of the recent reform. Of the number of cardinal institutions impartially running activities revolving around the social, economic and political spheres, the Federal Attorney General comes at the forefront.
Recently the Federal Attorney General disclosed a press release regarding the crimes perpetrated in Axum, Tigray state and crime investigation activities being undertaken at present.
An investigative team drawn from the Federal Attorney General and Federal Police commission was organized and has been looking into a range of crimes perpetrated in Axum, Tigray state in November 2013 E.C following the war the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) wagged against the country.
The investigative team is scrupulously examining whether the stated crimes are being committed or not as well as carrying out an examination, which is strongly helping identify criminals if acts are made real, in a bid to reply to the queries based on the tip collected presuming that crimes were committed by Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers in the town. The team has been doing this appearing in person on the spot with a view to taking appropriate measures against culprits.
As far as the persons died in the town is concerned, as learnt from the investigation, heavy artillery targeting at the illegal groups was used. TPLF Junta, was missed by the cannon, not targeted and fell around town surrounding and killed 4 people and 1 person was killed around the university, five in aggregate were dead, and an additional person was killed following the disagreement happened between a person and police members at law enforcement in due course of executing the state of emergency. Hence, generally six persons died in connection with the Axum town conflict, the release stated.
On the other hand, the Ethiopian National Defense Force stationed at Axum until it left the town for another mission. Following the departure of the defense on November 18, 2013 for additional mission, small number of Eritrean army settled at the mountainous localities at the out skirt of the town.
The TPLF forces and militia members situated around a place called Adet in conjugation with some 1500 youngsters provided with firing training went to Axum town for fighting as the TPLF cadres had puffed that Eritrean army has shown interest to surrender, not to fight with them.
The Fugitive Mayor of the city, roaming in desert has given a command to distribute fire arms that have been robbed from the north command and accumulated in five places among 1,500 youths who received only day long training.
This is confidential and trustworthy from the findings of the investigating team, and the youth that got and didn’t get hand guns, as well as members of the Special Forces have witnessed this fact. Since fire arms were reserved in five places, some 400 guns were reported to withdraw from a center.
Generally, as confirmed by the investigation, all these bodied had cooperated and attacked the defense force as much as they can from six in the morning up to two in the afternoon and escaped to the town to shed themselves when the armament brigade arrived at the place.
On the effort to inspect casualties ushered due to, it was possible to hear 95 eye witnesses, and the incident claimed lives of 93 people who had direct participation in exchange of fires though they didn’t dress military uniforms.
As far as rape cases are concerned, some116 plaintiffs or victims have confessed to the police.
In line with the investigation done, procedurally, the members of federal police and those of the defense force have been identified, and the case of the federal police is referred to be investigated by state prosecutor, whereas hat of the defense force members have been transferred to military jurisdiction as the crime was committed when they are in duty.
The government has been exerting a relentless effort to investigate the cases of sexual assault though the TPLF has purposely released about 10 thousand prisoners and allowed the special force and militias of the region to wear Eritrean Defense Force’s (ENDF’s) uniform and act pretending they were members of the defense force.
These acts of TPLF have made the investigation on the cases of sexual assault in the region complicated.
The very thing that has made the investigation difficult in due course of identifying the culprits is the TPLF Junta group provided its soldiers and militias with the uniform it has snatched from the members off the defense at the time of attacking the Northern based National Defense Force.
Human and material witnesses have been collected though it still being investigated to further verify the criminals and deliberately deployed perpetrators. The presumed criminals have been verified based on the evidences gathered from witnesses, medical test results and funeral service institutes.
The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Attorney General in collaboration with regional justice and security institutions will continue carrying out the work of ensuring rule of law thereby bringing the criminals before court though requires additional time.
The Attorney General would also like to notify the general public that the Federal Attorney General is arduously working to make all actors of crimes and accomplices of the criminals accountable for the wrong deed they did and ensure the rule of law in all parts of the country to help Ethiopia solely capitalize on development, poverty reduction, peace and serenity.
As the Attorney General, as it stated, is a federal institution with a national mission of seeing the Federal Attorney General Institution that ensures respect of rule of law and wins public and state beliefs with participation of the people in 2024/25. It has also had a vision of working as principal advisor and representative of the federal government regarding law; undertaking legal reform studies, drafting laws, disseminations and enforcing criminal law; ensuring the implementation of federal laws enacted by the federal government and meticulously follow up the consistency of their implementations.
Besides, it envisages for performing as central authority of international relations regarding law, following up implementation of national human rights action plan; offering the relevant legal aid for citizens who do not have financial capacity and needs special attention; enforcing civil interest of the federal government and the public; supervising and administering advocates licensing; enhancing participations of the society and stakeholders; ensuring rule of law by respecting and enforcing the constitution and constitutional order.
BY MENGESHA AMARE
The Ethiopia Herald May 14/2021
