A leaked cable of US Embassy Addis Ababa discusses a small bomb incident that took place in the Ethiopian Capital in Sept. 2006.
The official account of the incident is presented on the Cable as follows:
On September 16, three bomb explosions were reported in the Kara Kore area of Addis Ababa. The explosions were heard at 4:45 a.m., 7:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m. The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), together with the Federal Police Anti-terror Task Force later reported that the bombs were "part of a coordinated terror attack by the OLF and Sha’abiya (Eritrea) aimed at disrupting democratic development." The NISS said that the intended terror plot had failed and the bombs had mistakenly gone off while the suspects were preparing them while hiding out at an illegally built house. Two of the suspects died immediately, while another died on the way to the hospital. One other is in critical condition. The police task force reported having others in custody related to the plot and that evidence shows the terrorists had ties to Oromo groups – the Mecha and Tulema Association (MTA) and the ONC. They also said that the bombs used contained parts sourced from Eritrea and were consistent with bombs used in previous terrorist attacks.
Four days after the incident, opposition leader Merera Gudina(PhD) contacted the US Embassy to present another version. The Cable states:
On September 20, Dr. Merera Gudina (strictly protect), the former leader of the ONC (and a typically reliable information source), contacted Post to report that the deceased had not died not while constructing a bomb, but rather at the hands of GoE cadres. Dr. Merera said that the men had been picked up by police a week prior, kept in detention and tortured. He said police then left the men in a house and detonated explosives nearby, killing 3 of them. He did not indicate whether the men were ONC or OLF affiliated.
Then, the Cable adds:
Clandestine reporting indicates that the bombs did not explode inside the structure, but rather appear to have been placed outside and detonated.
The sole reason that led the acting Ambassador Huddleson doubt the government version is Merera Gudina’s statement. That is; in addition to her and other Westerners’ doubt that whether OLF’s capacity to conduct attacks, a belief proven wrong by a recent UN report that implicated OLF leaders and operatives in an Eritrean plot to bomb African Union summit last January in Addis Ababa.
The ‘clandestine report’ doesn’t suggest anything by itself, nor does it corroborate Merera’s version. In fact, it casts doubt on it.
Like any bombing incident, the specific location of the explosive(prior to the blast) is inferred from the impact of the explosion. That is; based on observation of the effect on the area. It will ultimately, at least mainly, depend on the opinion of the investigating expert or team. They might even vote on it. Assuming the investigators had doubts as to whether the explosion took place inside or outside the house, they would be inclined to the former. Because, that fits with the explanation that the victims were constructing a bomb, esp. if there are, even minor, complementary pieces of evidences.
On the other hand, if the security officers designed the explosion, as Merera claimed, then there is no reason why they wouldn’t put the bomb inside the house.
Note that the men in the house were placed against their will, then they would be handcuffed or somehow restrained from leaving the house. Thus, the explosive could be put inside the house but far from their reach. In fact, the explosive would be planted prior to putting the men in the house, thus they wouldn’t not be aware of its existence so as to diffuse it.
Thus, the ‘clandestine report’, if it is a credible one, could at best lead us think whether the police blamed on OLF an incident it couldn’t explain.
So, the question here is what made Amb. Huddleston consider Merera Gudina ‘a typically reliable information source’.
A reading of Cables cleared by Huddleston do not suggest a special fondness or trust for Merera Gudina. Of course, she believes the government had been ‘complicit in spinning up internal ONC opposition to Merera’ that took place months earlier and ended up expelling him from the Chairmanship.
But she is not seen, in any of the Cables, taking his allegations for granted.
One very likely factor could be a presumption that such a high-profile wouldn’t make up such serious allegations. I would concur if I had not seen worse. But Huddleston too been around in 2005, thus observed the ugliest face of our politics.
In fact, in one Cable, dated Oct. 2005(link), she observed a top leader of the opposition coalition CUD, Berhanu Nega, claiming the life of another top leader of CUD, Lidetu Ayalew, is in danger. She elaborated saying ‘Berhanu may have been seeking to scare Lidetu into going along with the merger [of the Coalition parties]. A private newspaper Berhanu controls published allegations that Lidetu had joined forces with the [ruling party] EPRDF.’
Even worse, Huddleston witnessed Merera Gudina et al urging United States to cut food aid to Ethiopia.(See here and here).
Thus, she couldn’t fail to notice the extent to which the lust for power and settling score permeates our politics.
Perhaps, Huddleston’s remark that ‘[Merera] did not indicate whether the men were ONC or OLF affiliated’ is a clue.
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[Note: After about a year in limbo, Merera Gudina established another party, Oromo Peoples’ Congress(OPC), in 2007. He is also among the leaders of a major opposition coalition, Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (aka, Medrek). Merera is a lecturer at the Political Science Dept. of the state-owned Addis Ababa University.]
Read the full text of the Cable below.
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Reference ID – 06ADDISABABA2708
Created – 2006-10-06 08:53
Released – 2011-08-30 01:44
Classification – SECRET
Origin – Embassy Addis Ababa
VZCZCXRO1900
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHDS #2708 2790853
ZNY SSSSS ZZH
P 060853Z OCT 06
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2771
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
ljuvRHMFISS/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUEKDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
S E C R E T ADDIS ABABA 002708
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E
LONDON, PARIS, ROME FOR AFRICA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2016
TAGS: PTER PREL PGOV ET ER
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: RECENT BOMBINGS BLAMED ON OROMOS POSSIBLY THE WORK OF GOE
Classified By: CHARGE VICKI HUDDLESTON FOR REASONS 1.4(b)AND(d).
¶1. (S) SUMMARY A series of explosions were reported in Addis Ababa on September 16, killing three individuals. The GoE announced that the bombs went off while being assembled, and that the three dead were terrorists from the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) with links to the Oromo National Congress (ONC). An embassy source, as well as clandestine reporting, suggests that the bombing may have in fact been the work of GoE security forces. END SUMMARY
¶2. (U) On September 16, three bomb explosions were reported in the Kara Kore area of Addis Ababa. The explosions were heard at 4:45 a.m., 7:00 a.m., and 10:00 a.m. The National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), together with the Federal Police Anti-terror Task Force later reported that the bombs were "part of a coordinated terror attack by the OLF and Sha’abiya (Eritrea) aimed at disrupting democratic development." The NISS said that the intended terror plot had failed and the bombs had mistakenly gone off while the suspects were preparing them while hiding out at an illegally built house. Two of the suspects died immediately, while another died on the way to the hospital. One other is in critical condition. The police task force reported having others in custody related to the plot and that evidence shows the terrorists had ties to Oromo groups – the Mecha and Tulema Association (MTA) and the ONC. They also said that the bombs used contained parts sourced from Eritrea and were consistent with bombs used in previous terrorist attacks.
¶3. (S) On September 20, Dr. Merera Gudina (strictly protect), the former leader of the ONC (and a typically reliable information source), contacted Post to report that the deceased had not died not while constructing a bomb, but rather at the hands of GoE cadres. Dr. Merera said that the men had been picked up by police a week prior, kept in detention and tortured. He said police then left the men in a house and detonated explosives nearby, killing 3 of them. He did not indicate whether the men were ONC or OLF affiliated.
¶4. (S) Clandestine reporting indicates that the bombs did not explode inside the structure, but rather appear to have been placed outside and detonated.
HUDDLESTON
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Check the Wikileaks Archive and Eritrean Terrorism Archive for previous and upcoming posts.
