By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

ST–ADDIS ABABA—Ethiopian high court passed terms ranging between 13-20 years behind bars against 32 defendants who were found guilty of perpetrating terrorism acts.

According to the state-run Ethiopian television, four of the defendants are sentenced each to 19 years of rigorous jail while the majority are sentenced to 16 years each and their constitutional rights revoked for five years.

The news report didn’t give details of the charges nor did it give if they belong to any political or rebel groups. However, a government official unauthorized to address the media, on condition of anonymity told Sudan Tribune that the convicts had links with some rebel groups.

Some of the convicts had been in Eritrea and received direct orders from Asmara government to carry out terrorist acts including conspiracy to assassinate senior government officials, acording to sources.

Following the 1998-2000 border war which left 70,000 people killed, Eritrea and Ethiopia routinely trade accusations of supporting their respective rebel and opposition groups.

Addis Ababa describes Ogaden and Oromo rebels as anti-peace agents backed by Eritrea, while Asmara presents Ethiopian based Eritrean rebel groups, who occasionally carry out cross border attacks as troublemakers employed by Addis Ababa in its proxy war against Eritrea.

With the border row of the two neighbors remaining unsettled, tensions still remain high with fears of a possible return to conflict.

Ethiopian leader, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, has repeatedly expressed readiness to comeback to peace talks should Eritrea does so. However Eritrea insists that it deserves the awarded key town of Badme, a source of one of the devastating war in the horn of Africa’s region.

1. Naima Abdurahman says:

   September 2, 2010 at 2:03 am

   The regime Who terrorizes its own People actually Sets up the Court System and Convicted people who happen to Oppose its Ethnically based rule and a One man Show,Zenawi’s Show -AS TERRORISTS ….Amazing And What Can I say “You Can fool Some people Some time but you can not fool all the people All The time” Like all dictators ,TPLFs Lies and deceptions definately will come to an end its just a matter of Time
2. Mestawet says:

   September 2, 2010 at 10:47 pm

   It is rediculous how a terrorist organisation run like the Sicily mafia find so many terrorists. The jails are overflowing, so is the cup of injustice. This will only awaken the sleeping giant…