APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) A statement dispatched by the State of Emergency Body on Wednesday was sent to state-owned media outlets confirming the arrest.
On Monday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Taye Dendea shared his dismissal letter from the Prime Minister on social media. The letter, lacking specific reasons for the dismissal, thanked him for his past contributions and stated his removal from his role in the Ministry of Peace effective December 11, 2023.
In an interview with local media, Dendea mentioned that the Prime Minister didn’t contact him before sending the dismissal letter. The same day, Dendea took to his Facebook page, accusing the Prime Minister of cruelty who plays with innocent civilians’ blood. He claimed his removal stemmed from advocating for peace.
Earlier, he criticized the government for banning an Anti-War Demonstration planned for December 10, 2023, holding government officials responsible. Dendea previously blamed the government, of which he was a part, for the failure of the Tanzania Peace Talk between the Federal government and the “Oromo Liberation Front” (OLA).
APA confirmed Dendea’s arrest occurred in the evening hours of Monday after he exposed the Prime Minister’s alleged involvement in the country’s bloodshed.
The government’s claim behind Taye’s arrest is connected to a coup plot, as stated by the Security and Intelligence Joint Task Force. The Task Force alleged that Dendea collaborated with anti-peace forces, working to destabilize Ethiopia while holding a government position in the Ministry of Peace. Also, the task force accused Dendea of clandestine communication with these forces, aiming to violently overthrow the government.
MG/abj/APA