Text of report in English by Ethiopian opposition website Ethiopian Review on 24 November
The [armed opposition] Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front (EPPF) launched a new website, eppfonline.org, on Sunday, 23 November. The official launching of the website was announced by the organizational affairs head of EPPF’s International Committee, Ato [Mr] Sileshi Tilahun, in an interview with Ethiopian Review. Ato Sileshi has also announced that EPPF will launch a radio programme shortly, which will be run by Ato Demis Belete, the head of the EPPF International Committee’s press office.
Earlier this month, EPPF started a campaign to organize Ethiopians around the world to support its cause of liberating Ethiopia from the fascist tribal junta of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (weyane) [dominant party in the ruling coalition]. To that end, the EPPF chairman, Meazaw Getu, and the general executive committee had sent to Europe former Ethiopian parliamentarians Ato Leul Qesks and Ato Asefa Hailu with an assignment to reorganize the front’s International Committee.
The newly reorganized EPPF International Committee is currently building its grassroots structure in several countries, says Ato Sileshi who is heading the effort. In the coming few weeks, EPPF chapters in Washington DC, London and other major cities will officially start their operations.
Through the International Committee, EPPF has also started to counter the massive propaganda campaign that was launched by the weyane regime against freedom fighters that are engaged in an armed resistance. The weyane propaganda is intended to create fear and confusion among Ethiopians about EPPF and its allies, including the government of Eritrea, says Ato Zewdalem Kebede, an executive committee member of the EPPF International Committee, who is in charge of public relations.
The EPPF press office, through its website and radio programme, and in collaboration with independent media such as Ethiopian Review will campaign to educate Ethiopians and the international community about EPPF’s mission and objectives. EPPF’s military and other actions will also start to get adequate media coverage.
EPPF is an armed resistance group that is currently fighting with the brutal dictatorship in Ethiopia at several locations, but mostly in the northern part of the country.
As EPPF gains strength, it is trying to widen its area of operations. Last year, it signed an agreement with the Tigray People’s Democratic Front [presumably Tigray People's Democratic Movement] and other armed groups to create an alliance and coordinate their anti-weyane campaign.
(Source: Ethiopian Review website in English 24 Nov 08 via BBC Monitoring)
