ETHIOPIA: IMPRISONED CUD LEADER READY TO PROMOTE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001187

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF FOR DAS YAMAMOTO, AF/E

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: IMPRISONED CUD LEADER READY TO PROMOTE
RECONCILIATION

REF: ADDIS ABABA ADDIS ABABA 926

Classified By: Charge Janet Wilgus for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Pastor Daniel of the NGO Justice For All,
Prison Fellowship Ethiopia, has informed post that imprisoned
Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) leader Yacob
Hailemariam agreed to write a conciliatory note to the Prime
Minister as a first act in beginning dialogue with the GOE.
END SUMMARY.

LOOKING FOR CRACKS IN A STONEWALL
--------------


2. (C) PAO met with Pastor Daniel Gebreselassie, president of
the 15-year-old NGO Justice For All/Prison Fellowship
Ethiopia, and his colleague, Dr. Aweto Simesso (professor who
taught at Stanford University for many years),to obtain a
debriefing of Daniel's recent visit with the imprisoned CUD
leaders April 25. The meeting was a follow up to previous
discussions between Charge Huddleston, Pastor Daniel, Dr.
Aweto and post's public affairs officer, at which Pastor
Daniel agreed to speak with the CUD leaders about reducing
political tension by making a statement that acknowledges
positive changes over the past several months. Such a
statement could help raise the prospects of a speedy and fair
trial and normalize the political climate in Ethiopia. Since
being charged with treason and genocide, CUD leaders have
refused to accept the legal authority of the GOE to try them.
They have also vehemently opposed the reestablishment of the
CUD Party (CUDP),branding the pro-engagement organizers as
traitors.


3. (C) Pastor Daniel, who enjoys good relations with civil
society and the government (he is a member of the
Presidential Pardon Board of Ethiopia),frequently visits the
jail as part of his mission to comfort prisoners and assist
in their legal processes. He accompanied Louise Arbour,
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, to Kaliti
prison April 25 and met with six detainees including CUD
leaders Hailu Shawel and Yacob Hailemarim, Organization for
Social Justice Executive Director Netsanet Demessie, and
three others. Berhanu Nega, former CUD mayor-elect of Addis
Ababa, was reportedly upset by what he called Charge
Huddleston's "selling out democracy" and refused to meet with
Arbour's group. (Septel will report on Arbour's impressions
from her visit.)

A POSSIBLE LEVERAGE POINT
--------------


4. (C) During his trip to Kaliti, Pastor Daniel met privately
with Yacob Hailemariam (a former prosecutor at the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha). Yacob
complained that he, and many of those locked up, felt
abandoned by the CUD parliamentary and Addis Ababa city
council members who were attempting to re-register the party.
He commented that all he was hearing from the Americans was
the request for a speedy trial. Why was the U.S., he
queried, not pushing for reconciliation? Pastor Daniel took
the opportunity to encourage him to write a letter of
reconciliation to the Prime Minister. The letter, Pastor
Daniel explained, may be interpreted by the GOE as a sign of
remorse, and could open the way for a positive response by
the government. (Note: EPRDF leadership, including the
Prime Minister, expressed on various occasions to emboffs
that the jailed CUD leadership needed to acknowledge that
their actions resulted in civil unrest and express 'remorse'
before any type of leniency could be contemplated by the GOE.
End Note.) Yacob told Pastor Daniel that he should come
back next week at which time he would have a draft.

A RECIPE FOR RECONCILIATION?
--------------


5. (C) Pastor Daniel will return to Kaliti next week to
review any draft statements and provide Yacob with talking
points which could serve as guideposts to craft a note to the
Prime Minister. PAO and Pastor Daniel discussed the
following points:

-- concern about the future of Ethiopia and willingness to
cooperate with the Government to reduce tensions so that the
nation can move forward;

ADDIS ABAB 00001187 002 OF 002



-- recognition that the EPRDF won the elections;

-- willingness to work within the constitution to promote
peace, democracy and prosperity in Ethiopia.

COMMENT
--------------


6. (C) We have no indication as yet as to whether the above
points will be acceptable to Yacob. Nor is it clear if any
among the imprisoned CUD share his willingness to make a
conciliatory statement. Yacob's initiative, however, is a
welcome crack in the seemingly monolithic, anti-engagement
posture of the CUD, and might influence other detainees.
Depending on what Yacob sends to the PM, and the GOE,s
response, Yacob might be helpful in building bridges between
CUDP leaders inside and outside jail, facilitate engagement
and secure favorable terms and or pardons for himself and his
CUD confreres.
WILGUS