Ethiopia, After Almost 30 Years, “Notable Guests” to Leave Italian Embassy

Berhanu Bayeh and Addis Tedla, two former leaders of the cruel Mengistu regime (Chief of General Staff and Minister of Foreign Affairs respectively) who received the death penalty in 1999 and have since been “Notable Guests” (as they were called during diplomatic correspondence with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) were paroled. For the moment they can remain in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and perhaps, one day, they can reunite with their families that emigrated to North America.

The act of clemency by Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, who in recent months has been featured in the news for quite different reasons – as has been reported regularly in Focus on Africa – puts an end to a story that initially should have lasted a few days but was dragged out for almost three decades.

During this entire time, the Italian government’s position has been very clear: to not hand over the two men convicted to death row to local justice. When the sentences were commuted, it was easier to arrive at a solution.

The fact remains that the victims of Mengistu’s Red Terror did not get justice because of the death sentences. And one hopes that no one will think of carrying the sentence out themselves if they cross the “notable guests” as they take a walk through the streets of Addis Ababa after almost 30 years.