Regime to crackdown on Muslim activists, Minister's wife allegedly arrested

News Update
18 July 2012

De Birhan had reported the alleged arrest of Ethiopian Civil Service Minister, Junedin Sado's wife yesterday and promised to come with details and verification. The Addis Abeba basedd weekly Amharic, Sendek Newspaper reported this morning that Mrs. Habiba Mohammed has been apprehended by police as she came out of the office of Fahadel Kahatani, Saudi Arabian Religious Attache  in Addis Abeba, with a large sum of money(between 50,000 to 100,000birr) and over 800 books written in Arabic language. According to the Newspaper, Mrs. Habiba went to visit the Attache's office located in Wereda 17 near Worku Building with a government vehicle (plate no.65602) accompanied by personal bodyguards of Junedin Sado. 

By De Birhan 
17 July 2012 

Following the recent protests by Ethiopian Muslims and apparent crackdown by the government, sources are revealing that the regime is going to arrest members of the 'Independent Islamic Arbitration Committee', activists and other figures. The Committee has 17 members, who were selected by the Muslim Community to arbitrate  between the community, the Islamic Council and the Government but now enjoying "popular leadership roles within the community". 

According to our sources, the regime is in preparation to arrest those that it considers are behind the recent massive protests and movement including business people ,politicians and religious leaders. The confrontation has reportedly been a divisive subject within politicians and member parties of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).  

  

There are reports that family members of some Ethiopian regime's officials are some of those being arrested.  Ethiopia's Minister of Civil Service, Junedin Sado's wife, Mrs. Habiba Mohammed, has also allegedly been arrested in relation to the recent protests, according to sources (verification with details to come).

It is to be recalled that this past weekend between 500,000 and one million Muslims gathered in and around Anwar Mosque in defiance to what they called  "regime's interference in their religion".  The regime as a result arrested scores, killed few and harassed the rest in the past six days alone. Last Sunday evening, Girma Kassa, Deputy Commissioner of Addis Abeba Police spoke on  the sole State owned TV Station, ETV News  about recent incidents and confrontations between Ethiopian Muslims and police uttering warning undertones on the "Islamic group" that he alleged have been behind the recent massive protests. 

The major issue of contention between the regime and the Independent Arbitration Committee remains the regime's interference. The Committee accuse the Meles Zenawi regime of   'promoting and imposing' one particular sect of Islam, the Al Ahbash, which opposes ultra-conservative ideology and rejects violence and appointing of Al Ahbash clerics to lead the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs.  

Ahmedin Jebel, one of the young top leaders of the Committee, was arrested around two years ago for an article he wrote regarding religion and politics. Regarded by many as the man behind the formation of the current "horizontally structured protest movements", Ahmedin is the main person that the regime kept it tabs on.