40 YEARS OF CONTINUED STRUGGLE

                                                                                                                       የኢትዮጵያ  ሕዝብ አብዮታዊ ፓርቲ(ኢሕአፓ)                                                                                                                    
 Ethiopian  People's  Revolutionary Party (EPRP)                                                                                  

                                                                        APRIL 1972-APRIL 2012

              40  YEARS OF CONTINUED STRUGGLE                                                                                                                    

       
The EPRP was established to struggle for democracy and the sovereignty of Ethiopia.
It has stayed steadfast and true to its objectives despite the brutal repression that has
been its lot for decades.
The EPRP was established by a founding congress that lasted from April 2--April
9/1972 with the declared aim of fighting for democracy and popular people’s
government. Since that period, the EPRP has continued to struggle for democracy and
the rule of law in Ethiopia.
Outlawed by three consecutive regime (that of Emperor Haile Selassie,  of Mengistu
Haile Mariam and the present one of the TPLF led by Meles Zenawi), the EPRP has
been forced from the outset to struggle as a clandestine party. When the popular
February 1974 Revolution erupted, the EPRP was not yet strong enough to assume the
mantle of leadership but it quickly joined the upsurge and gave the popular protest
content and depth. When the military officers short circuited the Revolution and
assumed power in 1974, the EPRP successfully led the people’s peaceful struggle for
the formation of a broad based provisional popular government. The demand for this
popular rule and democracy was not to the liking of the authoritarian officers and it
was not long before the Mengistu regime launched a campaign of murder (the brutal
campaign called the Red Terror) against EPRP members all over the country. The
military regime, aided and backed by the Soviet bloc, launched the notorious Red
Terror against the party because it was defeated politically all over the country. The
violence caused the brutal deaths of no less than 250,000 people, most of them
supporters and members of the EPRP.
The EPRP waged armed struggle against the Mengistu regime from the seventies up to
its fall in 1991. It had also to withstand the military attacks of the Tigrean ethnic front                            
                                                       
                                         
(the TPLF now in power) for many years. The TPLF and its allies marched on Addis
Ababa after waging war against the EPRP in Gondar and Gojjam. Many leaders of the
EPRP have been disappeared by the TPLF, others killed in Addis Abeba and other
places and up to now the TPLF/EPRDF repression unleashed against the EPRP
continues. In all instances, be it during the period of the 1974 Revolution or the
takeover of power by the Tigrean front, the EPRP had made it clear it would struggle
peacefully and legally if democratic rights and the rule of law were respected. However,
the regimes have chosen to outlaw the EPRP and persecute it precisely because it has
vast following and is multi ethnic by composition and progressive/social democratic by
ideological persuasion. The EPRP continues to clandestinely struggle against the ruling
regime of Meles Zenawi, has broadcast to Ethiopia a radio program for more than a
decade, organized people in various ways, allied with other groups to form united
fronts (COEDF and UEDF are examples) and has now cells and structures in almost all
regions of the country.

Dictatorial regimes do resemble often. Like the Mengistu regime, the Meles group tries
to deny the existence of the EPRP while betraying its anxiety by setting up a special
anti EPRP directorate within its security apparatus, by trying to neutralize “former”
EPRP members and waging a proxy propaganda war against it. Sudan has aided and
abetted the regime by deporting EPRP members (refugees) who have consequently
been disappeared by the TPLF. Numerous people have over the years and as recently
as last year have been apprehended on suspicions of being linked to the EPRP but this
has neither been confirmed or denied by the organization. The struggle continues and
the EPRP has made it clear recently (through agitation actions like leaflet distribution,
etc.) that it is intensifying its struggle against the ruling front. Forty years of hard and
difficult struggle, a fight for democracy that has  demanded immense suffering and
sacrifice. Not all have walked the long walk , the party has suffered internal problems
and betrayals but it has surmounted all and continued the noble struggle that many
had sacrificed their lives for. A youth wing of the party (EPRPYL/Wekind) is now
active both in Ethiopia and abroad taking up the banner.                            
                                                       
                                         
We observe the 40th year of the formation and struggle of the EPRP with the
determination to continue the fight for democracy and popular sovereignty and with
the recognition of the sacrifice paid by our martyrs and being paid by those in the
various prisons and refugee camps. The struggle continues because Ethiopia is not yet
sovereign and the people do not have their rights.
The struggle continues!!
Victory to the people of Ethiopia!