Taye Dendea was arrested days after Ethiopian Minister removed him from power in December 2023
Borkena
Toronto – Taye Dendea, a former State Minister for Peace, was reportedly abducted by armed individuals wearing face masks as he exited the prison gate. His release from detention, granted by a federal court earlier this week on a 20,000 Ethiopian birr bail, has now taken a disturbing turn.
Taye was arrested in December 2023 on allegations of coup plotting, just days after publicly criticizing Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. In his remarks, he described the Prime Minister as “a ruthless man who plays with the blood of the innocents.” Adding to the controversy surrounding his detention, days after his arrest, Taye’s family was evicted from government housing, raising concerns about targeted reprisals.
The timing of Taye’s release and subsequent abduction is particularly striking, as it occurred just a day after the Oromia regional state announced a “peace deal” with Jal Segni, a senior commander of the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). However, the agreement was dismissed as a farce by another faction of the OLA.
The Ethiopian government has not yet commented on Taye’s disappearance. At the time of writing, his whereabouts remain unknown.
Meanwhile, critics of the administration have intensified their scrutiny of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose government has frequently been labeled an “Oromo government” by some senior officials. This characterization was vehemently rejected by a faction of the OLA this week.
Taye Dendea, an ethnic Oromo nationalist, was once a vocal defender of Abiy Ahmed’s administration but has increasingly clashed with its policies in recent years. His reported abduction has sparked widespread concern among Ethiopian on social media, with many fearing he might suffer the same fate as Bete Urgessa, a prominent Oromo nationalist who was allegedly murdered under suspicious circumstances.
The case highlights the risks faced by political dissidents in Ethiopia
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What I heard is he was taken away by government security forces. People believe it was those from the Oromia Regional Government that has its own counter rebel paramilitary and intelligence forces. It is a clash of two faces of the same coin. My thoughts and heart go out to the innocent grieving family of this man. I join in their prayers that their loved one was only re-arrested and his Allah created life is not in danger.