Will he ever face justice?
When the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) came to power, a court sentenced Mengistu to life in prison in absentia. The Ethiopian government subsequently requested his extradition in 2006, but Mugabe refused to hand over the former Ethiopian leader, who was then his adviser on Ethiopia’s security affairs, according to a report by DW. The report said Mugabe had given the ex-leader refuge to enable him “train and arm Zimbabweans during their liberation struggle in the 1970s.” On May 26, 2008, Mengistu was sentenced to death in absentia by the Ethiopian High Court, overturning his life imprisonment sentence. He remains in exile in Zimbabwe. Mengistu has been quoted as saying that the crimes he was accused of “are all lies perpetrated by my enemies.” In 2017, after Mugabe’s rule came to an end, many demanded the forced repatriation of Mengistu to Ethiopia where he can face justice. Now the question is, will he ever face justice? This is all in the balance.
