Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Meto Aleqa (Lieutenant) Alemayehu Yeneneh, a national council member of the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ), has died today after suffering stroke.
Following the May 2005 elections, Lt. Alemayehu, who had worked as southern Ethiopia coordinator for the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (Kinijit), was arrested twice. On June 5, 2005, he was arrested and sent to Ziway prison, 200 km south of Addis Ababa. He was tortured by the Federal Police while in detention. His cellmate included Kinijit campaign strategist Andargachew Tsege, who was also savagely beaten up by the Federal Police. Both were released in August 2005. Again, on November 2, 2005, Lt. Alemayehu was arrested along with all the top leadership of Kinijit. This time he spent 21 months in prison. Conditions in prison, and the constant harassment by the Woyanne regime’s security while out of jail, had no doubt taken a toll on his health.
When UDJ was formed in October 2007, Lt. Alemayehu became a full time staff member of the party and an organizer of for southern Ethiopia.
Lt. Alemayehu, 45, was survived by his wife and 5 children.