Two Ethiopian journalists in South Africa, live in fear and hiding after they have been threatened to be killed and their office destroyed.

From the time that refugee Fresew Feleke, arrived in South Africa from Ethiopia towards the end of 1995, he made a number of attempts to start street vending businesses as a means of survival. On four occasions, he was robbed. Feleke and his editor, Samson Sahele, who is seeking refugee status, started to print and distribute the magazine called SIMOTA, whose audience is local Ethiopians. They have been receiving logistical support from different local organisations including Independent Media Diversity Trust and Human Rights Institute of SA. When they started to print the magazine, they started to receive telephone warnings from unknown people. This was the commencement of their receiving repeated death threats.

On September 1, 1998 the SIMOTA office in Johannesburg, was broken into during the night. The SIMOTA computer including the central processing unit, the monitor and the printer were stolen as well as computer discs and a number of documents. Later that day, while Sahele was walking from the office, he realised that he was being followed by two men, one of them appeared to be Ethiopian. He then managed to get a lift from a friend who was passing by and later saw the same men who followed him parked outside his home. He went to stay with a friend as he did not feel safe. The incident was reported to the police. A docket was also opened regarding the burglary. Investigating officers subsequently visited the SIMOTA offices on two occasions and took statements as well as fingerprints. The police officers said that the break-in and theft was a professional theft.

On the morning of December 22, 1998, when Mr Feleke arrived at the SIMOTA office, he found that the office had again been broken into. He reported the break-in to the security officer in the building and also to the Johannesburg Central Police Station.

Again on March 10, 1999 there was a theft from the SIMOTA office. A number of documents, an address diary, three files and a photograph were stolen from the office during the night. It is not known how the person/s involved, gained access to the office.

On March 27, eight armed men in camouflage uniforms arrived at Sahel's house, but Sahele was not at home. They appeared to be members of the police. The armed men knocked on the door of the building and demanded to be taken to Sahele's room where they stood readily with the pistols drawn. They demanded the woman who opened the front door to knock on Sahele's door. They searched the bathroom and the kitchen before leaving. On April 6, 1999, a man and a woman, came to Sahele's home and after some time asked if Sahele was there. The people living in the flat said that they thought that the two people were South Africans from their accents. When they were told that Sahele was not there, they said that they would come back in the morning to kill him. When he arrived home, his neighbours told him what happened and he later reported the incident to the police. Sahele went into hiding for three days before returning to his home.

Feleke approached Dr Jobson from the Human Rights Institute of South Africa who then telephoned the Station Commissioner of the Johannesburg Central Police Station on April 9, 1999 to discuss this matter further with the staff of the police station.

Feleke and Sahele indicated that they suspected that the Ethiopian government working together with a South African agency is behind this. They said they think they are seen as threats to the Ethiopian government because they debated government policies, human rights and media diversity in Ethiopia. There is an estimation of 4000 Ethiopians living in South Africa.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Send appeals: 1. The Ethiopian Embassy: - urging him to use his influence to ensure Ethiopian journalists in SA are not harassed - to promote media freedom in Ethiopia.

Appeals to the attention of: Ambassador Mr Aman Hassen Pretoria fax- 012 346 3542

2. South African Safety and Security Minister - for the protection of the Ethiopian journalists and - bring to book all those involved

attention of: Minister Sydney Mufamadi fax- 021 461 2594

cc : Department of Foreign Affairs - South Africa