Arrest warrant issued against former Ethiopian spy chief Getachew Assefa

In a  press briefing that was given by the Ethiopian Federal Attorney General today, it was announced that an arrest warrant is issued against the former director general of the Ethiopian National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS), Ato Getachew Assefa.  According to the Attorney general, Ato Getachew is currently in the Tigray region but the regional government has refused to hand him over. Ato Getachew has been accused of numerous serious crimes such as human rights violations and killings. Before being removed from his position months after the appointment of Abiy Ahmed as prime minister, he was head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) for many years. It is to be recalled that many high-profile officials have been arrested following Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s promise to rein in the security services and tackle economic mismanagement, corruption and rights abuses.