An aide to the prime minister said a mistranslation led to him being quoted as saying that all political prisoners would be freed to promote dialogue. The prime minster also said a detention centre, allegedly used as a torture chamber, would be shut. Ethiopia has always denied that there were any political prisoners in the country, as alleged by human rights and opposition groups. A new detention centre will be opened, Mr Hailemariam said, which would comply with international standards. A trained engineer, Mr Hailemariam took the reins of power in 2012, after the death of Meles Zenawi, who had ruled since 1991.

Source: Ethiopian News January 04, 2018 16:07 UTC