የኢትዮዽያውያን ዴሞክራቶች ድረ-ገፅEthiopian Democrats' Website

Source: Reporter;

May 1991- the military regime led by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam is removed by the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of rebel forces. A provisional government is set up.

August 1992- the government establishes the Special Prosecutor's Office to investigate human rights abuses and corruption committed during the Mengistu regime. In February 1993, the government restores the right of habeas corpus.

April 1993-Eritreans vote in a referendum to secede from Ethiopia

December 1994- a new constitution is adopted. The constitution establishes a democratic system of government and guarantees individual freedoms.

May to June 1995- National and regional elections, boycotted by most opposition groups, result in a landslide victory for the EPRDF. Negasso Gidada becomes president when his predecessor, Meles Zenawi, assumes the post of prime minister in August.

September 1997- Over 260 officials in the Addis Ababa government are fired on charges of bribery, nepotism, embezzlement and incompetence.

June 1998 –Ethiopia and Eritrea go to war following Eritrean occupation of border towns

December 1998- A World Bank anti-corruption report finds that corruption in Ethiopia is mostly petty in nature, existing at the interface between the civil service and the public, where there is a lack of formal rules.

March 1999- Over 160 domestic and international NGOs sign a code of conduct establishing standards for various areas including gender equality, ethical integrity, transparency and accountability. The signatories also form a committee to hear and decide matters involving violations of the code.

June 1999-After a 7-year effort, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO), a human rights watchdog with members and support committees around the world, receives legal status as an NGO.

December 1999-The Ministry of Information and Culture shuts down 12 newspapers for failing to maintain the legally required bank balance of 10,000 birr (then estimated at 1,250 dollars at the time) at the time of their annual license renewal.

March 2000- Former Prime Minister Tamrat Layne is convicted of embezzlement, corruption and abuse of office and is sentenced to 18 years in prison.

June 2000- Ethiopia and Eritrea sign a cease-fire agreement in their two-year border dispute, but violence and tension between the two countries persist, despite UN peacekeeping efforts.

May 2001- Eighteen prominent government officials and businessmen are arrested on charges of embezzling millions of dollars from the government.

July 2001- Four senior members of the governing coalition from the Oromo region are suspended for alleged corruption, nepotism and abuse of power.

January 2002- The newly-established Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission charges five current and former senior executives of the state-owned Commercial Bank of Ethiopia with issuing illegal loans.

November 2003- The Ethiopian Free Press Journalists Association, a vocal critic of the government's strict policy toward the media, is banned and later has its entire executive board replaced by the government. The ban is eventually overturned by a court, but the government defies the court's ruling.

May 2005- Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his EPRDF party retain power in bitterly-contested elections that trigger violent protests in May and November. Allegations of election fraud and government violence against the opposition prompt international donors to suspend or cut back aid to Ethiopia.

November 2005- Ethiopian security forces arrest opposition leaders in response to the public protests. They detain tens of thousands of civilians for up to three months, including journalists and human rights advocates. The U.S. State Department reports, more than 100 members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) remain imprisoned after 2007.

December 2005- The U.S. State Department reports, "The government charges 131 people- opposition leaders, civil society leaders and media representatives- with capital offenses such as 'outrages against the constitution.'" It isn't until the summer of 2007 that these detainees are pardoned and released from prison.

January 2006- The Committee to Protect Journalists reports, British journalist Anthony Mitchell is expelled from the country, accused by the government of "tarnishing the image of the nation" with his reporting.

Also in January, the government releases 11,000 persons detained as part of the November 2005 anti-government demonstrations.

March 2006- The Ethiopian High Court drops charges against 18 defendants, who, along with over 100 other journalists, opposition politicians and human rights activists, were charged with treason, incitement to violence and various other offenses in the aftermath of the controversial 2005 elections.

May 2006- The BBC reports, "Six political parties and armed groups form an opposition alliance, the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, at a meeting in the Netherlands."

November 2006- A UN report names Ethiopia in violation of a 1992 arms embargo on Somalia. The report alleges that the Ethiopian government has been supplying arms to Somalia's interim government.

May 2008- Former Marxist ruler Mengistu Haile Mariam is sentenced to death in absentia by the Supreme Court for crimes against humanity during his 17- year reign.

July 2008- The UN Security Council votes to terminate the peacekeeping mission between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

January 2009- Ethiopian government passes a new law that strongly prohibits both domestic and international NGOs from conducting human rights related activities.

The European Union grants approximately 251 million Euros to strengthen up development programs.

December 2009- Berhanu Nega and four others sentenced to death in Ginbot 7 related charges.

Addis Neger newspaper shuts down operations.

March 2010- Prime Minister Meles Zenawi accuses Voice of America's Amharic broadcasts for spreading "destabilizing propaganda"; orders the station to be jammed ahead of national elections scheduled in May. The American-funded media outlet starts broadcasting via satellite as a result of this move.

May 2010- Elections are held in Ethiopia, giving Prime Minister Meles Zenawi a landslide victory. The election are later heavily criticized in an EU report (November 2010) for lack of transparency.

October 2010- Fresh clashes occur between the Ogaden National Liberation Front and the government, while a new report by Human Rights Watch accuses the Ethiopian government “of using development aid to suppress political opposition.”

March 2011-According to the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, about 5,000 government officials register their assets. Implemented with the assistance of The World Bank, this initiative obligates any government employee and their family to disclose any and all possessions excluding inherited & household items & pension assistance.

April 2011-A new human rights report released by the U.S. State Department criticizes the Ethiopian government for failing to abide by its own constitution. A lack of freedom of the press, human rights abuses, human trafficking and prohibiting freedom of association were alleged against the government.