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Timeline
May 1991 – The military regime led by Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam is removed by the Ethiopian People's 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.
December 1994 – A new constitution is adopted. The constitution establishes a democratic system of government and guarantees individual freedoms.
May-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.
December 1996 – For the first time, private newspapers are allowed to cover a major government press conference.
September 1997 – Over 260 officials in the Addis Ababa government are fired on charges of bribery, nepotism, embezzlement and incompetence.
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 (US$1,250) at the time of their annual license renewal.
March 2000 – Former Prime Minister Tamirat 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.
August 2001 – Opposition politician Abdifetah Mursel Shel is killed by a landmine while campaigning in the parliamentary elections.
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.
October 2003 – Araya Tesfa Mariam, a journalist for a private newspaper, alleges three federal police officers severely beat him for refusing to disclose his sources.
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.
December 2003 – Ethiopia signs (but has not yet ratified) the U.N. Convention against Corruption.
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.
January 2006 – British journalist Anthony Mitchell is expelled from the country, accused by the government of "tarnishing the image of the nation" with his reporting.
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.
April 2006 – The government issues licenses to Zami Public Connections and Tinsae Fine Arts, the first two privately owned radio stations in the country.
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