THREAD: 63 suspects accused of corruption and human rights abuses appeared in court on Monday. 27 of them accused for yrs of embezzlement at METEC while 36 are former officials at the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) implicated in egregious rights violations. Ethiopia's Attorney General @BerhanuTsegaye alleges senior leaders of NISS orchestrated the plot to kill PM Abiy in June using paid Oromo agents. Pretext: The killing of the PM, an ethnic Oromo, by an Oromo would give the impression that his own constituents did not support him.

Abiy Ahmed Ali, 41, sworn-in as #Ethiopia's Prime Minister. In a broad-ranging speech, he made an impassioned appeal to Ethiopian unity and called for democracy, stability and improved relations with Eritrea. If he governors based on those ideals, he'll remake EPRDF and Ethiopia. "Ethiopia belongs to all of us." Ethiopians need the rule of law but also justice. I wholeheartedly apologize for youth whose lives were cut short. We are in competition but not against the opposition. We'll welcome home exiled Ethiopians and work with those established abroad.