By Dereje Berhanu
ADDIS ABABA Ethiopia- Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ), Chairman Birtukan Mideksais has begun hunger strike starting from last week. SSI has learnt form Birtukan’s mother, Mrs. Almaz Geberegziabehare that starting from late last week until January 7 .2009 she has been taking only water and is kept alone in her cell.
Mrs. Almaze said that the prison has not allowed Birtukan visitors except her and Birtukan’s four year old daughter. Birtukan has asked her mother to bring her additional clothes and books. 
Birtukan was re-arrested last week over what government said was failure to rescind her denial over her request for pardon and resumed he life prison sentence. Birtukan was one of the former Coalitions for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party leaders who were charged of treason and instigating violence and were to serve life imprisonment. However, they were released in July 2007 with a presidential pardon after two years of imprisonment. Recently she came into conflict over allegations that she had denied seeking clemency from the government in statements attributed to her during a visit to Sweden. Birtukan maintained that her release from prison could not be reduced to a plain pardon as is being disingenuously alleged by the government, but is rather a complex outcome of a protracted negotiation between her party and the government mediated by elders.
The 35-year-old former judge is known for her ruling to free former Defense Minster Seya Abera on corruption charges. Birtukan is among the former members of CUD who later this year had established the Unity for Democracy and Justice/Andinet party
Sub-Saharan Informer's attempts to reach the new president ended in failure after security measures restricted communications.