40
increasing use of the death penalty, either after a regular trial or simply by administrative decision. In November 1974, 59 members and alleged supporters of the former Selassie government in Ethiopia were executed summarily. Dahomey sentenced seven people to death in March 1975. September 1974 saw the beginning of a treason trial in Sierra Leone which culminated two months later in death sentences on 15 individuals. January 1975 was marked by the execution in Somalia of 10 men who had allegedly opposed a decree by the Supreme Revolutionary Council granting equal rights to Somali women. In Rhodesia, the Smith government announced during April 1975 that it would no longer publicize the fact that it was executing African nationalists after secret trials.
Amnesty International has applied a variety of techniques to meet this growing challenge. Work has gone forward in the Research Department on the production of individual case sheets and the writing of background papers. During the 12 month period of this annual report, AI missions to Africa averaged one per month, and included the sending of delegates to observe military trials in Ethiopia, missions to investigate floggings in Namibia, observer missions to Tunisia, the Ivory Coast, and Lesotho, and several other such major initiatives.
In addition, AI launched several worldwide campaigns for general amnesties in a number of African states. The most important series of such campaigns took place between November 1974 and March 1975 and covered the five French- speaking West African states of Mali, Chad, Gabon, Cameroun and Ivory Coast. Al groups have been working for some time on adoption and investigation cases in all five of these countries. A similar campaign on Morocco took place during the early months of 1975. It was designed to coincide with the demand by Moroccan opposition parties for a general amnesty for political prisoners.
In addition to these general campaigns, AI reacted with immediate appeals for clemency when death sentences were passed anywhere in the continent. On the question of torture, the Research Department has worked closely with the Campaign for the Abolition of Torture to investigate and act upon allegations of torture emanating from Tunisia, Morocco and Zambia.
As for material assistance, the Africa department is responsible for dispensing approximately 60% of all relief monies passing through the International Secretariat, distributing them to the families of prisoners of conscience in numerous African countries.
Above all, the International Secretariat has relied for the effectiveness of its work on Africa on the enthusiasm, diligence and generosity of Al adoption groups and coordination groups throughout the world. Thanks to the enthusiasm of these groups, Amnesty International has been able to help more than 1,000 prisoners of conscience on the African continent during the past year.
The Africa department is currently handling 862 adoption and investigation
cases.
Algeria
Amnesty International groups continued their efforts to procure the release of former Algerian President Ahmed Ben Bella, who has been in prison and under