ETHIOPIA 2013 HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT

BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR
2013 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
Report
February 27, 2014

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Ethiopia is a federal republic. The ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of four ethnically based parties, controls the government. In September 2012, following the death of former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, parliament elected Hailemariam Desalegn as prime minister. In national parliamentary elections in 2010, the EPRDF and affiliated parties won 545 of 547 seats to remain in power for a fourth consecutive five-year term. Although the relatively few international officials allowed to observe the elections concluded that technical aspects of the vote were handled competently, some also noted that an environment conducive to free and fair elections was not in place prior to the election. Authorities generally maintained control over the security forces, although Somali Region Special Police and local militias sometimes acted independently. Security forces committed human rights abuses. Read more…

Exceptions to the democratic rule: Sweden is not Ethiopia, but pretending that they have nothing in common does no one any favours

The Swedish journalists were released after 438 days in an Ethiopian jail [AFP]

February 27, 2014 (Ajazeera) — In 2012, after having been sentenced to 11 years in prison for “terrorism” for illegally entering Ethiopia from Somalia in the presence of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye took the advice of their legal council, confessed to their “crimes” and requested an official pardon. It was a pragmatic move – both journalists vehemently denied the charges and considered any confession to be a charade – taken to savetheir own skins.

The request was granted, and the journalists were released after 438 days in jail. Their capture, trial, imprisonment and subsequent release were, as one would expect, all big news stories in Sweden. As told in the media, the Persson/Schibbye story followed a standard trope: Backward, undemocratic Africa versus progressive, democratic Sweden. Human rights violators versus human rights defenders. And, frankly, who could argue with that framing of events?  Read more…

Ethiopian natural resources at risk

Shiferraw has been ringing the alarm for months, calling for due attention to protect Ethiopia’s unique flora and make good use of its genetic resources.

February 27, 2014 (World Bulletin) — A long drawn out patent row between Ethiopia and the Netherlands concerning teff – a highly nutritious ancient grain variety – has made headlines in Ethiopia, but a local official is worried that not only teff is in danger of being “looted.”

“A great many genetic resources of Ethiopia are in perpetual danger of being looted,” Aweke Shiferraw, communication director at the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office, told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview.

Shiferraw has been ringing the alarm for months, calling for due attention to protect Ethiopia’s unique flora and make good use of its genetic resources.

Teff is indigenous to Ethiopia, where it accounts for one quarter of total cereal production. It is believed that teff originated in Ethiopia between 4000 BC and 1000 BC. Read more…

Statement from the Leadership of the Oromia Media Network (OMN)

Oromia Media Network will be inaugurated on March 1, 2014.

Oromia Media Network (OMN) is a product of the unwavering spirit of the Oromo people, and their firm belief in freedom of expression and freedom of thought. We believe that the primary purpose of any media establishment is to offer thoughtful perspective on various issues. Cognizant of this, OMN is our grand step towards reclaiming our voice, the voice of truth and fair representation. We are elated to announce that Oromia Media Network will be launched on March 1st, 2014 in the heart of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Read more…

Tension mounts in Moyale after latest clashes

February 19, 2014 (MSN Kenya News) – Tension remains high in northern Moyale followingrenewed inter-ethnic clashes on Sunday night between Borona, Gabra and Burji and left thousands of families displaced.

Isaiah Nakoru, Marsabit County Commissioner, said on Monday that the number of those killed and injured in the renewed inter-tribal clashes was still not clear and some of the families that fled into Ethiopia were vulnerable groups that included women, children and the aged. Read more…

Source: MSN News

Maternal Deaths Still High In Ethiopia: Strategies For Improving Mothers’ Health Around The World

Maternal deaths in Ethiopia are nearly 32 times those in the U.S. Health organizations and governments around the world have banded together to bring health care to the area, among many others.

February 18, 2014 (Medical Daily) — With limited resources,developing countries continue to have a hard time keeping mothers and newborns alive and healthy during — and after — childbirth. Highlighting the problems mothers in Ethiopia face, a special issue of the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health published online Feb. 18, explores how community-based methods maintain the health of mothers and their newborn children.

It’s easy to forget that less than 200 years ago, as many as 700 out of every 10,000women were dying during childbirth. It wasn’t until 1930 that these rates started to drop. And when they began to drop, they dropped fast, thanks to the introduction of antibiotics, oxytocin to induce labor, safe blood transfusions, and improved management of blood pressure during pregnancy, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Before 1950, maternal mortality rates dropped by 71 percent.   Fast forward to the present day, it’s so uncommon in the U.S. — only about 21 of 100,000 — that women who die from it end up on the news. Read more…

Source: Medical Daily

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Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn: Who Is The Ethiopian Airlines Hijacker, And Why Was He Desperate For Asylum

February 18, 2014 | Horn Affairs, BTimes

Ethiopian hijacker Hailemedhin Abera’s close friends described him to Horn Affairs as following:

Hailemedhin Abera Tegegn was born in 1983, now 31 years old.

He was born in in Zegie Island, which is found on Tana Lake, the source of Nile, in western Ethiopia.

Hailemedhin was raised in Bahirdar city, on the offshores of Lake Tana, at the center of city called “kebele zero arat”.

He attended school at Atse Sereke Dingle elementary school, then Bahirdar Secondary School in 2000/01.

Subsequently, he joined Addis Ababa UniversityArchitecture department, which he quit to join the state-monopoly Ethiopian Airlines.

Hailemedhin is described by his high school friends as a quiet and reclusive man who rarely enjoyed social gatherings. Read mor

Oromia Region’s President Alemayehu Atomsa resigns

February 17, 2014

The President of the Oromia Regional State, Alemayehu Atomsa, has resigned. His resignation has been accepted by the Executive Committee of his party, Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO).

Alemayhu has been battling with severe diseases for the past few years. ESAT Television had reported that close to two million birr has been spent in his treatment from the coffers of the Ethiopian government.

Executive Committee of OPDO

1. Alemayehu Atomsa
2. Muktar Kedir
3. Zelalem Jemaneh
4. Girma Biru
5. Abadula Gemeda
6. Kuma Demekisa
7. Sofiyan Ahimed
8. Diriba Kuma
9. Abdulaziz Mehamed

ኖሮ ያልታየ ሞቱ ያልታወቀ

By Daniel Tadese | February 17, 2014

Daniel Tadesse

እኤአ በ1991 ስልጣን የተቆናጠጠው አረመኔያዊው የወያኔ ስርዓት በ23 አመታት ውስጥ በዜጎች ላይ ይህ ነው የማይባል ኢ ሰብዓዊ ድርጊት በመፈፀምና የህዝቦች ቀንደኛ ጠላት በመሆን የስልጣን ዘመኑን በማርዘም ላይ ይገኛል:: በተለይም ከጊዜ ወደጊዜ በኦሮሞ ህዝብ ላይ እየከፋ የመጣው የጭካኔ ዘመቻ ከየትኛውም ጊዜ በላይ በመባባስ ላይ ይገኛል::

የስርዓቱ ባለስልጣናት የኦነግ አባል የሆኑትን ብቻ ሳይሆን ያልደገፋቸውን ያላጨበጨበላቸውን የኦሮሞ ተወላጅ የሆኑትን ማሰር፣ ማፈን፣ አፍኖም ማሰቃየት፤ከዚያም ደብዛቸውን በማጥፋት መግደል፤ ሃብት ንብረታቸውን መውረስ፤ እነርሱን አስሮ ቤተሰቦቻቸውን ከ ህብረተሰቡ እንዲገለሉና ከአገር እንዲሰደዱ በማድረግ ከፍተኛ የሆነ ለሞራል ውድቀትና ድቀት እየዳረጉ እንደሚገኝ ለማንም ግልፅና የሚታወቅ ነው፡፡ በተለይ ፀረ ሽብር በሚል ሽፋን አሻንጉሊቱ ፓርላማ ባወጣው አዋጅ ቁጥር 652/2001 ኦነግንና አንዳንድ የነፃነት ታጋይ ድርጅቶችን አሸባሪ ብሎ በመፈረጅ አባል ናቸው ተብለው ከሚጠረጠሩ ግን ዓባል መሆናቸው በይፋና በግልጽ ከማይታወቁ ሰዎች ጋር ሰላምታ መለዋወጥ፤ አብሮ መሄድ፤ ሻይ ቡና መገባበዝ፤ መመገብ ሰላምታ ያደረጉ ሰዎችንም የአሸባሪነት ሰለባ እንዲሆኑ አድርጓቸዋል፡፡ በፀረ ሽብር ሕጉ ላይ ሌላ ጊዜ በሰፊው እመለስበታለሁ፡፡ Read more…

Another Oromo, Mohammed Aman Geleto wins 800m British Indoor Grand Prix, new NR

February 16, 2014

Dibaba wasn’t the only Oromo in world-beating form as Mohamed Aman took more than half a second from his 800m world lead with an African indoor record of 1:44.52.

Only Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer and Russia’s Yuriy Borzakovskiy have now run faster than Amanunder cover.

The 20-year-old reigning World champion, both indoors and outdoors, took the lead with a lap-and-a-half to go and had a five-metre lead on Adam Kszczot at the bell.

The Pole closed the gap down the back straight but Aman was too strong in the final straight.

Mohammed Aman Geleto is an Oromo middle distance runner. He is the winner of the 800-meter final at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow.

Born: January 10, 1994 (age 20), Asella, Oromia
Height: 5′ 9″ (1.75 m)
Weight: 128 lbs (58 kg

Defected Ethiopian Major and a Captain Tell tales of Horror

By Ahmed Abdi

February 15, 2014 (Ogaden Today) — An Ethiopian paramilitary major, Shi’alaqe Faysal La’ag Adan Hirad and Captain Ahmed-Nour Abdikadir Abdisamed Abdi whom were the commanders of the 16th-regiment told the Ogadentoday that they killed any one that encountered them regardless men,women and Children.

The Commanders say that they committed wide-spread atrocities against the innocent civilians in the Occupied-Ogaden region during their counterinsurgency operations.

“Although the Regional President Abdi Mohamoud Omar ordered us the killing of the civilians to make them fear from us by intimidating, we are happy that we killed three Tigray officials that intentional killed a man when their car crushed by a hungry militiaman that waved them to stop”, 

said Major Adan Hared. Read more…

soures http://ayyaantuu.com/horn-of-africa-news/ogaden/defected-ethiopian-major-and-a-captain-tell-tales-of-horror/

OBBOO BAQQALAA NADHII SHILLIM JEDHE MALEE HIN DUUNE

Taammanaa Bitimaa irraa | Guraandhala 15, 2014

Kunoo, nu dhiisee dabruu obboo Baqqalaa Nadhii ammuman dhagaye. Gadda cimaatu natti dhagayame. Maatiin isaa, firoottan isaa, hiriyoonni isaa, aantee fi lammiin isaa, uummannii fi sabni isaa gadda jabaa isinitti dhagayame kanaaf, mee WAAQNI obsaa fi jajjabina isinii haa kennu! Ekeraan isaa qabbanaa fi gaaddisa haa argattu! Lubbuun isaa jannata haa seentu! Read more…

soures http://ayyaantuu.com/horn-of-africa-news/oromia/obboo-baqqalaa-nadhii-shillim-jedhe-malee-hin-duune/

Ethiopian government spying on U.S.-based journalists

Video: The Post’s Craig Timberg breaks down a new report by digital watchdog group The Citizen Lab, which suggests the Ethiopian government is hacking the computers of Ethiopian journalists in the D.C. area.

February 13, 2014 (The Washington Post) — Mesay Mekonnen was at his desk, at a news service based in Northern Virginia, when gibberish suddenly exploded across his computer screen one day in December. A sophisticated cyber­attack was underway. Read more…

USAID’s cover-up of Ethiopia abuses overruled by Congress

The US Congress has acted to prevent aid being used to support the forced evictions of Mursi, Bodi and Kwegu tribes from their ancestral land in Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley

February 12, 2014 (Survival International) — The United States Congress has acted to prevent its aid to Ethiopia being used to fund forced evictions of tribal peoples in the south west of the country.

The provisions in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for 2014 represent a slap in the face for USAID, which last month said that ‘there are no reports of widespread or systematic human rights abuses’ in the region.

In fact, tribes of the Lower Omo Valley are being violently evicted from their villages by the government to make way for lucrative cotton, palm oil, and sugarcane plantations whose irrigation will be made possible by the controversial Gibe III dam. Transferred to designated resettlement areas, the once self-sufficient tribes will be left with no access to their livestock or lands and, consequently, will be unable to sustain themselves. Intimidation tactics, such as rape and beatings, have reportedly been used against those who resist resettlement. Read more…

Source: Survival International

Kenya repatriates over 60 Ethiopian aliens

February 11, 2014, ISIOLO, Kenya, (Xinhua) — Kenyan police have repatriated more than 60 Ethiopia aliens to ease congestion at the local police cells.

The aliens who spent two weeks at the police custody in northern Kenya town of Isiolo due to the lack of logistics had gone on hunger strike after the authorities failed to deport them on time.

Some of them were rushed to Isiolo level four hospital formedication after feeding on food which they were not used to. Read more…

Source: coastweek

Stop Clearing Oromo from their Land in the name of boosting economic development

Who will stand for the Oromo’s living on the outskirts of Finfinnee?

By Sabbontoota Oromoo, Oromia | February 11, 2014

A.  Background

It is to be recalled that Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) was founded as the present capital city the so called Ethiopian in 1886 by a man called Minilik II. During this time, the area was inhabited by the Oromo people and the area was almost covered with natural forest.  Initially the Shawa government made it seat at Ankober. Hence, before the founding of Finfinee as a political and economic capital of the king, all the areas within the present Finfinnee and the surround areas was free like any other Oromia lands. However, after 1886 the Semitic people from the northern segments and others had taken the land and the Oromo people who were used to live in these areas were forced lost their land through time.

For example, according to Central Statistics Agency of Ethiopia (2007) Out of the 2,738,248  100% total population living in Finfinnee,  the total number of the Oromo people living in the city was only 534,255 (19.51%). Since its founding as a capital, Finfinnee remained the capital city for the successive Ethiopian regimes (Menilik II, Lij Eyassu, Zawuditu, Hailesillasse I, Mengistu, Melles and HaileMariam). Read more…

Ethiopia calls for foreign troop exit from South Sudan

A soldier on January 18, 2014 in Bor, a strategic town South Sudanese government forces, backed by Ugandan troops, recaptured from rebel forces

February 10, 2014, Addis Ababa (AFP) — Ethiopia on Monday called for the withdrawal of all foreign forces, notably Ugandans, from South Sudan, warning of a threat of regional conflict.

“Because of this intervention, the conflict might end up as a regional conflict because there are other interests also from other sides,” Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told reporters.

South Sudan has been embroiled in deadly fighting since mid-December when clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and former vice president Riek Machar erupted in the young nation.

Kiir asked Ugandan forces to protect key infrastructure in Juba, including the airport and the presidential palace, but the presence of Ugandan troops has been fiercely condemned by Machar and his allies. Read more…

Source: Returers