የአሜሪካ መንግሥት ኦነግንና አብነግን፣ ግንቦት ሰባትን በአሸባሪነት አልፈረጀም፤ በአሸባሪነት ለመፈረጅ የሚያበቃ ማስረጃ አላገኘም

April 24, 2015 Ethiopia

(Oromedia.net) — ‹‹አሜሪካ በዴሞክራሲያዊ መንገድ የተመረጠን መንግሥት ያለምርጫ ሥርዓት በኃይል ለመጣል የሚደረግ ማንኛውንም ሙከራ ትቃወማለች›› ዌንዲ ሼርማን፣ የአሜሪካ ምክትል የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስትር የአሜሪካ የፖለቲካ ጉዳዮች ምክትል የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስትር ዌንዲ ሼርማን ተቀማጭነቱ አሜሪካ የሆነውን ግንቦት ሰባትን ጨምሮ፣ የኦሮሞ ነፃ አውጪ ግንባር (ኦነግ) እና የኦጋዴን ብሔራዊ ነፃ አውጪ ግንባር (ኦብነግ) የመሳሰሉ በመንግሥት በአሸባሪነት የተፈረጁ ድርጅቶችን የአሜሪካ መንግሥት እንደማይደግፍ አስታወቁ፡፡

ዌንዲ ሼርማን፣ የአሜሪካ ምክትል የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስትር

ባለፈው ሳምንት ለሁለት ቀናት ጉብኝት አዲስ አበባ የተገኙት ምክትል የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስትሯ ከአራት ዓመታት በፊት አሸባሪ የተባሉትን ድርጅቶች፣ በሚመለከት ‹‹አሜሪካ በዴሞክራሲያዊ መንገድ የተመረጠን መንግሥት ያለምርጫ ሥርዓት በኃይል ለመጣል የሚደረግ ማንኛውንም ሙከራ ትቃወማለች፤›› በማለት ለባለሥልጣናት አስታውቀዋል፡፡

በአሜሪካ ኤምባሲ በተለይ ለሪፖርተር በሰጡት ቃለ ምልልስ እንዳስታወቁት፣ መንግሥታቸው ግንቦት ሰባትን፣ ኦነግንና አብነግን በሚመከለት የኢትዮጵያን መንግሥት ሥጋት እንደሚጋራና ከመንግሥት ባለሥልጣናት ጋርም መረጃ እንደሚለዋወጥ አረጋግጠዋል፡፡ ይህም ሆኖ መንግሥታቸው እነዚህን ድርጅቶች በአሸባሪነት እንዳልፈረጀ ገልጸዋል፡፡

‹‹ድርጅቶቹን በአሸባሪነት ለመፈረጅ የሚያበቃ ማስረጃ አላገኘንም፡፡ እንደማስበው የኢትዮጵያ መንግሥት እነዚህን ድርጅቶች በሚለከት የያዘውን አቋም እንድንገነዘብ ይፈልጋል፡፡ እኛም እንዲሁ፡፡ በሕግ ማስከበር፣ በደኅንነት ጉዳዮችና በዲፕሎማሲያዊ ግንኙነቶች ላይ መረጃ እየሰጠናቸው ስለመሆኑ ማረጋገጥ ይሻሉ፡፡ እኛም የኢትዮጵያን አመለካከት እንረዳለን፤›› በማለት ለሪፖተር ገልጸዋል፡፡

‹‹ከግንቦት ሰባት ጋር ግንኙነት ያላቸው ግለሰቦች በአሜሪካ እንደሚኖሩ እናውቃለን፡፡ መንግሥት ያቀረባቸውን ሥጋቶች ተገቢነት ባላቸው መንገዶች እንደምንፈታቸው እናረጋግጣለን፤›› በማለት ምክትል የውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስትሯ ሼርማን ተናግረው፣ የተጠቀሱትን ሥጋቶች አሜሪካ በራሷ መንገድና አካሄድ መፍትሔ እንደምትሰጣቸው፣ እንደምትገነዘባቸውና ከኢትዮጵያ መንግሥት ጋርም እንደምትጋራቸው አስታውቀዋል፡፡

በአዲስ አበባ ቆይታቸው ከጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ኃይለ ማርያም ደሳለኝ፣ ከውጭ ጉዳይ ሚኒስትሩ ዶ/ር ቴድሮስ አድሃኖም፣ ከጦር ኃይሎች ጠቅላይ ኤታ ማዦር ሹም ጄኔራል ሳሞራ የኑስ፣ እንዲሁም ከጠቅላይ ሚኒስትሩ የፖሊሲ ጉዳዮች አማካሪ አቶ በረከት ስምዖን ጋር በፀጥታ፣ በዴሞክራሲና በሰብዓዊ መብቶች እንዲሁም በመጪው ምርጫ ጉዳዮች ላይ መነጋገራቸው ታውቋል፡፡

‹‹በ1997ቱ ምርጫ በርካቶች አዲስ ቀን መምጣቱንና ይህም ይበልጥ እየተሻሻለ እንደሚቀጥል ማሰባቸው ይሰማኛል፡፡ እርግጥ ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ችግሮች መፈጠራቸው አልቀረም፡፡ በምርጫው ነፃ፣ ፍትሐዊና ተዓማኒነት ላይ ሥጋቶች አሉ፤›› ያሉት ምክትል ሚኒስትሯ፣ ‹‹ተስፋ የምናደርገው ግን ምርጫው የሚፈለገውን እንደሚያሟላ ነው፤›› በማለት ገልጸዋል፡፡

ምክትል ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትሯ ሼርማን በኢትዮጵያ ስለታሰሩት ጋዜጠኞችም ያላቸውን ሥጋቶች ሳይገልጹ አላለፉም፡፡ ‹‹ሁሉም አገር የራሱ የፍትሕ ሥርዓት ስላለው ያንን እናከብራለን፡፡ ሆኖም በሌሎች የአፍሪካ አገሮች ውስጥ ከታሰሩት ጋዜጠኞች በላይ ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ የታሰሩት በርካታ ናቸው፤›› ብለዋል፡፡ ከዚህም ባሻገር ተቃዋሚ ፓርቲዎች እውነተኛ ተቃዋሚ ለመሆን የሚያስችላቸውን ምኅዳር ስለማግኘታቸውም ሥጋት መኖሩን አውስተዋል፡፡

‹‹ሰባ አምስት ተቃዋሚ ፓርቲዎች ኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ስለመኖራቸው ማወቃችን ያስደስተናል፤›› ያሉት ሼርማን፣ ጠንካራና ቁርጠኛ ፓርቲ ስለመኖሩም ያላቸውን ሥጋት ገልጸዋል፡፡ ኢትዮጵያ በዴሞክራሲ ረገድ ገና አፍላ በመሆኗ በጊዜ ሒደት ይህ እየበሰለ ሄዶ የፖለቲካ ፓርቲ ሥርዓቱም እውነተኛ ምርጫ ለሕዝቡ እንደሚያመጣ እምነታቸው መሆኑን አስታውቀዋል፡፡

በሲቪል ማኅበረሰቡ በኩል እየተከናወኑ ያሉ ሥራዎችን ያወደሱት ሼርማን፣ መንግሥትን በማስገደድ ረገድ፣ ችግሮችን በመፍታትና ድምፅ ለሌላቸው ሰዎች ተሟጋች በመሆን የሲቪል ማኅበራት የሚወጧቸውን ተግባራት የሚያስመሰግኑ ናቸው ብለዋል፡፡

የአፍሪካ ቀንድን በሚመለከት ሼርማን እንዳብራሩት፣ ሰላምና መረጋጋትን ለማስፈን የአካባቢው አጋርነት ወሳኝ ነው፡፡ በተለይ በደቡብ ሱዳን የተከሰተውን ቀውስ በማስመልከት ሲናገሩም፣ የአሜሪካ መንግሥት የትኛውንም ዘዴ በመጠቀም ተፋላሚዎቹን ወገኖች ወደ ሰላማዊ መፍትሔ ለማምጣት እንደሚጥር አስታውቀዋል፡፡

 OROMO STUDENT ORGANIZATION TO HOST VIVA OROMOIA ON SATURDAY NIGHT

http://www.ayyaantuu.net/%E1%8B%A8%E1%8A%A0%E1%88%9C%E1%88%AA%E1%8A%AB-%E1%88%98%E1%8A%95%E1%8C%8D%E1%88%A5%E1%89%B5-%E1%8A%A6%E1%8A%90%E1%8C%8D%E1%8A%95%E1%8A%93-%E1%8A%A0%E1%89%A5%E1%8A%90%E1%8C%8D%E1%8A%95%E1%8D%A3/

Eritrea and Ethiopia named most censored countries in Africa | ኢትዮጵያ የመናገር ነጻነትና የሚዲያ አፈና የሰፈነባት ሀገር ተባለች

Eritrea and Ethiopia named most censored countries in Africa | http://goo.gl/i3j3VK | ኢትዮጵያ የመናገር ነጻነትና የሚዲያ አፈና የሰፈነባት ሀገር ተባለች

ኮሚቴ ቱ ፕሮቴክት ጆርናሊስት ወይም በእንግሊዘኛ ምህጻሩ CPJ በአለማችን የመናገር ነጻነት እጅግ የሚገደብባቸውና የሚዲያ አፈና የተጠናከረባቸው ሀገራትን ስም ዝርዝር ይፋ አድርጓል፡፡ እንደተለመደው በዘንድሮውም ሪፖርት የኤርትራና የኛ የኢትዮጵያችን ስም አልተዘለለም፡፡ ኤርትራ በዚህ ዝርዝር ውስጥ አንደኛ ስትሆን ኢትዮጵያ ደግሞ አራተኛ ተብላለች፡፡

በኢትዮጵያ በጋዜጠኞች ላይ ተፋፍሞ በቀጠለው አፈናና መሳደድ የተነሳ እጅግ ቁጥራቸው የበረከቱ ጋዜጠኞች የፖለቲካ ጥገኝነት ፍለጋ ወደ ውጪ ሀገራት ይሰደዳሉ የሚለው ይህ ሪፖርት 30 ጋዜጠኞች በአንድ አመት ጊዜ ውስጥ መሰደዳቸውን ያወሳል፡፡

በተለይ በመጪው ግንቦት ሀገር አቀፍ ምርጫ በኢትዮጵያ ሊካሄድ በተቃረበበት በአሁኑ ወቅት መንግስት ነጻ የሚባል ሚዲያ በሀገሪቱ እንዳይኖር ተግቶ እየሰራ መሆኑን ነው በሪፖርቱ ይፋ የተደረገው፡፡ በሀገሪቱ በብሎገርነት ሳይቀር የሚንቀሳቀሱ ጦማሪንና ጋዜጠኞች ሳይቀር ለእስር መዳረጋቸውንም ነው ሲፒጄ ጨምሮ የገለጸው፡፡

መንግስት ለዚህኛው ሪፖርት እስከአሁን የሰጠው ምላሽ ምን እንደሆነ ባይታወቅም እንኳ ከዚህ ቀደም ሲወጡ ለነበሩ ተደጋጋሚ መሰል ክሶች በኢትዮጵያ በጋዜጠኝነቱ ወይም ሀሳቡን በነጻነት በመግለጹ የታሰረ አንድም ሰው የለም የሚል የተለመደ ምላሽ ሲሰት እንደቆየ የሚዘነጋ አይደለም፡፡

Eritrea and Ethiopia named most censored countries in Africa Eritrea and Ethiopia have been named as the most censored African countries in a report compiled by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). According to the CPJ release, the list is “based on research into the use of tactics ranging from imprisonment and repressive laws in the harassment of journalists and restrictions on Internet access.” Eritrea ranked number one while Ethiopia came in fourth in the list of 10 most censored countries in the world. The eight other countries on the list are North Korea, Ethiopia, Azerbaijan, Vietnam, Iran, China, Myanmar, and Cuba. CPJ says Eritrea’s president Isaias Afewerki “has succeeded in his campaign to crush independent journalism, creating a media climate so oppressive that even reporters for state-run news outlets live in constant fear of arrest.” The tactics used by Eritrea and North Korea – second on the list – mirror each other to a large extent. These regimes use “a combination of media monopoly, harassment, spying, threats of journalist imprisonment, and restriction of journalists' entry into or movements within their countries” to keep their grip on power. The last accredited international reporter was kicked out of Eritrea in 2007, while those invited occasionally to just interview the president are closely monitored by state security. “Imprisonment is the most effective form of intimidation and harassment used against journalists,” CPJ adds. The country is Africa's worst jailer of journalists, and with at least 23 behind bars it ranks third in the world just after Iran, which has jailed 30, and China 44. Additionally, President Afewerki’s government has deliberately limited internet access through slow dial up connections such that less than one per cent of the population goes online. Read More at The East African

Ethiopians talk of violent intimidation as their land is earmarked for foreign investors

April 14, 2015 Ethiopia

Ethiopia has long faced criticism for forcibly relocating tens of thousands of people from their ancestral homes. Photograph: Siegfried Modola/Reuters

(The Guardian) — New report gives damning indictment of the government’s mandatory resettlement policy carried out in a political climate of torture, oppression and silencing.

The human cost of Ethiopia’s “villagisation” programme is laid bare by damning first person testimony published on Tuesday.

The east African country has long faced criticism for forcibly relocating tens of thousands of people from their ancestral homes to make way for large scale commercial agriculture, often benefiting foreign investors. Those moved to purpose-built communes are allegedly no longer able to farm or access education, healthcare and other basic services.

The victims of land grabbing and displacement are given a rare voice in We Say the Land is Not Yours: Breaking the Silence against Forced Displacement in Ethiopia, a report from the California-based thinktank the Oakland Institute.

Some of the interviewees still live in Ethiopia, while others have sought political asylum abroad, and all remain anonymous for their own safety.

‘My village refused to move so they forced us with gunshots’

“My village refused to move,” says one, from the community of Gambella. “So they forced us with gunshots. Even though they intimidated us, we did not move – this is our land, how do we move? They wanted our land because our land is the most fertile and has access to water. So the land was promised to a national investor.

“Last year, we had to move. The promises of food and other social services made by the government have not been fulfilled. The government gets money from donors but it is not transferred to the communities.”

The land grab is not only for agriculture, the interviewee claims, but the community has also seen minerals and gold being mined and exported. “We have no power to resist. We need support. In the villages, they promised us tractors to help us cultivate. If money is given to the government for this purpose, we don’t know how it is used.

“The government receives money from donors, but they fill their pockets and farmers die of hunger.”

The Saudi Star rice paddy in Gambella. The government wants to voluntarily resettle 200,000 people in the region over the next three years. Photograph: AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Opposition will not be tolerated

Opposition to the scheme is not tolerated, according to the witness. “People are intimidated – we are forced to say positive things about villagisation, but really we refuse to accept the programme. If you challenge, the government calls you the mastermind of conflict.

“One of the government officials was opposed to the government. They wanted to put him in prison. He escaped and is now in Kenya, living as a political refugee.”

The government receives money from donors, but they fill their pockets and farmers die of hunger.

Agriculture makes up nearly half the GDP of Ethiopia, where four in five people live in rural areas. But since the mid-2000s, the government has awarded millions of hectares of land to foreign investors. The commune development programme, which aims to move 1.5 million rural families from their land to new “model” villages across the country, has faced allegations of violent evictions, political coercion, intimidation, imprisonment, rapes, beatings and disappearances.

A witness from Benishangul laments: “This is not development. Investors are destroying our lands and environment. There is no school, [no] food security, and they destroy wild fruits. Bamboo is the life of people. It is used for food, for cattle, for our beds, homes, firewood, everything. But the investors destroy it. They destroy our forests.

“This is not the way for development. They do not cultivate the land for the people. They grow sorghum, maize, sesame, but all is exported, leaving none for the people.”

In response to the report’s allegations, a spokesperson for the Ethiopian embassy in London has denied that the country engages in land-grabbing, saying: “As our economic track record clearly shows, the vast majority of Ethiopians have benefitted from the growth and sustainable development programme under implementation.”

‘The government dictates’

Another interviewee, from South Omo, says mandatory resettlement has stoked conflict among different ethnic groups. “There was no open consultation between the community and the government. If there was a common agreement based on joint consultations, perhaps the community might accept. But, the government dictates.

“We are scared that the highlanders will come and destroy our way of life, culture, and pasture land. What will we do? The government says we can keep two to three cattle, but this is a challenge. Our life is based on cattle, and we cannot change overnight. I keep cows, oxen, sheep, goats – where do we go?

A woman at her home in Gambella where many villagers have been cleared from their land. Photograph: Ariadne Van Zandbergen/Alamy

“The investors take land in the Omo Valley. They clear all land, choose the best place where trees are, leaving the area open. They say it is for development, but they are clearing the forests. I wonder how to reconcile development with forest destruction.”

Such accounts threaten to dent the image of Ethiopia, a darling of the development community that has enjoyed double digit economic growth for the best part of a decade. The government has beencriticised for brooking little opposition, clamping down on civil society activism and jailing more journalists than any country in Africa, except its neighbour Eritrea.

‘Basic human rights are not being upheld’

A government employee told the researchers: “I want the world to know that the government system at the federal level does not give attention to the local community.

“There are three dynamics that linger in my mind that explain today’s Ethiopia: villagisation, violent conflict, and investment. They are intertwined and interrelated. It is hard for outsiders to know what leads to what. When people are free, they talk. When they are afraid of repercussion, they stop.”

Critics have claimed that British aid to Ethiopia’s promotion of basic services programme were being used by the Ethiopian government to help fund the villagisation programme. But last month the Department for International Development announced that it was ending the contributions because of Ethiopia’s “growing success”.

Anuradha Mittal, executive director of the Oakland Institute, who conducted the interviews in 2014 and 2015, said: “The context in which we release this report is one of torture, oppression, and silencing. A development strategy without ensuring its citizens freedom of speech and expression is not a development strategy but a scheme to benefit the ruling elites.

“Those basic human rights are not being upheld in Ethiopia. It is therefore urgent to make voices of those impacted heard.”

http://www.ayyaantuu.net/ethiopians-talk-of-violent-intimidation-as-their-land-is-earmarked-for-foreign-investors/

HRLHA: Western Governments’ Aid Is Funding Human Rights Repression in Ethiopia

The following is a presentation of the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) at the 2015 Oromo Studies Association’s (OSA’s) Midyear Conference.

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The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA)

Presented by Garoma B. Wakessa, Executive Director
OSA Midyear Conference at Maximilians- University, Germany
March 28-29, 2015

After its first year of being in power, the TPLF government made its next step: weakening and/or eliminating of all independent opposition political organizations in the country.

To pretend that it was democratizing the country, the TPLF signed five international human rights documents from 1991 to 2014. These include the “Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment”. Despite this, it is widely known that the TPLF has tortured many of its citizens ever since it assumed power and has continued that to the present day.

The TPLF government adopted a new Constitution in 1995; based on this Constitution, it formed new federal states. The new Ethiopian Constitution is full of spurious democratic sentiments and human rights terms meant to inspire the peoples in Ethiopia and the world community. The TPLF’s pretentious promise to march towards democracy has enabled it to receive praise from people inside and outside, including donor countries and organizations. The TPLF government has managed somehow to maintain a façade of credibility with Western governments, including those of the U.S.A. and the UK, which have supported it since 1991.

From 1991 onwards, the TPLF militia has been fully equipped with the UK government, equipment that the TPLF security force has used for intensive killings, abductions, and disappearances of a vast number of people. The victims were Oromo, Ogaden, Sidama peoples – and others whom the TPLF suspected of being members, supporters or sympathizers of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and others. The top TPLF officials and ordinary-level cadres in the various regional states have engaged in enriching themselves and their family members by looting and embezzling public wealth and properties, raping young women in the occupied areas of the nations and nationalities of Ethiopia, and committing many other forms of corruption.

The TPLF government declared, in 2004[1], an investment policy that resulted in the eviction of indigenous peoples from their lands and livelihoods.

Ethiopia is receiving a significant aid package estimated at one-third of its annual budget from donor governments and governmental ganizations each year. The donations pouring into the Ethiopian government’s banks are in the name of development, humanitarian and security aids. The Ethiopian government is using these development aids to suppress political dissent, freedom of expression and assemblies. Human rights campaigners have repeatedly urged donor governments to ensure that their aid money is utilized in an accountable and transparent manner – not for political repression.

However, the Ethiopian government has boldly rejected even measured criticism of its human rights record with sweeping, contemptuous denials. Donor governments have appeared reluctant to challenge the Ethiopian government’s complete refusal to engage in constructive dialog about the donor government’s many human rights-related failings. Western governments have been too timid to challenge the government publicly. Instead, their aid policies are influenced by Ethiopia’s perceived status as the most stable country in the Horn of Africa and made Ethiopia their friend to fight the “global war on terrorism.” The development project funded by the UK government and run by the World Bank has been used for a violent resettlement program in Ethiopia. Britain’s Department for International Development (DfID) is the primary sponsor of the World Bank’s foreign aid initiative, supposedly set up to improve basic health, education, and public services in Ethiopia[2]. Those who attempted to oppose or resist evictions were murdered and/or jailed by the TPLF[3].

The European Union (EU) is also working with the government of Ethiopia on several development programs. The partnership between Ethiopia and the EU is based on the African-EU strategic partnership[4], which gives emphasis to peace, security, good governance and human rights. Regarding the governance and human rights under the strategic priority (b) it says, “the promotion of democratic governance and human rights constitutes a central feature of the Africa-EU dialog and partnership.”

Moreover, the Cotonou (city of Benin) Agreement defines relations between the EU and Africa collectively, and between the EU and ACP countries. Based on this policy, EU and Ethiopia signed in Nairobi on June 19, 2014 European Union aid in favor of Ethiopia in an amount of 745.2 million EUR to be made available to Ethiopia for the period 2014-2020 based on Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement – which is to provide the basis for political relations and dialogue between Ethiopia and the EU.

By providing help to the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia, the EU has breached:

1. The Africa-EU Strategic Partnership, a joint Africa-EU strategy policy adopted in Lisbon in 2007/ Lisbon, 9 December 2007 16344/07.”[5]
2. EU International Cooperation and Development policy which is primarily based on good governance and respect for human rights, their national country’s laws and international human rights standards,[6]

The giving away of Oromo land in the name of investment also includes Addis Ababa, the capital city situated at the center of Oromia Regional State. More than 30,000 Oromos were evicted by the TPLF/EPRDF government from their lands and livelihoods in the areas around the capital city and suburbs. Their lands have been given to the TPLF officials, members and loyal cadres over the past 24 years. The TPLF government prepared a plan called “ Addis Ababa Integrated Master Plan” in 2013/2014, a project that aimed at annexing about 36 towns and surrounding villages into Addis Ababa. The project was challenged by the Oromo People’s Democracy Organization/OPDO in March 2014 at a seminar given to the members how to implement the project. The challenge was first supported by Oromo students in different universities, colleges and high schools in Oromia. The resistance then spread to Oromo farmers, Oromo intellectuals in all corners of Oromia Regional State and Oromo nationals living in different parts of the world. TPLF Agazi snipers brutalized More than seventy Oromo students from among the peaceful protestors. The “Addis Ababa integrated master plan” threatens to evict more than two million farmers from around the capital city. More than five thousand Oromos from all walks of life were imprisoned in different parts of Oromia Regional State.

The inhuman military actions and crackdowns by the TPLF government against peaceful protestors were condemned by various international media such as the BBC[7], human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International and the HRLHA[8]. The government admitted that it killed nine of them[9]. As well, more than seventy young Oromos were brutalized.

The HRLHA believes that the gross human rights violations committed by the TPLF government in the past 24 years against Oromo, Ogaden, Gambella, Sidama and others were pre-planned and intentional. The TPLF killed, tortured, and kidnapped and disappeared thousands of Oromo, Ogaden and other nationals simply because of their resources and ethnic backgrounds.

The recent research conducted by Amnesty International and released under the title “‘Because I am Oromo': SWEEPING REPRESSION IN THE OROMIA REGION OF ETHIOPIA”[10], confirms that people in Ethiopia who belong to other ethnic groups have been the victims of the TPLF.

The TPLF’s inhuman actions against the citizens are clearly genocide, a crime against humanity[11] and an ethnic cleansing, acts, that breach domestic and international laws, and all international treaties the government of Ethiopia has signed and ratified.

We, at HRLHA, firmly believe that the TPLF government leaders are accountable, as a group and as individuals, for the crimes they have committed and are committing against Oromos and others.

Therefore, the HRLHA calls upon EU member donor states, investors and organizations reassess their relationship with the Ethiopia TPLF/EPRDF government for its persistent brutal, dictatorial, and suppressive actions against innocent and unarmed civilians and refrain themselves from helping the dictatorial regime in Ethiopia.

Recommendations:

1. Western government donors should abide by their development and aid policy, which says “no democracy, no aid.” The EU must respect its “Africa-EU Strategic Partnership, a joint Africa-EU strategy policy adopted in Lisbon in 2007/ Lisbon, 9 December 2007 16344/07.”[12]

2. The EU must abide by the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, EU International Cooperation and Development policy which is primarily based on good governance and respect for human rights, their national country’s laws and international human rights standards[13].

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[1] http://unctad.org/en/docs/iteiia20042_en.pdf
[2] http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/uk-government-accused-sponsoring-human-rights-abuses-ethiopia-0
[3] Genocide Watch, http://www.genocidewatch.org/ethiopia.html, – The Oakland Institute, Engineering Ethnic Conflict, http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/sites/oaklandinstitute.org/files/Report_EngineeringEthnicConflict.pdf
[4] http://www.afmeurope.org/en/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/12/2014-2020_NIPprogramme_ethiopia_en.pdf,
[5] http://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ethiopia/documents/press_corner/nip_11th_edf_ethiopia_signed.pdf
[6] http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/acp/overview/documents/devco-cotonou-consol-europe-aid-2012_en.pdf
[7] Ethiopia protest: Ambo students killed in Oromia state, http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27251331
[8] Ambo Under Siege, http://www.humanrightsleague.org/?p=14287, and Region-Wide, Heavy-Handed Crackdown on Peaceful Protesters, http://www.Humanrightsleague.org/?P=14668
[9] BBC TV Reported, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cynywxtulig
[10] Ethiopia: ‘Because I Am Oromo’: Sweeping Repression In The Oromia Region Of Ethiopia, http://www.Amnesty.Org/En/Library/Info/Afr25/006/2014/En
[11] Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Articles 6&7, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/InternationalCriminalCourt.aspx
[12] http://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/ethiopia/documents/press_corner/nip_11th_edf_ethiopia_signed.pdf
[13] http://ecdpm.org/wp-content/uploads/2014-European-Parliament-Political-Dialogue-Human-Rights-Article8-Cotonou-Agreement1.pdf

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