Ethiopia: No rights, no democracy

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Rights Committee (OHRC), has conducted extensive research to document human rights violations in the ****** by the current EPRDF government in Ethiopia. In this article, Mohamed gives an extract on a recent report on human rights violations in his home province. (04-DEC-05)

 

Photo of Mohamed: Niels Jacob Harbitz

 

As a result of its research, the ****** Human Rights Committee has issued several reports and statements on the human rights situation in the ******.

This recent report documents human rights violations in the ******, including illegal imprisonment without charges or trial, enforced disappearances, torture, extrajudicial executions, abduction, forced labour, hostage-taking, abusive dismissals, ethnic discrimination and religious persecution carried out by the Ethiopian government.

 

Gross violations

So far, the OHRC has documented 506 extrajudicial killings; 198 disappearance cases; 460 rape and child molestation cases; 4655 cases of unlawful private property confiscation; and demolition of 1656 houses owned by innocent civilians. Victims of human rights abuses and their relatives have been warned not to speak of their experiences to anyone, especially to ICRC staff and foreign embassies, or else they would be severely punished. So, the victims and their relatives are too afraid to tell their ordeal. However, many victims and their families gave their testimonies on condition that their real names should not be used. Their graphic accounts of misery, fear and brutalities are included in the report.

 

Violators encouraged, decorated and promoted by Ethiopian government

In addition to human rights abuses, the report underlines - in a few sentences - the systematic degradation of the natural environment in the ****** under the current government in Ethiopia as well as enormous carnage caused by landmines laid indiscriminately by the EPRDF government forces. The OHRC welcomes wholeheartedly the international efforts to reach a global treaty banning the use, production and export of landmines, and calls upon the international community to aid landmine victims in the ******, and send mine clearance teams to conduct comprehensive countrywide demining programme. The report quotes many articles from the new Ethiopian Constitution in order to reveal the nature of the Ethiopian government, which pays lip service to human rights concerns, but disregards International Human Rights Treaties, as well as its laws and Constitution. The Ethiopian government has done nothing to stop or prevent human rights violations in the ******. On the contrary, it encourages, decorates and promotes violators to higher ranks.

 

Appeals and recommendations

The international community should take note that the human rights violations presented in detail in this report and also in previous reports are flagrant violations of rights and freedoms guaranteed by International Human Rights Treaties, acceded to or ratified by Ethiopia. The report concludes with appeals and recommendations to the international community as well as individuals for urgent action to end and prevent human rights violations in the ******, plus classified lists of victims of human rights abuses.

 

BACKGROUND

Mohamed goes on to tell the following story: -The ****** Somali territory lies between Oromia to the West, Afar land to the Northwest, the Republic of Djibouti to the north, Kenya to the south and The Somali Republic to the east. Somali agro-pastorals people with a single language, culture, and socio-economic structure inhabit the ****** territory.

The ****** Somali people were free, independent and powerful until colonial powers from overseas came to Africa and started arming the Abyssinian chiefs in the north of present day Ethiopia. The Abyssinians using the arms and expertise provided by the colonialists captured Harar in 1884 and started raiding ****** Somali villages in that area, killing the men and selling women and children as slaves. The ****** Somalis resisted vehemently the encroachment of the Abyssinian expansionists and succeeded in halting their advance. Even though the Abyssinian military campaign to conquer the rest of the Somali territory failed, the colonial powers recognised its claim over the ****** Somaliland and signed treaties with them.

 

From 1886 to 1948, Abyssinia (renaming itself Ethiopia) waged a constant war of conquest against the Somalis but failed in gaining any further foothold in the ******.

 

In 1935, Italy invaded Abyssinia and captured it along with the ****** and the territories of other nations in the area. Then the British defeated Italy in the Horn of Africa in 1941, and it administered the ****** for eight years until it transferred the first part of the ****** (Jigjiga area) to Ethiopia (the Abyssinians) for the first time. The next parts were transferred in 1954 and 1956. Thus, Ethiopia gained the control over the ****** without the knowledge or consent of the ****** Somalis. From that time onward, successive Ethiopian regimes mercilessly suppressed the ****** people and whenever the liberation movements seriously weakened and threatened Ethiopian colonialism, a foreign power directly intervened to re-establish its colonial rule over the ******.

 

Ethiopia since the beginning of this century and up to now has been characterised by one nation using the powers of state to subjugate and exploit all the other nations within that artificial system. For almost one century, the Abyssinians are abusing the concept of sovereignty and statehood to deprive the rights of other people living under the rule of the artificial state of Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is a state founded on colonial doctrine and bases its rule on the use of force and emergency measures for oppressing the majority of the people and exploiting them. Ethiopia claims that African borders inherited from colonialism should be left intact and it inherited the ****** territory from the colonial powers. At the same time, Ethiopia is boasting to be the only African state that was never colonised. This means that Ethiopia has been a participating partner with the colonial powers that divided Africa among themselves but has never relinquished its colonial possessions.

 

To maintain such a colonial state, the rulers had to build a massive military machine and embark on forcefully maintaining one of the most vicious authoritarian rules in the third world. The resultant resistance from the people and the inevitable taxing of material and moral resources of the oppressing elite became Ethiopia's Achilles heal and brought about the downfall of its successive regimes. The relentless resistance of the colonised nations and the consequential resource drainage brought down both the rules of Haille Sellassie and the military Junta of Mengistu.

 

THE CURRENT REGIME IN ETHIOPIA

After the fall of Mengistu Haille Mariam, EPRDF (Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front - the new name adopted by the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front to camouflage it's narrow ethnic base and rule Ethiopia, succeeded in capturing Addis Ababa with the help of Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front (EPLF). Although most of the nations under Ethiopian colonial rule contributed to the weakening and downfall of the Ethiopian Politico-military machine, specially the ****** Somali people who not only played a major role but also involved their brethren across the border from the Somali Republic, TPLF captured the seat of power and succeeded in gaining international recognition.

 

At first the new Ethiopian rulers feeling weak and aware of the international climate and the demise of totalitarian regimes and the era of colonialism, forwarded a reasonable and plausible program for addressing the burning issue of Ethiopian colonialism and its solution through recognising and granting the right of nations to self-determination through a peaceful process. EPRDF offered the charter program, which recognised the right of nations to self-determination up to cessation and stated that a transitional period of two years has to relapse before the nations could exercise that right. Thus, EPRDF recognised the colonial nature of Ethiopia in principle.

 

The ******ia National Liberation Front (ONLF), considering the burden of the long struggle of the ****** Somali people and cognisant of the priceless value of resolving the long standing conflict between Ethiopia and the ****** people through peaceful means decided to give chance to peace and avert a costly and unnecessary war. But before the ink was dry, it became obvious to ONLF that EPRDF was only buying time and was lying the ground for keeping intact the colonial legacy it inherited and was scheming to attain the submission of the ****** Somalis to it colonial rule through demagogy and token democracy. EPRDF grossly miscalculated the gravity and depth of the ****** Ethiopian problem.

EPRDF blinded by its sudden and unexpected victory and the temporary absence of challenge and armed opposition from The ******ia National Liberation Front grossly miscalculated the severity and gravity of the conflict between the ****** people and Ethiopia and the unbending desire of the ****** Somalis to regain their usurped sovereignty and independence. EPRDF, forgetful of the bitter experience of its people under the previous rulers and despite its rhetoric of being committed to democracy and the rule of law and respecting the right of nations began the construction of its politico-military structures for maintaining the colonial empire of its predecessors.

 

Hence, all people concerned in ending the long-standing conflict lost an excellent opportunity and EPRDF planted the seeds of the next cycle of bloodshed and violence in the region. It started trying to divide the ****** Somali people and undermine the leading role of ONLF by creating pseudo-organisations based on tribal lines. At the same time, it spread its intelligence network and military garrisons all over the ******. In early 1992, the EPRDF government master-minded the killing of several ONLF officials, including some members belonging to the Front's Central Committee. Then EPRDF attacked the headquarters of ONLF in an effort to wipe it out but withdrew after sustaining high casualties and postponed its plans.

 

In spite of all the intrigues and harassment of EPRDF, ONLF and the ****** Somalis persisted in avoiding confrontation and continued rebuilding their political and administrative institutions. In September 1992, the ****** people went to the polls to cast their votes in a free and fair election, for the first time in their long history, to elect their district councils and representatives for the regional parliament. EPRDF strongly campaigned for its surrogate parties and members, but in a landslide victory, the ONLF won about 84% of the seats in the newly elected regional parliament.

 

In mid-1993, the regional government complained to the government in Addis Ababa about its flagrant interference in the day-to-day affairs of the ****** region, an act that contradicted the commitment to regional autonomy and devolution of power to the regions. EPRDF retaliated by freezing the regional budget, diverting international aid, discouraging international Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to work in the ******, as well as obstructing all initiatives, and projects deemed necessary for the development of the region. In late 1993, the Ethiopian security forces arrested the president, vice-president and secretary of the Regional Assembly, and it transferred them to prison in Addis Ababa. EPRDF released them after ten months without trail.

 

Finally, when EPRDF established its legitimacy as the government of Ethiopia in the eyes of the international community, and its military and economic resources was enhanced, it felt confident enough to mount a military campaign against the ****** Somalis at the end of the transitional period. Moreover, in order to get the raison d'être for its campaign of terror and subjugation of the ****** people, EPRDF dictated to ONLF and the ****** Somalis an unacceptable choice. In effect, EPRDF told the ****** Somalis to either endorse a compulsory constitution that would legalise the colonisation of the ****** people by Ethiopia and the participation in an election where their role would be to endorse EPRDF nominated candidates. EPRDF strategy was to deceive the ****** Somalis into sanctioning its colonial rule while at the same time eliminating themselves from the political structures it intended to maintain its hegemony over the nations and avert any future threat. In addition, if the ****** Somalis oppose what it proposed, to get the motive for declaring war on the ****** people and extricate itself from honouring the pledges it entered in its moment of weakness and maintain the Ethiopian colonial legacy.

 

The ****** people, after deliberating on the moves and intentions of EPRDF and understanding the choices EPRDF was presenting to them; either to relinquish what they had fought for so long or to be trodden upon, decided that it was unacceptable to succumb to the designs of EPRDF and forgo the quest for their self-determination and freedom. A quest the ****** people had shed so much blood for and suffered so much. Therefore, on 28 January 1994, at a press conference in Addis Ababa, ONLF called for a referendum on self-determination and independence for the ******. And on 22 February 1994, a cold-blood massacre took place in the town of Wardheer, where more than 81 unarmed civilians were killed by TPLF militias, who tried to kill or capture alive the chairman of the ONLF Mr. Ibrahim Abdalla Mohamed, who was addressing at that time a peaceful rally in the centre of the town.

 

In February 1994, the Regional Assembly passed a unanimous resolution in accordance with the Transitional Charter, demanding a referendum on self-determination and independence for the ****** people, under the auspices of international and regional bodies such as United Nations, Organization of African Unity, European Union, and other independent non-governmental organizations.

The EPRDF government in Addis Ababa reacted swiftly overthrowing and virtually disbanding all democratically elected institutions in the ******, including the Regional Parliament. Like their predecessors, the president of the Regional Parliament, vice-president and several members of the parliament (MPs), were arrested and transferred to prison in Addis Ababa. Mass arrests and indiscriminate killings also took place.

 

On 17 April 1994, the Ethiopian government launched a large scale military offensive against ONLF positions and detained many suspected supporters of ONLF and on 28 April 1994, at a press conference in Addis Ababa, the then TPLF defence minister Saye Abraha claimed that all resistance movements in the ****** had been destroyed and stamped out. In a petition addressed to the president of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE), the elders of the ****** asked the Ethiopian government to stop the military offensive against the ****** people, and seek a peaceful dialogue to resolve the conflict, instead of opting for a military solution, which complicates the already explosive situation.

 

In May 1994, the EPRDF government sponsored a new surrogate party called Ethiopian Somali Democratic League (ESDL), which is a version of People's Democratic Organizations (PDO), which exists throughout Ethiopia within the EPRDF framework. The first congress of ESDL was held in Hurso under the patro-nage of the then prime minister of TGE Tamirat Layne (now eliminated also), who appointed a member of the ruling EPRDF coalition as a chairman of the new pro-government party. On 25 January 1995, the EPRDF government hastily arranged a meeting in the town of Qabridaharre to convince the ONLF to participate in the upcoming federal and regional elections. The meeting, which was chaired by the then president Meles Zenawi (the current prime minister), failed when EPRDF refused to allow independent arbitrators to participate in a negotiated settlement. After that the ONLF, broke off all contacts with the EPRDF government, closed down its office in Addis Ababa and boycotted elections in 1995.

 

Since 20 April 1994, combatants of the ONLF and Ethiopian forces are fighting bloody battles and Ethiopia is vehemently denying the engagements with the liberation forces. Certainly, the ongoing struggle for self-determination and independence in the ****** continues to cause inhuman sufferings and are the basis of instability and tragedy in the Horn of Africa. The 1991 Charter and the new Constitution, which Ethiopia espoused on 8 December 1994, guaranteed, as EPRDF claimed, the secession of a people if they are, 'Convinced that their rights are abridged or abrogated'. In addition, the process of negating that the rights of the ****** Somali people is constantly abrogated proved too costly to the ruling junta in Addis Ababa.

 

The regime in Ethiopia started a campaign of propaganda and public relation stunts in order to convince the international community of it democratic and liberal nature and to legitimise its continued presence in the ****** after the people requested to exercise their right to self determination and announced that it was conducting elections in the ******. The ****** people thwarted its attempts. Nevertheless, it announced that the elections were held and its bogus surrogates had won the seats in the ******. At the same time to further cloak its treachery, it formed its own ONLF party and declared that ONLF had taken part in its sham elections. This was a clear indicator of its lack of confidence and inability to hide its failure to control the ******.

 

From that time onwards, Ethiopia has been moulding and remoulding it sham representatives in the ******, the so-called parties and ****** parliament, more than five times. Up to this day, however, Ethiopia is unable to manage the situation. After failing to intimidate the ****** Somalis to go along with its colonial program, EPRDF has embarked on a war of attrition with ONLF and, indiscrimi-nately, against the ****** people. The Ethiopian army (EPRDF militia's) has killed, imprisoned or looted thousands of civilians. Hundreds of women were raped and for the first time in the history of the ****** people, male children were raped.

But the new Ethiopian colonial state headed by EPRDF has used every trick in the books of colonial strategy but failed to obliterate the armed national struggle of the ****** People and has been forced to occupy only the major towns and move in heavily armed convoys.

 

Then Ethiopia has resorted to human rights violations such as killings, imprison-ments, forced conscription, exiling, intimidation and harassment, suppression of basic democratic rights which highlight the suffering of the peoples. The regime's policies of systematic underdevelopment include economic sabotage, irresponsible plunder of resources with no regard to sustainability of the environment, denial of education opportunities, socio-cultural dismantling and subjection to conflict-ridden political and administrative structures. Moreover, in the ******, EPRDF forces and Tigrean dealers, who have been given concessions and game-licences by the Ethiopian government, which is dominated by ethnic Tigreans, are devastating the poor and the fragile ecological balance by widespread exploitation and depletion of forests for military purposes, firewood and charcoal. The rich wildlife, including big game, game birds, forests and water resources has all suffered irreparable damage in the ****** under the Ethiopian government.

 

After it became obvious to EPRDF that it could not destroy the national resistance of the people and that it was gaining momentum, EPRDF following the strategies of its predecessors attacked stateless Somalia and captured three regions. Ethiopia is intending to find scapegoats to blame for its failure in subduing the ****** people and their rejection of its colonial lust, divert attention and in a bid to maintain its credibility both inside and outside Ethiopia. Ethiopia is also actively engaged in sabotaging the reconciliation of the Somali people and building of a Somali state. At the same time, Ethiopia is hosting summits for the Somali leaders and is posing as a mentor to the Somali people and collecting funds from the UN on that issue.

 

The Ethiopian destabilisation plan is not limited to the Somali nation. Ethiopia attacked Eritrea on the pretext of retaking two Eritrean territories but in reality is intent in recapturing Eritrea and colonising it again, but Ethiopia received from Eritrea lessons it did not bargain for. Ironically, the Ethiopian government, which violates the very basic human rights of all citizens in the empire-state of Ethiopia, including the ****** Somalis, and wages wars against its neighbours, poses itself as a champion of Democracy and Human Rights in Africa.

 

THE POSITION OF THE ****** SOMALIS

The ****** Somali people present the following summation of their views about Ethiopia:

1. Ethiopia has colonised the ****** people and is viciously continuing that colonial legacy in spite of the change of regime in Addis Ababa and the ****** people categorically state that the present regime of EPRDF is not different from the rule of it predecessors in substance.

2. The ****** people are a sovereign nation, have the right to be masters of their destiny, and are intent on actualising that right.

3. The ****** people will continue to struggle as long as the Ethiopian state remains intransigent to the rights and wishes and continue pursuing its inhuman oppressive policies.

4. The ****** people will not participate in the bogus elections Ethiopia periodically conducts as a public relations exercise to beguile the local and international communities and hide its colonial and authoritarian nature, nor will they take part in its colonial administrative structures.

5. The ****** people calls upon the people of Ethiopia not to participate in the maniacal purges the current regime is perpetrating on the ****** people and become a party to the regime's crime against humanity.

6. The ****** people calls upon the current EPRDF regime ruling Ethiopia to desist from its current militaristic and aggressive attitude and accept a peaceful negotiated settlement of the current conflict between the ****** people and Ethiopia with the participation of third neutral parties from the international community.

 

APPEAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

The ****** people inform the international community that the Ethiopian government is violating their basic human rights and is systematically exterminating them. Ethiopia is being encouraged to commit this genocide against the ****** people by the lack of the international community censure over its human rights violations, and holding its rulers responsible for the gross human rights abuses perpetrated by its Army and Security Forces in the ******.

 

The ****** people appeal to the international community to recognise the colonial nature of Ethiopia and its brutal repression of the ****** people and hold it accountable for its acts. Furthermore, Ethiopia is using international aid for military and political programs directed at oppressing the ****** Somalis and other nations under its colonial rule and in its expansionist policies against its neighbours. Whenever its war coffers are depleted, Ethiopia appeals for international aid for natural disaster victims, at the same time Ethiopia has the means to attack two neighbouring states and maintain a huge colonial occupation army in the ******, Oromia, Afar, Sidama and other territories of the oppressed nations.