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የኢትዮጵያ፤የውይይትና፤መፍትሔ፤መድረክ
9900 Greenbelt RD. E#343 - Lanham, MD 20706
December 26, 2017 Press Statement from the Ethiopian Dialogue Forum (EDF)
TheCurrentNationalSecurityCrisisinEthiopia
TheEthiopianDialogueForum,anot-for-profitthink-tankestablishedmorethanayearago,representsacross-sectionofintellectuals,academics,civilsocietyactivistsandothersresidinginEthiopiaandintheDiaspora.Ithassponsoredadozenpublicforumsoncriticalpolicyissuessuchasethnic-federalisminEthiopiaanditspitfallsaswellasprospects.
Overthepastfewmonths,EDFhasstudiedthegovernanceenvironmentinEthiopiaandidentifiednumerouspolicyandstructuralissuesthataffectthecountryanditsdiversepopulationadversely.Amongthesearethetop-down,opaqueandexclusionarypolicy,decisionmakingandbudgetaryallocationprocessesthatbestowenormouspowerandprivilegetoafewwhilemarginalizinganddispossessingthevastmajorityoftheEthiopianpeople.
Ethiopiancitizensarealienatedfromthepolicyanddecision-makingprocess.Forexample,99percentofEthiopia’srubberstampparliamentisdominatedbytheEthiopianPeoples’RevolutionaryDemocraticFront(EPRDF).Asidefromitsfaçade,theEPRDFdoesnotconsultwithorseekfeedbackfromEthiopiancitizensonanysubstantivepolicyissue.Theoutcomeofthisdictatorialsystemofgovernanceisthatcitizensdonottrustitsleadersoritsinstitutions.
EDFisdeeplyconcernedabouttheescalationofethnic-basedconflictsthroughoutthecountry;andmostprominentlyintheOromiaandAmhararegions.EDF
recognizesthatthecurrentwaveofpopularresistanceagainstoppressionbeganinearnestinNovember2015andhascontinuedunabatedsince.Sadly,therootcausesforthepopularuprisingsnamely,thepoliticallymotivated,mechanicallydesignedandflawedethnic-federalsystem,recurrentandgrosshumanrightsviolations,thesuppressionofcivic,politicalandreligiousfreedomsremainunresolved.Forallpracticalpurposes,therulingpartyisdetachedfromthepeople.
Duringtheperiod2015-2016,peacefulprotestsforjustice,theruleoflawanddemocracyweremetwithbrutalityintheOromo,Amhara,Konsoandotherlocations.Morethan1,000innocentpeople,mostofthemyouthwerekilledthroughextrajudicialmeasures.Morethan11,000Ethiopianswerejailed.Noonereallyknowsthenumberofdisappearances.Noonehasbeenheldaccountablefortheatrocities.
Thepopularresistancewastemporarilycontainedbysecurityandmilitarycommandposts,mechanismsdeployedduringtheStateofEmergencythattheTigrayPeople’sLiberationFront(TPLF)dominatedregimeimposedthroughoutthecountry.Extrajudicialkillings,torturesandarrestsbecameroutine.Therubberstampparliamentsaidnothinganddidnothingtoquestionbrutalitybythestateoncitizens.
TheunwillingnessandinabilityonthepartofEthiopianauthoritiestoacknowledgethecoregovernanceproblemsofthecountryandits105millionpeople,absoluteclosureofcivic,political,socialandreligiousspace;nepotism,bribery,corruptionandmassiveillicitoutflowofcapitaland,thecompetinginterestsofelitesandpoliticalpartiesdashedthehopesofmillions.Pentupangerandfrustrationledtothecurrentwaveofprotests,killings,arrestsandinter-ethnicconflicts,mostnotablyinOromia.Compoundingthedeep-rootedsocioeconomicproblemsaredeliberateincitementsofethnic-conflictsbetweentheAmharaandtheTigrayethnic-groupsinthenorthandbetweentheOromoandSomaliethnicgroupsinthesouthandsouthwest.Inthelater,scoresofinnocentOromoandSomaliwerekilled.MorethanhalfamillionOromohavebeendisplaced.Villageswereburnt.
ThereisaplethoraofevidencethatshowsthatatrocitiesagainstOromoandAmharanationalshavecontinuedunabatedsinceNovember2015.ThenumberofOromoandAmharapoliticalprisonerskeepsclimbing.Promisingpoliticalandcommunityleaders,humanrightsactivists,journalistsandothersincludingProfessorMereraGudina,AndualemAragieandJournalistEskinderNegacontinuetosufferinjail.
Themostrecentflaresare,infact,acontinuationofunresolvedgrievances.InNovember2017,30Amhara,includingchildrenandwomenwerehackedtodeathin
Illubabor,Oromia.OnDecember11,2017,federaltroopscommandedbyTigreanofficersmassacred16innocentciviliansinthetownofChelenko,Oromia.Ofthosemurdered,fivewerefromthesamefamily.Reportsshowthatthesefederalforcescametothetownandregionuninvited.Wedonotknowforsurewhoinstigatedthesemassacres;butsomeoneshouldbeheldaccountableforcrimesagainsthumanity.
ThemurdersofinnocentOromoinCelenkoworsenedtheethnic-conflictsbetweenOromoandSomaliEthiopianswhohavelivedsidebysidepeacefullyforgenerations.ThisconflictresultedinthedeathsoflargenumbersofOromoandthetragicso-called“revengekillings”ofmorethan30Somali.
EarlierinDecemberthisyear,AmharaandOromostudentsinAdigrat,Tigrayweretargeted,selectedandkilled.ManycollegesanduniversitieshavesinceclosedtheirdoorsandthosethatareopenaresealedoffbyTPLF-ledforces.TheTPLF’sexclusionarypolicyhasdeepenedandworsenedethnicpolarization.
EDF is especially repulsed by the instigation of deliberate policies and programs to divide Ethiopia’s youth that constitutes 65 percent of the population. Following the killings in Adigrat, the TPLF-dominated and managed Ministry of Education informed non-Somali students in the Ogaden region to vacate colleges and universities. Ethiopians in the Diaspora attend institutions of higher learning in Scandinavian countries, in Europe and North America, in Australia and New Zealand, in South Africa, in Israel and other countries with a level of freedom that they are unable to enjoy in their own homeland. This is simply shameful for the proud Ethiopian people.
EDFcondemnstargetedandselectivekillingofinnocentstudents,theirexpulsionsfromschoolsofhigherlearninganywhereinthecountry;anddemandsthatPrimeMinisterHailemariam’sgovernmentstopassaultsonstudentsandeducation.
EDFappreciatesthecourageofacross-sectionofEthiopianswhocontinuetodemandjustice,freedomandtheruleoflaw.InsmallandlargetownsintheOromiaandtheAmhararegionsprotestors,includingfarmers,businessmenandwomen,taxidrivers,children,girlsandboysandtheelderlyhavejoinedhandstogetherdemandinganendto“TPLFruleandhegemony.”Thehashtag“NOMORETPLF”hasbecomeanationalslogan.
EDFisoutragedagainthatthepopularandongoingpeacefulprotestshavebeenmetwithcruelandinhumanetreatmentbyfederaltroopsandsecurity,mostprominentlybythefearedTigreanAgazi.Asaresult,insecurity,fearandhopelessnesspermeateEthiopiansociety.
Atrocitiesareunderreportedornotreportedatall.Theregimesbarsforeignanddomesticmediaandindependentjournalistsaccesstoconflictareasandtovictimsofatrocities.
EDFappreciatestheattentiongiventotheEthiopianinsecuritysituationbytheEuropeanUnionandthegovernmentoftheUnitedStates;andtheirurgentcallonallEthiopianstakeholderstobeginseriousdialoguetowardsanationalconsensusonthefutureofthecountry,onpeaceandreconciliation,onall-inclusive,justanddemocraticgovernance.
Accordingly,EDFdrawsattentiontothefollowingprinciples:
1. Callsforseriousandall-inclusivedialogue,conversation,consultationandnegotiationonanappropriatetransitionofgovernmentthatwillultimatelyleadtowardsafreeandfairelection;
2. CallsforunfetteredsupporttothepeopleofEthiopiaandtheirstruggletoachievejustice,genuineequalityamongallcitizens,theruleoflawanddemocracy;
3. Condemnsethnic-based,targetedandselectivekillingsandconflictsandurgestheEthiopianpeopletocontinuetheirdistinguishedhistoryofmutualrespectandpeacefulcoexistence;
4. CallsonEthiopianpoliticalelites,oppositionpartiesandthegoverningpartytolistentothedemandsoftheEthiopianpeople;anddemandsthattheregimestopincitingethnicviolence,hatredanddivisionnow;
5. DemandsthatEthiopianauthoritiesmeettheirprimaryandhistoricalobligationstotheEthiopianpeople;andremovedraconianproclamationssuchastheAnti-TerrorismProclamation;
6. UrgesmembersofEthiopia’sarmedforcesandsecuritytosidewiththepeopleanddesistfromservingasanagencyoftheTPLFanditsloyalists;
7. UrgesEthiopianteachers,professors,researchersandstudentstocontinuetheirprincipledstruggleforjusticeanddemocracyandunifytheireffortsbeyondethnicandreligiousaffiliation;
8. UrgesEthiopianfaithcommunitiesandleaderstoreflectontheirobligationtoserveasabridgefornationalconsensus,peaceandreconciliation;
9. Urgescivicsocieties,professionalorganizations,politicalpartiesandotherstosetasideminordifferencesandcoalescearoundanationalunityofpurposethatwilllift-upEthiopiafromitscurrentmorass;and,
10. Callsonalloppositiongroupswithinandoutsidethecountrytosetasidetheirdifferencesandunifytheirtalents,wealthofexperienceandexpertiseandoffertheEthiopianpeopleacompellingalternativeingovernance;
EDFbelievesthatthedonoranddiplomaticcommunitycannolongeraffordtopaylipservicestotheunfoldingtragedyinthesecondmostpopulouscountryinAfrica.
Wethereforecallon:
a) TheEuropeanUnion,thegovernmentoftheUnitedStates,theAfricanUnionandChinatoheedtothedemandsoftheEthiopianpeopleforfreedom,justice,theruleoflawanddemocracyandtranslatetheirstatementsintoconcreteprograms;
b) Allforeignstakeholderstopushfortheconveningofanall-inclusivedialogueforatransitionalgovernmentofnationalunitythatwillultimatelyleadtowardsafreeandfairelection;
c) ThediplomaticanddonorcommunitytourgeEthiopianauthoritiestostopethnic-violence,conflictandextrajudicialmeasuresaswellasinliftingthedraconianAnti-TerrorismProclamationwithoutdelay;and,
d) TheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRightstosendspecialRapporteurstoconductanindependentinvestigationonkillings,maiming,torturesandothercrimesagainsthumanityinEthiopia.
LongLiveEthiopia!
LongLivetheUnityoftheEthiopianPeople!