Thursday, July 12, 2007
Ethiopia - Threatened Execution of Ethiopian Opposition Should be Opposed
Washington, D.C.July 11, 2007
Efforts by the Ethiopian government to sentence 38 Ethiopian opposition activists to death are anathema to democracy and should be opposed by the United States and other democracies in the African Union and around the world, Freedom House said today.
The 38 politicians and activists were convicted last month of “breaching the constitution” during a period of unrest following disputed elections in 2005. They will be formally sentenced next week, and the prosecutor of the case has now called for their execution. Included among the 38 are leaders of the main opposition party, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, as well as several members of parliament and the mayor of Addis Ababa, Mr. Berhanu Negga.
“Any government that suggests sentencing its opposition leaders to death in response to legitimate demonstrations of dissent cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, call itself a democracy,” said Paula Schriefer, director of advocacy of Freedom House. “Ethiopia, the seat of the African Union, must demonstrate respect for the rule of law by allowing full freedom of expression and association for members of the political opposition, as well as other citizens.”
While Ethiopian leaders have presented the country as an emerging democracy in an otherwise tumultuous region, the government has been sharply criticized for its response to the protests following the 2005 elections. Scores of civilians aligned with the opposition were killed and thousands more were arrested. The U.S. government has been muted in its criticism of Ethiopia, however, and considers the country an ally in the war on terror.
“The U.S. government clearly needs allies Horn of Africa, but as with all alliances, there is room for criticism,” said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House. “The Bush administration’s engagement with Ethiopia should enable it to persuade the Meles government to refrain from such a heinous act of retribution.”
In the 2007 version of Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, Ethiopia was ranked Partly Free. The country received a rating of 5 (on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the lowest) for political rights and a 5 for civil liberties, and was given a downward trend arrow for the government’s repression of opposition protests.
The report also notes that freedom of association in Ethiopia is very limited, and most of the country’s NGOs are reluctant to advocate for policies that may bring them into conflict with the government. Similarly, the press environment is extremely restricted. Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press 2007 survey notes that “the broader political crackdown which began in November 2005 continued to have extremely negative implications for the media” in 2006.
Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expression of freedom around the world, has monitored political rights and civil liberties in Ethiopia since 1972.
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2007&country=7175
Efforts by the Ethiopian government to sentence 38 Ethiopian opposition activists to death are anathema to democracy and should be opposed by the United States and other democracies in the African Union and around the world, Freedom House said today.
The 38 politicians and activists were convicted last month of “breaching the constitution” during a period of unrest following disputed elections in 2005. They will be formally sentenced next week, and the prosecutor of the case has now called for their execution. Included among the 38 are leaders of the main opposition party, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, as well as several members of parliament and the mayor of Addis Ababa, Mr. Berhanu Negga.
“Any government that suggests sentencing its opposition leaders to death in response to legitimate demonstrations of dissent cannot, by any stretch of the imagination, call itself a democracy,” said Paula Schriefer, director of advocacy of Freedom House. “Ethiopia, the seat of the African Union, must demonstrate respect for the rule of law by allowing full freedom of expression and association for members of the political opposition, as well as other citizens.”
While Ethiopian leaders have presented the country as an emerging democracy in an otherwise tumultuous region, the government has been sharply criticized for its response to the protests following the 2005 elections. Scores of civilians aligned with the opposition were killed and thousands more were arrested. The U.S. government has been muted in its criticism of Ethiopia, however, and considers the country an ally in the war on terror.
“The U.S. government clearly needs allies Horn of Africa, but as with all alliances, there is room for criticism,” said Jennifer Windsor, executive director of Freedom House. “The Bush administration’s engagement with Ethiopia should enable it to persuade the Meles government to refrain from such a heinous act of retribution.”
In the 2007 version of Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, Ethiopia was ranked Partly Free. The country received a rating of 5 (on a scale of 1 to 7, with 7 as the lowest) for political rights and a 5 for civil liberties, and was given a downward trend arrow for the government’s repression of opposition protests.
The report also notes that freedom of association in Ethiopia is very limited, and most of the country’s NGOs are reluctant to advocate for policies that may bring them into conflict with the government. Similarly, the press environment is extremely restricted. Freedom House’s Freedom of the Press 2007 survey notes that “the broader political crackdown which began in November 2005 continued to have extremely negative implications for the media” in 2006.
Freedom House, an independent nongovernmental organization that supports the expression of freedom around the world, has monitored political rights and civil liberties in Ethiopia since 1972.
http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=22&year=2007&country=7175
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Crushing Dissent in Ethiopia
11 july - On the 28th of June an international day of solidarity was held around the world to appeal for setting two Ethiopian civil society leaders free. About 40 committed civil society professionals from the likes of Amnesty International, Civicus and Sangoco and several Ethiopian organisations assembled in front of the Ethiopian embassy in Pretoria to shout, chat and scream for human rights in Ethiopia.
In 2005 over one hundred opposition members, journalists and civil society leaders were arrested by Meles’ security forces. This after these security forces, also referred to as the police, had shot dead up to 40 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting what they saw as stolen parliamentary elections. Meles’ EPRDF won nearly two thirds of the parliamentary seats. The opposition CUD came second and contested the results after serious allegations of fraud.
Ever since, spontaneous demonstrations have erupted and have just as quickly been quelled by police brutality, shootings, arrests and in some cases torture and disappearances to secret prisons, it is alleged.
Now, 38 opposition politicians have been found guilty of a plethora of indictments such as obstructing the exercise of the Constitution, or coordinating, leading and encouraging armed violence against the government, the violence the police had committed and endangering the country's defence.
On the 9th of July it was reported that the state would seek the death penalty against all those who hadn’t recognised the courts during the trial. Most defendants did not recognise the courts, specifically those of the opposition CUD. Only two defendants took the courts seriously from the onset of the trial and defended themselves.
The two defendants are called Netsanet Demissie and Daniel Bekele. They are both exemplary civil society leaders who have nothing to do with organised politics let alone opposition politics against Meles Zenawi. Due to their involvement with international NGOs and organisations they have received the necessary international solidarity and support. Hopefully this will prove sufficient to convince the Meles regime that conviction would be counterproductive for his regime.
Would it, really? As yet the international community has put some severe pressure on Meles and his cohorts to treat the detainees according to international law and give them a fair trial. But so far they have not received much proper or fair treatment. They have been denied bail for nearly two years now. They have had to sleep out in the open in the 2000m high freezing Abyssinian highland winters. They have been locked in solitary confinement for no apparent reason. Further details are not known due to the sensitivity of the case.
The repression continued and the initial 100 or so dissenters were held for nearly two years without due process. The main explanation that is given for the fact that the authoritarian regime can do as it pleases is that the international pressure on the Ethiopian authorities is lukewarm at best. The West, in particular the US, sees the Ethiopian regime as a Christian partner in a sea of “dangerous and threatening” Islam.
The Addis authorities are seen as critical partners in the “war on terror”. The Ethiopian army have most recently, as loyal lackeys of the US, invaded Somalia of course hunting the many terrorists that were plotting the downfall of the US in this country without any state or national infrastructure. The US joined in and annihilated parts of the Somali countryside, supposed terrorists included, with their massive C130 gunship Hercules.
With such important allies in the ever important war against global “terror” the pressure on the Addis regime will most likely not be as severe as to change Meles behaviour. But what is also interesting is the international community’s fixation on the two civil society leaders. Yes, for sure, they deserve all the help they are getting and more and should be set free immediately. But what of the opposition politicians and journalists? Why are they hardly getting any support if any? Why is Amnesty not lobbying for their freedom?
What is wrong with these opposition politicians in Ethiopia that they do not deserve our solidarity? What is wrong with opposing a ruling party through democratic means in that country? Why has the international community supported say the opposition in Zimbabwe? Why have they been crying foul every time the MDC are beaten or arrested? But why not pro-democracy activists in Ethiopia?
Let us just hope that justice returns to Ethiopia and that the accused will truly receive a fair trial. Surely that will see most of the accused acquitted forthwith. Time has a way of dealing harshly with despotic Ethiopian rulers.
www.civicus.orgwww.sangoco.org.za
In 2005 over one hundred opposition members, journalists and civil society leaders were arrested by Meles’ security forces. This after these security forces, also referred to as the police, had shot dead up to 40 peaceful demonstrators who were protesting what they saw as stolen parliamentary elections. Meles’ EPRDF won nearly two thirds of the parliamentary seats. The opposition CUD came second and contested the results after serious allegations of fraud.
Ever since, spontaneous demonstrations have erupted and have just as quickly been quelled by police brutality, shootings, arrests and in some cases torture and disappearances to secret prisons, it is alleged.
Now, 38 opposition politicians have been found guilty of a plethora of indictments such as obstructing the exercise of the Constitution, or coordinating, leading and encouraging armed violence against the government, the violence the police had committed and endangering the country's defence.
On the 9th of July it was reported that the state would seek the death penalty against all those who hadn’t recognised the courts during the trial. Most defendants did not recognise the courts, specifically those of the opposition CUD. Only two defendants took the courts seriously from the onset of the trial and defended themselves.
The two defendants are called Netsanet Demissie and Daniel Bekele. They are both exemplary civil society leaders who have nothing to do with organised politics let alone opposition politics against Meles Zenawi. Due to their involvement with international NGOs and organisations they have received the necessary international solidarity and support. Hopefully this will prove sufficient to convince the Meles regime that conviction would be counterproductive for his regime.
Would it, really? As yet the international community has put some severe pressure on Meles and his cohorts to treat the detainees according to international law and give them a fair trial. But so far they have not received much proper or fair treatment. They have been denied bail for nearly two years now. They have had to sleep out in the open in the 2000m high freezing Abyssinian highland winters. They have been locked in solitary confinement for no apparent reason. Further details are not known due to the sensitivity of the case.
The repression continued and the initial 100 or so dissenters were held for nearly two years without due process. The main explanation that is given for the fact that the authoritarian regime can do as it pleases is that the international pressure on the Ethiopian authorities is lukewarm at best. The West, in particular the US, sees the Ethiopian regime as a Christian partner in a sea of “dangerous and threatening” Islam.
The Addis authorities are seen as critical partners in the “war on terror”. The Ethiopian army have most recently, as loyal lackeys of the US, invaded Somalia of course hunting the many terrorists that were plotting the downfall of the US in this country without any state or national infrastructure. The US joined in and annihilated parts of the Somali countryside, supposed terrorists included, with their massive C130 gunship Hercules.
With such important allies in the ever important war against global “terror” the pressure on the Addis regime will most likely not be as severe as to change Meles behaviour. But what is also interesting is the international community’s fixation on the two civil society leaders. Yes, for sure, they deserve all the help they are getting and more and should be set free immediately. But what of the opposition politicians and journalists? Why are they hardly getting any support if any? Why is Amnesty not lobbying for their freedom?
What is wrong with these opposition politicians in Ethiopia that they do not deserve our solidarity? What is wrong with opposing a ruling party through democratic means in that country? Why has the international community supported say the opposition in Zimbabwe? Why have they been crying foul every time the MDC are beaten or arrested? But why not pro-democracy activists in Ethiopia?
Let us just hope that justice returns to Ethiopia and that the accused will truly receive a fair trial. Surely that will see most of the accused acquitted forthwith. Time has a way of dealing harshly with despotic Ethiopian rulers.
www.civicus.orgwww.sangoco.org.za
Ethiopia yields ancestral fossils
The Lucy skeleton is one of the most famous human ancestorsResearchers have found fossil remains of early human ancestors in Ethiopia that date to a little known period in human evolution.
The cache included several complete jaws and one partial skeleton, and was unearthed at Woranso-Mille in the country's Afar desert.
The remains were recovered 30km from the site where "Lucy" - one of the most famous human ancestors - was found.
The specimens have been dated to between 3.5 and 3.8 million years ago.
The research team is led from Cleveland University in the US.
The palaeontologists have been working in northern Ethiopia's Afar region for four seasons. This year, they have broadened their search to new areas.
They have found these new areas rich in fossils including teeth and fragments of jawbones belonging to ancient, humanlike creatures - often referred to as hominids.
Dr Yohannes Haile-Selassie, one of the team's leaders, told the BBC: "One of the reasons why this discovery is really important is because it serves as a time frame that we know nothing about in the past and that's what makes it really significant."
He added: "We have a record of about six million years of early human evolution in Ethiopia, but there are also small gaps here and there and this one happens to be one of them."
The fossils come from the right time period to shed light on the relationship between the "Lucy" species, Australopithecus afarensis, and an even older species called Australopithecus anamensis.
The older species is thought to be ancestral to the "Lucy" hominids, but scientists need more fossils to say this for sure.
Dr Haile-Selassie said the new dig sites yielded the bones of many monkeys, antelopes and wild pigs, suggesting that the hominids lived in a far greener and more wooded countryside than the bare stony Afar desert region seen today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6291254.stm
The cache included several complete jaws and one partial skeleton, and was unearthed at Woranso-Mille in the country's Afar desert.
The remains were recovered 30km from the site where "Lucy" - one of the most famous human ancestors - was found.
The specimens have been dated to between 3.5 and 3.8 million years ago.
The research team is led from Cleveland University in the US.
The palaeontologists have been working in northern Ethiopia's Afar region for four seasons. This year, they have broadened their search to new areas.
They have found these new areas rich in fossils including teeth and fragments of jawbones belonging to ancient, humanlike creatures - often referred to as hominids.
Dr Yohannes Haile-Selassie, one of the team's leaders, told the BBC: "One of the reasons why this discovery is really important is because it serves as a time frame that we know nothing about in the past and that's what makes it really significant."
He added: "We have a record of about six million years of early human evolution in Ethiopia, but there are also small gaps here and there and this one happens to be one of them."
The fossils come from the right time period to shed light on the relationship between the "Lucy" species, Australopithecus afarensis, and an even older species called Australopithecus anamensis.
The older species is thought to be ancestral to the "Lucy" hominids, but scientists need more fossils to say this for sure.
Dr Haile-Selassie said the new dig sites yielded the bones of many monkeys, antelopes and wild pigs, suggesting that the hominids lived in a far greener and more wooded countryside than the bare stony Afar desert region seen today.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6291254.stm
The Lucy skeleton is one of the most famous human ancestorsResearchers have found fossil remains of early human ancestors in Ethiopia that date to a little known period in human evolution.
The cache included several complete jaws and one partial skeleton, and was unearthed at Woranso-Mille in the country's Afar desert.
The remains were recovered 30km from the site where "Lucy" - one of the most famous human ancestors - was found.
The specimens have been dated to between 3.5 and 3.8 million years ago.
The research team is led from Cleveland University in the US.
The palaeontologists have been working in northern Ethiopia's Afar region for four seasons. This year, they have broadened their search to new areas.
They have found these new areas rich in fossils including teeth and fragments of jawbones belonging to ancient, humanlike creatures - often referred to as hominids.
Dr Yohannes Haile-Selassie, one of the team's leaders, told the BBC: "One of the reasons why this discovery is really important is because it serves as a time frame that we know nothing about in the past and that's what makes it really significant."
He added: "We have a record of about six million years of early human evolution in Ethiopia, but there are also small gaps here and there and this one happens to be one of them."
The fossils come from the right time period to shed light on the relationship between the "Lucy" species, Australopithecus afarensis, and an even older species called Australopithecus anamensis.
The older species is thought to be ancestral to the "Lucy" hominids, but scientists need more fossils to say this for sure.
Dr Haile-Selassie said the new dig sites yielded the bones of many monkeys, antelopes and wild pigs, suggesting that the hominids lived in a far greener and more wooded countryside than the bare stony Afar desert region seen today.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Meles a dirty scum of the Earth
So now we're 17 years of hell under Meles Zenwaye and everyone from the youth to the elderly declaring him the worst leader Ethiopia ever had. If one believed in an anti-Christ, Meles would be it. If one believed in Satan, Meles would be it.
A few month back a TPLF gang asked me this questions, Is Meles worse than Mengistu? another subhuman add another questions? How come we are not see any goodness of Meles Zenwaye?
Those peoples who asked those kind of question they missed the point because the behavior and psyche of the third world dictators specially Ethiopian and African dictators are almost identical. how come they don't see when the meles regime killed Ethiopian on the broad day light, how come they donot see when meles shut all the medias, how come they don't see when meles abused the basic human right?
Most African dictators impose restriction on the rights of citizens to criticize the government, restriction on the freedom of the press, and also restriction on the rights of the oppositions parties to campaign against the government, it is forbidden for group associations or political parties opposed to the government. If you go to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia.. etc you can see it clearly.
If you go to Ethiopia in particular Ethiopian’s dictators act as if he allowed oppossitions poltical parties but only for the public relations purposes, if you say anything bad about the government you will end up in prison, so for Ethiopians dictator oppsitions means opportunists, that is how the Ethiopian government defines oppositions. oppositions leaders that the government can buy and sell as they wants.
The existence of Ethiopian federal political police force plus thousands TPLF under cover polices are basically a tool for the dictator to severely punish Ethiopian peoples just for expressing their dissatisfaction of the government policies, and the Ethiopian peoples massacred on the broad day light just because they believed that the vote was stolen, the Ethiopian oppositions leaders already imprisoned, and also planned for their assassination, and they put them in prison and torturing and execution is the hallmark of Meles Zenawaye dictatorship. So for most of us we know the behivor of this goverment, we don’t surprised when they request to death penalty on those precious Ethiopian leaders because they just won the elections. That is the only crime they commits.
But as far as the brave kinjit leaders since this was government intention from the beginning, I will say they will stay in prison because they refused to accept such a blood money, the dictator get mad and bark on the western ambassadors "shame on you" but he didnot ashamed when he killed the peoples of Ethiopia on the broad day light.
But as far as the brave kinjit leaders since this was government intention from the beginning, I will say they will stay in prison because they refused to accept such a blood money, the dictator get mad and bark on the western ambassadors "shame on you" but he didnot ashamed when he killed the peoples of Ethiopia on the broad day light.
And also Meles behave as if he is working for the whole Ethiopia by giving for certain tribes leadership monopoly of certain privileges, of particular regions by locating manufacturing facilities in place, like cement factories in place, can you imagine electric bus factory in Debre-markos? Frankly speaking those factories are not really belong there but where politically valuable of certain ethnic groups by giving them minimal privilege to buy their support. That is what Meles to achieve here.
The problem of Meles Zenawaye of knowing how much support he has among the general populations, as I mentioned earlier he realized that no support among the peoples, specially the most educated elite in the city despised meles, since he came from the 5% of the Ethiopian ethnic group, there is no hope for him to be democratically elected because of his ethic affiliations, by the way ethnicity did not play in Ethiopian peoples decision to elect him but the man personality and his outlook was the determine factor
Meles is the most dislike leader of course that produce fear and doubt on the part of the dictator, and at the same time the public fear the government guns and bullets and that produce silently unwillingness to obey on the part of the public and the peoples
indicate displeasure with the dictator’s policies.
The problem of Meles Zenawaye of knowing how much support he has among the general populations, as I mentioned earlier he realized that no support among the peoples, specially the most educated elite in the city despised meles, since he came from the 5% of the Ethiopian ethnic group, there is no hope for him to be democratically elected because of his ethic affiliations, by the way ethnicity did not play in Ethiopian peoples decision to elect him but the man personality and his outlook was the determine factor
Meles is the most dislike leader of course that produce fear and doubt on the part of the dictator, and at the same time the public fear the government guns and bullets and that produce silently unwillingness to obey on the part of the public and the peoples
indicate displeasure with the dictator’s policies.
the author can be contacted at
Meles a dirty scum of the Earth
So now we're 17 years of hell under Meles Zenwaye and everyone from the youth to the elderly declaring him the worst leader Ethiopia ever had. If one believed in an anti-Christ, Meles would be it. If one believed in Satan, Meles would be it, A few month back a TPLF gang asked me this questions, Is Meles worse than Mengistu? another subhuman add another questions? How come we are not see any goodness of Meles Zenwaye?
At that time I did not have time to explain, I just ignored those idiotic subhuman so after a long taught clearly I just start to study the behavior and psyche of third world dictators specially Ethiopian and African dictators as a whole
African dictators impose restriction on the rights of citizens to criticize the government, restriction on the freedom of the press, and also restriction on the rights of the oppositions parties to campaign against the government, it is forbidden for group associations or political parties opposed to the government. If you go to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Gambia.. etc you can see it clearly what I am talking about.
If you go to Ethiopia in particular Ethiopian’s dictators act as if he allowed oppossitions poltical parties but only for the public relations purposes, if you say anything bad about the government you will end up in prison, so for Ethiopians leaders oppssitions means opportunists, that is how the Ethiopian government defines oppositions.
The existence of Ethiopian federal political police force plus thousands TPLF under cover polices are basically a tool for the dictator to severely punish Ethiopian peoples just for expressing their dissatisfaction of the government policies, and the Ethiopian peoples massacred on the broad day light just because they believed that the vote was stolen, the Ethiopian oppositions leaders already imprisoned, and also planned for their assassination, and they put them in prison and torturing and execution is the hallmark of Meles Zenawaye dictatorship. So I don’t surprised that when they request to death penalty because the oppositions won the elections. That is the only crime they commits.
But as far as the brave kinjit leaders since this was government intention from the beginning, I will say they will stay in prison because they refused to accept such a blood money, the dictator get mad and said shame on you the western ambassadors because you did not buy for me CUDP party leaders.
And also Meles behave as if he is working for the whole Ethiopia by giving for certain tribes leadership monopoly of certain privileges, of particular regions by locating manufacturing facilities in place, like cement factories in place, can you imagine electric bus factory in Debre-markos? Frankly speaking those factories are not really belong there but where politically valuable of certain ethnic groups by giving them minimal privilege to buy their support. That is what Meles to achieve here.
The problem of Meles Zenawaye of knowing how much support he has among the general populations, as I mentioned earlier he realized that no support among the peoples, specially the most educated elite in the city despised meles, since he came from the 5% of the Ethiopian ethnic make up, there is no hope for him to be democratically elected because of his ethic affiliations, by the way ethnicity did not play in Ethiopian peoples decision to elect him but the man personality and his outlook was the determine factor
Meles is the most dislike leader of course that produce fear and doubt on the part of the dictator, and at the same time the public fear the government guns and bullets and that produce silently unwillingness to obey on the part of the public and the peoples
indicate displeasure with the dictator’s policies.
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