Ethiopian
government lambasted for flipping on political reform promise
nternational Rights Group, Human
Rights Watch (HRW), has accused the Ethiopian government of turning back on its
public promise to undertake reforms and to address the tense political climate
in the country.
HRW’s latest position is contained
in a piece authored by its Senior Researcher for the Horn of Africa, Felix
Horne, in reaction to the recent charge brought against a leading opposition
activist, Dr Merera Gudina.
60-year-old Gudina who is chairman
of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) was charged with terrorism last Thursday
along with two others – Dr Berhanu Nega of opposition group Ginbot 7 and Jawar
Mohammed of Oromia TV.
‘Instead of taking actions that would demonstrate genuine resolve to address long-term grievances, the government again used politically motivated charges to further crack down on opposition parties, reinforcing a message that it will not tolerate peaceful dissent.
‘Instead of taking actions that would demonstrate genuine resolve to address long-term grievances, the government again used politically motivated charges to further crack down on opposition parties, reinforcing a message that it will not tolerate peaceful dissent.
‘‘This raises serious questions
regarding the government’s commitment to “deep reform” and dialogue with the
opposition. Instead of responding to criticism with yet more repression, the
Ethiopian government should release opposition politicians jailed for
exercising their basic rights, including Bekele and Merera,’‘ the statement
added.
Merera according to HRW was being
held at the Maekewali prison where mistreatment and torture are commonplace.
Aside Merera, the OFC’s deputy chairman, Bekele Gerba is also presently
standing trial along with scores of journalists and protesters charged under a
2009 anti-terrorism law.
Days after the imposition of a
six-month state of emergency by the government, the Prime Minister, Hailemariam
Desalegn, said the government was committed to broadbase political reforms. The
European Union chief and German Chancellor all weighed in for such efforts to
be all-inclusive.
The government in November 2016
announced a cabinet reshuffle which saw the appointment of two Oromos – the
ethnic group behind agitations in one of the protest regions – to cabinet
positions of Foreign Affairs and Communications.
The government has had cause in the
past to accuse HRW of being behind the protests of last year due to their
inaccurate reportage on issues in the country.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Ethiopia’s immediate past Minister of Foreign Affairs asserted in an October
2016 article titled, ‘Human Rights Watch encourages opposition violence in
Ethiopia,’ that the rights group was stoking the fire in the country.
Dr Tedros slammed HRW and opposition
groups in the diaspora for misrepresentations that were worsening protests
leading to the imposition of a state of emergency. He was responding to a
report published at the time by Felix Horne – who he accused of being outside
the country but pretending to know what went on inside.
‘‘In all of these, in order to
support his (Felix) demands, he has deliberately given impressions and made
claims he knows to be false about recent events, notably the Ireecha tragedy on
October 2,’’ he wrote.
-Africanews
AEP
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