Wednesday, January 29, 2014

የታመቀው የኢትዮጵያውያን ምሬት፡ የሕይወት ማሽቆልቆልና በፍርሃት መሽማቀቅ አፋጣኝ መፍትሄ ይሻል


ኢትዮጵያ በሕወሃት ዘመነ አመራር የታወቀችባቸው ብዙ ነገሮች ሊኖሩ ይችላሉ። ብዙ “እንዴ!”የሚይሰኙ ጥሩ አሳቦችም ፈልቀዋል – አፈጻጸማቸው እትይለሌ ቢሆንም። ከነዚህም መካከል መሠረተ ልማት፡ በጤናና በትምህርት መስኮች መሻሻሎች መታየታቸው ወዘተ መልካም ይነገርላቸዋል – የቢል ጌትስን የራስ ተጠቃሚነትና ኢምፓየር ግንባታ ወደጎን ትተን! በዕጦት ደረጃም በሀገራችን የስብዓዊ መብቶች አለመክበር፣ የፍትህ አለመኖርና ለአብዛኛው ሕዝባችን የምግብ ዕጦት ዋና ዋና ተጠቃሽ ችግሮች ናቸው።
Prime Ministers Katainen and Hailemariam (Credit: ERTA)
Prime Ministers Katainen and Hailemariam (Credit: ERTA)
ለምሳሌም ያህል፡ ሕገ መንግሥቱ በአንቀጽ 30 ስላማዊ ስልፍ የማድረግንና መንግስትን መቃወምን ግልጽ ቢያደርግም፡ እሁድ ዕለት የኢትዮጵያን መሬት ለሱዳን ለመሰጠት ለመቃወም: ለሚመለተው አሳውቀው ስላማዊ ስልፍ ለማዘጋጀት ተፍ ተፍ ሲሉ የአዘጋጁ የስማያዊ ፓርቲ አመራር አባላት ጎንደር ውስጥ ተይዘው ታስረዋል። በተመሳሳይ መንገድ ትግራይ ውስጥም የአረና አመራሮች ሕዝቡን ቀሰቀሳችሁ በሚል ውንጀላ አዲግራት ውስጥ አመራሩና አባሎቹ ክፉኛ ተደብድበዋል – ጉዳት የደረሰባቸውም ሕክምና ለመሻት ተገደዋል። ይህንኑ አስመልክቶ፡ አንዱ ተደብዳቢ መምህር አብርሃ ደስታ የሚከተለውን ጽፏል፡
    “ህወሓቶች በተግባራቸው ሊያዝኑ ይገባል። ህዝብን ፖለቲካ እንዲያውቅና ራሱ ከጭቆና እንዲከላከል ለማገዝ በምንሞክርበት ግዜ መንግስት ወደ ተራ የሽፍትነት ተግባር መሰማራቱ የሚያስደምም ነው … እኛ ለህዝብ ነፃነት ነው የምንታገለው። ትግላችን ሰለማዊ ነው። ወታደርና ፖሊስም የለንም። እኛ ያለን ህይወት ነው። ያለችንን ህይወት ለህዝብ ደህንነት ስንል መስዋእት አድርገናል። በህዝብ ፊት ተደብድበናል። በፖሊስና አስተዳዳሪዎች ፊት ተደብድበናል። እኛ መክፈል ያለብን ህይወትን ነው።”
ይህ በግልጽ የሚታየው የዛሬይቱ ኢትዮጵያ የስብዓዊ መብቶች አንጸባራቂ ሥዕል ነው። ይህ ሁኔታ በየቀኑ በተለያየ መልኩ ሀግሪቱ ውስጥ እየተካሄደ ያለ የመንግሥት ሕገ ወጥነት ነው!
በኤኮኖሚው መስክ ያለው ችግር ግዙፍ ነው። ድህነት ከመቀረፍ ይልቅ፡ ሥር እየስደደ መሆኑን ብዙዎች ያማርራሉ። ለጥቂቶች ግን ሀገሪቱ ምድራዊ ገነት ሆናለች። ሕዝቡ እየተደበደበም፡ በየቀኑ አልዋጥ ባይ ፕሮፓጋንዳ በግድ እየተጋተ ነው!
በዚህ ሁኔታ ውስጥ ነው ለብዙዎቹ የአዲስ አበባ መሽቀርቀር እንደአጠቃላይ የሃገሪቱ የልማትና ዕድገት መለኪያ ተደርጎ እንዲወሰድ የተቀነባበረ ጥረት የሚድረገው። የምርጫ ዘመን በመቃረቡ፡ ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትሩ ኢትዮጵያ በቅርቡ ስንዴ ለውጭ ገብያ ሻጭ ልትሆን ነው በማለት ጥር 18፣ 2014 አርሲ ሆነው ማስማታቸው ልብ ሊባል ይገባል። ነገር ግን ኢትዮጵያ በልማት ገና ሀ ሁ … ላይ ናት – በምግብ 40 በመቶ የሚሆነውን ሕዝቧን በቀን ሶስቴ ሳይሆን፡ አንዴም መመገብ ያልቻለች አገር ናት! ይህ በመሆኑ አይደል እንዴ የምዕራቡ ዓለም፡ በቋሚነት ከ10 በመቶ በላይ የሆነውን የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ክዓመት ዓመት በዓለም አቀፍ እህል ዕርዳታ ሕይወት በመስጠት ላይ ያለው?
ከሁሉም ጎልቶ የሚነገርለትና የሕወሃት ስዎችም ቶሎ የሚስፈነጠሩበት የአገሪቱ ከትላልቅ ጦርነቶች መላቀቋ ነው። ስለዚህም የሕወሃት ስዎችና ደጋፊዎቻቸው በመመጻደቅ ሲናገሩ መስማቱ የተለመደ ሆኖአል። በዚህም መነሻነት፡ እንዲህ ይላሉ: ባለፉት 20 ዓመታት፡ ሕወሃት ለረዥም ዘመናት አገሪቱን ያደሙትን ጦርነቶች አቁሞ ልማት ላይ እንድታተኩር አደረገ የሚባለው በብዛት ይሰማል። የሕወሃት ስዎችም ይህ በተደጋጋሚ እንዲነገርላቸው ብዙ ጥረቶች አድርገዋል፡ እያደረጉም ነው። እራሳቸውም በተደጋጋሚ እራሳቸውን በዚህ ሲያሞካሹ ይሰማል፤ ለውጭ የፕሮፓጋንዳ ድርጅቶችም ይህንን እንዲያስተጋቡላቸው፡ ከፍተኛ ክፍያዎችን በየጊዜው ፈጽመዋል።
እስከዛሬ አጥግቢ ግንዛቤ ያላገኘው ግን፡ ድሮም ሆነ ዛሬ የጦርነቶች አጋጋይ ሕወሃት መሆኑ ነው። የኤርትራንና የትግራይን መገንጠል ጉዞ በተግባር ሲተረጉም ኖረ። ቀኑ ደርሶ ጅብሃ ሲገነጠል፡ ሕወሃት ባዶ የሥልጣን ወንበር ስለታየው፡ ኢትዮጵያዊነትን መረጠ። በትግል አጋሩ ጅብሃ ዘንድ ይህ እንደክህደት እንዳይታበት – በስላም ሂዱ፡ ኢትዮጵያ ከእናነተ ስላም እንጂ ሌላው ቀርቶ የባህር በር እንኳ አያስፈልጋትም አለ። ይህንን አስመልከቶ፡ በየካቲት ወር 1994 ስብሃት ነጋ ለዓለምስገድ አባይ በስጡት ቃለ መጠይቅ የሕወሃት ቀደምት ፓሊሲ መገንጠል ሆኖ እስክ 1985 መቆየቱን ያረጋግጣሉ። ከቃለ መጠይቁ ውስጥ በጣም አሰገራሚው ነገር ግን፡ ብዙ የሕወሃት ተዋጊዎች ኢትዮጵያዊነትን ገና ድሮ አሽቀንጥርረው የጣሉ በምሆናቸው፡ ዛሬም ቢሆን በተለይ ከአማራ ጋር ኢትዮጵያዊ ሆኖ መገኝትን በሙል ልብ አለመቀበላቸውን ነው ያመላከቱት [See Identity Jilted: Re-imagined Identity (1998)]።
ያለፈው አልበቃ ብሎ፡ ዛሬም ሕወሃት ሀገሪቱ ውስጥ ሽብርና ፍርሃት በማንገስ የውስጥ ግጭቶችን በመተንኮስ: የተለያዩ ብሄረስቦችን አባሎች በማፈናቀልና ችግሮችን በማባባስ ተጠቃሚ ለመሆን ሲምክር ይታያል – ድ/ር ቴድሮስ ፍጹም “እኔ ያለሁበት ፓርቲ ውስጥ ይህ አይደረግም!” ብለው ዝናቸውን አጋልጠው ቢገዘቱም። ነገሩ ግን፡ ዛሬም በምሥራቅ በተለያያዩ የኦሮም ክፍሎችና ኢትዮጵያውያን ሶማሌዎች መካከል፡ በደቡብም እንዲሁ በተለያዩ ጎሣዎች መካከል፡ አማራንና ኦርሞችን በማጋጭት፡ ጥላቻና መቃቃርን በዜጎች መካከል ለመፍጠር ብዙ ሲሞክር ቆይቷል። አንዳንድ ቦታዎችም፡ ለምሳሌ ቦረና፡ ተሳክቶለት ስሞኑን የብዙ ዜጎች ደም ፈሷል፤ ሕይወትም ተቀጥፏል። ቤት ንብረቶችም ተደምስሰዋል። ሌላው ቀርቶ፡ የሕክምና ባለሙያ የነበሩት የአገር አስተዳደር ሚኒስትሩ – የዛሬው የሃይማኖትች ጉዳይና የጸረሽብር ኤክስፐርቱ ዶ/ር ሽፈራው ተክለማርያም – ኬንያ በሥጋቷ ምክንያት (2012ን በማስታወስ) ልተቀስቅሳቸው ብትሞክርም፡ ነገሩ አውቆ የተኛ ቢነቀንቁት አይሰማ ሆኖ እሳችውም እንደክረምት ድብ ክፉኛ አሸልበዋል።
ለማንኛውም፡ በዓለም ላይ እንደሕወሃት የተሳካለት የለም – ዕድሉን ሃገራችንን ለማሻሻል በሚገባ አልተጠቀመበትም እንጂ! ስለሆነም ክሥራ ይልቅ ፕሮፓጋንዳ፡ ዕውነትን ተናግሮ ችግሮችን በጋራ ከመፍታት ይልቅ፡ ሁሉንም ስው ማሞኘት እንችላለን በሚል ትዕቢት ብዙ የሚያሳፍሩ ተግባሮች ሲያከናወን ይታያል።
ይህ በእንዲህ እንዳለ፡ በበጎነታችው ለኢትዮጵያ ሕዝብ ደጉን የሚመኙ የውጭዎቹ የፖለቲካ፡ የዲፕሎማሲና ኅብረተስባዊ መሻሻሎችን አራማጆች ይህንን የሕውሃትን የሰላም ማስፈን የዋህ መስል ቅጽል በአመኔታ የሚጋሩት በሁለት ተክፈለው ይታያሉ፡ –
(ሀ) በእውነትም ጦርነትና የንጹሃን ዕልቂት መቆሙን፡ ኢትዮጵያ ክድህነት ተላቅቃ ማየት የሚሹ ወገኖች፤
(ለ) ጊዘው የበለጸጉት ሃገሮች ወደታዳጊ ሀገሮች ውስጥ ዘልቀው በመስፋፋትና በኢኮኖሚ ትብብር ስም የራሳቸውን ኤኮኖሚያዊ፡ የበላይነት ማቆየት የሚሹበት፡ ፖለቲካዊና ስትራተጂካዊ ጥቅሞቻቸውን የሚያበራክቱበት በመሆኑ፡ ከላይ ከተጠቀሱት ጋር ተዳብረው፡ የሕወሃትን ገድል መተረኩ፡ ለሚሹት ዓላማ አንድ ጥቅም ትስስሮሽ መፍጠር የሚያስችል መሣሪያ አድርገው የሚጠቀሙበት ወገኖችም እዚሀ ውስጥ ተስልፈዋል።
ከላይ የተመለከቱት ከተለያየ አግጣጫ ተነስተው ሁለቱም አንድ የሚገናኙበት መጋጠሚያ፡ ስለኢትዮጵያ በጎ ነገር እንዲስተጋባ ማድረጋቸው ነው። በተለይም በሁለተኝው ክፍል የሚገኙት፡ በተቻለ መጠን ስለኢትዮጵያ በጎውን በማጋነን፡ የሕወሃትን የስብዓዊ መብቶች ጽልመት፡ ጎስኝነት፡ ሙሰኝነት የሚሸፋፍን አመለካከት በምዕራባውያንም ሆነ ምሥራቃዊ ሚዲያዎች ላይ በጊዜው ያስደስኮሩላቸዋል።
በተጨማሪም፡ እነዚህ ሀገሮች ለኢትዮጵያ ግዙፍ ዕርዳታ መፍሰሱን ይደግፋሉ። ነገር ግን ይህ ዕርዳታ በብዙ መስኮች – በተለይም በግብርናው – መስክ የሀገሪቱን ችግሮች፡ በምግብ ምርት እራስን ከማስቻል ይዘት ስሌለው፡ ትኩረታችውም ሆነ ጥረታቸው – በዘለቄታ ሀገሪቱን ከምግብ ዕርዳታ ተመጽዋች ነጻ ለማድረግ አላስቻለም። በመሆኑም፡ እየተደረገ ያለው፡ ትላንት እንደነበረ ሁሉ ዛሬም ኢትዮጵያ አንድ ሶስተኛ መንግሥታዊ በጀቷን በዓለም አቀፍ ዕርዳታ ተመጽዋችነት ላይ የተመሰረተ ሆኖ የውስጥና የውጭ ፖሊሲዋን በማክራየት እንድትቀጥል አስገዳጅ ሁኔታ ተፈጥሮባታል።
በአሁኑ ወቅት፡ በተለያዩ ምክንያቶች (የስብዓዊ መብቶች አለመከበር ችግር፡ የየራሳቸው የሀገሮቹ የኢኮኖሚ ችግሮች) መንስኤነት፡ ከለጋሽ ሀገሮች በቀጥታ የሚገኝው ዕርዳታ በክፍተኛ ድረጃ ቀንሷል (ክአሜሪካና እንግሊዝ በስተቀር)። በዚህም ምክንያት የዓለም ባንክ ለኢትዮጵያ የሚስጠውን ብዙውን የዕርዳታና ብድር ጫና ድርሻ ተሸካሚ ሆኖአል።
ለምሳሌ፡ ሌላው ቀርቶ ስብዓዊ ዕርዳታን እንኳ በተመለከተ፡ 12 የአውሮፓ ኅብረት ሀገሮች (እንግሊዝን አይጭምርም) በ2012 ለኢትዮጵያ በባይላተራል መንገድ ለዕርዳታ ያዋጡት €24 ሚልዮን ሲሆን፡ በ2013 ይህ መዋጮ ወደ €12.4 ሚልዮን ወርዷል። ከነዚህም መካከል ትልቁን ቅናሽ ያደረገችው ጀርመን ናት – ከ€8.2 ሚልዮን ወ €4.2 ሚልዮን ዝቅ በማድረግ። በመሆኑም፡ከዚህም ከዚያም አስባስቦ የበጀት ምንጮች በማስባስብና ተጨማሪ ምክንያቶች በመፍጠር (ነፍስ ወክፈ መልሶ ማቋቋም) በ2013 እንዳደረገው፡ የአወሮፓ ኮሚሽን በ 2011-2013 12 ሚልዮን ኢትዮጵያውያን ለመርዳት እንዲቻል €130 ሚልዮን ለግሷል።
አሁን ለሁሉም ለጋሾች ከባድ የሆነው “የልማት” ዕርዳታውም እንዲሁ በበዙ ጥያቄዎች ላይ መውደቁ መሆኑ ይሰማል።
በዓለም ዙሪይ ያለፉው ሩብ ምዕተ ዓመት የልማት ጊዜ በመሆኑ፡ ብዙ ታዳጊ አገሮች ከፍተኛ ተጠቃሚ ሆነዋል። ኢትዮጵያ ይህ ዕድል ቢገጥማትም፡ መሣሪያ ያነገቡት የሕወሃት ሰዎችና አጫፍሪዎቻቸው ግንባር ቀድም ተጠቃሚዎች የሆኑበት ሥርዓት በመዘርጋቱ፡ የትላንቱ ጦረኞችና የዛሬዎቹ የስላም ደጋፊ-መስል የአንድ ብኄረስብ ሰዎች፡ ሆን ብለው ዕኩልነትን የሚጻረር የፖለቲካ፡ የኤኮኖሚ፡ የደህንነትና ማኅበራዊ ፓሊስዎችን በኢትዮጵያ በማካሄድ ላይ ይገኛሉ።
ይህ ግን ዘላቂ መሠረት ስሌለው፡ ዛሬ የኤኮኖሚው የጥንድ ዕድገት ውደሳው ጋብ ብሎ፡ ሀገራችን የመንግሥት ብልግናና የሃስት ፕሮፓጋንዳ ከሚመገቡት መካክል ወድቃለች። በዚሁም ምክንያት (ሽፋኑ የውሃ ዕጥርረት፡ ድርቀት፡ የሃይማኖትና የብኄረቦች አለመቻቻልና ግጭቶች ላይ ቢመካኝም)፡ ተደጋጋሚ ዓለም አቅፍ ጥናቶችኢትዮጵያ ከሚወድቁት የአፍሪቃአገሮች (Failed States) መካከል ተደምራ፡ የወደፊት ጽዋዋ አስፈሪ እንደሚሆን ቀንደኛ ደጋፊዎቿ ድምዳሜ ላይ መሆናቸውን በግልጽ የምንሰማበት ዘመን ላይ ደርስናል።
ድሮስ ቢሆን፡ የሕዝብ ዓመኔታ ያጣ መንግሥት፡ መሣሪያውን ደግኖ በኅይል ለመግዛት ከመሞከር ውጭ ምን አማራጭ አለው? ጊዜው የጥላቻ፡ የክፋትና የቂም በቀል በመሆኑ፡ በአንድ በኩል፡ የሕወሃት ስዎች ዘረፋ ላይ የተሰማሩ ሲሆን፡ በሌላ በኩል ደግሞ፡ የኢትዮጵያውያንን ስብዓዊ መብቶች በመግፈፍና መርገጣቸውን በማባባስ፡ ሃገሪቱን ወደ ቀውስ ጎዳን እየገፉ ናቸው። በዚህ ሁኔታ ውስጥ እንዴት ዕድገት ይኖራል?
እንዲያውም፡ የራሱን የአገዛዝ ዘመን ለማራዘም ሲል፡ የኢትዪጵያ ሕዝብ ፍላጎትና አመለካከት ሳይጠየቅ ኤርትራን በፊርማው እንድትገነጥል ያደረገ፡ አገሪቱን የባሀር በር ለማሳጣት የደፈረ የመንግሥታዊ ባህልና ኃላፊነትና ግንዛቤ የሌለው ሕወሃት፡ ለሱዳን የኢትዮጵያን መሬት ቆርጦ ለመስጠት ዝግጅት ላይ መሆኑ ሕዝቡን በቃ! የሚል ድምዳሜ ላይ ማድረሱ አያጠራጥርም!
በዓለም ታሪክ ውስጥም ሕወሃት “ታዋቂ” የሚሆነው፡ ራሱን ሥልጣን ላይ ለማቆየት፡ የሀገርን ልኡላዊነትና መሬት ቆርሶ ለጎረቤት ሀገርና ለከፍተኛ ብድር ስጭና ገንዘብ ለዋጭ አሳልፎ የሚሰጥ በመሆኑ ነው።
ዛሬም ሆነ ነገ፡ ለሀገራችን ዘላቂው መፍትሄ ግን መንግሥት የሕዝብን ፍላጎት ለማክበር መቻሉና ለዚህም ተጠያቂነት ያለበት ሥርዓት መዘርጋቱ ነው። ይህንን ለማድረግ፡ አሁንም ትንሽ የተስፋ መስኮት አለ – የሕውውሃት ስዎች ኃላፊነት የሚስማቸው ቢሁን። ይህ ለሕወሃትና ግብረአበሮቹ ተቀባይ ሳይሆን ቢቀር፡ ቀሪው ምርጫ ሕዝቡ እየተረገጠ መቀጠል፡ ወይንም እነርሱ ከመድረኩ መወገድ ነው።
እስካሁን በዚህ ድህረ ገጽ ይህንን አሳብ አላራመድንም ነበር። የሁኔታው አስከፊነት ግን አሁን የወቅቱ አስፈላጊ እርምጃ አድርጎታል!

US House Bill Requires Accountability From Ethiopia (Press Release)


US House Appropriation Bill Requires Increased Accountability from Ethiopia as Prerequisite for Funding

PRESS RELEASE
Solidarity Movement for New Ethiopia
Washington, DC – Is United States policy towards Ethiopia shifting? For years Ethiopians, social justice groups, human rights organizations and civic groups have been calling on donor countries to demand greater accountability from the Government of Ethiopia for funds received, citing the lack of political space, endemic injustice, the repression of basic freedoms and widespread human rights crimes; however, now, the people of Ethiopia have reason to expect that the climate of impunity is changing.Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE)
The United States House Appropriations Committee has included stringent new requirements of accountability from the Government of Ethiopia in a section of the new 2014 bill that directly addresses Ethiopia. (Please refer to the sub-section of the bill below.)It links the release of U.S. funds designated for Ethiopian military and police forces to Ethiopia’s implementation of corrective policies that would address the declining state of human and democratic rights in the country, including in the Somali Region of Ethiopia where access to the area must be given to human rights and humanitarian organizations. New steps are also to be required that would document actions taken by the government “to investigate and prosecute members of the Ethiopian military and police who have been credibly alleged to have violated human rights.” This is commendable because it is the accountability we have been calling for since the investigations following the Gambella massacre. The names are there but what has always been missing is the impartial judicial system.
The law also prohibits funds appropriated to Ethiopia under the headings, “Development Assistance” and “Economic Support Fund” that are available for the lower Omo Valley and the Gambella region to be used directly or indirectly in the forced evictions of the people. Rather, it is to be used to “support initiatives of local communities to improve their livelihoods” and requires that these initiatives “be subject to prior consultation with affected communities.”
Additionally, it requires the Secretary of the Treasury “to instruct the United States executive director of each international financial institution, like USAID (United States Agency for International Development), the World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund), to oppose financing for any activities that directly or indirectly involve forced evictions in Ethiopia.” This means in any area of the country. Finally the people of Ethiopia have been heard. The United States’ decision, as the largest donor to Ethiopia, will make a difference; hopefully, other donor countries will follow.
If this had been a jury hearing, the burden of proof would have been established. We want to thank those on the House Appropriations Committee for including this in the bill. We also want to thank those in the House and Senate who are responsible for passing this section of the bill, finally pressuring the Government of Ethiopia to be more accountable for its use of U.S. taxpayer funds and more accountable to its own citizens.
Others within the U.S. House, like Congressman Christopher Smith, the chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, should also be lauded for his continued work which is still in process. Reportedly, that bill will call for democratic reforms in Ethiopia and is a result of the House Sub-committee hearing on Ethiopia last June.
We also want to recognize the work of many different organizations and individuals who have contributed to this outcome through advocacy, research, investigation, documentation, appeals, legal actions, organizing and networking. Such efforts take commitment, resources, perseverance and time, but eventually these efforts can become the leverage necessary for meaningful changes in Ethiopia, like have been accomplished after years of work in countries like South Africa, Chile, and Ghana.
This should encourage Ethiopians and those fighting for reforms in Ethiopia to do more and to not give up. Even with this new law in place, individuals, communities and organizations—both Ethiopian and non-Ethiopian—are critically needed to monitor the situation on the ground; otherwise, compliance may only be rhetoric or on paper. We are hopeful other countries will follow suit.
We know donor countries have a history of aligning with Ethiopia, despite its democratic failings, because it has been the most stable country in a neighborhood of failing and failed states; however, overlooking its deficiencies has weakened its prospects for sustainable stability, increasing the risk that simmering tensions and ethnic divisions within the country could erupt into ethnic violence that could destabilize the entire region. On the other hand, due to Ethiopia’s strategic position in the Horn of Africa and its central importance to Africa, a more democratic Ethiopia could offer much to the continent as well as to global partners. Internal corrections will move the country in the right direction.
Over the coming year or more leading up to the next election in Ethiopia, Ethiopians must be working hard to press for the opening up of greater political space, the implementation of meaningful reforms and engaging in more dialogue across lines of isolation and alienation. This means that reconciliation efforts must come to the forefront. It is a time for truth-tellers, reconcilers and agents of change. This cannot be left in the hands of a few. Yes, Ethiopians should be grateful to those supporting the passage of this bill and for those advocates of freedom, justice and human rights in the world who have helped us and continue to do so; however, ultimately, with God’s help, we Ethiopians must free ourselves.
For those within the TPLF/EPRDF- led government who may not initially be pleased with this new bill or the one being advanced by the House, we encourage you to think forward to an Ethiopia that has a place for both “our children” and “your children” only because meaningful reforms were implemented. Come to your senses. Let us implement it with genuine diligence. We the people will do our share. We urge you to do the same.
The freedom we envision in a New Ethiopia is not only for those living under oppression, but it is also for those who are doing the oppressing for “no one is free until all are free.” If meaningful reforms are to happen, we must start talking with each other rather than about each other, even if we disagree. Let us start the discussions with the following critical issues which have kept our country in shackles:
  1. Release political prisoners and journalists
  2. Repeal the Anti-terrorism law
  3. Repeal the Societies and Charities Proclamation
  4. Open up political space and restore basic freedoms such as of expression, association and religion
  5. Re-establish an independent media and judiciary
No society is at peace until the basic rights of all of the people are observed; not given to only a few based on someone’s favored ethnicity, gender, political viewpoint, religion or other distinction, but given equally because we are all human beings, given life, dignity and value by our Creator God. The New Ethiopia has to start in the hearts, souls and minds of the people, not only of the oppressed, but also of the oppressor. This new bill requiring more justice for all people in Ethiopia is a gift to all of us!  Let us use this God-given opportunity for the common good of the Ethiopian people of today and tomorrow!
———————————————
A copy of the sub-section of the House Appropriations Bill (2014):
AFRICA (p. 1294)
SEC. 7042.
(d) ETHIOPIA.—Funds appropriated by this Act that are available for assistance for Ethiopian military and police forces shall not be made available unless the Secretary of State—
(A) certifies to the Committees on Appropriations that the Government of Ethiopia is implementing policies to—
(i) protect judicial independence; freedom of expression, association, assembly, and religion; the right of political opposition parties, civil society organizations, and journalists to operate without harassment or interference; and due process of law; and (ii) permit access to human rights and humanitarian organizations to the Somali region of Ethiopia; and (B) submits a report to the Committees on Appropriations on the types and amounts of United States training and equipment proposed to be provided to the Ethiopian military and police including steps to ensure that such assistance is not provided to military or police personnel or units that have violated human rights, and steps taken by the Government of Ethiopia to investigate and prosecute members of the Ethiopian military and police who have been credibly alleged to have violated such rights.
 (2) The restriction in paragraph (1) shall not apply to IMET assistance, assistance to Ethiopian military efforts in support of international peacekeeping operations, countering regional terrorism, border security, and for assistance to the Ethiopian Defense Command and Staff College.
(3) Funds appropriated by this Act under the headings ‘‘Development Assistance’’ and ‘‘Economic Support Fund’’ that are available for assistance in the lower Omo and Gambella regions of Ethiopia shall—
(A) not be used to support activities that directly or indirectly involve forced evictions; (B) support initiatives of local communities to improve their livelihoods; and (C) be subject to prior consultation with affected populations.
(4) The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director of each international financial institution to oppose financing for any activities that directly or indirectly involve forced evictions in Ethiopia

2014 Golden Pen of Freedom awarded to jailed Ethiopian journalist


World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
Eskinder Nega, an Ethiopian publisher, journalist and blogger
Eskinder Nega
Eskinder Nega, an Ethiopian publisher, journalist and blogger who is serving an 18-year jail sentence under anti-terror legislation, has been awarded the 2014 Golden Pen of Freedom, the annual press freedom prize of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
Mr Nega was arrested on September 14, 2011 after publishing an article criticising his government’s use of the 2009 Anti-Terror Proclamation to jail and silence critics, including Ethiopian actor and activist Debebe Eshetu.  He was sentenced on 23 January 2012 and denounced as belonging to a terrorist organisation.
In making the award, the WAN-IFRA Board sent a message to the Ethiopian government that misusing anti-terror legislation to jail journalists and those critical of his government is unwarranted and against international protocols, including the Vienna Declaration on Terrorism, Media and the Law.
“This award recognises the courage of Eskinder Nega to speak out despite the risks that saw him jailed under his country’s draconian and overly broad anti-terror laws,” said WAN-IFRA President Tomas Brunegård, speaking on behalf of the Board.
“We call on the Ethiopian government to release Eskinder Nega and all journalists convicted under the sedition provisions, including Solomon KebedeWubset TayeReyot Alemu,and Yusuf Getachew”, said Mr Brunegård, who recently visited Ethiopia as part of an international mission that found that the country’s publishers and journalists practice journalism in a climate of fear.
The Golden Pen of Freedom is an annual award made by WAN-IFRA since 1961 to recognise the outstanding action, in writing or deed, of an individual, a group or an institution in the cause of press freedom. More on the Golden Pen can be found athttp://www.wan-ifra.org/node/31099
The award will be presented on 9 June during the opening ceremonies of the World Newspaper Congress, World Editors Forum and World Advertising Forum, the global summit meetings of the world’s press, to be held in Torino, Italy.
In an opinion piece published in the New York Times, Mr Nega said of his imprisonment: “I’ve never conspired to overthrow the government; all I did was report on the Arab Spring and suggest that something similar might happen in Ethiopia if the authoritarian regime didn’t reform… I also dared to question the government’s ludicrous claim that jailed journalists were terrorists.”
WAN-IFRA has been vocal in their opposition to Ethiopia’s misuse of anti-terror legislation, writing to late Prime Minister H.E. Meles Zenawi in 2012 requesting the immediate release of Mr Nega and most recently demanding his release, along with four other imprisoned journalists, in a joint international press freedom mission to Ethiopia, conducted with the International Press Institute. The full report from the international press freedom mission can be found at http://www.wan-ifra.org/node/97172
Mr Nega opened his first newspaper, Ethiopis, in 1993, which was soon shut down by authorities due to its critical reporting. He then, along with his wife Serkalem Fasil, managed Serkalem Publishing House, responsible for newspapers such as Asqual, Satenaw and Menelik, all of which are currently banned in Ethiopia.  He has also had his journalist’s licence revoked since 2005, but continued to publish articles despite the ban.
Mr Nega is no stranger to being imprisoned due to his writings. He was detained at least seven times under Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.  This included a 17-month jail sentence, along with his wife, on treason charges for their critical reporting on the Meles government’s violent response to peaceful protests that followed the disputed 2005 elections.
WAN-IFRA, based in Paris, France, and Darmstadt, Germany, with subsidiaries in Singapore and India, is the global organisation of the world’s newspapers and news publishers. It represents more than 18,000 publications, 15,000 online sites and over 3,000 companies in more than 120 countries. Its core mission is to defend and promote press freedom, quality journalism and editorial integrity and the development of prosperous businesses.

New report calls on Ethiopia to reform repressive anti-terror law



IPI and partners also call for immediate release of five imprisoned journalists


IPI is urging Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, pictured here in October 2013, to release imprisoned journalists and to reform the country's anti-terrorism law. Tiksa Negeri/Reuters













VIENNA, Jan 14, 2014 - Ethiopia’s use of sweeping anti-terrorism law to imprison journalists and other legislative restrictions are hindering the development of free and independent media in Africa’s second largest country, according to a report published today by the International Press Institute (IPI).
Dozens of journalists and political activists have been arrested or sentenced under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation of 2009, including five journalists who are serving prison sentences and who at times have been denied access to visitors and legal counsel. The report, “Press Freedom in Ethiopia”, is based on a mission to the country carried out in November by IPI and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).
“Despite a strong constitutional basis for press freedom and freedom of information, the Ethiopian government has systematically used the anti-terrorism law to prosecute and frighten journalists, which has put a straight-jacket on the media,” IPI Executive Director Alison Bethel McKenzie said. “Our joint mission also found a disturbing pattern of using other measures to control the press and restrict independent journalism, including restrictions on foreign media ownership and the absence of an independent public broadcaster.”
The report urges the Ethiopian government to free journalists convicted under the sedition provisions of the 2009 measure. These journalists include Solomon Kebede, Wubset Taye, Reyot Alemu, Eskinder Nega and Yusuf Getachew. Mission delegates were barred access to the journalists, who are being held at Kaliti Prison near the capital Addis Ababa.

The report urges the 547-member lower house of parliament to revamp the anti-terror law to ensure that it does not trample on the rights of freedom of speech and assembly provided under Article 29 of the Ethiopian Constitution and further guaranteed under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights and the U.N. Human Rights Covenant, which Ethiopia has ratified.
In addition, the report:
- Recommends that Ethiopian lawmakers review laws that bar foreign investment in media, measures that inhibit the development of an economically viable and diversified market.
- Urges the courts to ensure that rulings restrict press freedom only in cases of intentional incitement or clear participation in acts of terrorism, and that judges act independently to protect the public’s right to be informed about political dissent and acts of terrorism.
- Urges Ethiopia’s journalists and media owners to step up cooperation to improve professionalism and independence, and to form a unified front to defend press freedom.
The joint IPI/WAN-IFRA mission was carried from Nov. 3 to 6, just ahead of the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF) in Addis Ababa. The organisations’ representatives met with more than 30 editors, journalists, lawyers, politicians and bloggers, as well as associates of the imprisoned journalists. The delegation also held meetings with the ambassadors of Austria and the United States, a senior African Union official, an Ethiopian lawmaker and government spokesman Redwan Hussien.
The organisations urged Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to free the imprisoned journalists, some of whom are suffering from deteriorating health. In a joint statement issued immediately following the mission, IPI and WAN-IFRA also expressed their commitment to helping improve the professionalism, quality and independence of journalism in Ethiopia.
While the report highlights a long history of press freedom violations in Ethiopia, including a crackdown on journalists and opposition politicians following the country’s 2005 national elections, it notes that the 2009 anti-terrorism law has given the government expansive powers.
“The 2009 anti-terrorism law gave new powers to the government to arrest those deemed seditious, including journalists who step beyond the bounds of politically acceptable reporting or commentary,” the report says. “Armed with statutory authority, the government has not shied from using the laws to bludgeon opposition figures and journalists. Dozens of journalists have been imprisoned or accused of sedition or fomenting unrest, forcing many to flee the country.”
The report notes other forms of pressure by the government. Independent journalists recalled being the target of smear campaigns by state-run media, while editors recounted that managers of the government-run printing press refused to print editions of newspapers containing controversial articles.
The report does note positive developments, such as the growth in advertising and readership for some of the country’s leading independent newspapers. Journalists and newspaper publishers also expressed a desire to improve professionalism, quality and solidarity; although they added that government pressure and laws continue to create hurdles to self-regulation and cooperation.
“We came away from Ethiopia recognising the tremendous potential for a highly competitive, professional and successful media market in Ethiopia,” Bethel McKenzie said. “But to make this happen, the Ethiopian government must remove the roadblocks, starting with the release of imprisoned journalists and then conduct a thorough review of the laws to ensure that reporting on legitimate criticism or dissent is not grounds for prosecution.”
For more information, contact Timothy Spence, senior IPI press freedom advisor for the Middle East and Africa, at +43 (1) 512 9011 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +43 (1) 512 9011 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email tspence[@]freemedia.at