Africans must speak up for journalist jailed in Ethiopia

    

Ethiopia today is reminiscent of apartheid South Africa, where anyone who questions the state is deemed a terrorist, says Zakes Mda

 Zakes Mda in Johannesburg

• theguardian.com, Tuesday 5 November 2013 

• 
• Eskinder Mega. Photograph: Pen International
  The award-winning Ethiopian journalist Eskinder Nega will turn 45 this month in Kaliti prison outside Addis Ababa whilst serving an 18-year sentence as a convicted terrorist. The government in Addis would have the world believe he is a reckless, even racist, agitator bent on violent revolution. Yet, a review of the evidence against him and his writings reveals a thoughtful and principled man whose only crime has been to urge, peacefully and publicly, Ethiopia‘s rulers to deliver on their long broken promise of peaceful, democratic reform.
  “Democracy is so important to Ethiopia, because we need it to moderate the differences between civilization and civilization,” Eskinder said in a 2010 interview. “I hope the EPRDF (the ruling party) will be pragmatic enough to realise reform would be the better option, even for itself,” he added. “I believe in forgiving… that we shouldn’t have any grudge against the EPRDF, despite what it has done. I believe that the best thing for the country is reconciliation. I believe in the South African experience, that model.”
  In February 2011, inspired by the Egyptian military’s tolerance of pro-democracy protesters in Tahrir Square, Eskinder wrote an article urging Ethiopian soldiers to heed their example, should demonstrations break out in Addis Ababa. The column appeared on a US-based Ethiopian news website blocked inside his country. In response, the state security detained Eskinder, accusing him of inciting the public against the government. A senior police official threatened to kill him if he did not stop writing about the Arab Spring.
  A few months later, after the government invoked a vague terrorist plot to imprison prominent journalists, lawyers, teachers, academics and other dissidents, Eskinder spoke out again: “None of the recent detainees under the terrorism charges remotely resemble the profile (of a terrorist). Debebe is probably the ultimate antithesis of the fanatic, his pragmatism, his easy nature, defines him,” he wrote, referring to prominent actor Debebe Eshetu. “Neither do journalists Woubshet (Taye) and Reeyot (Alemu) and opposition politician Zerihun Gebre-Egzabher fit the profile. The same goes for the calm university professor, Bekele Gerba.”
  Just five days after writing those words, Eskinder was arrested again, and charged under the same terrorism charges. As evidence, the prosecution submitted a video of a town hall meeting of an opposition party where Eskinder expressed his opinion that if repression continued, the people’s patience would run out and there could be Arab Spring protests in Ethiopia. The prosecution claimed that by making such statements he was using his constitutional right to freedom of expression as a cover to overthrow that very constitution.

Attack on Indian-owned farm in Ethiopia turns spotlight on land policy

All land in Ethiopia belongs to the state, giving the government unusual leverage in its dealings with local communities

Nov 5, 2013, India (The Hindu) — A violent attack on a tea plantation leased by Indian-owned Verdanta Harvest Plc, a subsidiary of the Noida-based Lucky Group, has renewed concerns over Ethiopia’s policy of leasing out large tracts of land to international investors.
On October 20, unidentified individuals destroyed buildings and machinery worth approximately $140,000, according to Verdanta officials.
Media reported that locals set the plantation on fire “on account of destroying the rich forest resources”, a claim denied by the company.
Community leaders in Gambella did not comment on the attack, but rights groups have warned that a policy of leasing out 42 per cent of Gambella’s land and resettling over 30,000 agro-pastoral communities is the likely cause of the unrest.
In 2011, for instance, armed gunmen killed five workers on a farm developed by a Saudi Arabian company.
All land in Ethiopia belongs to the state, giving the government unusual leverage in its dealings with local communities.
Rights groups like the Oakland Institute claim Indian companies have acquired 6,28,000 hectares of agricultural land under a government programme to lease 3.6 million hectares for export-oriented agriculture.
Disagreements
More than half the land deals, worth an estimated 3,65,000 hectares, have since fallen through due to disagreements among investors, communities and the various levels of government.
Verdanta said its land was acquired by the government in the 1980s. The attack comes after nearly three years of discord with local officials and some sections of the community.
In 2010, Verdanta signed an agreement for 3,012 hectares in the hope of harvesting 500 hectares of tea by 2015. Thus far only 169 hectares have been cleared and 70 hectares planted.
“We met the local officials and found their expectations were a little too high. So we asked for another piece of land,” said Manojeet Barkataky, General Manager for Verdanta Harvests, explaining the community had demanded roads, electrification, schools and a hospital before the company began its project. “We said we will implement our CSR [corporate social responsibility] once the project begins.”
Nine months later, Mr. Barkataky said, the government claimed to have consulted the local community and urged the company to start work.
In February 2011, Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis wrote to the Ministry of Agriculture, expressing concern that Verdanta had been allotted forestland, a claim denied by the government and the company.
When the federal government in Addis Ababa demarcated a plot for the company, its counterparts in Gambella issued a different map, reducing the plot by 327 hectares. An additional 80 hectares was earmarked for a cultural site revered by the community, but the federal government dismissed their claim. These competing claims over the size and scope of the project exacerbated the tension in the region.
“It is a total incompetence, inefficiency, and neglect on the part of the local government up to the federal government,” said Mr. Barkataky. “Why couldn’t the government finalise the boundary in the last three years?”
Displeasure
At a press conference last month, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn indicated his displeasure with the development of the agriculture sector. “Until now the progress is very slow,” he said. “It is not a problem with the investors, the problem is infrastructure. Our future plan is to engage heavily in infrastructure development.”
Verdanta has halted all work on its project until the government guarantees security for its operations.

Tyrannical TPLF rule and The pain of Ethiopians

by Nathnael Abate
Cruel and oppressive government of Ethiopia is continuously deteriorating lives of its citizens from day to a day.  Since the ruthless Tigrian Liberation Front (TPLF) held power in 1991 all Ethiopians regardless of their background faced tortures, arrests, killings, loss of their homes and lands… etc hardships. Hundred thousand’s left the country, many thousands were arrested and killed. The country has become a battle ground of pain and sufferings for its citizens under the suppressive immoral dictatorial ruling system.  In addition to the above indicated problems, inadequatepublic services, wide spread unemployment, uneven distribution of resources and high level of corruption are unbearable conditions of the country. This condition has made a huge economic gap between citizens and it resulted in a severe absolute poverty. The corrupted and loyal slaves of TPLF officials have become multi-Millionaires while the rest of society are not able to fulfill their basic needs. From those poor and inefficient people’s hand the money and resources were stolen by Woyanies and their inhuman servants.
Due to increased and unbearable poverty in rural areas of the country high numbers of people are migrating to the bigger cities and towns. For instance recently released information indicates that there are over 100,000 street children in Adiss ababa excluding adult beggars and homeless. So we can see that the number could rise over a million when all the regional bigger cities and towns street children, adult beggars and homeless added up.
When I change my opinion from socio economic situation to socio- political condition, Ethiopia is facing now most shameful and horrible political condition in all of its history. In Ethiopian history no government or regime had committed such a countless crimes against its own people. The continued massacre, torture, arrest and persecutions of civilians by TPLF regime has become daily horrors which Ethiopians are facing on their daily life. Numerous crimes were continuously committed by TPLF against the people of Ethiopia. Some of the main crimes are:-

1. It is to be recalled that the Genocide of Sidamas in May 24, 2002. On that day only over 200 innocent civilians were shot and died plus 300 were severely wounded. Later on it was reported that death toll had risen.

2. The Genocide of Anuaks (Gambella) on December 24, 2003.  Over 400 innocent Anuaks were slaughtered and following that many Anuak families were scattered, left their homes and those who had chance had fled to other countries to save their lives. In March 2, 2013 six civilians were killed including an American citizen OMOT OJOULU ODOL. There were more genocide in Gambella region and still going on.

3. Genocide of Ogaden region, the regime carrying out extra judicial killings and gang rapes; falsely arresting and torturing innocent civilians; looting and destroying villages and crops in a systematic attempt to terrify the people. There were many reports from 2007, 2009, 2012 and 2013 revealing that continuous massacre is taking place in the region.

4. The Genocide of Amahara people could be observed from two different points. The first phase is long term and well planned attack to reduce the future number of Amhara by sterilizing women in Amhara region and who are Amharas. A woman who injected or taken the infertility injection are not able to produce offspring. According to research done by Amhara youth solidarity movement, women from Amhara region told that, ‘’they haven’t seen children or a child in the village for years’’ .As it is clear to understand, intentional and planned genocide is implemented through giving anti-birth drugs. The second phase of genocide against Amharas, is Ethnic cleansing of Amharas from land of Ethiopia and considering Amharas as an alien or second citizen to the land of Ethiopia in addition to torturing, arresting and killing the Amharas.

5. Genocide of Oromo people, When first TPLF came to the power, the Oromo Liberation front was one of the collaborators of woyanes who worked together to over throw the Derg  regime. OLF left Woyane due to internal disagreement and power sharing reasons in 1992. After the Oromo liberation front left coalition , TPLF started Killing, arresting and torturing enormous numbers of Oromos. Since then  the Oromos were been falsely arrested and tortured , killed and accused of being in contact with the Liberation front but most of them were  innocent civilians. Those who had a chance to escape persecution and massacre were scattered all over the world leaving their families and homes to save their lives.

6. Not only the genocide, but also in the interest of TPLF leaders over 123000 Ethiopian militaries were died during Ethio-Eritrean war. The soldiers lost their lives for no national interest and nothing was resulted from the war except pain and sorrow for the families of died soldiers and the economic loss of the country.

7. Post-election massacre of 2005 (the Ethiopian police massacre):- As we all can recall, in 1997 E.C  TPLF police forces massacred innocent Ethiopias during  anti-government non-violent protest  in Adis Ababa . Over 197 people were killed including 40 teenagers, 763 people were badly injured and over 20,000 people were arrested.

8. The Recent involvement of the Ethiopian regime in internal affairs of Somalia’s (Al-Shabab) caused death of many innocent Soldiers but it’s not made public and no compensations were paid for the families of dead soldiers. The involvement of TPLF in Somali affairs is not the interest of the nation of Ethiopia but it’s the interest of the TPLF regime for their own benefits.

9. Another unbelievable cruelty of TPLF is displacement of citizens from their lands and homes. The displacement and villagization program in Gambella and south Omo valley has displaced native people from their lands. The regime is depriving small-scale farmers, pastoralists and indigenous people of arable farmland, access to water points, grazing land, fishing and hunting grounds. It has also has been moving people off the land into government villages to allow investors to take over the land. Wealthy nations and multinational corporations are taking over lands that are home to hundreds of thousands of ethnically, linguistically, geographically and culturally distinct pastoralists and indigenous communities. Most of their livelihood depends on the natural resource that found on the areas where they inhabited. When the land is confiscated