June 19, 2014
Ethiopia: Gross Violations of Human Rights and an intractable conflict
Introduction: It is common in democratic countries around the world for people to
express their grievances/ dissatisfactions and complaints against their governments by peaceful
demonstrations and assemblies. When such nonviolent civil rallies take place, it should always
be the state's responsibility to respect and guard their citizens' freedom to peacefully assemble
and demonstrate. These responsibilities should apply even during times of political protests, when
a state’s own power is questioned, challenged, or perhaps undermined by assemblies of citizens
practicing in nonviolent resistance. If a government responds to peaceful protests improperly, a
peaceful protest might lead to a violent protest- that could then become an intractable conflict.
Government agents, most of all the police, must respect the local and international standards of
democratic rights of the citizens during peaceful assemblies or demonstrations.
The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1995), articles 29 and
30, grants democratic rights to Ethiopian citizens without distinction1
. Under these articles, the
right of thought, opinion and expression, the right of assembly, demonstration and petition are
the legitimate rights of Ethiopians through which they can express their opinions and
dissatisfactions with the performances and activities of their government. The UN Human Rights
council 19th
Session (A/HRC/19/L.17), on March 19, 2012 and 25th Session
(A/HRC/25/L.20,) on
March 24, 2014 Resolutions #2 calls upon governments to uphold their responsibilities to
promote and protect human rights in the context of peaceful protests “ States have the
responsibility, including in the context of peaceful protests, to promote and protect human rights
and to prevent human rights violations, including extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,
arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearances, and torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment, and calls upon States to avoid the abuse of criminal and
civil proceedings or threats of such acts at all times;”
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