Ethiopia: End the onslaught on dissent as arrests continue

The Ethiopian authorities are using a repressive Anti-Terror law as a pretext to crush dissent.

© AFP/Getty Images

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These latest detentions add to Ethiopia’s ever-increasing number of journalists, opposition members, activists and other dissenting voices locked up for alleged ‘terrorism’ offences

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Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia Researcher

Thu, 10/07/2014

The Ethiopian authorities must halt their continuing onslaught on dissent, Amnesty International said today, after the arrest of four more opposition party members this week, who are believed to be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

All four were arrested on 8 July in the capital Addis Ababa and the northern city of Mekele on “terror” accusations: a charge commonly used as a pretext to put dissenters behind bars in Ethiopia. 

“These latest detentions add to Ethiopia’s ever-increasing number of journalists, opposition members, activists and other dissenting voices locked up for alleged ‘terrorism’ offences,” said Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia Researcher. 

“In the run-up to next year’s general election, the fear is that this number will continue to grow as the government continues its onslaught on dissent. Everyone who has been arrested because of their peaceful expression of dissenting opinions, their blogging activities, membership of a legally-registered political opposition party or participation in peaceful protests must be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Latest arrests and torture concerns

Those arrested on 8 July are: Abraha Desta of the Arena Tigray party, who is also a lecturer at Mekele University; Habtamu Ayalew and Daniel Shebeshi, both members of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party and Yeshewas Asefa of the Blue Party. 

Abraha Desta is believed to be detained in Mekele, in the northern region of Tigray, while the other three have been taken to the Maikelawi federal police detention centre in Addis Ababa. 

Blue Party and UDJ members say they tried to visit the men in Maikelawi on 9 July but were not permitted access and were told they could not have contact until the police investigation was concluded. 

It is commonplace for detainees in Maikelawi to be denied access to legal representatives and family members in the initial stages of detention. This can last for as long as two or three months and is in violation of Ethiopian and international law. This incommunicado detention significantly increases the risk of detainees being subjected to torture. Political detainees in Maikelawi are frequently subjected to torture during interrogation. 

Illegal transfer from Yemen

Also on 8 July, state-run Ethiopian Television (ETV) confirmed that an opposition leader who had disappeared on 24 June in Yemen was being detained in Addis Ababa. Andargachew Tsige, Secretary General of the outlawed Ginbot 7 movement, was illegally transferred from Yemen, and his precise whereabouts in the Ethiopian capital have still not been disclosed. A British national of Ethiopian origin, he continues to be denied access to consular or legal representatives or relatives. 

In the broadcast, ETV (the country’s only TV channel) showed footage of Andargachew Tsige looking haggard and exhausted saying his arrest was a blessing in disguise and he just wanted to rest. His wife told Amnesty International that she did not understand what the footage or the message was intended to mean. 

There are a number of precedents of the authorities taking footage of defendants in terrorism trials and broadcasting it on ETV. In each case, this violated the individuals’ right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Andargachew Tsige has already been tried on three separate occasions in absentia and sentenced to death as well as life imprisonment.

The same broadcast announced that other opposition leaders had been arrested, based on their contact with Ginbot 7 and Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) – a satellite TV channel broadcast in exile and which the Ethiopian authorities called the “official media of Ginbot 7”. Details of the arrests emerged subsequently. 

Ethiopia has previously used alleged contact with Ginbot 7 and ESAT as a reason to imprison and thereby silence other dissenting voices on allegations of terrorism. In 2011, the Ethiopian authorities banned Ginbot 7 as a terrorist organization.

Journalists and bloggers held under Anti-Terrorism Law

Six bloggers from the group Zone 9 and three journalists are also among those detained under the Anti-Terrorism Law in Maikelawi. All nine have been detained without charge since their arrest on 25 and 26 April 2014 for alleged terrorism offences. The deeply flawed Anti-Terrorism Law allows for up to four months’ detention without charge – one of the longest remand periods in the world. 

On 9 July, six of the detainees were granted access to visitors for the first time since their arrest two and half months ago. They reported they had been moved from the underground cells in Maikelawi where political detainees are regularly held in the early stages of their detention to a different part of the prison which detainees jokingly call “Sheraton”.

All six said that they have been forced to sign confessions of their alleged crimes. Three had previously complained in court remand hearings that they had been tortured. The court took no action on the allegations. 

The remaining Zone 9 members, Abel Wabela and Mahlet Fantahun, and journalist Edom Kasaye, continue to be detained incommunicado. 

“The Ethiopian government’s record on respecting the rights of detainees is alarming to say the least,” said Claire Beston. 

“All detainees must be granted immediate access to lawyers and family members, must be charged with a recognizable offence or immediately released, and the Ethiopian government must ensure that no-one is ever subjected to torture.” 

=>amnesty

ONLF steps up attack on Ethiopian Troops in Ogaden

By Mohamed Faarah

(OgadenToday Press)-  A Somali Ethnic  Rebel Group that  fights for the self-determination of Ogaden Region in eastern Ethiopia steps up attacks on government Troops,  a source confirmed to OgadenToday Press.

A source close to regional administration confirmed to OgadenToday Press that almost 150 pro Ethiopian military militia under the command of Regional administration has been killed in the attacks.

Locals see ONLF has gained some control despite  state-run ESTV repeatedly airs  that Ogaden National Liberation Front  ONLF has been weakened, a move that ONLF officials consider as a propaganda.

Husseen Mohamed Nur, head of ONLF information told reports that ONLF  has carried out militarily operations.

We have killed more than 100 Ethiopian soldiers ,and its allied militia of Liyu Police (Hawarin) at Kebri Dahar and Godey,” Hussein Nour told Somali Media.

ONLF Troops have done over 50 attacks last two months despite the government claim weakened the group.

Rebels in the Ogaden region have been fighting for independence since the 1970s and the ONLF has been at the forefront of the fight since it was founded in 1984.

The Ogaden is an ethnic Somali  that has been handed over to  Ethiopia in 1954  by the  Britain , a decision rejected by the Somalis in Ogaden region.

=>ogadentoday

TPLF’s Hideous Plots Never Separate The Oromo & Sidama Cosines!

By Denboba Natie, July 10, 2014, UK

This brief article is about the fact that the current Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) led dictatorial regime deliberately masterminds heinous tactics to remain in power by instigating violence between various peoples of given ethnic nationals. Since its first time in power after toppling its brutal predecessor, the Derg, (mid-1991), this regime has adopted such tactics as means of remaining in power. Although ‘Divide-and-Rule’ tactics have been adopted by all brutal rulers all over the globe including the former European colonial diabolic masters whose architects have adopted this as their main means to keep legitimate land owners at bay whilst expropriating their natural resources; the current Ethiopian’s TPLF’s regimes adopts similar tactics in different way. I’m discussing about the two cosines’ the Oromo and the Sidama’s such current story. 

The Oromo and the Sidama Nations are culturally, ethno-linguistically, socially, geo-politically and morally intertwined. The two largest Kush cosines share similar ancestral backgrounds. They are also territorially neighbours from all corners of their lands, therefore, they could easily forge formidable alliance potentially capable of shaking the foundations of brutal establishments of democracy galvanised deceitful TPLF’s criminal regime that rejoices by the bloods of innocent civilians’ whom its security forces with impunity slaughter on daily basis; as we’re currently witnessing in Oromia and others regions.  

The Sidama & the Oromo nations are also inseparably intertwined in a number of ways. Their way of life is culturally and traditionally similar. Their cultural assets are also intertwined. Their values, morality and how they perceive the world and life around them is also similar in one way or another. Moreover, the Oromo and the Sidama share the concept of genuine democracy and egalitarianism through which they govern their respective nations by using their their Gaada and Luuwa systems respectively. These both systems unite both nations as they both use it as the pillars of genuine traditional democracy, just and fair society where the rule of morally acceptable law over-rides personal grid which has been non-existent in a pre-conquest societies of both cosines’ (pre-1890s).      

The successive Abyssinian regimes are aware of the unshakable power house the Kush brothers can form if they are left to be freely & peacefully united to stand against the northern led successive regimes including the current deceitful criminal gangs those who call themselves government. For these simple reasons, the successive Abyssinian regimes have done what they could to instigate war between the two cosines under various pretexts although their successes have been limited to the actions of uninformed immoral miscreants sent out by these regimes to do their dirty jobs in both Oromia & Sidama. In such regime instigated tragedies, sadly several lives have been unnecessarily lost in the past 23 years in several neighbouring areas from both party.

Besides, noble elders of both cosine nations have effectively foiled the repeated plots of the current regime time and again; thus managed to bring harmony and centuries old tranquillity between both scapegoats- whose peoples are unknowingly driven to serve regime’s ‘divide-and-rule’ tactics. With the aim of turning the situation to ugly war between the two cosines, ultimately to disunite both for the purposes of regime’s political gain, the regime is playing this very game as we speak. Cognizant of the significance of the Oromo-Sidama alliance on its futurity, TPLF’s regime is prepared to send out its messengers to fuel further instability in the neighbouring lines of the Sidamaland and Oromia. The messengers are burning the houses of Sidamas whose peoples have peacefully lived with their Oromo cosines.  

In Oromia region, Bale zone’s Angettuu district, the Sidama and the Oromo made their unity reality by intermarrying and living together for several centuries. In this very region from where both cosines peacefully and harmoniously lived together, TPLF’s messengers currently sent out to instigate hatred between the two by burning the houses of Sidama cosines and asking them to completely vacate the area. The situation as we speak remains tense. The previous similar attempts of TPLF’s criminal regime has been foiled by the normalising actions of noble, wise and farsighted elders of both Oromo and Sidama cosines. However, the regime currently is hell bent to affect its hidden agendas against both. As the Oromo and Sidama are working hard for genuine political alliances both within the country and Diaspora, the regime feels extremely anxious and restless- cognizant of the likelihood of huge potential being created by such an alliance. Therefore, it’s leaving no stone unturned to reverse the success of both cosines are making towards creating formidable alliance to fight our common enemy, TPLF/EPRDF criminal regime.

Therefore, the Sidama community within the Sidamaland and in Diaspora strongly advise its Oromo cosines to be cautiously vigilant and unconditionally reject regimes divide and rule tactics by sticking together to further our struggle for liberation. We have been bothers, we are brothers and remain so for several millennia to come. No one will be able to separate the Oromo and Sidama cosines! Therefore, let’s stick to our traditional values and stand shoulder to shoulder to fight our common enemy which is robbing our dignity and pride by uprooting our peoples from their lands and incriminating those who demand for their rights. We urge our Oromo brothers and sisters to communicate with their grass root about this fact and advice wider communities neighbouring Sidama on this matter as a matter of urgency. Let’s stand together by stopping bickering on unnecessarily and artificially instigated conflicts between the two cosines, gallant Oromo and Sidama nations!  

The excerpts are from the information sent out about the aforementioned accounts by one of Sidama human rights defenders from the Sidamaland in Habesha language.

Denboba Natie, July 10, 2014

ብሔርን ከብሔር ጋር ማጋጨት ይቁም!!

July 08, 2014 (https://www.facebook.com/hagerselamh?fref=nf)

በኦሮሚያ ብሔራዊ ክልላዊ መንግስት በባሌ ዞን በአንገቱ ወረዳ ውስጥ ለረጅም ዓመታት ጀምሮ ከኦሮሞ ብሔር ጋር በጋብቻ ተሳስረው በፍቅርየሚኖረውን የሲዳማ ብሔር ተወላጆች አካባቢውን ለቅቀው እንዲወጡ እየተደረገ ነው። የድርጊቱ አድራግ ሕወሓት/ ኢህአዴግ አመራሮች ናቸው።

ከዚህ በፊትም ሕወሓት/ ኢህአዴግ እንደዚህ ዓይነት የማጋጨት ሴራ ስጠነሰስ የቆየ ቢሆንም ወዳጅ በሆነው የኦሮሞ ህዝብ ሽማግለዎች አማካኝነትሲከሽፍ ቆይቷል።

በዚህ ሰሞን ደግሞ ከሽማግለዎች ቁጥጥር ውጭ የሆነ ድርጊት በአንገቱ ወረዳ ተከስተዋል። ይኼውም ህወሓቶች ተላላኪ የሆኑ በስሜ ኦሮሞካድሬዎችን መሳሪያ በማድረግ በብዙ መቶዎች የሚቆጠሩ የሲዳማ ተወላጅ ቤቶችን እንዲቃጠል አድርገዋል።

ሓወሓት/ኢህአዴግ ይህንን የማጋጨት ሴራ እንዲፈጠር ያደረገበት ምክንያት በሁለቱ ወንድማማቾች ህዝቦች መካከል ጠብ ለመፍጠር አስበውነው።ጠብ ከተፈጠረ ኦሮሞና ሲዳማ አይስማሙም። ካልተስማሙ አብሮ መታገል ይቀራል። አብሮ መታገል ከቀረ የጋራ ጠላት ለሆነው ለህወሓት/ኢህአዴግ ደስ ይለዋል።

ስለዚህ ህዝቡ (የኦሮሞም የሲዳማም) ይህንን ተረድቶ ድርጊቱን በማውገዝ ወዳጅነታቸውን ከበፊቱ በበለጠ በማጠናከር እንደቀደመው ሁሉ ወያኔባንዳዎችን ማሳፈር ይጠበቅባቸዋል።

ኦሮሞን እና ሲዳማን ማንም አይለያቸውም!!  ወያኔዎች አይሳካላችሁም!!

=>sidamanationalregionalstate