Ethiopian Social Democratic Party slams Abiy Ahmed’s government over human rights violation and failure to ensure the rule of law in the country
Beyene Petros, Leader of Ethiopian Social Democratic Partyborkena
March 22,2019
Improvement of human rights situation in Ethiopia has been one of the major changes that the administration of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed brought about.
Recently, that has not been the case and many Ethiopians have already doubted the competence of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed government to ensure the rule of law and the security of citizens in all parts of Ethiopia. For some, government reluctance to enforce rule of law is rather seen as mystrious; a strategy to avoid antagonizing ethnic support base.
Even an opposition group that rather demonstrated positivist attitude, initially, towards the “reformist government” in Ethiopia is bashing it for failure to protect human rights of citizens.
Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP) called a press conference on Thursday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, and released a statement blaming the government for rights abuse and inability to enforce rule of law.
“Defending basic human rights of citizens as a primary responsibility of government is forgotten,” said the statement from the party whose chairperson is Beyene Petros.
The party was overt in pointing out that government authorities are engaged in egregious human rights violations and gobez aleqa (a reference used to denote youth groups who are putting themselves above the law) is intimidating citizens. There is a great deal of skepticism among politicized Ethiopians that Oromo Democratic Party (the party that Abiy Ahmed leads nominally) is exploiting youth groups such as Qeerroo as a tool to achive political motives.
But for ESDP it just seems bizare situation. The party said that it is has found it unbelievable that the government is silent about human rights violations.
The situation of ethnic Gedeos who were displaced from Guji (part of Oromo region of Ethiopia in the southern parts of the country) by what ESDP statement called “narrow” nationalist, demolition of residential houses in Legetafo, outside of Addis Ababa, and the developments that unfolded near Addis Ababa in recent weeks in connection with the transfer of condominium units in Koye Feche are some of the cases in point that Beyene Petros’ party raised to demonstrate its claims of human rights violation by government authorities and inability to enforce rule of law.
The party also condemned the Federal government for not doing anything to support displaced Gedeo between August 2018 and March 2019 while the displaced were consumed by chronic humanitarian crisis.
Equally criticized is federal government’s tendency not to return ethnic Gedeos to where they came from, Guji area, and instead settle them to places of their ethnic origin which the party sees as a burden on displaced people – economically as well as psychologically.
Press secretary head in the office of the Prime Minister, Nigussue Tilahun, admitted that there have been issues regarding human rights violation and the rule of law, and said that the Federal government will not compromise the rule of law and will hold perpetrators of human rights violation accountable, as reported by VOA Amharic service.
Ethiopian Social Democratic Party also made public its stand on the controversy surrounding Addis Ababa, a city over which Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) is claiming ethnic Oromo ownership under pressure from radical Oromo ethno nationalists from within and outside of the party.
No disagreement should exist on the issue of Addis Ababa between parties who accepted the constitution, said Beyne Petros. The constitution does not give Oromo ownership of Addis Ababa.
Amahara Democratic Party (ADP) one of the parties in the ruling coalition, also an ally of ODP in the struggle to end TPLF domination about a year ago, has made it clear that Addis Ababa belongs to all Ethiopians, and that clearly brings the two parties in a collision course.
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I am not sure under what logic educated ethnic right activists do think the current ethinc regions demarcations are just and fair to claim land and resources just for their ethnic members (and only pure members) and I am not sure how they will ever prevail in their claims without doing in the background nasty ethnic cleaning of some sort. Ethnic rights advocates started from a legitimate oppression state but today and in the cliff of turning themselves into spearhead of mass ethnic based hatered towards others. If we talk about Justice and fairness all land and resources and wealth located in all ethnic regions should be allocated to all Ethiopians no matter what ethnic group they belong to and individual human rights should be above any ethnic right. Only a narrow and dangerous mind (like Hitler) would think a fellow ethnic member is better and deserves better than the rest of other citizens of the country just ethnic membership. This is a dangerous path that ultimately will bring suffering to the same ethnic group the narrow minded ethnic activists profess to uplift.
I am not sure under what logic educated ethnic right activists do think the current ethinc regions demarcations are just and fair to claim land and resources just for their ethnic members (and only pure members) and I am not sure how they will ever prevail in their claims without doing in the background nasty ethnic cleaning of some sort. Ethnic rights advocates started from a legitimate oppression state but today they are in the cliff of turning themselves into spearhead of mass ethnic based hatered towards others. If we talk about justice and fairness all land and resources and wealth located in all ethnic regions should be allocated to all Ethiopians no matter what ethnic group they belong to and no matter where they are located and individual human rights should be above any ethnic right. Only a narrow and dangerous mind (like Hitler) would think a fellow ethnic member is better and deserves better than the rest of other citizens of the country just ethnic membership. This is a dangerous path that ultimately will bring suffering to the same ethnic group the narrow minded ethnic activists profess to uplift.
The big elephant in the room – Oromo radicals.
All the problems above are a result of the so called educated Oromo activists who can’t process the fact that ‘Oromia’ is pseudo state that was formed by Woyanne.
There are three very simple boycotts if implemented now that through time will bring desired effects. Abiy was put to PM position by EPRDF to make the boycotts suspended, he achieved the suspension of the boycotts then he went right back to his fascist missions .
To avoid scrambling or to avoid resorting to violent solutions at the last minute, we need to restart today these three simple peaceful boycotts which were discontinued a year ago.
This time we need to stick with these three simple boycotts until real reform and real change is insured.
1. Boycott sending any money from diasporas to Ethiopia.
2. Boycott Commercial Bank of Ethiopia.
3. Boycott Ethiopian Airlines.