“In fact, despite the number of terrorist atrocities world-wide, and despite the resolutions of the General Assembly, some in the international community still appear to fail to understand the realities of terrorism. We would repeat: they are quite simple. Terrorism (to paraphrase the OAU/AU’s Convention on Prevention and Combating of Terrorism) is any violation of a state’s criminal laws which may endanger the life, physical integrity or freedom of, or cause serious injury, or death to, any person, any number of group of persons or damage public or private property, resources, or heritage of the state, in order to intimidate, frighten or coerce any government body or the general public, disrupt any public service or create general insurrection in a State”.The above paragraph is an excerpt from an article titled “Terrorism, double standards and the international community” written by the Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. aiga
Surely if we stick to the above definition, Ethiopian government qualifies perfectly to be a terrorist state. However, despite its proven track record of grave human right violations, EPRDF-led Ethiopian government remains a close ally of the world’s super powers, particularly the US, exposing the inconsistency and the double standard of the latter. This relationship exemplifies how terrible many leaders in the developed world have abandoned the fundamental values of the countries they represent and betrayed their electorates.
This is the government that, in 2005 with no hope left of winning the election, shot dead more than 200 civilians in Addis Ababa, simply for protesting against the announced result of an election they believed to be rigged. This took place just less than two years after the Gambella massacre in which many hundreds of unarmed populations perished at the hands of the government. Imagine if this has happened in Zimbabwe or Sudan! How EPRDF treats its political rivals? Tamrat Layne has been in jail for more than a decade now, accused of corruption. What happened to Siye Abraha and Bitew Belay after TPLF split in 2001. They were too charged with corruption and power abuse. While I’m not defending them, few might doubt (if any) that the charges were politically motivated and the state power was horrendously abused, not least in the case of Siye. Again compare this how the international community would have criticised and condemned had this been in Zimbabwe.
Thousands have disappeared in the Oromo and Somali regions while Amharas were beaten into submission earlier in the process. War mongers lie, innocent people die. Can we count the number of innocent civilians killed cold-bloodedly by the state security forces? Yet EPRDF/TPLF enjoys an unqualified support of the western countries laying bare the very double standard Ethiopian government is accusing them of.
In the article, the ministry mentioned the assassination attempt of Dr. Abdulmajid Hussien who was a minister at the time. For argument sake, let’s say that Alitihad, ONL or ONLF was behind it – though hard to believe given the location of the incident and the timing. Whoever committed, the action was a crime and must be treated as such. But discuss with every Ethiopian Somalis and you hear loads of Abdulmajids killed by the government forces inhumanely in front of the public. They hardly miss to mention Mirad Layli (Gode woreda), Muhumed Omar Tube, Dek Mohamud Arab (Kabridahar woreda), Abdullahi Taflow, Abshir Abdi (Members of the local council), Muktar Adan, and many other civil servants executed publicly, not because of what they committed (they were not even suspects), but to terrorize the people.
Don’t we know what is going on in Somalia and Ogaden now? In Somalia, it has been reported that more than ten thousand died and about two-third of Mogadishu population have been displaced. Ethiopian forces involved in the conflict are accused of indiscriminate shelling (of civilian populated areas), use of banned weapons, gang rape and heavy looting. The situation is much worse in the Ogaden. Collective punishment, extrajudicial killings, torture, forced displacement, mass arrest without due process and rape are common in the region. As widely reported and at last shown digitally by Human Rights Watch villages were destroyed. To hit where it hurts most, at the peak of the 1 in 100 years drought, woredas have been blockaded to starve and pastoralists denied access to drinking water. To realise the effectiveness of these inhumane treatments and ensure that no one was spared (from the punishment), another unprecedented measure was introduced. Compensation (blood money) of USD 15000 was imposed to be paid by the local people for any one – military or local militias – killed by ONLF. It is not secret that the food aid is used as an effective political weapon. Imagine how many stories would have been made if Sudan would have expelled one aid organisation from Dafur. EPRDF have ordered many such organisations to leave the country with no consequence from the international community.
It is definitely impossible to list the atrocities committed by the security forces, but I emphasized Ogaden because of the depth and magnitude of the problem. I’m empathizing, and in no way undermining or denying, the physical and emotional pain millions of Ethiopian individuals in other parts of the country feel.
Where in the constitution are these collective punishments approved? If the attempt of Dr. Abdulmajid’s life is sufficient for one organisation to be a terrorist, where in the ladder of the list will EPRDF qualify?
Indeed EPRDF and particularly the TPLF seem to have forgotten their recent history. Their cynical mendacity and actions have wiped away the social reality that brought them to power. They have mistakenly clung to the belief that they could maintain the power, they so desperately want to keep, by terrorising the people. Little wonder such approach has not delivered a peace to its predecessors. The only way to end the starvation and civil wars with which Ethiopia is associated with is to end the denial of the rights that fuels them and to ensure that all people’s rights are equally protected.
The early anticipation, that EPRDF would be a harbinger of peace, justice, equality, democracy and economic salvation has been proven wrong. They have shown no sign of wanting to do this and it is increasingly becoming clear that it is finished now. As a ruling entity, it is in office but practically not in power. The system is paralysed, deeply disorganised and perhaps permanently damaged. Individual members do as they wish; pursuing their interests. Since EPRDF came to power, it failed to remain true to its promises. It has exploited our ethnic difference to divide us further and bring misery and endless conflicts. Yet unfortunately, many countries treat them as partners, especially in the fight against terrorism. Many Ethiopians found it difficult to fathom out how raping and strangling innocent girls and women in the remote Ogaden region could contribute positively to the war on terror. How can punishing, torturing, starving and killing the poverty-stricken pastoralists in the desert Ogaden weaken terror organisations?
John Holmes (UN Humanitarian Coordinator), after visiting the region admitted (with channel 4 interview) that there were issues he couldn’t say publicly and failed to criticise, even mildly, the government for its misdeeds. Similarly, many aid workers and diplomats feared to speak out. Now let’s hope that the unfair criticism of the article (of the Ministry) against Ambassador David Shinn and Prof. Ken Menkhaus will not silence them.
For Ethiopians, solutions seem far into the future but the questions are how much long can this continue and how long will it be before we rise and face the challenges? In conclusion, in their hour of need our brothers and sisters in Ogaden need our help, let’s stand by them.
Tadesse Mesfin
Geneva
Switzerland
Tadesse2001@live.co.uk
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