nazret.com Merkato Blog

Ethiopia: Washington Update

By Mesfin Mekonen

Reports of large numbers of Amhara people being displaced in Ethiopia-- forced by the Meles regime to leave their land and their homes -- are reaching the U.S. government. The All Ethiopia Unity Party and international non-governmental organizations have documented the forced evictions and displacements. The State Department and key members of Congress have been briefed on the brutal treatment of innocent Ethiopians by their government. State Department officials report that they have privately informed the Meles regime that its activities are unacceptable violations of human rights, but so far there have been no public statements from the State Department, and there certainly has been no action taken. The Obama administration's public silence, and its lack of action, are a disgrace and a disappointment to Americans and people around the world. The best hope for prodding the Obama administration to act is by persuading Congress to hold hearings and enact legislation that puts financial and political pressure on the Meles regime. Some members of Congress are aware of the human rights abuses in Ethiopia, but much more needs to be done to inform and educate Congress. We are working to intensify congressional awareness and hope to have some positive news to report soon.

There has been almost no international attention focused on abuses in Ethiopia because the Meles regime has made it almost impossible for reporters (Ethiopian or foreign) to work in Ethiopia. An April 15 editorial in the New York Times by a member of the Committee to Protect Journalists highlights the abuses of the Meles regime. It reports: "The prisons in Ethiopia, like those in China, are now filled with journalists and dissidents, and critical Web sites are blocked." And it adds that Ethiopia is "mired in a cycle of humanitarian crises and conflicts…journalists are denied independent access to sensitive areas and risk up to 20 years in prison if they report about opposition groups designated by the government as terrorists." The editorial makes a critical point about the effect of preventing journalists from reporting the truth about conditions in Ethiopia: "This silencing in turn frustrates the ability of aid groups to quickly mobilize funds when help is needed. And with civil society, the political opposition and the press severely restricted, there is hardly any domestic scrutiny over how the government uses billions of dollars of international assistance from Western governments." The National Press Club has added its voice to those of the international community of journalists who call on the Meles regime to release reporters who have been unjustly accused of treason (see here).

In addition to the repression of Amhara people and other ethnic group, jailing and intimidation of journalists, the Meles regime is disrespecting the past. Ethiopian-Americans were dismayed to learn that the Meles regime failed to honor the late Emperor Haile Selassie during recent ceremonies marking the dedication of the new African Union conference center in Addis Ababa. Haile Selassie was the founder of the African Union, an inspiration to Africa and the entire world, yet the Meles regime has chosen not to recognize his leadership.