Deja Vue to deprive Human Rights in Ethiopia

ETHIOPIA IS ONE OF THE POPULOUS COUNTRIES IN THE HORN OF AFRICA WITH ABOUT 90 MILLION. THE COUNTRY IS IN THE HAND OF THE MINORITY GROUP THE TIGRYAN PEOPLES LIBERATION FRONT SINCE 1991. THE EXPECTATION OF ETHIOPIANS WAS THAT THE COUNTRY WILL TRANSFORM TO DEMOCRATIC RULE WHEN THIS GROUP COME TO POWER OVERTHROWING THE MILITARY REGIME. THIS EXPECTATION WAS SHATTERED WHEN THOSE HIS ALLIES WERE THROWN OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT AT THE FIRST NATIONAL ELECTION (1995). SINCE THEN THE COUNTRY HAVE CONDUCTED FOUR FAKE ELECTIONS TO SHOW THE WESTERN WORLD THAT DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ARE RESPECTED. HERE WHY WE RAISED THAT THEY NEED TO SHOW THE WESTERN WORLD IS DUE TO SOME 30 PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL BUDGET COME FROM FOREIGN AID OR BILLATERAL LOAN. ALL THE FOUR ELECTIONS WERE OBSERVED BY INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITIES AND THEY WERE CATAGORIZED AS BELOW STANDARD AND ELECTION DONE UNDER REPRESSION. IN ORDER TO PROVE THE SITUATION ONE CAN SEE WHAT THE EUROPEAN ELECTION OBERSVATION TEAM WROTE AFTER 2005 ELECTION. "The 2005 parliamentary elections were the most competitive elections Ethiopia has experienced, with an unprecedented high voter turnout. However, while the pre-election period saw a number of positive developments and voting on 15 May was conducted in a peaceful and largely orderly manner, the counting and aggregation processes were marred by irregular practices, confusion and a lack of transparency. Subsequent complaints and appeals mechanisms did not provide an effective remedy. The human rights situation rapidly deteriorated in the post-election day period when dozens of citizens were killed by the police and thousands were arrested. Overall, therefore, the elections fell short of international principles for genuine democratic elections. THIS WAS WHEN THE ELECTION PROCESS SOME WHAT TO THE HIGHEST STANDARD IN THE COUNTRY EVEN THE OUTCOME WAS OPPLED BY THE RULING EPRDF GOVERNMENT BY IMPRISONING 138 PEOPLE AND ABOUT 200 PEOPLE DIED IN THE AFTERMATH REPRESSION BY THE AGAZI MILITARY LAUNCHED BY SOECIALLY TPLF CHAIRMAN MELES ZENAWI. DURING THIS TIME MELES EVEN INSULTED THE THEN TEAM LEADER ANNA GOMEZ (EU PARLAMENTARIAN) ON NEWS PAPER WRITING 17 PAGES. THEN COME THE FOURTH ELECTION WHICH I WROTE THAT TIME IS IT ELECTION OR DEPRIVATION? AS MY FORECAST IT WAS A DEPRIVATION OF ETHIOPIANS THEIR RIGHTS COMPLETLY BY CLAIMILG 545 SEATS OUT OF 547 SEATS. THE 2010 OBERVAING TEAM EU EVEN WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DISCUSS ITS FINDINGS AND WAS TOLD BY THE THEN MELES ZENAWI PUT IT IN GARBAGE. Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has blasted the recent European Union report on last May's elections, calling it "trash". Speaking to Ethiopian journalists, Prime Minister Meles described the EU Election Observer Mission report as "useless trash that deserves to be thrown in the garbage". He is quoted as saying the report was not about Ethiopia's election, but was "just the view of some Western neo-liberals who are not happy about the strength of the ruling party". NOW ETHIOPIA IS IN A DEJA VUE FOR THE FIFTH ELECTION IN MAY 2015. BUT WHAT IS SPECIAL IS UNLIKE THE OTHER ELECTION, THAT IS BRINGING NEW GUIDELINES OR NEW REGULATIONS THE GOVERNMENT HAD DECIDED TO DISSOLVE PROMINENT PARTIES BY HATCHING CLONES. THE CLONING IS DONE BY BRIBING SOME WEAK MEMBERS OF THE PARTIES OR INFILTRATING PARTIES WITH ITS OWN MEMBERS AND APPROVING THEN THROUGH THE ELECTORAL BOARD AS IF THEY ARE THE LEGITIMATE ONES. THIS HAS HAPPENED TODATE TO UNITED JUSTICE FOR DEMOCRACY PARTY (UDJ) AND ALL ETHIOPIANS PEOPLES PARTY (AEPP) BY GIVING THEM TO MEMBERS WHO WERE BRIBED WITHIN.

where is our loyality to our people?

I came on one article that was posted on Aiga Forum about mobilizing the Tigrian Diaspora to collect money for elementary schools in Tigray region and fascinated in the content and it reminded me what I am hearing and reading in all government media about the country achieving the Millennium Development Goal according the target sited in the plan of action and I tried to related what I read and the data that are posted about Ethiopia in UNDP annual reports that states about the Human Development Index and tried to share my opinion to my pears so that they can develop it and recommend to alleviate the lies that are propagated daily.

I will start with the content that I read to share you the iceberg of my doubt about what is propagated in our media and the reality in the ground in their own words and try to compare where Ethiopia stands and what have to be done in the future. My recommendations are not earth shattering but if the deaf ears can at least hear and see their faces if they came to their senses to ameliorate the damage done during their stay in power.

The reason I used the HDI data base is due to the basic factors this index take into consideration life expectancy, literacy, education, health, standard of living and measures of economic policies towards quality of life.

Let I start with what I read on Aiga Forum. Its objectives are to collect money for elementary school in Tigray and since it is written in Tigrigna it is a call to those who are from Tigray but those who can read Tigrigna can understand it. Since it is written in that way the contents are very amazing in a country that self boosts its achievement in education and health in Ethiopia.
It starts by saying there were 1049 schools in 1996 E.C. but in 2000 E.C there are 1775 among these 350 were transferred from “Das” to “class”. The plea starts enumerating of which 48 percent without desks and tables, 80 percent without toilets, 78 percent without potable water and also the shortage of black boards. These problems hamper the participation of our daughters and sisters in the schools that are transformed. What I can learn from here are two things, one the growth of schools 40 percent in four years is improbable but not impossible but to furnish and to construct are two different issues and the second it reminds me that the country had build more than 13 new Universities and their infrastructure comes to question marks because they need more facilities than elementary schools to some extent.

Having these in mind I will try to adhere to my main topic that is loyalty and our faces with respect to our neighbours and why we lie to our people? At least the people has the right to know the truth and fight the fact and knowing the problem is part of the solution and basic to grass root mobilization also.








Let we come to the reality of our country from the following data:



Country/Year 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 HDI Rank 2010
Ethiopia 0.25 0.287 0.298 0.309 0.317 0.324 0.328 157(38)
Kenya 0.315 0.366 0.372 0.377 0.379 0.384 0.389 128(16)
Uganda 0.35 0.38 0.388 0.398 0.408 0.416 0.422 143(26)
Rwanda 0.277 0.334 0.344 0.355 0.373 0.379 0.385 152(34)
Sudan 0.336 0.36 0.365 0.369 0.373 0.375 0.379 154(36)
Djibouti na 0.382 0.387 0.394 0.396 0.399 0.402 147(29)
Libya na 0.726 0.733 0.741 0.744 0.749 0.755 53(1)
Tunisia 0.53 0.563 0.57 0.576 0.58 0.585 0.59 81(3)
SSA 0.315 0.366 0.372 0.377 0.379 0.384 0.389 151(33)

Source: UNDP

I pick these countries because of two major factors. The first are countries that are our neighbours with almost with same political visions where there are no or minimalist democratic rights and some are countries where Libya fully dictatorial and Tunisia mild dictatorial while in the Sudan, Tunisia and Libya are countries where there are more gender gaps in the society and their results in HDI index will help us to describe some hidden issue in Ethiopia.

The other issues for my focus are the government in power were similar expect Rwanda (2000), Djibouti (1999) and Kenya (2002) who came late to power but the others in comparison were more than 11 years in power Sudan (11 years), Uganda (14 years) and our country 9 years before my basic year 2000.

According the data I could not refute that there is a trend for betterment in situation but Ethiopia being the fastest growing country in the Sub Saharan region as we are told by TPLF gangs but one can not see it the difference than those who have low growth rate.

Among the above selected countries Ethiopia under TPLF is 157th in the world and 38th in Africa and based on the assessments done by UNDP it shows that we are below Sun Saharan average and the least from all our neighbours.

Where is the transformation for the last years manifested becomes for me only in our TPLF hostaged media and another futile works in propaganda because on can exactly see in a region where all priorities were given after the war we are observing the same deja vue now and every day.

This shows us the disloyalty to our constituents as well to our selves that are saying we are the delegates of the people to bring democracy and development in this land locked miserable country.

My problem is till when are we lying to our people in order to accumulate own money and stash it in foreign banks in the name of democratic governance.

IS IT A CURSE OR A BLESSING

It is common to see now days about what has happened/ is happening in the northern part of our continent, Africa especially in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria , Tunisia and Libya letting those other countries in the Arab world and more analysis are done in context to the situation in Ethiopia whether the flame reaches or stops there.

The topic is currently discussed from different angles and is well discussed over a short time but my input here is to add my own opinion and discuss what are written by our analysts who are trying to sell their ideas to the public arguing there is no such ripe situation in Ethiopia as such that leads to an appraising that flooded the North African countries.

I will try to summarize the major points that are put from those that defend the government point of view and try to give my view where it goes wrong in their analysis and add my recommendation for those who can at least try to learn the situation and propose solutions to avert the calamity that will come in Ethiopia.

The group that tells us there is not any ground for public uprising in Ethiopia including the prime minister bring the root causes of the uprising in the Northern Africa as follows:

They label the North African governments as dictators, corrupted, abusers of Human Rights and disproportioned accumulation of wealth.
Moreover they claim that there are no opposition parties, in some opposition parties are not allowed to run for election, or non existence of election, and the government is being hijacked by families or descendents.
In addition to the above facts they add unlawful use of foreign exchanges earned by the country to self accumulation, non existence of employment opportunity and the people was subsidized for living form the oil they produce and could not be engaged in other activities.

While they narrate the condition in Ethiopia they tried to tell us about the existence of more than 80 political parties registered and the flourishing freedom of expression, our leaders are the results of ballots not bullets as was confirmed also by prime minister Meles the people has given him employment contract for five years to run the country. Democratic governance is in tact that is why the prime minister is appearing in all global forums as representative of African dictators etc.

The writers who wrote as a mouth piece of the pro for the TPLF led government could not visualize what the existing objectivity in the country either due to their loyalty or such articles are put in the web by the TPLF led government itself in the names that vary from Danano, Qelbessa, Gidey, Dagnachew, Okello, Dana or what you have.

Which ever they are produced what failed in their analysis is the core concepts of Dictatorship, corruption, Human Right abuse, Freedom of expression, democratization, and essence of wealth distribution.

Based on the above background I will try to inculcate my ideas where they fail to sew the tread and put some sweet sauces to substantiate their findings.

I will not toil on the topic of democratization because I have written on it earlier and one can read it with the link “undemocratsing Ethiopia”.(quatero.net) But I will try to take definitions of dictatorship from the web and it is defined” as an autocratic form of government in which the government ruled by an individual” (Wikipedia) or could be defined as “form of government in which one person or a small group posses absolute power without effective constitutional limitations”. (Oxford dictionary)
It is also stated that dictators resort to force or formed to gain despotic power which they maintain through the use of institutions. Due to this definition one can not put a line to differentiate with respect to the Ethiopian reality.

As far as I know Ethiopia even though have a constitution that allow the regional governments to administer themselves what is practiced is the assignment of TPLF cadres to run the government for example till 1988 Bitew Belay SNNP driving Abate Kisho, Zeray Kahsay driving Yaregal Aheshum, Yohanes driving Okello, Melaku Fanta driving the Afar president and Moges driving the Ogaden Region and the new cadres have replaced these group because some of them fall out or were made offal’s by TPLF. The main reason is that dictatorial regime use people as a condom and when the time reaches they are no more useful and must be thrown away.

The second issue they claim is there is no corruption in Ethiopia that is rampant in the North African countries but the reality is not true because corruption is a result of stinking administration and we could not say there is no corruption where 1.6 million Birr worth gold is exchanged to metal spring of a car, 10 thousand tons of coffee disappeared in the air, gold bars found ready for transport to leave the country through the airport, first lady renting her building to the Ethiopian Telecommunication, a person who served as two year prime minister and deputy prime minister deposited four million dollars in Swiss Bank and members of the military, police forces, security forces and cabinet ministers that came in 1991 without a coin had built villas that cost in hundred millions. Daughters and sons of our officials are attending schools in the most expensive schools in the planet with a monthly salary not more than 500 dollars equivalent.

The other issue that is propagated is the availability of oppositional parties and conducting election as a parameter to show there is democratic governance but the reality in Ethiopia shows the contrary. We can enumerate lists that goes on but what had happened in Ethiopia is only two things, one dismantling opposition parties that seem to organize themselves to confront the TPLF government either in a script drama or falsified accusation not to leave power. For example one can remember the drama in Inquftu to chase OLF. The other is just to reject the decision of the people ballots result as what happened in the 2005 election result and more other parties that are dismantled by hatching pseudo parties. Yes in the last 20 years elections pro forma were conducted this is also the cases in Egypt, Algeria and Tunisia. There distinct differences are in these countries there were no hatched pseudo parties like of us.

The issues of Human Rights are easy to put them together just by putting tow sentences, i.e. please refer reporters of UN human rights commission, Amnesty International Bulletins, USA state department reports but if one has ears and eyes better to ask the people of Gambella, Morecho, Oromiyaa and Ogadenians. In addition to that let every household manifest what happened to the loved ones in all the regional states of the country including the birth place of TPLF.
One can also just put words “Ethiopia, abuse, human rights” in the web and could get materials that could not be finished reading for more than twenty years that are committed in twenty years.

At the last resort those who advocate that there is not arrangement of descendants in the government in line could also refer the families that are having posts in the last twenty years and also the new inclusion of Azeb Mesfin in the politburo of EPRDF is enough to put two and two together.

Based on the above analysis it is farce to say there are not similarities in Ethiopia with our northern neighbours that will instigate public appraising but what is better is to come to own sense and hear the cries of the people and ameliorate in accordance before it is too late as Meles himself said to come late is better than not to come. But procrastination is a theft of time for the inevitable insurrection is at your door step.


“Sooner or later there will be a public uprising in Ethiopia” Mengistu Neway

Ethiopia After the Fourth Election

Ethiopia is conducting its fourth election under the tyrant regime of EPRDF and it is said to be more peaceful from the ruling party and the news show the contrary.
Since days have to go and come the election day is an inch far and the issue is as a citzen could the election bring democracy or deprivation to the people.

Thisi article is to focus on what will one anticipate today before the show down and the theatrical manupulations of election.

As the last elections of the 1995 and 2000 where there was no any alarm because most of the oppositions were out of the scenario. But the situation of the 2005 election was atleast

2010 ELECTION OR DEPRIVATION?‏


What do we learn? from adama insident? Amanuel Zelalem

|By Berhanu Tesfaye | Some hot issues in the current discussions are about the comming 2010 election, its code of conduct or what has to be done. These catch words are not the basic issues we have to discuss but the issue has to be DOES 2010 ELECTION END UP WITH ELECTION OR DEPRIVATION BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN ETHIOPIA?

 As to me the focus should focus on what we expect from the election in 2010 is the following:

1. Deprivation of more basic Human rights in the country
2. Â Confirmation of dictatorial rule in the country
3. Another five years(min) hard hand ruling confirmation for the TPLF
4. The same fiasco in the Judiciary system as was seen during the trial of the former CUDP members,Journalists and human right advocates,OLF members,other party members as well what we had seen this week those tried for fabricated acuse to overthrow the government
5. The same procedures of rubber stamping on issues discussed in the parlaiment
6. Â The accumulation of power and finance in the hand of the few who are serving the TPLF regime
7. Loss of part of the country gifted to neibouring country(the Sudan) The time now is not about openning up for dialogues as means to ameliorate the situation since there is no any openning for such action or these actions are deliberately over cooked before hand to get recognition by the international community and the so called blind folded oppositions.

What has to be done now and until the election time is to agitate the people and organize Ethiopians atleast to show their desperatino by not to register in the comming election as well to organize international panels by all oppositions who come together for this noble idea.

Moreover there should be a subsequent demonstrations,seminars and forums to synthesis the sleeping international community about the reality in Ethiopia. If we can organize such move hand in hand atleast in places where our democratic rights are respected it could be a paramount to save the fiasco deprivation of basic human rights in the name of election.Let we stand for our rights !

Berhanu Tesfaye can be reached at (chillalo@gmail.com)

RED LINED FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY

RED LINED FOR MOTR THAN HALF A CENTURY
The UN Human rights proclamation was declared and accepted by most countries some 60 yreas ago but what i am going to tell you is my experience that the declaration is red lined through out my life under different regimes till today this minute.
It is stated in the declaration article 19 that "Every one has the right to freedom of opinion and expression this right includes freedom to hold opinion without inference and to seek,recieve and implant information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers".
During my teenages i lived in a country where only three daily and one weekly news papers were published also some others were published but they belong to the police and the armed forces. There were also three monthly magazines that have more or less the same content. These press were seconded by government owned radio station three times a day from 7-9 am,12 -2 pm and evening program from 7-12 pm and television broadcast between 7-12 in the night.
Most of the contents in all the above media only focus on what is done by the Imperail regime and its chronies but were not allowed to write or broadcast about the problems in the rural areas, that is the feudalistic production relation,the eviction of tenants by their landlords or the poor infrastructure of the country or some rebelling groups fighting against the regime or some movements within the military for a change in government or the teachers association demands for a subsector review or the situations raised by students in high school and universities about democratization of the country from an absolute monarchy.
When anyone reads,hears or sees the openning sentence starts with words "His Imperial ....visited,did,sent messages etc.." and this information is seconded by the photo of the Emperor.
If some journalist made mistakes in proof reading or script error he /she is reprimand for doing so or could loose her/his place and the worst could be sent to remote areas of the country and would be confined to that specified area. Sometimes an orchesstrated accident is prepared and in between they die the result being mysterious death as a riddle.
During this time the red lining of the freedom of opinion is done systematically since the regime do not want to be harassed by pear governments of the west and try to show that the country is a heaven for journalists as well to the people.
The regime was overthrown when i was 17 and my expectation was that the freedom of expression and opinion would be better and free to forward ones ideas.As to my expectation there was bonanza to describe different opinions with the opened window and were different magazines with different opinions entertained besides the government owned news papers and media accept all types that are sent to them and print them or broadcast them. As the proverb "a new broom cleans every corner". But this window of opportunity did not last long and was replaced with laws that include not prohibiting broadcasting, writing and publishing freely but also thinking was incorporated. Moreover criticizing the regime was thought as reactionary and the press were confined to propogate only socialism and its achievemnt even if people were dying with hunger and famine.

The same were also about the headlines in all the media saying „“ the chairman of the workers party of the country visited, discussed, recieved so and so… with a photo of the chairman.
What is the main characterstics for both regimes about curving opinions could be justified with the 1973/4 and the 1984/5 famine that were disclosed by foreign journalists and foreign media while in the meantime the Emperor was celebrating his 80th birthday buying birthday cakes from France and inviting all African leaders while the later were celebrating its 10 anniversary of the socialist revolution and the inaugration of the Workers Party of Ethiopia importing whiskey estimated to cost more than a million dollar.Moreover the so called comrades in the formation of a socialist state and a communist state where human beings are threated as in equal terms but the reality being as George Orwells the Animal Farm.
Every dictatorial regimes have always an end point one way or the other but the end of one regime is the beginning of the other.
I was 33 when a group of rebels overthrown the socialist regime fighting for 17 years with the motto first to emancipate only one region, Tigray, and moved to emancipate the whole country, Ethiopia.
During this time since they were also against the existing regime as well the people was fade up of fiasco socialism, everybody accepted them with a brace but it did not lasted long time before the tiger showed its skin,that is a tiger never changes its skin.
Since the inception as well the development of the liberation front was rooted in Albanian socialism but were baptized as liberal democrates in the eleventh hour in a negotiation table in the heart of London with the help of the Americans and Brits that baptism did not lasted long.
At the beginning the free press as well the role of the government press was left open and people tried to write on fundamentals to build democracy and the role of the press in building a country. Moreover the press was seen as a contributor in the building of democracy.
There were more than fifty news papers and magazines during the beginning and were free to write on different topics from democratization to petty issues in the country. But it was a sudden shock to see the escalation of printing costs and development of sensorship put to deter what they write and what they print but one can also say it was relatively relcutant till the third national election in 2005.
It is the reality in Africa as well in Ethiopia that the ruling party is the sole owner of the government media and that facilitate the dissmination of party information very easily without additonal costs.
But this scenario changes when the opposition parties requested some air time to discuss their ideas about the 2005 election for regional as well federal government. The ruling party was not aware that the people were fade up of them and allowed the oppositions to participate on election campaign through the government media and were fruitful discussions what could be future policies in different sectors by the different actors. It was not also the government media but also the private media was strong enough to show what is good and failure in the past years and ill concepts in building democracy. What was not anticipated by the ruling party was that the hard push of the oppositions and their strength to show the weaknesses of the incumbent.
The people has envisioned who will do better in securing human rights as well who tries to adhere to democratic principles. This open up discussion in the media played a role to unsit incumbent just losing 137 places from 138 places inthe regional council in the Caiptal city and lost in most places their sit for new faces that were not thought to confront them. The sit in the Federal government were also wiped out by the oppositions in the capital city. In most well observed elections places by the international community the incumbent lost to new faces all over the country but won on places where they were able either to rig votes or in their stronghold part, Tigray.
Since the 2005 election result day the incumbent started to design either to close all private media or to put the owners and editors behind the bar. In due time most of the opposition party members who won in election and the media that were writting during the election time about some vote rigging were labeled as criminals such as genocide,treason to overtnrow the government using force and to disturbe the intergrity of the country and were put for 21 months in custody and some were freed on pardon due to negotiation and international pressure.
Ethiopia being a country that ratified all UN coventions have now closed almost all the medias that are not government friendly or that do not wed and bed with the blessing of the government. Moreover what is intersting for a country with good reputation of signing UN conventions and that depends mostly from donation(aid) that came through NGOs and civil societies has put a new law that states any civil society should not be involved in political issues as well if a domestic civil society or NGO is financed more than 10 percent is named a foreign NGO and also cannot involve in advocating good governance as well any activity in the democratization process in the country.
To substantiate the above situations one can refer to how many journalists are put behind the bar due to their ideas or what they have wrote just critizing the unlawfull deeds by authorities or those who take office to serve the people. One can aslo see the statistics that flew the country and living in different countries to avoid extra judicial kiling,harrasment and unlawful imprisonment. Till now more that 159 journalists have fled from the country fearing repression. Most of them have worked either in a private as well in the government medias and the most recent on is the one who fled from Copenhagen conference.(COP15)
The journalists in Ethiopia are not only indicted with the press law but also the criminal code, the anti -terrorist law make it a three way attack to put panick in them not to describe the fallacies of the ruling party.
60 years after the UN declaration and the practice of article 19 still the Ethiopian government is jammng radios broadcasted from abroad,blocking internet sites to be read in the country as well investing foreign exchange while the people needs food aid from donors every year sometimes due to unfavorable weather conditions as well inappropariate policies put in practice.
The basic human right issue to express ideas in any country is a provision one can not give it or take it but the reality in my life for the last half century, the media or the press is red lines by all the governments existed as well existing but it is a lip sevice when asked about the press „“they say there is no human right abuses, no political prisoners and no journalists behind the bar unless those that have committed crime.

How To Win Hearts and Minds of Ethiopians