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የኢትዮጵያ፤የውይይትና፤መፍትሔ፤መድረክ

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December 26, 2017 Press Statement from the Ethiopian Dialogue Forum (EDF)

TheCurrentNationalSecurityCrisisinEthiopia

TheEthiopianDialogueForum,anot-for-profitthink-tankestablishedmorethanayearago,representsacross-sectionofintellectuals,academics,civilsocietyactivistsandothersresidinginEthiopiaandintheDiaspora.Ithassponsoredadozenpublicforumsoncriticalpolicyissuessuchasethnic-federalisminEthiopiaanditspitfallsaswellasprospects.

Overthepastfewmonths,EDFhasstudiedthegovernanceenvironmentinEthiopiaandidentifiednumerouspolicyandstructuralissuesthataffectthecountryanditsdiversepopulationadversely.Amongthesearethetop-down,opaqueandexclusionarypolicy,decisionmakingandbudgetaryallocationprocessesthatbestowenormouspowerandprivilegetoafewwhilemarginalizinganddispossessingthevastmajorityoftheEthiopianpeople.

Ethiopiancitizensarealienatedfromthepolicyanddecision-makingprocess.Forexample,99percentofEthiopia’srubberstampparliamentisdominatedbytheEthiopianPeoples’RevolutionaryDemocraticFront(EPRDF).Asidefromitsfaçade,theEPRDFdoesnotconsultwithorseekfeedbackfromEthiopiancitizensonanysubstantivepolicyissue.Theoutcomeofthisdictatorialsystemofgovernanceisthatcitizensdonottrustitsleadersoritsinstitutions.

EDFisdeeplyconcernedabouttheescalationofethnic-basedconflictsthroughoutthecountry;andmostprominentlyintheOromiaandAmhararegions.EDF

recognizesthatthecurrentwaveofpopularresistanceagainstoppressionbeganinearnestinNovember2015andhascontinuedunabatedsince.Sadly,therootcausesforthepopularuprisingsnamely,thepoliticallymotivated,mechanicallydesignedandflawedethnic-federalsystem,recurrentandgrosshumanrightsviolations,thesuppressionofcivic,politicalandreligiousfreedomsremainunresolved.Forallpracticalpurposes,therulingpartyisdetachedfromthepeople.

Duringtheperiod2015-2016,peacefulprotestsforjustice,theruleoflawanddemocracyweremetwithbrutalityintheOromo,Amhara,Konsoandotherlocations.Morethan1,000innocentpeople,mostofthemyouthwerekilledthroughextrajudicialmeasures.Morethan11,000Ethiopianswerejailed.Noonereallyknowsthenumberofdisappearances.Noonehasbeenheldaccountablefortheatrocities.

Thepopularresistancewastemporarilycontainedbysecurityandmilitarycommandposts,mechanismsdeployedduringtheStateofEmergencythattheTigrayPeople’sLiberationFront(TPLF)dominatedregimeimposedthroughoutthecountry.Extrajudicialkillings,torturesandarrestsbecameroutine.Therubberstampparliamentsaidnothinganddidnothingtoquestionbrutalitybythestateoncitizens.

TheunwillingnessandinabilityonthepartofEthiopianauthoritiestoacknowledgethecoregovernanceproblemsofthecountryandits105millionpeople,absoluteclosureofcivic,political,socialandreligiousspace;nepotism,bribery,corruptionandmassiveillicitoutflowofcapitaland,thecompetinginterestsofelitesandpoliticalpartiesdashedthehopesofmillions.Pentupangerandfrustrationledtothecurrentwaveofprotests,killings,arrestsandinter-ethnicconflicts,mostnotablyinOromia.Compoundingthedeep-rootedsocioeconomicproblemsaredeliberateincitementsofethnic-conflictsbetweentheAmharaandtheTigrayethnic-groupsinthenorthandbetweentheOromoandSomaliethnicgroupsinthesouthandsouthwest.Inthelater,scoresofinnocentOromoandSomaliwerekilled.MorethanhalfamillionOromohavebeendisplaced.Villageswereburnt.

ThereisaplethoraofevidencethatshowsthatatrocitiesagainstOromoandAmharanationalshavecontinuedunabatedsinceNovember2015.ThenumberofOromoandAmharapoliticalprisonerskeepsclimbing.Promisingpoliticalandcommunityleaders,humanrightsactivists,journalistsandothersincludingProfessorMereraGudina,AndualemAragieandJournalistEskinderNegacontinuetosufferinjail.

Themostrecentflaresare,infact,acontinuationofunresolvedgrievances.InNovember2017,30Amhara,includingchildrenandwomenwerehackedtodeathin

Illubabor,Oromia.OnDecember11,2017,federaltroopscommandedbyTigreanofficersmassacred16innocentciviliansinthetownofChelenko,Oromia.Ofthosemurdered,fivewerefromthesamefamily.Reportsshowthatthesefederalforcescametothetownandregionuninvited.Wedonotknowforsurewhoinstigatedthesemassacres;butsomeoneshouldbeheldaccountableforcrimesagainsthumanity.

ThemurdersofinnocentOromoinCelenkoworsenedtheethnic-conflictsbetweenOromoandSomaliEthiopianswhohavelivedsidebysidepeacefullyforgenerations.ThisconflictresultedinthedeathsoflargenumbersofOromoandthetragicso-called“revengekillings”ofmorethan30Somali.

EarlierinDecemberthisyear,AmharaandOromostudentsinAdigrat,Tigrayweretargeted,selectedandkilled.ManycollegesanduniversitieshavesinceclosedtheirdoorsandthosethatareopenaresealedoffbyTPLF-ledforces.TheTPLF’sexclusionarypolicyhasdeepenedandworsenedethnicpolarization.

EDF is especially repulsed by the instigation of deliberate policies and programs to divide Ethiopia’s youth that constitutes 65 percent of the population. Following the killings in Adigrat, the TPLF-dominated and managed Ministry of Education informed non-Somali students in the Ogaden region to vacate colleges and universities. Ethiopians in the Diaspora attend institutions of higher learning in Scandinavian countries, in Europe and North America, in Australia and New Zealand, in South Africa, in Israel and other countries with a level of freedom that they are unable to enjoy in their own homeland. This is simply shameful for the proud Ethiopian people.

EDFcondemnstargetedandselectivekillingofinnocentstudents,theirexpulsionsfromschoolsofhigherlearninganywhereinthecountry;anddemandsthatPrimeMinisterHailemariam’sgovernmentstopassaultsonstudentsandeducation.

EDFappreciatesthecourageofacross-sectionofEthiopianswhocontinuetodemandjustice,freedomandtheruleoflaw.InsmallandlargetownsintheOromiaandtheAmhararegionsprotestors,includingfarmers,businessmenandwomen,taxidrivers,children,girlsandboysandtheelderlyhavejoinedhandstogetherdemandinganendto“TPLFruleandhegemony.”Thehashtag“NOMORETPLF”hasbecomeanationalslogan.

EDFisoutragedagainthatthepopularandongoingpeacefulprotestshavebeenmetwithcruelandinhumanetreatmentbyfederaltroopsandsecurity,mostprominentlybythefearedTigreanAgazi.Asaresult,insecurity,fearandhopelessnesspermeateEthiopiansociety.

Atrocitiesareunderreportedornotreportedatall.Theregimesbarsforeignanddomesticmediaandindependentjournalistsaccesstoconflictareasandtovictimsofatrocities.

EDFappreciatestheattentiongiventotheEthiopianinsecuritysituationbytheEuropeanUnionandthegovernmentoftheUnitedStates;andtheirurgentcallonallEthiopianstakeholderstobeginseriousdialoguetowardsanationalconsensusonthefutureofthecountry,onpeaceandreconciliation,onall-inclusive,justanddemocraticgovernance.

Accordingly,EDFdrawsattentiontothefollowingprinciples:

1. Callsforseriousandall-inclusivedialogue,conversation,consultationandnegotiationonanappropriatetransitionofgovernmentthatwillultimatelyleadtowardsafreeandfairelection;

2. CallsforunfetteredsupporttothepeopleofEthiopiaandtheirstruggletoachievejustice,genuineequalityamongallcitizens,theruleoflawanddemocracy;

3. Condemnsethnic-based,targetedandselectivekillingsandconflictsandurgestheEthiopianpeopletocontinuetheirdistinguishedhistoryofmutualrespectandpeacefulcoexistence;

4. CallsonEthiopianpoliticalelites,oppositionpartiesandthegoverningpartytolistentothedemandsoftheEthiopianpeople;anddemandsthattheregimestopincitingethnicviolence,hatredanddivisionnow;

5. DemandsthatEthiopianauthoritiesmeettheirprimaryandhistoricalobligationstotheEthiopianpeople;andremovedraconianproclamationssuchastheAnti-TerrorismProclamation;

6. UrgesmembersofEthiopia’sarmedforcesandsecuritytosidewiththepeopleanddesistfromservingasanagencyoftheTPLFanditsloyalists;

7. UrgesEthiopianteachers,professors,researchersandstudentstocontinuetheirprincipledstruggleforjusticeanddemocracyandunifytheireffortsbeyondethnicandreligiousaffiliation;

8. UrgesEthiopianfaithcommunitiesandleaderstoreflectontheirobligationtoserveasabridgefornationalconsensus,peaceandreconciliation;

9. Urgescivicsocieties,professionalorganizations,politicalpartiesandotherstosetasideminordifferencesandcoalescearoundanationalunityofpurposethatwilllift-upEthiopiafromitscurrentmorass;and,

10. Callsonalloppositiongroupswithinandoutsidethecountrytosetasidetheirdifferencesandunifytheirtalents,wealthofexperienceandexpertiseandoffertheEthiopianpeopleacompellingalternativeingovernance;

EDFbelievesthatthedonoranddiplomaticcommunitycannolongeraffordtopaylipservicestotheunfoldingtragedyinthesecondmostpopulouscountryinAfrica.

Wethereforecallon:

a) TheEuropeanUnion,thegovernmentoftheUnitedStates,theAfricanUnionandChinatoheedtothedemandsoftheEthiopianpeopleforfreedom,justice,theruleoflawanddemocracyandtranslatetheirstatementsintoconcreteprograms;

b) Allforeignstakeholderstopushfortheconveningofanall-inclusivedialogueforatransitionalgovernmentofnationalunitythatwillultimatelyleadtowardsafreeandfairelection;

c) ThediplomaticanddonorcommunitytourgeEthiopianauthoritiestostopethnic-violence,conflictandextrajudicialmeasuresaswellasinliftingthedraconianAnti-TerrorismProclamationwithoutdelay;and,

d) TheUnitedNationsHighCommissionerforHumanRightstosendspecialRapporteurstoconductanindependentinvestigationonkillings,maiming,torturesandothercrimesagainsthumanityinEthiopia.

LongLiveEthiopia!

LongLivetheUnityoftheEthiopianPeople!