Urgent Appeal to Prevent Genocide in Ethiopia
July 4, 2017
Subject: Urgent Appeal to Prevent Genocide in Ethiopia
H.E. Mr. Donald Trump, President of the USA
president@whitehouse.gov
H. E. Mr. Antonio Gutierrez, Secretary General of the UN
Enquiries@un.org
H. E. Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the UN General Assembly
pga65@un.org
The Honorable Prime Minister Theresa May
10 Downing Street, London, the UK
The Right Honorable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
pm@pm.gc.ca
H. E. Jean-Claude Juncker, President, the European Union
Via: Margaritas Schinas
Margaritis.scinas@ec.europa.eu
H. E. Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
InfoDesk@ohchr.org
media@ohchr.org
H. E. Moussa Faki, Chairperson, the African Union Commission, Addis Ababa
webmaster@africa-union.org
au-washington@africa-union.org
Dear Excellency
On May 4, 2017, barely two years after Ethiopian security forces killed more than 1,000 innocent Ethiopians and incarcerated tens of thousands in the Amhara, Oromia and Konso regions, His Excellency, Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, gave a press conference following a two-day visit to Ethiopia. He reiterated his belief that the regime in power must allow civic and political space with “broader latitude for the contributions of critical or dissenting views” in policy and decision-making.
Human Rights groups, governments, diplomats, the UN system and the African Union have expressed similar views over the past 27 years. What distinguishes the remarks of the UN High Commissioner is the timing and specific comments and requests made to the governing party in Ethiopia. “All governments need to be held to the mark by independent media and the vital action of civil society and human rights defenders.” Nominally, Ethiopia has a commitment to protect the human rights of its own people in accordance with the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its own constitution. The government does not respect either one.
The global community in general and Ethiopia’s government friends have not moved an inch from giving leap service to hold the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) dominated government accountable for extrajudicial measures. Ethiopians and other Africans find it ironic that a regime that declares war against its own people and has institutionalised graft and corruption is, instead, rewarded through massive security, development and humanitarian assistance, representation in the UN Security Council and the UN Council on Human Rights. Ethiopians say that African Police and “Terrorist State and Government” is hailed for its UN peace-keeping and anti-terrorism contributions; while its plethora of domestic abuses, including extrajudicial killings, maiming, tortures, enforced disappearances and marginalization of millions of Ethiopians are left untouched. Bilateral and multilateral aid flows unabated. The global system has literally ignored the plight of millions, especially the poor and marginalized.
The world community must learn that benign neglect and inaction in Syria and earlier in Rwanda led both countries to catastrophes that should have been prevented. The UN High Commissioner is right when he says “I am convinced the Ethiopian Government will find its most important and productive investment will be in the rights of the people, which build strong and safe societies.” This is only possible if Ethiopia’s ruling elites believed in the primacy of security of people; and not in defending and preserving the security of the state and government at any cost. People-centered development is not part of the vocabulary of the TPLF-led and allied elites. Anti-terrorism is used as an instrument to crush dissent, decimate civil society, freedom of the press, assembly, movement and association.
All told, there isn’t an iota of evidence that the TPLF dominated government believes that protecting the rights of citizens, investing in and empowering them is productive. It shows no commitment to human worth, rights and dignity; and there is no evidence that its ideological mind set of the supremacy of the party over citizens would change. Last year’s uprising and the State of Emergency that followed show that the more people demand justice, freedom, the rule of law and democracy; the more repressive and oppressive the ruling party becomes!!
The undersigned organizations are writing this urgent letter to you because there are ominous signs that the TPLF-led regime is on the verge of committing heinous crimes against humanity in the Gondar sub-region of the Amhara region. It has moved large numbers of defense, security and specially trained sharp shooters backed by tanks and other heavy weapons to crush the popular uprising in Gondar and vicinities before the end of August, 2017. Eye witnesses inform us that the TPLF-command has moved troops from Tigray in the North through Wollo to Gondar; from TPLF’s “friendly state” of the Sudan in the West to Gondar; and from the South through Gojjam to Gondar. Eye witnesses in rural areas express dismay and outrage at the brazen and naked nature of this internal “invasion” against peasant farmers, young women and men, teachers and other professionals. As a consequence of this cruel and callous move, the lives of millions of Ethiopians will be upended and armed conflict, separatism, extremism and terrorism will inevitably follow. Another Syria is thus in the making.
Under the camouflage of the country’s State of Emergency Proclamation, Ethiopian security personnel have begun to go house to house in villages, towns and citifies, arrest anyone suspected of dissent especially youth, pillage and burn homes, take away cattle, rape women, torture suspected “leaders” and often summarily execute. These extrajudicial measures are underreported because the government has banned independent media. The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel have “warned their citizens not to travel to Gondar, Bahir Dar and other vicinities.” Trade and productivity have stalled. Next year’s harvest is affected adversely.
The Potential for Genocide
This latest mobilization and offensive against the population of Gondar is consistent with the TPLF-Manifesto that had declared the “Amhara population” to be mortal enemy of the Tigrean people. The TPLF killed tens of thousands of Amhara nationals both before and after it took political power in 1991. Documentary evidence shows that the TPLF has perpetrated silence genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Amhara population. It annexed large tracts of lands from Gondar and Wollo and incorporated them into Greater Tigray. It transferred huge tracts of land to the government of the Sudan. The popular uprising in Gondar and other localities last year and that popularized the Wolkait Committee is an expression of outrage against this annexation and deprivation. The resistance against the TPLF-dominated regime continues. Tens of thousands are in jail.
In light of this sustained resistance by ordinary citizens fed-up with land annexation, depopulation, dehumanization and deprivation, TPLF leaders vowed to bring the entire population into submission through the force of arms. In early June this year, Dr. Debretsion Gebremikael, Minister of Communication and one of the diehards of the TPLF said this. “The widespread unrest and rebellion that occurred in our country has been contained. This was made possible because of the government’s coordinated action in identifying, arresting and punishing the trouble makers. However, there is an unfinished business. In some regions, most notably Gondar, rebellion and instability persist. Our government has exhausted all means at its disposal to bring calm and stability; but has not succeeded.” Most recently he vowed that the TPLF will “never give up the lands it annexed from Gondar.”
The current massive mobilization is therefore the last major step in crushing the resistance and rebellion in Gondar and adjacent areas once and for all. “Among the steps we plan to take,” said Debretsion, “is disarming each and every person in Gondar. We call on peace loving Ethiopians who believe in mutual coexistence to give up their arms voluntarily.” If not, the TPLF-led army will go house to house, murder, maim, torture, enforce disappearances, burn property and arrest and jail as many people as required.
This internal ‘war” by the TPLF-led security forces against innocent civilians in Gondar and other regions of the Amhara region will lead to bloodshed and genocide. It will compound the volatile situation in the country and destabilize Ethiopia. Some domestic and foreign experts believe that, if not contained soon, Ethiopia has the prospect of joining the family of failed states in the not-too-distant future.
Excellency
We believe that the explosive situation can be averted by the global community. The governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, the African Union and the UN system have a special responsibility to urge the government of Ethiopia to stop declaring war on its own people and killing them with an unprecedented impunity.
In particular, we urge the UN Security Council, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the European Union, the AU, and the governments of the U.S., the U.K and Canada to:
- Urge Ethiopian authorities to allow access to UN human rights officials to visit the affected region and establish the facts; and send a UN and AU led independent observer team to the Gondar region and assess troop movements, ongoing killing and other human rights violations.
- Demand that the government of Ethiopia demobilize troops sent to the Gondar region and vicinities and stop killing its own citizens immediately.
- Compel Ethiopian authorities to abide by the rule of international law and cease taking extrajudicial measures and resolve deep-rooted socioeconomic and political problems.
- DemandthattheEthiopiangovernmentstoptortureandarbitrarydetentions immediately. Human Rights Watch provides accounts of the severity of the problem. “Ethiopian security personnel, including plainclothes security and intelligence officials, federal police, special police, and military, frequently tortured and otherwise ill-treated political detainees held in official and secret detention centers, to give confessions or provide information. Many of those arrested during recent protests said they were tortured in detention, including in military camps. Several women alleged that they were raped or sexually assaulted. There is little indication that security personnel are being investigated or punished for these abuses.”
- HelpspareEthiopiansinGondarandvicinitiesfromethnicgenocideandhavethemoral courage to urge the government of Ethiopia to allow UN rapporteurs to conduct anindependent investigation into the massacres in the Amhara, Oromo, Ogaden, Konso, Gambella, Omo Valley and other regions
- StopallformsofmilitaryandsecurityassistancetothegovernmentofEthiopia;andlinkall future aid to respect of human rights and the rule of law as well as the unfettered advancement of democracy.
- UrgethegovernmentofEthiopiatoconveneanAll-InclusivePartyConferenceinvolving civil society, prominent individuals and spiritual leaders as well as opposition political parties within and outside the country at the earliest opportunity.
Excellency
We express our appreciation in advance for your attention to this urgent matter and look forward to your consideration.
With our highest regards,
Aklog Birara (Dr), on behalf of sponsoring organizations Abt.semegn@gmail.com
List of Sponsoring Organizations Below
- Ethiopian Dialogue Forum (EDF)
- Ethiopian People’s Congress for United Struggle (Shengo)
- Gondar Hibret for Ethiopian Unity (GOH)
- Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Legitimate Holy Synod (EOTC)
- Moresh Wegene Amhara Organization (Moresh)CC:
Amnesty International contactus@amnesty.org Human Rights Watch hrwpress@hrw.org