Norway must stop supporting a regime that operates with ethnic discrimination and human rights violations, was the slogan of tens Ethiopians, who demonstrated outside parliament earlier this Thursday.
Photo: Claudio Castello

- Stop support for regime

The tone was resolute when, dozens of Ethiopians living in Norway, held a protest outside Parliament earlier today.

Claudio Castello

claudio.castello @ utrop.no

04/18/2013 5:00 p.m.

The gang pictured here mean the eleven percent that goes from Norway that foreign aid is helping to contribute to a hopeless situation for most of Ethiopia's minority groups.

Photo: Claudio Castello

- Norway must stop supporting Ethiopia's government financially and morally. The regime is undemocratic and willing to engage in ethnic cleansing, was one of the charges were read out during the appeals on Eidsvolls space.

Shemilesseb (43), were granted residence in Norway because of political activity in the country. He is disappointed that Norway has created such a good economic and political relations to Addis Ababa.

Photo: Claudio Castello

"Cleaning" as it refers to the accusation that Ethiopian authorities forcibly move thousands of Amhara-speaking farmers from Ethiopia's southern regions. Forced displacement must have occurred in degrading forms, according to several of those who were present during the demonstration.
- People have been forced to leave their homes without any of their belongings. More should have been abused by soldiers, and we've already been hearing about people who lost their lives due to suffocation, as they almost were stacked on top of each other in different load images. says Gennet, a woman in her 50s, who came as a political refugee to Norway, to utrop.no.
- Thrown in the River
According to second-hand descriptions that she has gained through acquaintances in Ethiopia, it was a brutal fate that met people who gave in to the soldiers' orders.
- According to what I heard, they were beaten with rifle butts lifeless, and thrown into the nearest lake or river, she continues.
How far has the government's campaigns against the Amhara people taken?
- For nearly 22 years. The problem of Ethiopia is that Norway has a very good relationship with the regime, and sends millions annually in investment and foreign aid. Norway must use its position to exert pressure so that we can end this ethnic cleansing, she adds.
Fearing a new Somalia
Shemilesseb (43) also came to Norway as a refugee. Having said straight out that he demonstrates because "we Ethiopians can no longer live as slaves"
- The government is dominated by tigrinjerne, which is the most influential of all ethnicities in the country and forcing its will on the others. People who are not tigrinjere treated as second-class citizens. Norway must put your foot down and cut funding to the regime in Addis Ababa, he said.
According Shemilesseb campaigns are well planned, as some groups is forced together or that the strains sent to the resource-poor areas.
- The aim is to create ethnic and tribal-based conflicts, while the majority of the land is government that they want.
He fears chaos and that Ethiopia will be like Somalia if neither Norway nor the international community does not intervene.
- We have 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia. And then it goes without saying that the chaos will advise if the country was divided into 80 states. If Ethiopia is characterized by peace and democracy, then all ethnic groups get along with each other and have equal opportunities to influence the governance of the country, he says to utrop.no.