Flood mitigation activities in the
Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Photo: UNOCHA Ethiopia/Zelalem Letyibelu
19 August 2016 – Voicing concern
over serious human rights violations in the Oromia and Amhara regions of
Ethiopia earlier this month, the United Nations human rights chief today urged
the Government to ensure access for independent observers to affected areas and
to work towards opening up political and democratic reforms.
Against the backdrop of extremely
alarming reports on human rights abuses during public protests over the weekend
of 6-8 August, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein,
appealed to the Ethiopian authorities for allowing human rights experts to
access to the conflict zones and evaluate the situation.
“We welcome the decision to launch
an independent investigation, and we urge the Government to ensure that the
investigation has a mandate to cover allegations of human rights violations
since the unrest in Oromia began in November 2015,” Ravina Shamdasani, a
spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters in
Geneva.
She went on to stress that the probe
should be “indeed independent, transparent, thorough and effective, with a view
to establishing whether the use of excessive force occurred and with a view to
bringing to justice the perpetrators of any human rights violations.”
The UN rights office is ready to
assist in ensuring that the investigation is abide by international human
rights standards. However, she said, it is critical to have access to areas
where have been reported of ongoing arbitrary arrests, intimidation and
harassment of people in the regions.
“We call on the Government to ensure
that the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression are protected
and that those detained for exercising these rights are promptly released,”
said Ms. Shamdasani.
She further urged the Government to
work towards opening up the political and democratic space, including
comprehensive security sector, legislative, and institutional reforms
Source: United Nation
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