Felix Horne, an Ottawa resident, is the senior Ethiopia researcher
at Human Rights Watch.
In the past 10 months, Ethiopian security forces
have killed at least 500 protesters and detained tens of thousands of people
during largely peaceful anti-government demonstrations. In one August weekend
alone, security forces gunned down at least 100 protesters.
A
few days after that bloody weekend, Canadian officials, including Defence
Minister Harjit Sajjan, met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
A media briefing included pledges from Mr. Sajjan of
commitments to future partnerships on peacekeeping, trade and security. There
was no condemnation from Canada of the killing of non-violent protesters, nor a
call on the Ethiopian government to allow peaceful demonstrations.
The protests began last November in Ethiopia’s
largest region, Oromia, in response to the government’s approach to
development. Demonstrations spread to the Amhara region and grievances began to
focus on long-standing discrimination, questions of ethnic identity and the
dominance of those connected to the ruling party in economic and political
affairs.
There has been no sign that security forces
intend to change their tactics or that the government will offer meaningful
concessions, and the protesters have vowed to continue.
In short, Ethiopia is in the middle of a
political and human rights crisis that could jeopardize Canada’s long-term
interests in the Horn of Africa.
Ethiopian-Canadians
have also been protesting in Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Saskatoon, keen to
challenge Canada’s support for the repressive government. Ethiopia, with 85
million people, was the No. 3 recipient ofCanadian aid dollars in 2014-2015.
Foreign agencies and development organizations
understand that in exchange for access to Ethiopia, they need to limit and mute
their public criticism of the government. As a result, Canada and other donor
countries have kept silent about the repressive practices, afraid to risk their
strategic relationships for development, security, peacekeeping and migration.
They say they engage in “quiet diplomacy” to push their ally in the right
direction. But this “quiet diplomacy” has been an abysmal failure in Ethiopia
and has not prevented the dramatic downturn in the country’s human rights
record.
The current crisis is the outcome of years of
systematic attacks on basic freedoms that have resulted in complete suppression
of the rights to peacefully express dissent, to hold officials to account or to
obtain redress for abuses. There is widespread frustration with the government,
but the government holds all of the seats in federal and regional parliaments
since the 2015 elections. The government ensures loyalty by controlling access
to the benefits of development – jobs, training, fertilizers, seeds, food aid –
which is an unfortunate byproduct of the well-meaning aid from Canada and other
Western donors.
Ethiopia’s courts have shown little independence
on politically sensitive cases. The misuse of the country’s anti-terrorism law
is illustrated through the ongoing trials of opposition leaders, activists and
journalists. A Canadian citizen, Bashir Makhtal, is serving a life sentence
after being convicted of belonging to a group the Ethiopian government considers
a terrorist organization.
Tight restrictions on independent news media and
non-governmental organizations mean there is little scrutiny of Ethiopia’s
abusive security forces. Anyone seen as not supporting the government risks
harassment or arrest, with little hope of a fair trial. The complete closing of
political space has created a perfect storm of repression.
But Ethiopia’s allies are slowly breaking their
silence. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the European
Parliament have expressed concern about the killings of protesters. And the
United States has been stronger than usual in condemning the use of excessive
force during the crackdown. Last month, the UN’s top human rights official,
Zeid Ra’ad Al-Hussein, said an international investigation and accountability
are needed for the killings.
Canada’s new Liberal government, which has
promised a new approach on Africa, should start with Ethiopia before the
current crisis descends into an even more dangerous and irreversible situation.
Canada should strongly – and publicly – condemn
the use of lethal force against protesters, push for an international
investigation into the killings, and explore ways to hold the security forces
to account for their brutality.
Such a public call would send a powerful message
to the Ethiopian government that its security forces cannot kill and jail
peaceful protesters with impunity. It would also send an important message to
the victims and families, including those of Ethiopian-Canadians, that Canada is
not ignoring their pleas for justice.
The world needs a strong, stable and prosperous
Ethiopia, and at this critical juncture Canada should play a key role in making
that happen.
Source: theglobeandmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment