The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
(the Commission) is deeply concerned by the events unfolding in the Federal
Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Protests reportedly began in the Oromia region in
November 2015, opposing the Federal Government’s plan to expand the boundaries
of Addis Ababa. Reports indicate that despite the termination of the expansion
plan, the protests continued due to the detention of activists, the use of
excessive force, and killing of protestors by law enforcement officers.
More recently, protests reportedly erupted in the
Amhara region of Gondar in July 2016 when armed police arrested members of the
Welkait Committee who called for the recognition of the Welkait community,
currently within the Tigray region, as part of the neighbouring Amhara region.
Reports further indicate that from 6 – 7 August 2016,
thousands of people around the country took to the streets calling for political
reform, equality, justice and the rule of law. The Commission is seriously
disturbed by reports which aver that law enforcement agents responded with
excessive force, including firing live bullets at protestors in Bahir Dar
killing at least 30 people, and beating protestors with batons in Addis Ababa.
Reports indicate that nearly 100 protestors were killed from 6 – 7 August 2016.
The Commission has also received information that the
Government completely blocked internet throughout the country for 48 hours in
an attempt to stop the use of social media to organise further protests. It is
alleged that most social media applications are still blocked, hampering
communication.
Reports allege that following the first protests in
November 2015, hundreds of protestors have been killed, and many more have been
beaten, arbitrarily arrested and detained.
The Commission is equally concerned about reports that
members and human rights monitors of the Human Rights Council of Ethiopia
(HRCO) have been arrested and detained in the Amhara and Oromo regions, while
allegedly monitoring and documenting the crack-down on protestors in these
regions.
Without reaching conclusions on the above allegations,
the Commission is concerned that if these allegations are correct they would
amount to violations of Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 19 of
theAfrican Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African
Charter), as well as other regional and international human rights
instruments to which the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a party.
In view of the above, the Commission calls on the
Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to:
· Fully
investigate or allow the African Commission and other international/regional
human rights mechanisms unimpeded access to the concerned areas in order to
carry out prompt and impartial investigations into the allegations, so that these
reports can be verified;
· Ensure
due process of law for those arrested and detained;
· Respect
peoples’ right to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and access to
information;
· Ensure
that perpetrators of the alleged violations are held accountable;
· Ensure
that the victims and their families obtain full redress, including restitution,
compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition;
and
· Uphold
its obligations under the regional and international human rights instruments
to which it is a party, in particular the African Charter.
The Commission will remain actively seized of this
matter.
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