Ethiopia: A Generation Targeted, the Futures of a Nation at Risk

HRLHA Urgent Action and Appeal,

Public 11 May, 2011.

Although there has been no single section of societies that the Ethiopian TPLF/EPRDF Regime has spared in the past 18 years, students have been among the prime targets of attacks. The Oromos in general and the Oromo Students in particular have obviously been the first in the line of victimization when it comes down to ethnicity and regional lines.

The most recent crackdown against Oromo students, which has been going on since April 14, 2011, has hit all universities and colleges in different regional states, and has sent hundreds students to prison without any idea as to when they would be released. All that could be said in this regard based on past experiences is that anything between immediate releases (although we haven’t seen any yet) and indefinite incarcerations could happen to those students.

Student Dame Olana

For example, from among hundreds of Oromo students who were arrested and detained exactly in the same manner in 2006, only a few were released while hundreds of them are died in prison and some are still languishing in prison without verdict.

Following the issuance of its Urgent Action, PUBLIC 12 April, 2011 on this same case of violence against students, HRLHA has been monitoring the situation through its local agents for further details and updates; and, accordingly, has been able obtain the names of the following detained students:

As it was the case in the previous similar crackdowns on Oromo students, this most recent violence by a government against its own citizens was started in Mizan Tepi University with students of Tigrian origin deliberately provoking Oromo students and inciting clashes, with armed security forces waiting standby in the backyard. The worst aspect of these kinds of extra-judicial and politically motivated acts against students is that the victimized students not only receive punishments that they don’t deserve, but also miss classes, exams, and other types of assessments; and, consequently, their graduations are delayed, or maybe denied. In general, their academic life would be disrupted, and their future lives ruined. Intimidations and harassments as they are their negative impacts and discouragements on students who are likely to join colleges and universities in the future are also enormous.  Given that these acts of violence by a government in charge of responsibly ruling a country have singled out the Oromo students only, it is obvious that they are purely racial and discriminatory even to that extent apartheid action against Oromo students.

HRLHA would like to once again express its deep concerns regarding the whereabouts as well as safety of the students who have been taken to custody over the past three and four years. It is also recalled that a lot of students have received injuries of varying degrees from brutal attacks by the security forces on the first day of violence.

HRLHA calls up on the Ethiopian Government to immediately stop racial and discriminatory violence and unconditionally release the detained students and facilitate the resumption of normal classes. A thorough investigation of the overall situation is also expected from a responsible government so that the culprits would be held accountable for their wrongdoings. HRLHA also calls up on regional and international diplomatic, democratic, and human rights agencies to challenge the Ethiopian TPLF/EPRDF regime on its persistent brutal, dictatorial, and suppressive actions against innocent and unarmed civilians who attempt to exercise their “said-to-have-been-granted” democratic rights.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to the Ethiopian Government and its

concerned officials as swiftly as possible, in English, Ahmaric, or your own language expressing:

• Your Concerns at the apprehension and fear of Torture of the citizens who are being held in Ma’ikelawi Central Investigation Office and other detention centers since in February, 2011 at different times and calling for their immediate and unconditional release;
• Urging the authorities of Ethiopia to ensure that these detainees are treated in accordance with regional and international standards on the treatment of prisoners,
• Urging the Ethiopian Government to disclose whereabouts of the detainees  and
• Your concerns to diplomatic representatives of Ethiopia accredited to your country.

v  His Excellency: Mr. Meles Zenawi – Prime Minister of Ethiopia

P.O.Box – 1031

Addis Ababa

Telephone – +251 155 20 44; +251 111 32 41

Fax – +251 155 20 30 , +251 1552020

v  His Excellency Birhan Hailu –Min. of Justice

PO Box 1370, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Fax: +251 11 5517775; +251 11 5520874 Email: ministry-justice@telecom.net.et

v  Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights

United Nations Office at Geneva 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Fax: + 41 22 917 9022 (particularly for urgent matters) E-mail: tb-petitions@ohchr.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

v  UNHCR main office Geneva, Switzerland.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Case Postale 2500 CH-1211 Genève 2 Dépôt Suisse. telephone number: +41 22 739 8111

To contact us electronically,

» To contact UNHCR Headquarters: online contact form.

v  ICRC

International Committee of the Red Cross

Address:
19 Avenue de la paix CH 1202 Geneva

Tel: +41 22 734 60 01

Fax: +41 22 733 20 57

E-mail webmaster@icrc.org>

v  African Commission on Human and Peoples‘ Rights (ACHPR)

48 Kairaba Avenue, P.O.Box 673, Banjul, The Gambia.

Tel: (220) 4392 962 , 4372070, 4377721 – 23 Fax: (220) 4390 764

E-mail: achpr@achpr.org

v  U.S. Department of State

Tom Fcansky – Foreign Affairs Officer

Email;-TOfcansky@aol.com>Washington, D.C. 20037

Tel: +1-202-261-8009

Fax: +1-202-261-8197

v  Amnesty International – London

Tom Gibson

Telephone: +44-20-74135500

Fax number: +44-20-79561157

Email;- TGibson@amnesty.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

v  Human Rights Watch – New York,

Leslie Lefkow

Tel: +1-212-290-4700

Fax:+1-212-736-1300 Email: hrwnyc@hrw.org

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