Human Rights Watch issued it’s 2015 Report on Ethiopia in three languages, Afaan Oromoo, Amharic & English

In June, journalist Reeyot Alemu and five other journalists and bloggers from the Zone 9 blogging collective were released from prison ahead of President Obama’s visit to Ethiopia, On October 16, the remaining four imprisoned Zone 9 bloggers were acquitted of terrorism charges after 39 hearings and 539 days in detention. A fifth charged in absentia was also acquitted. Many other journalists, protesters, and other political opponents continued to be prosecuted under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, and many journalists including Eskinder Nega and Woubshet Taye remain in prison.

The 2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSO law) continues to severely curtail the ability of independent nongovernmental organizations to work on human rights. The law bars work on human rights, good governance, conflict resolution, and advocacy on the rights of women, children, and people with disabilities if organizations receive more than 10 percent of their funds from foreign sources.

The government regularly monitors and records telephone calls of family members and friends of suspected opposition members and intercepts digital communications with highly intrusive spyware. Leaked emails from Milan-based Hacking Team, which sold spyware to the Ethiopian government, reveal that despite warnings of the risk of Ethiopia misusing their spyware, they issued a temporary license to Ethiopia while they began negotiations in April on a new contract worth at least US$700,000.

Torture and Arbitrary Detention

Ethiopian security personnel frequently tortured and otherwise ill-treated political detainees held in both official and secret detention centers to give confessions or provide information. At its UN Universal Periodic Review in 2014, Ethiopia accepted a recommendation to “adopt measures which guarantee the non-occurrence of cases of torture and ill-treatment in places of detention,” but there is little indication that security personnel are being investigated or punished for carrying out these abuses.

The Liyu police, a Somali Regional State paramilitary police force without a clear legal mandate, continued to commit serious human rights abuses in their ongoing conflict with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in Ethiopia’s Somali Region, with reports of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detention, and violence against civilians who are accused of supporting or being sympathetic to the ONLF.

Andargachew Tsige, a United Kingdom citizen and secretary-general of the Ginbot 7 organization, a group banned for advocating armed overthrow of the government, remains in detention in Ethiopia after his unlawful 2014 deportation to Ethiopia from Yemen while in transit. He had twice been sentenced to death in absentia for his involvement with Ginbot 7. UK consular officials visited Andargachew only three times, amid growing concerns about his mistreatment in detention. In April, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called on Ethiopia to release and compensate Andargachew.

Forced Displacement Linked to Development Programs

Some donors, including UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the World Bank, rechanneled funding from the problematic Protection of Basic Services (PBS) program in 2015. PBS was associated with the abusive “villagization program,” a government effort to relocate 1.5 million rural people into permanent villages, ostensibly to improve their access to basic services. Some of the relocations in the first year of the program in Gambella region in 2011 were accompanied by violence, including beatings and arbitrary arrests, and insufficient consultation and compensation.

Some Gambella residents filed a complaint in 2013 to the World Bank’s Inspection Panel, the institution’s independent accountability mechanism, alleging that the bank violated its own policies on indigenous people and involuntary resettlement. The Inspection Panel identified major shortcomings in the PBS program in its November 2014 recommendations, although the World Bank Board largely rejected the findings in February. A translator who worked with the Inspection Panel in Gambella was arrested in March and charged under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation in September 2015.

In February, in the course of a court hearing on a complaint by an Ethiopian farmer that the UK violated its partnership principles by supporting the PBS program, DFID announced that it was ending support to the PBS program. DFID cited concerns over Ethiopia’s civil and political rights record, including concerns related to “freedom of expression and electoral competition, and continued concerns about the accountability of security services.”

There are ongoing reports of forced displacement from development projects in different regions, often with minimal or no compensation and little in the way of prior consultation with affected, often indigenous, communities. Allegations have arisen from commercial and industrial projects associated with Addis Ababa’s expansion and the continued development of sugar plantations in the Lower Omo Valley, which involves clearing 245,000 hectares of land that is home to 200,000 indigenous people. Communities in Omo have seen their grazing land cleared and have lost access to the Omo River, which they relied on for crops. Individuals who questioned the development plans were arrested and harassed.

Violent incidents, both between different ethnic groups and between the government and ethnic groups, increased in 2015 partly due to the growing competition for grazing land and other resources. The reservoir behind the Gibe III dam began filling in January 2015, reducing the annual natural flood that replenished the agricultural lands along the banks of the Omo River.

Key International Actors

Ethiopia enjoys strong support from foreign donors and most of its regional neighbors, based on its role as host of the African Union and strategic regional player, its contribution to UN peacekeeping, security and aid partnerships with Western countries, and its progress on development indicators. The African Union(AU)—the only international body that monitored the May elections—declared the elections “credible” despite the severe restrictions on opposition political parties, independent media, and civil society.

Ethiopia continued to facilitate negotiations between warring parties in South Sudan, and its troops maintained calm in the disputed Abyei Region. Ethiopia deploys troops inside Somalia as part of the AU mission, and in 2015 there were growing reports that abusive “Liyu police” forces were also deployed alongside the Ethiopian Defense Forces. Ethiopia continued to host hundreds of thousands of refugees from South Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea.

Ethiopia is one of the largest recipients of donor aid in Africa, receiving almost $3 billion in 2015 despite allegations of human rights abuses associated with some development programs, including forced displacement in Gambella and the Omo Valley. There are no indications that donors have strengthened the monitoring and accountability provisions needed to ensure that their development aid does not contribute to or exacerbate human rights problems in Ethiopia.

Afaan oromo

Motumaan Itoopian humna dhiibaa fudhechuu itti fuufeera. Bara 2015 keessatti qofa miseensota dhaabbilee siyaasaa, gaazexessitoota, fi hiriirtota nagaa baay’inni isaanii gidiraa adda addaa, hidhaa akka malee, akkasumas hiraarfama ilaalcha siyaasa irraa ka’ee gaggeeffamaa tureef saaxilamuun isaanii itti fufeera.

Sababa qaamota sagalee addaa qaban irratti karaan cufameef Gamtaan dhaabota siyaasaa aangoo irra jiru, Addi Dimokraatawaa Warraaqsa Ummata Itoopiyaa (ADWUI), baatii Caamsaa keessa filannoo gaggeeffameen teessuma paarlaamaa 547 hunda moo’eera. Dhufaatii Prezedantiin biyya Amerikaa Baaraak Obaamaa dura hidhamtoota siyaasaa beekamoo muraasa gadhiisuu tiin alatti mirga bu’uraa dhala namaa, seerota, imaammata caasaawwan bilisaa ummataa fi midiyaa cunqursan fi akka hin malletti sochii dhorkuuf tolfaman ilaalchisee biyatii keesatti fooya’insi ta’e homa hinjiru.

Filannoo fi Waltajjii Siyaasaa

Filannoon sadarkaa Federaalaa Caamsaa sun akka waliigalaa tti doorsisa/sodaachisuun kan guutame, Boordiin Filannoo Biyyoolessaa bilisummaa haala hin qabne keessatti gaggeeffame. Gama tokkoon dhaabotni mormitootaa humni tikaa fi dabballeewwan dhaaba siyaasaa aangoo qabatee jiru akka miseensota isaanii dararan fi hidhan yoo gabaasan gama biraatiin ammoo sirni dorgomtoota galmeessisuu mormitoota irratti akka malee ulfaataa akka ta’u godhamee ture.

Dhaabotni mormitootaa yaroo filanaannan dhiyaate tti hiriira nagaa gaggeessuuf fi ummata sochoosuuf yaalii yaroo hedduu godhanillee angawootni mootummaa hayyama dhorkachuu, hidhuudhaan akka danqaa itti ta’an ibsu.

Qoqqobbiiwwan kunniin, midiyaan fi dhaabotni ummataa bilisa ta’an dhabamuu isaanii waliin wal qabatee, hiikni qabu sagaleen addaa akka hin dhagayamne ukkamsuu falmiin siyaasaa hiikaa qabu qabxiiwwan siyaasaa murteessoo irratti akka hin godhamne taasisu.

Mirga Walgayii Nagaa Gaggeessuu

Sochii Hiriira Musliima kan bara 2012-2014 Itoophiyaa guutuu keessatti qabate qindeessu jedhamanii namootni adda baafaman kudha saddet irratti baatii Adoolessaa keessa labsii farra shororkeessummaa jalatti himatni dhiyaatee, Hagayya keessa adabni hidhaa waggaa 7 fi 22, dhaddcha cufaa fi falmii karaa malee gaggeeffameen irratti murtaaye.  Angawootni mootummaa Adoolessa 2012 keessa yommu ummatni Musliimaa mootummaan dhimma amantii isaanii keessa galaa akka jiru fakkaatee mul’atetti mormii hiriira taasisu jalqabanitti aanee hidhamani.

Karoora Finfinnee gara Oromiyaatti babal’isuu waliin wal qabatee hiriira mormii Ebla fi Caamsaa 2014 eegaleen, barattoota Oromoo lakkoofsi isaanii hammana jedhanii himuu hin dandeenye, hedduun himata seeraa tokkoon alatti qabanii hidhuun itti fufeera.  Qaamotni tikaa humna akka malee ta’e, kan lubbuu namaa balaaf saaxiluu, rasaasa dabalatee, fayyadamuudhaan magaalaa hedduutti hiriirtota irratti dhukaasuun yoo xinnaate namoota kurnoota hedduutti lakkaayaman ajjeesaniiru, dhibbootatti kan lakkaayaman hidhaniiru.

Ajjeechaa fi humna seeraan ala fayyadamuu kana ilaalchisee angawoota mootummaa Itoophiyaatiin qorannaan gaggeeffame hin jiru. Kanneen hidhaa irraa gadhiifaman garuu akka reebaman ykn haala akka malee keessatti qabamanii akka turfaman ibsu. Ummata Itoophiyaa keessa % 45 kan ta’u Oromoo yoo ta’u, yaroo hedduu hidhaa akka hin malle kan saaxilame fi Adda Bilisummaa Oromo (ABO) dhaaba seeraan uggurman deeggara maqaa jedhuun kan himatamudha.

Mirga Yaada Ofii Ibsachuu fi Walgeettii

Miidiyaaleen mootummaa jalatti ukkamamamanii hojjechuu itti fufaniiru, gaazexessitootni hedduun of to’achuuf dirqamanii hojjetu ykn hiraarfamuu, hidhamuu fi biyyaa baqatanii baduu keessaa tokko filachuun dirqama itti ta’eera. Bara 2010 irraa eegalee yoo xinnaate gaazexessitootni 60 ta’an biyyaa badaniiru. Tarsiimoon midiyaalee bilisaa ukkaamsu kun barreessitootaa fi waldaalee maxxansitoota fi raabsitoota dabalata.

Baatii Waxabajjii keessa, gaazexessituu Riyoot Alamuu fi gamtaan bilogarota Zoonii 9 faa fi kanneen biroo shan do’ii Pirezedantiin Obaamaan Itophiyaatti godhe dura mana hidhaa irraa gadhiifaman.  Onkololeessa 16, bilogarota Zoonii 9 keessaa kanneen hidhaa keessatti hafanii turan fi labsii farra shororkeessummaa jalatti yakkamanii ballama 36 tiif mana murtii tti deddeebi’aa erga turaniin fi bulti 539 erga hidhamanii booda murtiin bilisa jedhamanii hiikamani. Inni shanaffaan bakka hin jirretti dhimmi isaa ilaalamaa tures bilisa ta’eera. Gaazexessitootni biroo hedduu, hirmaattotni hiriiraa, akkasumas mormitootni siyaasaa biroo irrattis himatni labsii farra shororkeessummaa jalatti irratti dhiyaatu ittuma fufeetu jira, gaazexessitoota Iskindir Naggaa fi Wubisheet Taayyee dabalatee ammoo ammallee manuma hidhaa keessa jiru.

Labsiin Waldaawwan Tajaajila tolaa kennuuf hundaawan fi Jaarmiyaalee Hawaasaa, dhaabota bilisaa kan miti-mootummaa ta’an mirga isaan hojjechuuf qaban takaalee dhorkuun isaa ittuma fufeetu jira.  Seerichi waayee mirga dhala namaa, bulchinsa gaarii, walitti bu’insa hiikuu, falmii mirga dubartoota, kan ijoollee, fi ummata hir’ina qaamaa qaban irratti, dhaabotni hojjetan bajata qaban keessaa dhibbeentaa 10 olitti madda alaa irraa horii kan argatan yoo ta’e akka hin hojjente uggura.

Mootummaan kuusaa odeeffannoo haasawaa bilbila maatiiwwan fi hiryyootni namoota akka mormituutti shakkamanii itti fufinsaan towata, haasawaa isaanii gidduu galee meeshaa ‘spaayiweer’ jedhamutti fayyadamee akka hin malletti dhaggeeffata.

Imeeliin garee basaastuu- imeelii Miilan, spaayiweer mootummaa Itoophiyaatti gurguruun isaatiif icciitiin kan harkaa baye akka himutti, jarreen hayyama yaroo Itoophiyaaf kennanii akka ture fi Ebla irraa eegalee waliigaltee haaraa yoo xinnaate US 700,000 kan baasu raawwachuuf marii irra akka jiran argisiisa.

Reebicha fi Hidhaa Seera-Malee

Hojjettootni humna tikaa Itoophiyaa hidhamtoota siyaasaa manneen hidhaa beekamoo fi dhoksaa keessatti qabamanii jiran reebuun ykn akka hin malletti dararuudhaan jecha amantii fi odeeffannoo irraa fuudhuuf yaaluu ittuma fufaniiru. Mootummaa Gamtaawaniitti Gilgaala Waliigalaa Yaroo Yarootti Gaggeeffamu kan bara 2014 irratti, Itoophiyaan yaada fooyya’insaa kennameef fudhachuudhaan “manneen hidhaa keessatti reebicha raawwatamu fi hiraarsa irratti raawwachuun akka hin jiraatne mirkaneessuu kan dandeessisu deemsa akka diriirsuu” waliigalaeera, haa ta’u malee ergasii asitti hojjettootni humna tikaa kanneen hojii akkanaa raawwatan qoratamuu ykn adabamuu isaaniitiif mallattoon argame hin jiru.

Liyyuu poolisii, humni paaraamilitarii Mootummaa Naanoon Somaalee, Poolisii aangoo seera ifaa ta’e tokkoon maleetti, walitti bu’insa Adda Biyyoolessaa Bilisummaa Ogaaden (ABBO) waliin jiru sababa gochuun socho’uudhaa yakkoota ciccimoo mirga dhala namaa sarbuu Itoopiyaa fi somaalee keessatti raawwachuu itti fufeen, gabaasotni seera malee nama akka fedhanitti nama ajjeesuu, hidhaa seeraan malee, ummata siviilii ABBO gargaaruun shakkaman dararuun baay’inaaa gabaafamaa jira.

Andaargaachoo Tsiggee, lammii biyya Yunaayitid Kiingdam fi dhaaba mootummaa humnaan fonqolchuuf yaale jedhamee ugguramee jiru dhaaba Ginboot 7 jedhamuuf barreessaa kan ta’e, bara 2014 seeraan ala biyya Yaman irra otoo darbuu seeraan ala qabamee erga Itoophiyaatti dabarfamee booda hanga ammaatti hidhaa keessa jira. Namni kun hirmaannaa Giboot 7 keessatti qabuuf harka lama murtiin du’aa bakka hin jirretti irratti murameera. Miseensotni Qonsilaa UK, Andaargaachoo, mana hidhaa keessatti hiraarsi irra gayaa jiraachuu isaatiif shakkiin guddaan otoo jiruu, marraa sadii qofaaf dhaqanii isa ilaalani. Baatii Eblaa keessa gareen hojii seeraan malee hidhaa raawwatu irratti hojjetu kan UN tokko mootummaan Itoophiyaa Andaargaachoo akka gadhiisuu fi beenyaas akka kafaluuf gaafate.

Maqaa Karoora Misooma jedhuun Humnaan Nama Buqqisuu

Hirphaa kennitootni gariin, Qajeelcha Misooma Addunyaa UK (DFID) fi baankii addunyaa dabalatee, horii kennuu Tajaajila Bu’uraa Tiksuu (TBT) [Protection of Basic Services  (PBS)] sagantaa rakkisaa turerra bara 2015 jallisanii jiru. TBTn sagantaa ummata qubachiisuu, yaalii mootummaan ummata miliyoona 1.5 ta’u, maqaa tajaajila bu’uuraa ummatatti dhiyeessa jedhuun hawaasa baadiyyaa jiraatu buqqisuu waliin wal qabsiisee raawwatu dha. Bakki itti ummata buqqisanii bara duraaf galchuuf itti saganteeffatan  gariin, kan Naannoo Gambeellaa bara 2011 raawwate ummata hiraarsuu, reebichaa fi hidhaa akka maleetti fayyadamuudhaan, marii fi kaasaa gayaa tokkoon maleetti kan hojii irra ooledha.

Jiraattotni Gambeellaa muraasni bara 2013 Garee Qorataa Baankii Addunyaa, qaama bilisaa mala ittigaafatamummaa bilisa jedhamutti himata dhiyeeffatani, Baankichis seera mataa isaa kan imaammata jiraattota biyyaa fi ummata fedha isaa maleetti qubachiisuu waliin wal qabsiisee hordofu cabseera jedhu. Gareen Qorattuu, yaada fooyya’insaa Sadaasa 2014 dhiyeesseen sagantaa TBT keessatti rakkoowwan bu’uuraa adda baasee dhiyeesseera, haa ta’u malee Boordiin Baankii Addunyaa argannoo kunniin hedduu isaanii baatii Guraandhalaa keessa kufaa godheera.  Afaan hiiktuun Garee Qorannaa san waliin Gambeellaa keessatti hojjetaa ture Bitootessaa keessa erga qabamee hidhamee booda Labsii farra shororkeessummaa jalatti yakka raawwatte jedhamee Fulbaana 2015 tti himatame.

Guraandhala keessa, yommu himatni qotee bulaa Itoophiyaa tokko sababa UK’n waadaa sirna waliin hojjechuuf tolfame kabajuu hanqachuudhaan sagantaa TBT deeggarte jedhamtee mana murtiitti falmiin dhiyaachaa turetti, DFIDn sagantaa TBT deeggaruu akka dhaabe labse. Murtii isaa kanaa tiif akka sababa tti waantota tuqe keessaa, Itoophiyaan mirgoota siyaasaa kabajuu ishee ilaalchisee ragaan jiru, haala yaachisaa bilisa ta’anii yaada ofii ibsachuu fi dorgommii filannaa irratti, akkasumas haala yaroo dheeraatiif yaachisaa ta’ee itti fufaa jiru kan raawwii hojjettoota humna tikaa ilaalchisee jiru kaasee ture.

Humnaan ummata qeyee isaa irraa buqqisanii bakka biraa qubachiisuu ilaalchisee itti fufinsaan gabaasni dhiyaachaa jira, hojiin kun kafaltii xinno yoo kaan ammoo kafaltiin tokkoon alatti, otoo jiraattotni ykn ummatni dhimmi isaa ilaallatu sirnaan hin irratti hin mariisisiin kan raawwatamu dha. Komiin akkanaa kun projektota daldala fi indusitrii kan Finfinnee babal’isuuf karoorfamee jiru fi misooma biqiltuu shonkoraa holqa Oomoo isa garjalla isa lafa hektaara 245,000 irraa qulqulleessanii kaasuu fi jiraattota 200,000 kan laficha irra jiraatan waliin wal qabatee ka’udha.  Hawaasni Oomoo lafa isaa irraa kaloo horii qulqullaayee laga Omoo kan midhaan hoomishuuf itti fayyadamnanitti karaan yoo itti cufamu arganii callisuuf dirqamani.  Kanneen karoora misoomaa kana ilaalchisee gaaffii kaasan ammoo ni hidhamu ni hiraarfamu.

Walitti bu’insi hamaan, sabaa fi sablammoota gidduu akkasuma mootummaa fi ummata adda addaa gidduutti mul’achuun bara 2015 keessa dabaleera, sababni kanaas gara caalu lafa kaloo fi qabeenya umamaa irratti wal dhiibuu irraa madda.  Cufaan jallisii Gibee III duuba jiru Amajjii 2015 irraa eegalee, bara baraan bishaan uumamaan gad darbee gamaa-gamna Oomootti lafa qonnaa   jiisuun irra ture hanqisaa, ofii garuu guutuu eegaleera.

Qaamota Biyya Alaa Dhimma Kana Keessatti Furtuu Ta’an

Itoophiyaan hirphaa kennitoota biyya alaa hedduu fi biyyoota ollaa irraa gargaarsa guddaa argachaa jirti, kunis biyyattiin teessuma Gamtaa Afrikaa ta’uu ishee irraa kan ka’e bakka murteessaa qabaachuu, nagaa eegsiftuu Mootummaa Gamtoomanii (UN) keessatti gumaacha qabdu, nageenya fi gargaarsa waliin wal-qabatee walitti dhufeenya biyyoota dhiyaa waliin tolfatte, akkasumas misooma biyyaa irratti safartuuwwan jiru irratti fooyya’insa mul’ifte jedhamee kan himamu san irraa kan maddudha.  Gamtaan Afrikaa (AU) – qaamni tokkittiin addunyaa hunda irraa filannaa 2015 to’ate- otoo dhaabotni siyaasaa mormitootaa, miidiyaaleen bilisaa fi dhaabotni bilisaa kanneen biroon akka hin sochoone qoqqobbaan cimaan irratti godhamee jiruu, filannaan sun  “amanamaadha” jedhee labse.

Itoophiyaan kanneen lola irra jiran araara ummata Sudaan Kibbaa aanjessuu itti fuftee jirti, humni waraanaa ishii bakka wal dhibdeen jiru Naannoo Abiye’i qabatee jira. Itoophiyaan shoora Gamtaa Afrikaa (AU) keessatti qabdu waliin wal qabatee humna waraanaa ishii Somaalee akka bobbaaftee jirti, bara 2015 keessa humna akka maleetti fayyadama kan jiru humni “Liyyuu Poolis” humna waraanaa Itoophiyaa cinaa socho’aa akka jiru gabaasni dhiyaachaa ture. Itoophiyaan dhibba fi kumaatamatti lakkaayaman baqattoota Ummata Sudaan Kibbaa, Somaalee fi Eertiraa irraa simattee keessee jirti.

Karoorri misoomaa Itoophiyaa gariin isaa dhiibbaa mirga namaa waliin wal qabatee-humnaan ummata Gambeellaa fi Holqa Omoo keessa jiraatu buqqisuu dabalatee, kan mormiin irratti ka’u yoo ta’ellee, biyyattiin hirphaa biyyoota alaa irraa bara 2015 keessa biliyoona $3 hirpha argachuun Afrikaa keessaa sadarkaa tokkoffaa irra jirti.  Biyyootni hirpha kana kennan waliigaltee gargaarsichaa keessatti sirni ittigaafatamummaa fi to’annaa itti cimu, gargaarsi kun cunqursaa mirga dhala namaaf akka hin oolle gochuu irratti keewwata cimaa tokko kaayuu isaanii kan argisiisu mallattoon tokko hin jiru.