International condemnation of the violence that followed the May 15 parliamentary election in Ethiopia took on new force this week, with news that Britain had suspended $36-million in aid to the East African country.
These funds will be put on hold until Ethiopia’s fraught political climate improves.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by the United Kingdom’s international development secretary, Hillary Benn, during a brief visit to the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
It came in spite of earlier reports that government and opposition leaders had again pledged to halt the violence which was sparked by allegations of vote rigging, and which claimed more than 35 lives during protests last week. They were also said to have taken steps towards opposition participation in a probe of the supposed irregularities.
A previous agreement between the various political groups, reached on June 19 after considerable diplomatic pressure from the European Commission and other international bodies, collapsed within hours of being signed.
Ethiopia’s main opposition group, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), claimed it no longer had the resources to implement the deal, because so many of the party’s staff had been arrested. And on Saturday, reporters were abused by police as they went to interview CUD leader Hailu Shawel, only to find him under house arrest. Shawel has since been released.
Benn also called on Ethiopian authorities to allow the Red Cross access to people detained in connection with the demonstrations, which began June 6. This follows a statement by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday, expressing concern about the situation of persons who have been jailed.
”Given the Ethiopian security forces’ long record of detainee abuse, there is every reason to worry that those arrested are being mistreated,” HRW’s deputy Africa director, Georgette Gagnon, was quoted as saying in the statement.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Council claimed Monday that more than 3 000 people, including two of its own observers, had been detained. In its statement, HRW further noted that the arrests extended well beyond Addis Ababa.
”The situation of individuals detained in towns relatively far from the capital is of particular concern, as little is known about their total numbers, the reasons for their arrest or the conditions under which they are being held,” said the New York-based group. Most of those jailed were opposition supporters and students, it added.
Hundreds have also been wounded in the protests, which came in defiance of a government ban on demonstrations instituted after last month’s vote. On Monday, Meles announced on state television that the ban would continue for another month.
Government has accused opposition politicians of encouraging and, in some cases, organising the demonstrations, which got underway amongst students at Addis Ababa University. Police subsequently sealed off the campus, and detained hundreds of students.
On June 7, federal riot police stormed a technical college in the bustling Mexico area of the city, making more arrests. The following day saw the unrest reach a climax when armed police and special forces opened fire on crowds of stone-throwing youths in the Merkato, the commercial centre of Addis Ababa, often referred to as the largest open air market in Africa.
Meles has also repeated allegations that certain CUD members are borrowing propaganda tactics from the perpetrators of Rwanda 1994 genocide to raise ethnic tensions in the election process.
A similar statement made in the run-up to voting resulted in the prime minister being rapped over the knuckles by Ana Gomes, leader of the European Union’s team of election observers, who viewed the comparison as overly provocative.
Opposition rhetoric has, in turn, come in for criticism from HRW, which says it ”may well have contributed” to events last week.
Nonetheless, opposition leaders have proclaimed themselves innocent of any behind-the-scenes activity in connection with the protests, and repeated allegations of widespread fraud in the poll.
Provisional results show the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) held on to power by winning more than 300 seats in the 547-seat parliament. However, the opposition made unprecedented gains on May 15, winning 189 seats — a substantial increase over its previous tally of 12 — and sweeping the boards in Addis Ababa.
The official announcement of the results has been delayed until July 8, pending an investigation by the National Election Board into complaints from 299 constituencies.
In an interview, CUD Vice President Admasu Gebeyehu sounded a note of cautious optimism about the prospects for improved relations between government and the opposition.
”If we do something together or if we have a forum which makes us work together for one end then the situation may improve. That is my personal feeling,” he said. ”We will have at least one common objective to achieve which requires the contribution of all parties. Then maybe trust may develop.”
In the absence of satisfactory inquiries into the alleged vote rigging, Adamsu said his party could resort to legal action, peaceful protests or, as a last resort, a parliamentary boycott.
”We know that boycotting is the worst option,” he noted. ”But if everything goes bad then we are not going to be part of a bad process and a bad outcome. So we would be better to stay away.”
Similar words were heard from Meles.
”So long as [opposition supporters] play by the rules of the game, there shouldn’t be any problem,” he told reporters recently.
”Ruling parties and opposition parties need not be madly in love with each other for them to work harmoniously,” Meles added. ”What is required, in my view, is that all play by the rules of the game. And so long as they keep on the right side of the law, there shouldn’t be any problem.” -IPS