Resolution on Ethiopia

We, the participants of the NGO Forum of the 40th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the 14th African Human Rights Book Fair, held at the Paradise Hotel in Banjul , the Gambia from November 12th – 14th , 2006;

Recalling that freedom of religion, freedom of opinion and expression, as well as the right to assemble are fundamental rights enshrined in the international instruments ratified by Ethiopia, and notably Articles 8, 9 and 11 respectively of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,

Deeply concerned about the treatment and prison conditions of opposition leaders, journalists, human rights defenders held in Kalitiand other prisons, facing serious charges of attempted genocide, treason, and outrage against the constitutional order, crimes carrying the death penalty under Ethiopian law,

Recalling that in June and November 2005, government security forces killed at least 193 demonstrators protesting against the outcome of parliamentary elections and have wounded 763 others in Addis Ababa and other towns, creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among the people,

Observing that freedom of press and access to information have significantly been curtailed following the November 2005 crackdown on the private press; particularly, the arrest of 14 journalists and publishers of private papers, the raid on their offices and confiscation of their office equipment; and the inaccessibility to those people who use the Ethiopian Telecommunications Corporation as their Internet Service Provider of several private bloggers hosted by private websites run by members of the Ethiopian Diaspora that provide information on political developments in Ethiopia,

Concerned about frequent inter-ethnic conflicts; particularly, between Guji and Gerba/Borena Oromos in southwestern Ethiopia; between members of the Somali and Oromo ethnic groups in Mieso woreda, Eastern Harerge, Southeastern Ethiopia; and even among students of higher learning institutions in Haramaya and Adama Universities, which recently claimed the life of at least one student, injured many others, and caused a summary dismissal from university of scores of students,

Alarmed by the recent atrocities committed by Religious Extremists in the Illubabor and Jimma Zones of Oromia Region, that claimed the lives of at least sixteen people, injured many others, and forced hundreds of people to flee their villages,

Emphaising that the prime responsibility and duty to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms in Ethiopia lie with the State,

Hereby request the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to adopt a resolution calling the Ethiopian government:

1. to release all arbitrarily detained political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders and journalists,
2. to guarantee to any individual accused of a crime carrying a death sentence the right to a fair trial as provided by the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments, including the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence,
3. to recognize the role of human rights defenders in the democratization process and the prevalence of the Rule of Law,
4. to guarantee, at all times, the freedoms of opinion and expression, as well as the right to hold peaceful demonstration and political assembly,
5. to observe the provisions of the international human rights instruments ratified by Ethiopia and notably, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR), and its own Constitution,
6. to bring to justice those responsible for the extradjudicial killings of over 193 civilians and six policemen and causing bodily harm to 763 others in June and November 2005, and those religious extremists who committed atrocities on members of other faiths in September and October 2005, and take all appropriate preventive measures so that people would live peacefully regardless of their political, ethnic or religious affiliations.
7. To invite the Special Rapporteurs of the African Commission for Human and Peoples Rights on prisons and human rights defenders to visit and report on the situation in Ethiopia.

Done in Banjul, 14th November, 2006