Exiled journalists appeal for
safe exit from Kenya

Ethiomedia
Novemeber 20, 2006

NAIROBI, Kenya - Exiled Ethiopian journalists who fled Ethiopia following a nationwide crackdown on journalists, human rights wrokers and members of the opposition in 2005, staged a rally here on September 2, 2006. The journalists are often attacked by Ethiopia's government agents in Kenya, and they need the support of the UN body for refugees.

"We Ethiopian journalists in exile forward our outcry in order to save our lives from the imminent dangers looming over us in Kenya at this time.

"The main cause of our exile to Kenya has been lack of press freedom in Ethiopia which put us in jeopardy. Under the oppressive press laws in Ethiopia we made our maximum efforts to fight rampant corruption and ethnic politics in the government’s system. We also did our best for the prevalence of pluralism as well as the respect of human rights in the country. We used to write or present critical reviews on various topics such as the worsening of the social and economic situation in the country, the dangers of ethnic politics, border conflicts and lack of justice in the system.

"For our genuine contributions in discharging our responsibilities as journalists, we were subjected to punitive measures, such persecution, imprisonment, torture and total harassment in Ethiopia . As a last resort to rescue our lives, we were forced to flee the country at different times and stacked in Kenya today.

"During our arrival in Kenya each of us approached the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) branch office to get eligibility as refugees. Infact some of us have been recognized as refugees but without concrete solutions up to this very day. We live here in an environment of constant fear and a threat from the Ethiopian security agents operating in Kenya. On the other hand, the UNHCR offer letter to some of our colleagues to go to the camps to get the resettlement opportunities in a third country.

"In the meantime, the UNHCR delayed and rebuked previously recognized refugee cases by claiming that it has rectified corrupt practices in its system of operations.

"Such loss of rights, and prolonging our stay in Kenya has made us highly vulnerable to the dangers we face in this country. It was to highlight our condition that we held a protest rally against the Ethiopian regime last May 2, 2006. And the agents of the regime started to kidnap our colleagues. We staged the demonstration for the following reasons:

1. To remind all international organizations that we are suffering and under a very difficult situation that needs immediate solution.
2. It was world press freedom day.
3. To appeal to the international community to intervene in the process of jailed journalists in Addis Ababa.

Ethiopian Journalist Refugees in Kenya.