This paper presents the perspectives of residents of Addis Ababa. The paper was organized after conducting an informal interview with four women, and group of youth on the current new forms of women and youth organizing effort introduced by the current administration. They were asked to express their general view on the situation, as Ethiopia is approaching to conduct an election in May 2010.
“If I have a choice, I would rather decide to stay away from the Women League. Unfortunately, I have no alternatives. I need to get ‘food’ to feed my children,” Asnakech, an Ethiopian woman who was told she must join the Women League in order to receive wheat made this statement.
“We do not have freedom. If we are not with EPRDF, we are repeatedly told to put our heads down. The choice is either to repress our views or stay out of politics. You know, if we say some thing, we know what will happen ….prison,” said Mikiyas, a young energetic person who is threatened not to express his political views freely.
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to talk to several youths and women about their situations in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Many people from different lifestyles complain about several things. Living cost is sky rocketing. Basic services are scarce. Fear of political persecution exists everywhere. Some people who used to advocate for change in the country openly are afraid of putting their families at risk. As one woman opined, “Ethiopians are expected to behave and act in accordance with what the TPLF/EPRDF prescribes. Otherwise, they will be considered as an enemy of the REVOLUTION. It is not only individuals who can be considered as an enemy. Their families are also in danger.”
Given the existing conditions in Ethiopia, citizens are left with no alternatives. Any form of resistance will jeopardize their wellbeing. The undercover agents (nechlebashoch) have infested the society. One young girl told me “if you are a well-known person, and are considered as a threat to the regime, you will be imprisoned. If you are not a known person, they will exterminate you. I have three friends who were picked up by government agents. I tried to locate where they are and could not get a clue. That bothers me a lot…who knows…we do not know how many people have been killed….”
According to the city residents, the regime has put in place numerous controlling mechanisms, which are designed to control the daily activities of citizens. Currently, the regime has established new structures called Urban citizens’ league (“Yeketema Newariwoch League”), “Women’s League”, “Youth League”, and “Youth Forums”. League and forums are newly-introduced mass-controlling mechanisms. One woman said, “If citizens decide to abandon these League and Forum meetings, they will be under the threat of receiving no social services from their Kebele, including wheat.”
In these newly introduced control structures, youth and women are the prime targets. According to my sources, the reasons for putting a high level of pressure on youth and women are obvious. First, most youth are active supporters of opposition groups. Most youths make jokes about the TPLF/EPRDF’s ethnocentric political ideologies. One young man from a minority group said: “Who told them that we will disappear if they do not protect us? …are we a species that is near to extinction? They are using ethnicity to perpetuate their life in power…we all should talk about it….we should not allow them to use ethnicity to maintain their status quo. For me, Ethiopians have a long sustained mechanism of living together. We embrace our diversity…we should tell them loudly that that is not our agenda….”
Despite the level of harassment by the TPLF/EPRDF, the youth are immensely engaged in pro-human rights and freedom related thoughts and activities. The youth constitute the larger part of the Ethiopian population. Available data suggest that children and youth constitute more than 40% of the total population of the country. In addition, the youth are really aspiring for a significant change. According to youths, the TPLF/EPRDF cadres often tell young people either to be with the TPLF/EPRDF or to put their heads down.
Women also are targeted and are often told to join the so-called Women’s Leagues. In Ethiopia, the socially constructed role for women revolves around socializing the new generation and ensuring the wellbeing of the family. This socially constructed gender role of women enhances their vulnerability to the TPLF/EPRDF oppressive system. As a mother or sister, they are expected worry about the availability of food. Some women clearly told me that, if they do not participate in the Women’s League, they would not receive any food aid that is being distributed at Kebele level.
Currently, political affiliation is highly associated with the right to access basic survival goods and services. The TPLF/EPRDF regime is not treating Ethiopians as human beings. Under normal circumstances, countries are expected to treat their citizens on an equal basis irrespective of their political association or ideological orientation. However, the TPLF dominated EPRDF administration uses provision of services, such as food as a weapon.
Maintaining their status quo is the prime concern of the TPLF/EPRDF administration. They are not interested in ensuring the wellbeing of Ethiopians socially, economically, and politically. Their cadres are working day and night to treat Ethiopians heartlessly. Using food aid as a weapon to enslave Ethiopians is a crime against humanity. This is a clear human rights violation (one of the rights in the 1948, Universal Human Rights Declaration is “the right to live”). People should have food at least to exist. Unfortunately, Ethiopians are held in captivity due to their lack of opportunity to escape out of deeply rooted poverty.
