Ethiopian opposition wants AU to act

By Dorothy Asare Kuma, Ghanaian Times

July 3, 2007

Ethiopia’s top opposition figure, Andargachew Tsige, is appealing at the African Summit in Accra, Ghana, over the fate of the opposition leaders in jail in Ethiopia.

ACCRA, GHANA – The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) in Ethiopia says before the African Union (AU) even thinks of any unity on the Continent, it should first think of having a common voice.

“The Union Government of Africa will be successful, if and only if, the source of political power is the ballot box through free and fair elections, and its governance structure is unambiguously founded on the principles of separation of powers.”

The Party, in a statement, noted that while it is true that much of Africa’s plight is a result of colonial legacy, “Africa’s problem can only be explained by the abject failure of its children, particularly its rulers.”

It cited Ethiopia as one such country which was suffering from “dictatorship that lives by pitting one ethnic group against the other and unleashing wholesale repression against its people who peacefully demand change”

The CUDP said, following the country’s 2005 elections, about 111 members and elected leaders of the Party, independent press journalists and human rights defenders were imprisoned and charged with treason, genocide and other crimes the government felt could be added.

“Sadly the least of the protests of this gross abuse of the Ethiopian regime came from Africa. Neither the AU nor any Head of State of Africa has expressed dismay against such blatant violation of the rights of 77 million people.” the statement noted.

It said the only voices of international protests made against the Ethiopian regime came from the European and American Parliaments and international human rights organizations. “ Africa is doing little for itself, and this is a real shame.”

The Party expressed its support for the unity of Africa through peaceful and democratic means but asked the AU to invoke the instruments of international law and its own conventions against regimes that grossly abused the human rights of its people, including Ethiopia.

It also asked the AU to safeguard the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) and African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) initiatives and called on the AU Chairman, President Kufour to officially raise the concerns about Ethiopia at the Summit and address the plight of political prisoners on the continent