Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished speakers and guests,
Since my heading of the EU’s 2005 election observation mission in Ethiopia, which
revealed manipulation of vote counts and was followed by atrocious massacres to
repress political opposition, I have developed a strong personal interest in the politics of
Ethiopia and the humanitarian situation of its civilian population.
Through my position as a member of the European Parliament’s Human Rights
Committee and my involvement with the Delegation to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary
Assembly, I have been working to draw attention to the ongoing human rights violations
in Ethiopia and the civil-political discrimination faced by its ethnic minorities including
the Ogaden.
I have actively participated in a range of international conferences and criticised
Ethiopia’s political regime in several articles. The most recent one was published by
European Voice as a reaction to the final report of this years’ EU Election Observation
Mission in Ethiopia.
The report, which was issued in November, concluded that “the electoral process [of
Ethiopia’s general elections in May 2010] fell short of international commitments for
elections, notably regarding the transparency of the process and the lack of a level
playing-field for all contesting parties”. In light of ongoing reports concerning arbitrary
arrest of political activists and violent crackdown on innocent civilians, this finding did
not come as a surprise. Quite on the contrary, it supported the negative country
evaluation by Human Rights Watch from October 2010, which revealed the misuse of
international aid to reward governmental support and to repress critical voices within the
country.
In the context of these worrying reports and of the 20th session of the ACP-EU Joint
Parliamentary Assembly in Kinshasa, which took place last week, there is a pressing
need to assess where Ethiopian governance is heading and what this will mean for EU
policy and the Horn of Africa.
Today’s hearing ‘Ethiopia’s Stalled Democracy: A Spotlight on the Ogaden, which I
have convened in collaboration with the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples
Organization and African Rights Monitor, therefore comes at a significant time and is
promising to make an important contribution towards this assessment.
I am most grateful for this opportunity of open dialogue
between renowned academics, NGO representatives,
politicians, members of the Ogaden disapora and the
general public, which will be inspired by exclusive video
footage and first-hand information through the personal
testimony of an eyewittness from the Ogaden region in
Ethiopia.
Through free discussion, awareness will be raised
regarding persistent democratic shortcomings, gross human
rights violations and political repression in Ethiopia, which
do not only impact innocent Ethiopian civilians but also
neighbouring countries including Eritrea and Somalia by
further destabilising this historically troubled region of
Africa.
Considering the expected significance of the event, I regret all the more my personal
inability to attend the hearing due to an unforeseen change of my political schedule. I
am nevertheless hoping to support the hearing’s cause through this written statement
and to encourage lively and open debate amongst all participants.
Too long has the European Union been turning a blind eye to the humanitarian
atrocities which have marked Ethiopia’s recent history. The softly worded statement by
Catherine Ashton, the EU’s foreign policy chief, which described this year’s elections as
“an important moment in the democratic process” in Ethiopia, fell short of expectations
for a stricter policy towards Zenawi’s terror rule, and the continued aid delivery by the
European Union misuses taxpayer’s money to support the unjust status quo.
It is time that the international community take responsibility and unite against the
domestic and international threat of Ethiopia’s repressive government. It is time that the
European Union abandon their ‘business as usual’ strategy and pass stricter sanctions
and aid conditions to limit the arbitrary use of governmental power.
This hearing forms an important step towards the achievement of these claims, and I
am looking forward to constructive dialogue and decisive conclusions and tangible
recommendations for future EU policies.
— The writer, the Honorable Ana Gomes, is a member of the European Parliament and chief of the EU Observer Mission to the stolen 2005 Ethiopian elections. MEP Ana Gomes made the above speech at a conference held on December 7 at the European Parliament Brussels, Belgium. Ana remains perhaps the greatest friend of the Ethiopian people who steadfastly protests against government brutality in the country.
