ETHIOPIA: Lest History Repeats Itself

21 Years of Human Right Calamity

HRLHA Press Release

August 24, 2012

PM Meles Zenawi

Only three heads of state exchanged hands over power in Ethiopia during a period of time that is about a century. This fact by itself is indicative of the non-existence of democracy in the country. During this extended time period, the various peoples and nationalities in Ethiopian never tolerated tyrants. The Feudal Regime of Haile Sellassie faced with various forms of peoples revolts and uprisings. Some paid maximum price, and others were condemned to indefinite incarcerations to bring regime down. Although some of the big questions such as the land ownership issue got answers, the Ethiopian peoples did not see the kind of change they wanted to, especially regarding fundamental human rights. Oppositions continued in different forms under the Dergue Communist Regime, in spite of the absolute political suppression. Again, hundreds of thousands were killed extra judicially, and hundreds of thousands of others sent to prison in the same extra judicial manner. But, that did not prevent the powerful Dergue Regime from falling. Once again, the Ethiopian peoples werevery unfortunate that a political change did not come. Things got from bad to worse in some cases under the current TPLF/EPRDF regime. As a result, oppositions continued to be displayed in different forms, only to be met with the harshest hands that the country has ever experienced. The country became the home of countless official and unofficial jails of its own citizens. Most of those detention centres experienced spill-over. Kidnappings, disappearances, extra judicial killings, and many other arbitrary actions happened to be the daily events. Even currently, hundreds of thousands of worshipers of the Muslim Religion are being taken in a mass to concentration camps such as Dhidhessa in western part of the country.

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