Wednesday, 29 May 2013
Reality behind the Lies of TPLF's Governance
May 27,2013 Africa Review
May 27,2013 Africa Review
The African Union has been celebrating 50 years in Addis Ababa against a backdrop of developing infrastructure, a perfect postcard of Africa’s booming economic growth. Yet, on the outskirts of the city, hidden from the view of passing visitors, is a symbol of Ethiopia’s oppressive reality: a prison filled with people who should not be there-- leading Ethiopian dissidents and journalists.
For the African Union, this should be
a shameful blemish, but it should also be an opportunity to recognise
freedom, equality and justice for all as the basis, not consequence, of
peace, stability and economic development for the next 50 years.
After all, it was in Addis Ababa on
May 25, 1963 when African leaders inscribed in the OAU charter that
"freedom, equality, justice and dignity are essential objectives for the
achievement of the legitimate aspirations of the African peoples."
The leaders also inserted the
doctrine of non-interference in the internal affairs of states. As a
result, the OAU was silent as hundreds, if not thousands were murdered
and imprisoned in a prison adjacent its offices in Addis Ababa during
the days of the Red Terror under the rule of Soviet-backed dictator
Mengistu Hailemariam (the new, Chinese-built extension of the African
Union headquarters now sits on top of the erstwhile grounds of the
prison).
With the advent of the African Union,
came a new 21st century vision of democracy and development reflected
in the AU’s consistent sanctions against coup leaders, for instance.
Yet, for all of the AU’s efforts to
promote good governance (i.e. through the African Peer Review
Mechanism), its own host country has steadily moved in the opposition
direction since the ruling party nearly lost its grip on power in the
contested 2005 elections.
Today, Ethiopia’s rulers self-style
after China’s Communist Party, balking at ideals of democracy and press
freedom as Western impositions, even though these values are enshrined
in their own constitution.
Defied condemnation
They trumpet economic growth,
restrict the press and the internet, and conflate peaceful acts of
dissent with terrorism or anti-state activities. Gripped by the fear of a
domestic popular uprising in the early months of the Arab Spring in
2011, authorities imprisoned dozens of opponents, both perceived and
real, including leading journalists like Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu and
Woubshet Taye.
The government has defied
condemnation from the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights and
the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression on their imprisonment
and sentencing to harsh prison terms on fabricated charges of
involvement in "terrorism."
Ethiopia’s behaviour hardly reflects
the values of the African Union, and show that the benefits of the
progress in infrastructure and economic growth, as seen in Addis Ababa,
or Kigali, have been exclusive to those unquestioning their rulers.
There should be cause for concern.
The Africa Progress Panel noted that
the benefits of growth have yet to trickle down to the poor and that in
some cases, inequality is even on the rise, threatening the gains
already made. Ethiopia for instance has made strides towards the
Millennium Development Goals, especially in health and education, but
remains dependent on Western aid for food and Chinese investments to
develop its infrastructure.
The country also ranks in the bottom
of various indexes measuring governance, transparency, rule of law and
ease of doing business. By comparison, Kenya, with all its problems,
surpasses Ethiopia in the dynamism of its private sector, including the
press, or the quality of its telecom infrastructure which facilitates
the flow of information, spurring trade, and the open dispensation of
competing ideas necessary for innovation.
A measure of optimism
Notwithstanding, optimism permeates
the air in Addis Ababa, and can be found in the most unlikely of places:
Kaliti prison where journalist Eskinder Nega has called his home away
from home five days after writing the following on September 9, 2011,
five days before his arrest: "It’s easy to complain about the things we
do not have. No freedom. Raging inflation. Rising unemployment. Rampant
corruption. A delusional ruling party. An uncertain year ahead of us.
And the list could go on."
"But consider the exciting prospects:
[2012] could be the year when we, too, like the majority of our fellow
Africans, will have a government by the people, for the people…. The
gist of the matter is that there are ample reasons to hope."
The Ethiopian government would have
the world believe that Eskinder is a dangerous man bent on inciting
violent revolution, but his thoughtful critiques of the government
articulated a hopeful vision of the future in line with the aspirations
of not only Ethiopians, but also the African Union.
For Africa Progress Panel Chair Kofi
Annan, broad-based or inclusive growth (i.e. lifting millions out of
poverty) "will take bold leadership, and it means building up proper
governance, solidifying democracy, embracing transparency and
accountability, and strengthening governance, institutions and the rule
of law."
The African Union should therefore
more forcefully condemn regressions in governance and political
freedoms, and the exclusion of critical voices in civil society and the
media. It can begin with its host country, Ethiopia.
--Mohamed Keita is Africa Advocacy Coordinator of the Committee to
Protect Journalists (www.cpj.org), an independent, nonprofit
organization that promotes press freedom worldwide since 1981.http://www.africareview.com/Opinion/AU-host-Addis-Ababa-hides-oppression-in-plain-sight/-/979188/1864024/-/10yn0msz/-/index.html
