Human Rights at What  Cost?

The atmosphere in the capital Addis Ababa and in some major towns of the Regional States in Ethiopia has been marred by political tension for the last six months especially since the announcement of the results of the last national and regional elections of May 15, 2005. These riots were masterminded and initiated by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), one of the two main opposition parties which lost in the elections. The CUD had earlier rejected the results under the pretext of " fraud" and "vote rigging" by the ruling EPRDF and vowed to overthrow the incumbent government and change the National Constitution by force. These riots are part of the subversive political activities designed by the CUD in this respect.

Right from the outset of the elections CUD was not ready for the ballot box. It knew very well that it would not defeat the EPRDF especially in the rural constituencies where the latter enjoys massive support due to its close relationships with the peasantry forged during its 17 years of guerrilla warfare against the Derge regime. If CUD joined the elections, this was just to give the impression that it was part of the democratization process and to preserve its legal status that would enable it devise tactics and means for the realization of its sinister motives. 

The leaders of CUD had originally declared that all their protests would be peaceful and carried out within the legal framework involving civil protests taking as models the Ukrainean" Rose Revolution" and the Georgian  " Orange Revolution ". CUD's leaders who are consistent in their inconsistencies soon dropped the idea of the Orange and Rose Revolutions and announced their new options of organizing successive peaceful demonstrations, public gatherings and other forms of protest such as civil disobedience, sit-in strikes etc. 

Although CUD leaders were incessantly talking of " peaceful" and " legal" protests, there was however, nothing legal and peaceful about the aforementioned riots. What was observed instead in this folly of the CUD was nothing less than an undeclared war. The inexperienced and ill-equipped anti-riot police was no match for the gangs of unemployed youths and stone throwing mobs, involving demobilized soldiers of the previous Derg regime, armed cadres of CUD, in fact all the disgruntled social segments of the society which, for one reason or another, are opposed to the EPRDF. The intervention of armed police was necessitated to restore peace and stability and for the city to return to normalcy. At least 85 civilians and 8 policemen lost their lives and several others sustained injuries in the confrontations between the police and the rioters. An inestimable damage has been caused to public as well as individual properties. Given the shocking figure of 10 to 15 thousands of people would lose their lives in these riots, according to the despotic chairman of the CUD who was recently speaking to his supporters in Minnesota, one should not underestimate the realization of peace and stability in the city at such a minimum cost.  However, we all are saddened by the loss of human lives. 

After most of the leaders of the extremist wing of CUD have been put behind bars, a few who are still on the run from justice have recently issued a declaration stating that the party would continue its subversive political activities clandestinely. The declaration urges the supporters and members of the party to implement with rigor its earlier call of isolating the supporters and members of the EPRDF by severing all the social interaction they used to have with them taking such measures as not talking to them, attending their funerals or weddings etc. The declaration calls also for direct assassination of the prominent activists of the EPRDF as well as some editors from the private newspapers presumed pro-government and newscasters on the national television and radio.

This is a clear indication of CUD's position degenerating into a politics of scandal and fraternal feud. These people should note that hate generates only hate and vindictiveness. Since some of these extremist leaders of the CUD took part in the " Red and White terror" campaigns of the Derg era, we believe that 15 years of peace is a brief historical period to forget the predicament of the tens of thousands of our citizens who were decimated in urban terrorism unleashed by the then EPRP to be reciprocated by the Derg and its luxuries like the MEISON whom it accused of collaborating with the regime. If this is what the leaders of CUD want, we will tell them that the Ethiopian peoples do not want to see those atrocities in our past history repeated, It is neither the intention of any one to see the breaking up of the very social fabrics, cohesive factors that held the Ethiopian peoples together for years.

 If CUD continues creating chaos and anarchy to pursue its political agenda, this will make government intervention necessary to forestall anarchy and safeguard national security. 

It's against this background that some human rights organizations like the Amnesty International refer to the CUD leaders who are now in custody as " Prisoners of conscience" and accuse the government of Ethiopia for human rights violation. It is cristal clear that leaders of the CUD extremist wing have resorted to anti-democratic means and acts of terrorism by fomenting violence and disorder that threaten national security. In this case the government is duty-bound to protect the lives of innocent citizens quelling violence and bringing the culprits to the court of law. Breaking the law with impunity is unacceptable.  

It is uncontestable that the prime responsibility of creating conducive environment in which human rights would be respected rests with the state. But where there is rebellion against an elected government the dilemma remains at what cost.