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57th Special Report: Illegal Acts committed against the clergy and laity of Lideta Church

Posted on 3rd December 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Featured, Press Releases, Special Report
Posted on: Dec 3, 2002
Region: Addis Ababa

“Members of the Federal Special Police Force have on November 18/2002, severely beaten up and highly inconvenienced the clergy and monks who were rendering spiritual services as well as the laity and Sunday School students who had congregated in the sacred pre-cincts of Mahdere Sibhat Holy Lideta Mariam and Debre Medhanit Medhanealem Church. Many people have been clobbered and received light and serious physical injuries as a result of the forceful action that was taken by members of the Federal special police force.

On that very date, many people were rounded up in the church’s premises, crammed in trucks and whisked off to Wereda 22 Police Station. According to EHRCO’s findings, the cause of the conflict is based on the feud that had flared up between the officials of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church on the one hand and the church’s clergy, the laity and Sunday school students on the other. The misunderstanding that had surfaced between them could not be resolved in the course of time. Nor could it be resolved through the traditional church method of resolving conflicts. So the case was brought before the court where the two parties mentioned above have been arguing their cases.

Finally, the court gave a decision on the case to the effect that the former head of the church and members of the Diocese council should hand over the church’s property to the new church head who has been appointed by the Addis Ababa Head Office of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Members of Wereda 22 police, representatives of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, the former head of the church, the newly appointed head of the church, members of the Diocese Council had gathered on November 18/2002 to execute the court’s decision. On that day, the laity had congregated beginning from 6:00 a.m. and were saying prayers.”

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56th Special Report: Ethiopian Human Rights Council Action of Violence must Stop!

Posted on 23rd September 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Press Releases, Special Report
Posted on: Sep 23, 2002
Region: Addis Ababa

“An explosion that took place in Tigrai Hotel, located in Addis Ababa, Wereda 2, Kebele 12 on September 11/02 at about 9:00 p.m. has caused great damage to human life and property. Quoting the Addis Ababa Administration Police Commission, government media services have reported that three people were killed and another thirty eight were injured in the explosion.

The Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) has been strongly condemning and still continues to strongly condemn all acts of violence. As is to be recalled, explosions had taken place in the past at this very Tigrai Hotel, Blue Nile Restaurant, Tana Supermarket, Ghion Hotel and Dire Dawa Ras Hotel. At that time, EHRCO had issued its 13th Special Report dated Miazia 24/1989 EC. in which it expressed its deep sadness over the fact that those who planted the explosives in the above-mentioned spots had made public places targets of their attacks.”

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55th Special Report: Destruction caused in conflict between Agnuak and Nu-er Tribes

Posted on 6th September 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Special Report
Posted on: Sep 6, 2002
Region: Gambela

“The Vice President of the region who belonged to the Nu-er tribe died more than a year ago. Ever since, an individual who represents the Nu-er has not been replaced. The position of Regional Vice-President has remained vacant for more than one year now. The Nu-er tribe have felt that the Agnuak tribe have deliberately denied them the position of the vice-president. This has created bitter feelings among the Nu-er tribes against the Agnuak. While the Nu-er continued to seethe with such bitter feelings, a quarrel arose on July 7/2002 at 10:30 a.m. between an Agnuak and a Nu-er in Zone One, Itang town. The quarrel developed into a conflict which has caused great destruction to human life and property to both members of the Agnuak and Nu-er tribes. Besides, it has also been a cause for the displacement of many inhabitants. EHRCO has confirmed the damages caused which are described in general under the schedules below.

The number of people who had drowned in Baro River while trying to escape from the conflict and the number of those whose whereabouts are yet unknown and about whom EHRCO has been tipped-off has not been incorporated in this report. Tip-offs received by EHRCO indicate that the extent of damage caused in the conflict is much higher than what has been enumerated.”

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54th Special Report: Human Rights Violations being Perpetrated against citizens must be stopped!

Posted on 6th September 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Press Releases, Special Report
Posted on: Sep 6, 2002
Region: Southern Nations

“It is to be recalled that an armed group had recently launched an attack against one government official, and three other government employees in Sidama zone, South Ethiopia Region. One regional Council official, a teacher and a driver working with the Regional Council were killed, and another teacher was wounded in the attack that was launched against them on July 22/2002 while on their way to Awassa from Liku town. Members of the armed group who launched the attack against the victims at a spot located two kilometers away from Morecho township, had worne masks to conceal their identities. These rebels laid in wait for the car the victims were using. When the car arrived at the spot, the rebels shot at the car and flattened its tires. The car was then forced to stop. They ordered the four persons out of the car, shot three of them to death and seriously wounded the fourth person.”

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52nd Special Report: Put a halt to human rights violations of people on the streets

Posted on 1st July 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Research and Studies, Special Report
Posted on: Jul 1, 2002
Region: Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, Harari

Ethiopia’s unresolved economic, social and political problems have continued to plunge the country deep into the morass of poverty, hardship and misery. This critical situation has assumed extremely serious dimensions. After the downfall of the Derg, a regime espousing and advancing ethnic politics usurped political power. Ethnocentric rule coupled with an ineffective economic policy has been the major cause for the displacement and fleeing of people. They were also causes for the lack of any security in peoples lives. Quite a large number of citizens have been exposed to street life. The government has not taken any adequate and effective precautionary measures or measures to alleviate the problem. In consequence, the number of people joining street life is increasing at an alarming rate.

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Special Report No. 51:Serious Human Rights Violations in Awassa and Its Environs

Posted on 4th June 2002 by HRCO
Categories: Press Releases, Special Report
Posted on: Jun 4, 2002
Region: Southern Nations

“The community, on the basis of its right, under Article 30 of FDRE’s Constitution, “to assemble, to demonstrate together with others peaceably unarmed, and to petition the Government.” had notified, through the organizers of the demonstration, the concerned local Government Authorities the reasons for the peaceful demonstration/assembly, the starting and finishing time as well as the routes to be followed by the public during the demonstration. As per the programme, the demonstration was announced to take place on May 24, 2002 and it was to start 5 kilo metres outside Awassa town, at a place called “Hoke” and was arranged to terminate at Revolution Square in the center of Awassa town.

On the above-mentioned date about seven thousand (7000) residents of Awassa town as well as those people living in wereda (district) towns and peasant association areas outside Awassa town had decided to take part in the peaceful demonstration. Most of the demonstrating public carried, in its hand, only leaves of false banana (inset) and bouchet of green grasses. Those in front of the demonstrating public had either draped themselves or were visibly carrying the Ethiopian national flags.

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