Ethiopian activities to rally at G-20 summit in Pittsburgh
September 21, 2009 (LONDON) — A group from Ethiopia Diaspora in US, calling itself “March 4 freedom” said that it will go on freedom ride and rally at the UN summit in Pittsburgh.
In an E-mail it send to Sudan Tribune, the organizing group, March 4 freedom, said that Ethiopians and Ethiopia-American activists from across the united states will travel to Pittsburg to demonstrate in protest to the attendance of Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, who will take part at the summit as one potential African representative.
“PM Meles Zenawi and the current Ethiopian government have been responsible for unspeakable atrocities against masses of innocent civilians in many parts of Ethiopia, including genocide” the group said adding
“Yet the international community allows him to operate with impunity because the regime is seen as a stanch ally in the “war on terror”.
“We strongly believed that he (Meles) should not be graced and honored by on appearance in such a high-level meeting in the United States, as “Africa’s voice”. Africa deserves better!” it stressed.
The group called on all concerned Ethiopians across the US to join the rally and raise their voices against the Ethiopian leader.
“Get out, expose and denounce Meles Zenawi at G-20 summit in Pittsburg.”
The 65 year old Ethiopian prime minister has build up great reputation to the outside world to his roles in dealing with continent’s major concerns. But he is blamed for doing little in promoting Democracy and freedom at home. On the other side he is hailed by millions of Ethiopians, especially by the rural and poor farmers for dramatically changing their lives, who in recent years are turning to nation’s first ever millionaire farmers.
Despite his request to resign, his party, the ruling EPRDF party has elected him to serve for one more term until 2015- many believe that in his next term he will work harder to refresh his image which has been over shadowed after the 2005 post-election violence which killed nearly 200 protesters.
The leaders of the world’s 20 biggest economies will gather in Pittsburgh, an icon of America’s economic renewal, in Sep 24-25 for the next G-20 summit.
President Barack Obama will host leaders from 20 countries which represent 85 percent of the global economy to discuss ways of recovering from the Global economic and financial crisis
The G20 was established in 1999 with the intent of bringing together industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy.
(ST)
Samson Shawel Ambaye
Ethiopian activities to rally at G-20 summit in Pittsburgh
Ethiopia’s and Africa’s hyena represents Africa at G- 20 meeting at Pittsburgh
God said to Moses I have made you like God. All G-20 Countries are Gods of the 21st Century against genocide criminals Bashirs and his best friends woyanes.
God be with G- 20 Countries. All participants at the G- 20 meeting are extraordinarily educated innocent gentle and humanitarian.
The Ethiopian participant or the Ethiopian men eater hyena spent his entire life killing poorest Ethiopians and shedding blood of innocent Ethiopians. He blood bathed Ethiopians as a gorilla fighter for almost 20 years. Since he became false leader of Ethiopia in the past 18 years, his main duty is promoting genocide crimes in every parts of Ethiopia.
G- 20 Countries leaders are innocent humanitarian intellectuals. G- 20 countries leaders are anti criminals. The recent arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court against the Sudanese president Bashir is proof for the innocence of the democratic and pro human rights rich countries leaders.
Hyena of Ethiopia and Africa is number one defender of Bashir when ICC indicted Bashir. Even invited Bashir to fly to Ethiopia. The reason is because the Ethiopian hyena is criminal like Bashir and knows he will be the next Bashir.
For the sake of God, humanity, human rights and victims of Darfur, Ogaden, Anuak, all Ethiopians and Sudanese Africans I ask G- 20 member countries to exclude hyena of Ethiopia from attending and behaving like innocent human being during the G- 20 meeting at Pittsburgh.
Including Ethiopia’s hyena at the G-20 meeting at Pittsburgh will disqualify the value of the meeting. Every dollar or endorsement or sponsorship being given for Ethiopia’s hyena is indirectly promoting genocide in Ethiopia and Darfur and this contradicts with the humanitarian leaders who are running humanitarian and welfare systems in their countries and abroad.
For the sake of God and in the name of God I ask G- 20 Countries to consider the crimes committed by this Africa’s hyena in Ethiopia directly and in Darfur by protecting Bashir and exclude him from the meeting of God’s gentle and innocent G- 20 Countries leaders.
God be with G- 20 Countries for excluding the genocide criminal Ethiopia’s hyena.
Obama scolded Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi
April 3rd, 2009 Ethiopia
U.S. President Barack Obama scolded Ethiopia’s dictator Meles Zenawi during a brief one-to-one encounter at the G20 meeting in London on April 2. Obama reportedly told Meles that the human rights condition in Ethiopia is deplorable and unacceptable.
Following a meeting with Obama, Meles Zenawi, who was invited to represent New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) at the G20 meeting, abruptly canceled a press conference he was about to give.
“His people gave no reasons for this. But insiders in the press center said Zenawi was worried about the kind of questions that were going to be put to him concerning human rights violations within Ethiopia and his dealing with his opponents and Ethiopia’s neighbors,” Henry Gombya of BSN reported.
“The African continent really wasn’t heard; South African President Motlanthe said he didn’t speak for the continent and Meles Zenawi cowered in the shadows,” Gombya writes.
GENOCIDE WATCH
THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END GENOCIDE
Genocide Watch is the Chair of the International Campaign to End Genocide
P.O. Box 809, Washington, D.C., USA 20044. Phone: 703-448-0222
E-mail:[email protected] Website: http://www.genocidewatch.org
March 23, 2009
An Open Letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Justice Navanathem Pillay
Petitions Team
Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Dear Madame High Commissioner,
Advocates of justice around the world are thrilled at the strong action the Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Court has taken in issuing a warrant for the arrest of Omar al-Bashir of the Sudan, resulting in
finally holding him accountable for the atrocities being committed in Darfur over the last six years. Under
al-Bashir’s leadership, millions of Sudanese from Darfur, as well as from Southern Sudan, have suffered
inconceivable harm, injustice and hardship.
The action that the International Criminal Court has taken in this situation has restored hope to peace and
justice loving people, affirming that international human rights law not only exists on paper, but in reality.
It also sends an important message to perpetrators throughout the world that impunity for their crimes is not
assured forever; which may be a primary reason that one of the first leaders to defend Omar al-Bashir and
condemn the warrant was Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, whose government has also been
implicated in a pattern of widespread perpetration of serious human rights atrocities in Ethiopia and in
Somalia. He and those within his government may be keenly aware of their own vulnerability to similar
actions by the ICC in the future that could upend a deeply entrenched system of government-supported
impunity that has protected perpetrators from any accountability.
I first became knowledgeable regarding the abhorrent human rights situation in Ethiopia when Genocide
Watch and Survivors Rights International were called by the head of the Anuak Justice Council, Obang
Metho, (now the leader of the newly formed Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia) to investigate the
brutal massacre of 424 Anuak carried out in Gambella, Ethiopia in December of 2003. The Anuak are a
tiny, dark-skinned ethnic group who live in a remote section of southeastern Ethiopia.
Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and civilian militia groups from another ethnic group utilized a
prepared list to target Anuak leaders, many of whom were opposed to the government’s plan to exclude
them from any involvement in the drilling for oil on their indigenous land. As militia groups chanted,
“Today is the day for killing Anuak,” both the military and militias used machetes, axes and guns to kill the
unarmed victims, frequently raping the women while chanting, “Now there will be no more Anuak
children.”
Extra-judicial killings, rape, disappearances, destruction of livelihood and the displacement of thousands of
Anuak continued into late 2005 before finally subsiding when the same Ethiopian National Defense Forces
were moved to the Ogaden area of southeastern Ethiopia and into Somalia where similar atrocities were
and still are being committed. A subsequent investigation of the Anuak massacre by Genocide Watch and
Survivors Rights International to determine who was behind the human rights crimes, documented the
existence of a plan called “Operation Sunny Mountain,” that could be traced to originating at the highest
levels within the central government of Ethiopia.1
1 See: http://genocidewatch.org/Today%20is%20the%20Day%20of%20Killing%20Anuaks.htm ;
http://genocidewatch.org/EthiopiaAnuakOperationSunnyMountainGWSRIReport13December2004.htm
and updates at http://www.genocidewatch.org/alerts/anuak.htm ; and
www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/ngos/IHRLC.pdf .
GENOCIDE WATCH
THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END GENOCIDE
Genocide Watch is the Chair of the International Campaign to End Genocide
P.O. Box 809, Washington, D.C., USA 20044. Phone: 703-448-0222
E-mail:[email protected] Website: http://www.genocidewatch.org
As a result of our investigation and based on our experience in international law and genocide, we
concluded that the killing of the Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia, fit the definitions of genocide and crimes
against humanity. Human Rights Watch also conducted two investigations of their own and determined that
the crimes against the Anuak meet the stringent definition of crimes against humanity.
Most of the perpetrators in their report and in ours have never been brought to justice under the Ethiopian
justice system due to the failings and corruption of that system. Despite the violation of international law,
not only has no one has been held accountable for these crimes which occurred over five years ago, but
worse than that, such crimes continue in other places in the country.
Only some of these cases have been investigated by respected international human rights organizations, but
where they have, findings consistently point to the involvement of the Ethiopian government in the inciting,
the empowerment or the perpetration of crimes against humanity, war crimes and even genocide, often
justified by them as “counter-insurgency.”
In light of these facts, I would strongly urge you to initiate an investigation of the situation in
Ethiopia based on your proprio motu powers as the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.
We believe that your investigation is justified due to the culture of impunity that exists within Ethiopia.
Extensive documentation is available to examine the violations, most of which has been compiled in
independent investigative reports completed by international human rights organizations. We also believe
that the Ethiopian people have been waiting long enough for genuine justice and relief from the harsh
oppression and brutal tactics committed by a government that purports to be a partner in the War on Terror,
while terrorizing their own people. Addressing the EPRDF regime, friendly to Omar al-Bashir, may bring
greater stability to the entire Horn of Africa.
We are willing to provide assistance to you in carrying out this task because we, in Genocide Watch, and
other human rights organizations are determined to pursue justice, even long after violations have occurred,
as part of our mission. Investigative reports, contacts and other information can be provided should you
need them.
I thank you for the excellent work you are doing in combating impunity, the enemy of justice. Perpetrators
of crimes against humanity must not be allowed to walk free. Genocide Watch will continue to do its part,
collaborating with others, in pursuing additional ways to make such crimes carry a heavy penalty. One way
is to work with domestic governments to make sure that those Ethiopians who have committed these crimes
do not gain access to entry into western countries, something that is now supported through new legislation
in many of the western countries. Additionally, in Canada, Europe and in the US, there are now laws giving
authority to these governments to prosecute human rights perpetrators found within their new countries of
residence should admissible evidence be found to charge them. The western countries should no longer act
as a haven for such criminals.
Thank you for your consideration of this request for the initiation of an investigation of genocide, crimes
against humanity and war crimes in Ethiopia. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely yours,
GHStanton
Dr. Gregory Stanton,
President of Genocide Watch