SPEAKERS CONTENTS INSERTS
Page 1 TOP OF DOC
26–776PDF
2006
ETHIOPIA'S TROUBLED SITUATION
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
MARCH 28, 2006
Serial No. 109–165
Printed for the use of the Committee on International Relations
Page 2 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.house.gov/international—relations
COMMITTEE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois, Chairman
JAMES A. LEACH, Iowa
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey,
Vice Chairman
DAN BURTON, Indiana
ELTON GALLEGLY, California
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida
DANA ROHRABACHER, California
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California
PETER T. KING, New York
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
RON PAUL, Texas
DARRELL ISSA, California
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
JO ANN DAVIS, Virginia
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin
JERRY WELLER, Illinois
MIKE PENCE, Indiana
Page 3 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
THADDEUS G. McCOTTER, Michigan
KATHERINE HARRIS, Florida
JOE WILSON, South Carolina
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
J. GRESHAM BARRETT, South Carolina
CONNIE MACK, Florida
JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska
MICHAEL McCAUL, Texas
TED POE, Texas
TOM LANTOS, California
HOWARD L. BERMAN, California
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
SHERROD BROWN, Ohio
BRAD SHERMAN, California
ROBERT WEXLER, Florida
ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
WILLIAM D. DELAHUNT, Massachusetts
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
BARBARA LEE, California
JOSEPH CROWLEY, New York
EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon
SHELLEY BERKLEY, Nevada
Page 4 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
GRACE F. NAPOLITANO, California
ADAM B. SCHIFF, California
DIANE E. WATSON, California
ADAM SMITH, Washington
BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota
BEN CHANDLER, Kentucky
DENNIS A. CARDOZA, California
RUSS CARNAHAN, Missouri
THOMAS E. MOONEY, SR., Staff Director/General Counsel
ROBERT R. KING, Democratic Staff Director
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey, Chairman
THOMAS G. TANCREDO, Colorado
JEFF FLAKE, Arizona
MARK GREEN, Wisconsin
JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
JEFF FORTENBERRY, Nebraska
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California,
Vice Chairman
DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey
GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
BARBARA LEE, California
Page 5 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
DIANE E. WATSON, California
BETTY McCOLLUM, Minnesota
EARL BLUMENAUER, Oregon
MARY M. NOONAN, Subcommittee Staff Director
GREG SIMPKINS, Subcommittee Professional Staff Member
NOELLE LUSANE, Democratic Professional Staff Member
SHERI A. RICKERT, Subcommittee Professional Staff Member and Counsel
LINDSEY M. PLUMLEY, Staff Associate
C O N T E N T S
WITNESSES
The Honorable Donald Y. Yamamoto, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
His Excellency Fesseha A. Tessema, Chargé d'Affaires, Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
Mr. Andargachew Tsege, Member, Central Council, Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party
Meqdes Mesfin, M.D., Daughter of Professor Mesfin Wolde Mariam, Ethiopian Prisoner of Conscience
Page 6 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. Obang Metho, Director of International Advocacy, Anuak Justice Council
Ms. Lynn Fredricksson, Advocacy Director for Africa, Amnesty International
LETTERS, STATEMENTS, ETC., SUBMITTED FOR THE HEARING
The Honorable Christopher H. Smith, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, and Chairman, Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations: Prepared statement
The Honorable Donald Y. Yamamoto: Prepared statement
His Excellency Fesseha A. Tessema: Prepared statement
Mr. Andargachew Tsege: Prepared statement
Meqdes Mesfin, M.D.: Prepared statement
Mr. Obang Metho: Prepared statement
Ms. Lynn Fredricksson: Prepared statement
APPENDIX
Page 7 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The Honorable Betty McCollum, a Representative in Congress from the State of Minnesota: Prepared statement
Mesfin Mekonen, on behalf of the Ethiopian-American Council and the Ethiopian National Congress: Statement for the record
Oromo Liberation Front Delegation: Statement for the record
Mr. Andargachew Tsege, Member, Central Council, Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party: Statement for the record
Responses from the Honorable Donald Y. Yamamoto to questions submitted for the record by the Honorable Donald M. Payne, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey
ETHIOPIA'S TROUBLED SITUATION
TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2006
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights
and International Operations,
Committee on International Relations,
Washington, DC.
Page 8 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:05 p.m. in room 2172, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Christopher H. Smith (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. The Subcommittee will come to order, and we will be joined shortly by my good friend and colleague, Ranking Member Don Payne. But because I know Deputy Assistant Secretary Yamamoto has to make a flight and will be going to Ethiopia from here, we will begin the hearing.
Ethiopia is one of Africa's most populous and influential nations, and has for centuries been the home to numerous diverse religious and ethnic populations.
Last May the East African nation held elections which promised to be a big step forward for Ethiopia's democracy. The election process started out more open than previous elections, with the political opposition able to campaign more freely than ever before. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity presented for democracy closed in a wave of government harassment of opposition parties and ethnic hate speech.
Although there were other problems in the election process, the biggest issue was the delayed release of the vote results. Preliminary results indicated that the opposition did much better than in past elections, increasing the number of Parliamentary seats won from 12 to nearly 200.
However, opposition party coalitions charged that fraud had been committed in many of the races that they did not win. Because the government had failed to release results in the weeks after the election, suspicions rose that the victory by the opposition had been stolen.
Page 9 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The controversy surrounding the 2005 Ethiopian election is a result of a number of factors that created a perfect storm of political discontent, and that created tragic conditions in Ethiopia. The European Union election monitoring team reported serious irregularities, but its impartiality was questioned after the leak of a preliminary EU report which indicated that the opposition parties would win a majority in Parliament based solely on the results in the capital of Addis Ababa.
Periodic statements released by the EU election team were then undercut by statements from the EU diplomats, much as I experienced in my visit to Addis with Greg Simpkins of our Subcommittee last August.
The Government of Ethiopia, by refusing to release all relevant information regarding the election in a timely fashion, created fear that the election had been stolen. International donors worked behind the scenes with the government to create a mechanism to resolve election disputes. However, that mechanism pitted the ruling party and the government-appointed national election board against the opposition parties.
As a result, the opposition lost 90 percent of the challenges it filed, and the government missed its own July 8 deadline for release of election results, furthering the frustration and suspicion.
As for the political opposition, its leaders contributed to this crisis by failing to provide necessary evidence of election fraud in all too many cases. It is not that this evidence may not have existed, but the parties appeared to be unprepared to effectively document what the problems were. Moreover, their refusal to take many of the seats that they won in the election prevented many issues from effectively being addressed in the Parliament, including the appointment of judges and guarantees of freedom of the press.
Page 10 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The suspicions regarding the election were exacerbated by the government's mass arrest of students in Addis in June. Protests were met with gunfire by government forces. It is estimated that as many as 40 persons identified as political activists were killed by government sharpshooters in the capital alone. Broadened arrests put tens of thousands in jail without charge or adequate contact with families or legal counsel.
Further demonstrations in November resulted in at least another 40 persons killed by government forces, this time including those not connected with the political opposition.
The release of the State Department human rights report on Ethiopia is scathing in its description of what is taking place in Ethiopia, stating that, and I quote: ''The government's human rights record remains poor, and worsened in some areas.''
Among the human rights problems reported by the State Department were limitation on citizens' right to change their government, unlawful killings including alleged political killings, and beatings, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees and opposition supporters by security forces; poor prison conditions, arbitrary arrests and detention of thousands of persons, particularly those suspected of sympathizing with, or being members of, the opposition; detention of thousands without charge and lengthy pretrial detention. Government infringement on citizens' privacy rights, and frequent refusal to follow the law regarding search warrants.
Government restrictions on freedom of the press, arrest, detention, and harassment of journalists for publishing articles critical of the government, and self-censorship by journalists.
Page 11 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Government restrictions on the freedom of assembly, including denial of permits, burdensome preconditions, or refusal to provide assembly halls to opposition political groups. And at times, use of excessive force to disperse demonstrations, and government limitations on freedom of association.
Approximately 16,000 people were released from jail earlier this year, but there is uncertainty about how many more prisoners remain behind bars without being charged, or while awaiting trial whose date has not yet been set.
During my visit to Addis last August I met with Prime Minister Meles and asked him why he had not investigated the June shootings of demonstrators by agents of his government. His response was that the investigation might require the arrests of opposition leaders, and didn't want to do that while the bi-elections were still scheduled.
He went on to tell me that he had dossiers on all of the opposition leaders, and could arrest them for treason whenever he wanted. As a matter of fact, he boasted about that. Thus, the arrests were all but certain, even before the events that ostensibly led to their being incarcerated.
Reportedly, the investigation of the government shootings of demonstrators is now belatedly underway, and we will wait and see. The shootings by government forces and delayed investigations are reminiscent of an earlier incident, the massacre of Anuaks in southwestern Ethiopia beginning in 2003, and continuing until May 2004.
Page 12 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The farming Anuak minority predominate the Gambella Region of Ethiopia, but there have been periodic disputes with the highlanders, who are of the Tigrean and Amaran ethnic groups. According to a Human Rights Watch report at the time, government forces joined with highlanders to kill at least 400 Anuaks in December 2003 alone, and participated in the rape and torture of Anuaks.
Genocide Watch and Survivors Watch International, Rights International, confirmed the events ascribed in the Human Rights Watch report.
The Government of Ethiopia announced last year that trials of government forces responsible for 13 of the Anuak killings had finally begun. However, there is no word yet on the result of those trials. While the government is engaged in such efforts, one hopes it will also investigate reports of the killing last year of 24 members and supporters of the Oromo National Congress and other allegedly politically-motivated killings by government forces in 2005.
Ethiopia has been an important ally of the United States in Africa. And the stability of one of Africa's most populous nations is critical to American policy, especially in the important Horn of Africa region.
However, the violations detailed in the State Department human rights report and in other accounts of independent human rights organizations will only make this nation more vulnerable to civil war, or to a foreign-supported insurgency.
Yesterday a series of explosions in Addis led to the death of one person and the wounding of three others in a blast on a crowded minibus. This is part of a wave of attacks that began in January, and included three explosions earlier this month that wounded three persons at a restaurant, a market, and outside of a school.
Page 13 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
America's commitment to promote respect for human rights around the world demands that we examine the current situation in Ethiopia, and that we prevail upon our ally to live up to its international human rights commitments while this situation can still be salvaged. The discussions the Government of Ethiopia is conducting with its political opposition and with our Government are perhaps good signs, and maybe there is going to be some positive movement.
Other humanitarian gestures, for example the Iber Operation the government has reportedly authorized for opposition leader Hailu Shawel are also important steps in the right direction. However, the current situation calls for more than small steps taken slowly.
If a crisis in Ethiopia is to be averted, and they are already in crisis, reforms investigations and trials must proceed with all deliberate speed. That is why we have convened this hearing today, and why I have introduced H.R. 4423, the Ethiopian Consolidation Act, which we intend to mark up next week.
As I have said many times, friends don't let friends commit human rights abuses. I believe this is a perfect example of why we must follow that dictum.
I yield to Mr. Payne.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Smith follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON AFRICA, GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
Page 14 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Ethiopia, one of Africa's most populous and influential nations, has for centuries been the home to numerous diverse religious and ethnic populations. Last May, the East African nation held elections, which promised to be a big step forward for Ethiopia's democracy. The election process started out more open than previous elections, with the political opposition able to campaign more freely than ever before. Unfortunately, the window of opportunity presented for democracy closed in a wave of government harassment of opposition parties and ethnic hate speech on both sides.
Although there were other problems in the election process, the biggest issue was the delayed release of vote results. Preliminary results indicated that the opposition did much better than in past elections, increasing the number of parliamentary seats won from 12 to nearly 200. However, opposition party coalitions charged that fraud had been committed in many of the races they did not win. Because the government had failed to release results in the weeks after the election, suspicions rose that a victory by the opposition had been stolen.
The controversy surrounding the 2005 Ethiopian election is the result of a number of factors that created a ''perfect storm'' of political discontent that has created tragic conditions in Ethiopia.
The European Union election monitoring team reported serious irregularities, but its impartiality was questioned after the leak of a preliminary EU report which indicated that the opposition parties would win a majority in Parliament based largely on results in the capital city of Addis Ababa. Periodic statements released by the EU election team were then undercut by statements from EU diplomats, much as I experienced in my visit to Addis last August.
Page 15 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The Government of Ethiopia, by refusing to release all relevant information regarding the election in a timely fashion, created fear that the election had been stolen. International donors worked behind the scenes with the government to create a mechanism to resolve election disputes. However, that mechanism pitted the ruling party and the government-appointed National Election Board against the opposition parties. As a result, the opposition lost 90% of the challenges it filed, and the government missed its own July 8th deadline for release of election results, furthering the frustration and suspicion.
As for the political opposition, its leaders contributed to this crisis by failing to provide necessary evidence of election fraud in all too many cases. It isn't that this evidence may not have existed, but the parties appeared to be unprepared to effectively document what the problems were. Moreover, their refusal to take many of the seats won in the election prevented many issues from effectively being addressed in the Parliament, including the appointment of judges and guarantees of freedom of the press.
The suspicions regarding the election were exacerbated by the government's mass arrest of students in Addis in June. Protests were met with gunfire by government forces. It is estimated that as many as 40 persons identified as political activists were killed by government sharpshooters in the capital alone. Broadened arrests put tens of thousands in jail without charge or adequate contact with families or legal counsel. Further demonstrations in November resulted in at least another 40 persons killed by government forces—this time including those not connected with the political opposition.
The recently-released State Department human rights report on Ethiopia is scathing in its description of what is taking place in Ethiopia, stating that ''the government's human rights record remained poor and worsened in some areas.''
Page 16 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Among the human rights problems reported by the State Department were:
limitation on citizens' right to change their government;
unlawful killings, including alleged political killings, and beating, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees and opposition supporters by security forces;
poor prison conditions;
arbitrary arrest and detention of thousands of persons; particularly those suspected of sympathizing with or being members of the opposition;
detention of thousands without charge, and lengthy pretrial detention;
government infringement on citizens' privacy rights, and frequent refusal to follow the law regarding search warrants;
government restrictions on freedom of the press; arrest, detention, and harassment of journalists for publishing articles critical of the government; self-censorship by journalists;
government restrictions on freedom of assembly including denial of permits, burdensome preconditions or refusal to provide assembly halls to opposition political groups, and at times use of excessive force to disperse demonstrations, and
Page 17 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
government limitations on freedom of association.
Approximately 16,000 people were released from jail earlier this year, but there is uncertainty about how many more prisoners remain behind bars without being charged or while awaiting a trial whose date is not yet set.
During my visit to Addis last August, I met with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and I asked him why he had not investigated the June shootings of demonstrators by agents of his government. His response was that the investigation might require the arrest of opposition leaders, and he didn't want to do that while by-elections were still scheduled. He went on to tell me that he had dossiers on all the opposition leaders and could arrest them for treason whenever he wanted. Thus, their arrests were all but certain even before the events that ostensibly led to their being incarcerated. Reportedly, the investigation of the government shootings of demonstrators is now belatedly underway.
The shootings by government forces and delayed investigation are reminiscent of an earlier incident: the massacre of Anuaks in southwestern Ethiopia beginning in December 2003 and continuing until May 2004.
The farming Anuak minority predominate the Gambella region of Ethiopia, but there have been periodic disputes with the highlanders, who are of the Tigrayan and Amharan ethnic groups. According to a Human Rights Watch report at the time, government forces joined with highlanders to kill at least 400 Anuaks in December 2003 alone and participated in the rape and torture of Anuaks. Genocide Watch and Survivors' Rights International confirmed the events described in the Human Rights Watch report.
Page 18 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The Government of Ethiopia announced last year that trials of government forces responsible for 13 of the Anuak killings had finally begun. However, there is no word yet on the result of these trials. While the government is engaged in such efforts, one hopes it also will investigate reports of the killing last year of 24 members and supporters of the Oromo National Congress and other allegedly politically-motivated killings by government forces in 2005.
Ethiopia has been an important ally of the United States in Africa, and the stability of one of Africa's most populous nations is critical to American policy, especially in the important Horn of Africa region. However, the violations detailed in the State Department human rights report and in other accounts of independent human rights organizations will only make this nation more vulnerable to civil war or a foreign-supported insurgency.
Yesterday, a series of explosions in Addis led to the death of one person and the wounding of three others in a blast on a crowded minibus. This is part of a wave of attacks that began in January and included three explosions earlier this month that wounded three persons at a restaurant, a market and outside a school.
America's commitment to promote the respect for human rights around the world demands that we examine the current situation in Ethiopia and that we prevail upon our ally to live up to its international human rights commitments while this situation can still be salvaged. The discussions the Government of Ethiopia is conducting with its political opposition and with our government are good signs that some positive movement is possible. Other humanitarian gestures, for example, the eye operation the government reportedly authorized for opposition leader Hailu Shawal, are also an important step in the right direction.
Page 19 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
However, the current situation calls for more than small steps taken slowly. If a crisis in Ethiopia is to be averted, reforms, investigations and trials must proceed with all deliberate speed. This is why we have convened this hearing today and why I have introduced H.R. 4423—the Ethiopia Consolidation Act, which we intend to mark-up next week.
As I have said many times, ''Friends don't let friends commit human rights abuses.'' This is a perfect example of why we must follow that dictum.
Mr. PAYNE. Thank you very much, and let me thank the Chairman for calling this very important hearing. And as we know, Ethiopia is one of the important countries in the world, and indeed in Africa. And so I look forward to this important hearing and, as we indicated, to legislation which will be coming up in the next week or two.
I certainly think that this important hearing is at the right time, because there is a crisis in Ethiopia going on as we sit. And we are also in a region where there are forgotten people in Somalia, for example, where a government is attempting to put itself together, but is being ignored by most of the world leaders. They are asking for guidance as, once again, warlords have taken to the streets of Mogandishu.
And so the Horn of Africa is indeed an area where there is a tremendous amount of problems. It is an area that is very important; however, generally neglected. It is an area that really became the killing fields in the United States' war against communism, which was a noble war, where the USA was fighting against the Warsaw Pact countries of the Soviet Union. However, unfortunately, the only killings were primarily in Africa, except for the later conflict that escalated into war in Vietnam.
Page 20 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
But in African country after African country you had to pick your side. You had to be with the United States or with the Soviet Union. And as countries gained their independence, they then had to make a choice that had absolutely nothing to do with their progress, whether you were for the allies, or whether you were for the Warsaw Pact nations under USSR.
And so as a result, democracy was thwarted. Somalia's dictator changed from United States to Soviet, or Soviet to United States. The Government of Ethiopia went from pro-United States to pro-Soviet under Mogandishu. And so unfortunately for Africa, many of the problems that they are confronted with today, first of all there was long-time colonization, although, as we know, Ethiopia was never colonized. As a matter of fact, Ethiopia was the first African country to defeat a colonizer, and it gave many of us African-Americans a great deal of pride that an African nation, which did not have the weapons of war that the European power had, was able to fight and keep its independence.
And so there is a tremendous amount of interest, even African-Americans, during that war, participated. Many tried to join the armies of Ethiopia, but were restricted by our Government. It was even, unfortunately there were race riots between Americans and Italians in New York because of the invasion of Italy to Ethiopia there. It was Colonel John C. Robinson, the Brown Condor, who helped establish the Ethiopian National Air Force, an African-American who went there, and Colonel Herbert Fauntleroy Julian called the Black Eagle, awarded the Abyssinian citizenship and rank of Colonel by the Emperor, Haile Sellasie, in the 1930s, where he flew the Emperor around with substandard planes bought from European countries.
Page 21 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
And so there is a tremendous interest in Ethiopia. It is not phone calls of some constituents or what group is most vocal in this town or another town at this time, Atlanta or Houston or in Washington. It is not about friends who may be business people who you know, and who come with a one-sided issue.
And so I hope that as we deal with Africa in general, that we will be able to look at the overall picture. My first visit in 1973, when I went to Walu Province up in Desi to try to help feed the people in that unknown famine that happened when I was supposed to meet with the Emperor, but he was unable to make the meeting. And a good friend, Mr. Destu Germa who worked for the YMCA of Ethiopia, was taking me around as we tried to feed the people.
And so my interest in Ethiopia with the deposing of the Emperor, and the putting-in head of state, His Excellency Necha Nmecatcha Mekonen, who tried to lead the country but was executed with 59 other people as the Government of Gamingus took over. And so, as we take on this issue, I think that the more thorough we are about the overall situation, I think the better that we are.
I certainly would like to recognize the tireless work of Donald Yamamoto and his team at the State Department. Mr. Yamamoto has been very actively engaged on multiple fronts to ensure peace and stability in the region, where he will be heading out perhaps even before I finish my statement, I hear. But maybe wait, and I will try to rush through. I would like to commend you for the work that you have done, not only in Ethiopia, but in Iatria and the entire Horn.
I would also like to welcome the other witnesses and thank in particular Dr. Meqdes Mesfin, the daughter of Professor Mesfin, who is currently suffering in prison. I thank you, Ms. Mesfin, for accepting our invitation to testify with such short notice.
Page 22 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Why do I care about Ethiopia and Africa in general? As I mentioned, Ethiopia has a strong history that I am proud of and respect. Let me be clear. I did not get involved in African affairs because of constituency demands or interests, but Africa has been a passion to me of many decades. As I mentioned, not only there, but we are celebrating next year the independence of Ghana, which was the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to become independent 50 years ago.
After all, this is one place where I feel at home, when I visit Ethiopia, a country, as I mentioned, that has a proud history of never being colonized, and has been a strong ally through the years to the United States. And actually, the Emperor, in his address to the League of Nations in 1933, was one of the outstanding speeches that we see on the History Channel, and should make all of us proud.
The people of Ethiopia have suffered for decades, even under the Emperor. And today, millions live in abject poverty and difficult conditions. The deterioration of human rights conditions in Ethiopia is not limited to the capitol, Addis. Conditions in other regions, including Somalia, the Somalia region and Oromo regions are also very bad.
The attention in the United States has been focused on the illegal and violent attacks against civilians last year following the elections in Ethiopia, where dozens of people were killed and many more wounded. Thousands were detailed; though many released, hundreds still remain in prison. More than 100 elected members of the Parliament, human rights activists, journalists, and prominent leaders were arrested. The same people the government was negotiating with weeks earlier are now charged with treason and genocide. Some of these people I have known for years, and I have met a number of them last year in my visit to Ethiopia.
Page 23 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Let me say a few words about two people I know well, and are now languishing in prison. The first person is Professor Mesfin.
I met Professor Mesfin over a decade ago in his office in Addis. A well-respected human rights advocate, Professor Mesfin founded the Human Rights Council in the early 1990s. He stayed in Ethiopia under difficult conditions for decades to help his people. Unfortunately, the reward at his old age is imprisonment.
The second person is a businessman named Mr. Alazar. I heard about Mr. Alazar from a friend, an internationally respected banker. At the request of the government, he returned to Ethiopia to reform the banking sector. He has been in prison for 5 years.
On several of my visits I visited him in prison, the last time 2 years ago, to assure him that we are with him, and to also see the conditions in the jail where many others are languishing. A few weeks ago he was once again brought before the court, only to be told that the judge resigned. He left a family and his newborn child here in the United States to try to assist the Government of Ethiopia, and as a result he still languishes in prison. This is unfortunate, and it is wrong.
Last May the elections in Ethiopia in general were better organized, more competitive and transparent this time, certainly compared to the election, the two past elections, although there were definitely some problems. It is important to recognize this important development and advances made, and show our appreciation to those Ethiopians who pushed for such elections, and who dedicated their time and resources for such an outcome.
Page 24 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
As a matter of fact, the opposition I think went from about 15 seats to close to 200, which indicated that there was certainly, in some areas, pretty fair elections, because you would not have seen that tremendous increase, especially in Addis. The negotiations between the government and the opposition led to such an important outcome.
I introduced a bill with my colleagues to push for electorial transparency. And I visited Ethiopia two times last year, both meeting with the opposition, all of the opposition groups, encouraging them to take their seats in Parliament since people went out and elected them, and felt that the responsibility of the opposition was to go into Parliament and to make their voices heard.
The government mishandling of the post-election period and the brutal killings of demonstrators and imprisoning of their leaders diminished the gains made earlier. While the majority of the elected parliamentarians have taken their seats and important measures have been taken in recent months, the prisoners must be released, and a transparent investigation into the killings should be undertaken immediately.
We must remember that governance responsibilities and democracy do not rest solely on the government. The opposition must also play a constructive role and peaceful role, as with all opposition, and keep pressure on the government in a lawful manner. That will make democracy flourish.
Ethiopia faces tremendous challenges. Peaceful implementation of the Algiers Agreement is vital. The war against HIV and AIDS, poverty, and recovering humanitarian crisis are certainly areas that need our continued strong engagement. Peaceful resolution of unresolved conflicts is key, especially in the Oromo and Somalia regions. I recognize the prime ministers and the OLF's statement for dialogue, and this is a positive step. And we have to have dialogue in order to avoid conflict.
Page 25 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
In conclusion, our priorities should always be to help the suffering; to try to end poverty, to prevent war, and to promote democracy and respect for human rights. Excessive use of force, rhetoric about a revolution from a distance, while ignoring the plight of other Ethiopians, and attempting to frustrate and intimidate Members of Congress will not solve the problems that exist in Ethiopia.
The little we do as individuals go a long way. Helping the families of those killed and wounded, visiting prisoners, and striving for the long-term stability of the country are pivotal.
It is important to write letters in protest and pass legislation. But what really matters most is what happens there in Ethiopia. Whether the quality of life will improve for a child, whether employment will be gained for a person, whether housing will be improved, and sanitation and clean water. These are the real measures of the quality of life, and those are the things we need to strive for, for the people of Ethiopia.
We would not be discussing this today if it was not for those who died and those who are currently languishing in prison. Let us not forget them, as many of us here in this country enjoy the luxuries and the benefits and the freedom that we have here. But really let us not forget those who are languishing in prison, and who are really having a very, very difficult time.
I would like to ask for unanimous consent to enter into the record the questions from Congressman Honda, who is Chair of the Ethiopia Caucus. And I ask the Chairman if he would allow that to occur.
Page 26 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Without objection.
[The information referred to follows:]
DEAR CONGRESSMAN DONALD PAYNE, As Chair of the Congressional Ethiopia and Ethiopian American Caucus, I offer these questions to be asked at the Hearing of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations ''Ethiopia's Troubled Internal Situation'' on my behalf. This is in addition to your prepared questions, and I hope that you find them helpful.
1. The Ethiopia Consolidation Act HR4423 would require the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to re-write its development plan for Ethiopia. How would this requirement impact current U.S. assistance programs? What development assistance programs may be eliminated as a result of this legislation?
2. To what extent have Ethiopian Americans influenced the political environment in Ethiopia? How can the federal government better coordinate with Ethiopian Americans to nurture peach and economic growth in Ethiopia?
This is a critical time for Ethiopians and the Ethiopian Diaspora. Your leadership is critical to resolving the current crisis, and I thank you for your commitment. I look forward to working more closely with you.
Sincerely,
Page 27 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. PAYNE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Thank you. We will go right to our witness, and anybody who has an opening statement we will go back to that because Mr. Yamamoto does have a flight to catch to Ethiopia and must leave around 3 o'clock I understand.
Donald Yamamoto currently serves as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of African Affairs. Previously he served as U.S. Ambassador in 2000 to 2003. His assignments included U.S. Embassy Beijing, as Ambassador Staff Aide and Human Rights Office during the Tienanman Square demonstrations. He has served in Eritrea Chargé d'Affaires. And we are so glad to have him. During his foreign service career he has received four individual superior honor awards and two group awards.
Mr. Secretary, please proceed.
STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DONALD Y. YAMAMOTO, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF AFRICAN AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Thank you very much, Chairman Smith, Congressman Payne, honored Members of the Subcommittee. It is a great pleasure to testify before you today. And I also want to express my deep personal appreciation to you personally, Mr. Chairman and Congressman Payne and others, for your commitment, and for your engagement.
Page 28 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
I have submitted a longer official version of this testimony for the record.
The May 15, 2005, elections were historic, and the pre-election assessment was impressive. 25.6 million people registered to vote, 48 percent of which were women. In total, 85 percent of all eligible voters registered, marking a significant increase over the last election in 2000.
Elections for the lower house featured 1847 candidates competing for 547 seats. This was an 80-percent increase over 2000.
On election day and during the post-election period, there were reports of intimidation and harassment, and in some areas ballot boxes had not been properly secured. There was a general transportation strike in Addis Ababa June 6 to 8, and violence led to the deaths of three dozen and the arrests of over 3,000 people. The United States condemned the violence, and it cautioned that hate messages directed against any ethnic group could further fracture the delicate balance within Ethiopia.
We supported a brokered agreement on June 10 between the opposition and the ruling parties to enhance political engagement. We actively reached out to the opposition party leaders from all of the opposition groups, as well as to bridge the political divide separating them from the ruling party. We also engaged the Ethiopian diaspora here in the United States.
Page 29 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The unexpected political gains inspired confidence in the opposition to insist on more political control of the process, and they pressed for a review of 299 seats that they lost to the ruling party.
I would like to add, Mr. Chairman, that the diaspora here and in the opposition who have demonstrated so vigorously in front of the State Department, on Capitol Hill, and in front of the White House, that we also call upon them to also engage in a constructive dialogue and a responsible dialogue with governments. We all need to build confidence to bring about a peaceful resolution of all differences. And that this we will continue to encourage.
Under the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia process, the Complaints Review Board received 380 complaints of election irregularities, and identified 178 cases for investigation. It was unclear why some were rejected.
The NEBE clearly requires significant assistance as it works to build capacity and forge a constructive dialogue between the parties. On the disputed seats, the Carter Center recommended that the opposition refer these cases to the higher court for adjudication. We commend the work of the Carter Center, and note the important work of the European Union, carried out under very difficult conditions.
On the overall assessment of the election, we agree with the Carter Center report that the elections had credibility, and that the majority of the constituency results, based on the May 15 polling and tabulation, are credible and reflect competitive conditions.
The United States remains deeply concerned, however, about the 31 seats that went to a re-vote on August 21. The ruling party won all 31 seats, even among constituencies where the oppositions had a clear and significant majority on May 15.
Page 30 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Of greater concern was the violence that erupted on June 8 and November 1, and led to the arrest of thousands of people. And after the election, the detention of 128 CUD and civil societal leaders.
We objected strongly to the violence and detentions both publicly and in several press statements, privately and publicly to the government and to the opposition.
The electoral process of May 15 was historic and considerably enhanced the democratic consciousness of the people of Ethiopia, a much-improved election over 2000 and 1995. The United States is committed to ensuring that the 2010 elections build on this progress, that Ethiopia moves toward transparent elections, responsive government, and greater power-sharing.
Since the election, we encouraged the opposition parties to continue their political dialogue with the government on reform. On the detainees, the Administration has called on the government to ensure fair, transparent, and speedy trials for those who have been charged, release of those who have not been charged, and protection of human rights, health and safety of all detainees while remaining under detention.
The opposition and ruling parties have agreed to review parliamentary procedures on capacity of the NEBE, media law, and rule of law. The Ethiopian Government has also agreed to review domestic political institutions by outside experts, from Germany, India, Great Britain, and Canada. The United States will review the media law, and we are working with the European Union to encourage elected opposition officials to take their seats in Parliament, and many are.
Page 31 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The United States has also engaged with the newly-elected Addis Ababa city councilors and the NEBE to enable the opposition to take over city halls. We pressed the Ethiopian Government to conduct an independent investigation of the violence and the arrests of thousands of civilians in 2005.
The completed report from this commission appointed by the Parliament is expected soon. And that is thanks to you, Mr. Chairman, for your work on this effort.
The Administration is also working to ensure the return of the International Republic Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and IFES, all of which were expelled prior to the May 15 election. These organizations are critical to building political reform.
The United States is committed to good governance and the primacy of democracy. We believe Ethiopia is headed in the right direction. And in order to ensure positive momentum, the United States and the international community need to work with Ethiopia to cultivate and nurture this process.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Yamamoto follows:]
PREPARED STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE DONALD Y. YAMAMOTO, DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY, BUREAU OF AFRICAN AFFAIRS, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Page 32 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
INTRODUCTION
Chairman Smith, members of the subcommittee, I am honored to testify before you today on the internal political situation in Ethiopia. As Africa's second most populous nation, Ethiopia has an important part to play in enhancing the stability of East Africa.
The United States believes that democracy is the best form of government for stability—in Africa and beyond. Free and transparent elections are the best vehicle for citizens to express their wishes and hold their governments accountable. Democracy should be anything but a zero sum game.
Over the last year, Ethiopians have been tempted by the twin promises of freedom and fairness. Expectations were high during last year's campaign season. This marked the first, true multiparty election in Ethiopia's 3,000 year history. Results have been mixed, and hopes for progress have been chilled, as the government has clamped down on individuals' right to assemble and journalists' ability to report events. Meanwhile, several elected opposition officials refused to take their seats in Parliament and have been arrested and charged with capital offenses.
In calling for last May's election, Prime Minister Meles moved his country forward. However, the intolerance that followed in the wake of the results and the opposition's response show that the country has more work to do in progressing toward true, mature democracy.
HOPE FOR DEMOCRACY
Page 33 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Speaking at the Freer Gallery before the G–8 summit last June, President Bush remarked that, ''The whole world will benefit from prosperity and stability on the African continent. And the peoples of Africa deserve the peace and freedom and opportunity that are the natural rights of all mankind.''
The Administration firmly believes in the primacy of democracy. So do the American people and this Congress. Democratic governments will naturally reflect the local cultures and traditions of voters, but this form of government is the single best way to account not only for the needs and wishes of large groups of people, but also for those holding minority viewpoints.
Liberty improves lives, and fair elections and personal liberty protections are universal values. Our goal is to encourage all governments to be responsive to their people and respectful of human dignity. The United States raises these points in the spirit of partnership.
There is every reason to believe that Ethiopians want responsive leadership, and the U.S. Government supports the efforts of students and activists to have their voices heard. As President Bush said in the same speech last June, ''All who live in Africa can be certain, as you seize this moment of opportunity, America will be your partner and your friend.''
A NEW CHAPTER
The May 15, 2005 elections were momentous and offered the people of Ethiopia the prospect of an important step toward democratic rule and responsive government. The pre-election assessment was impressive. Nearly 26 million people registered to vote, 48% of which were women. In total, 85% of all eligible voters registered, marking a significant increase over the last election in 2000.
Page 34 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Elections for the lower house featured 1,847 candidates competing for 547 seats. Compared to 2000, this was an increase in participation greater than 80%. Election observers from the United States (U.S.) and European Union (EU) recognized the National Electoral Board for its excellent job registering voters and candidates, and preparing for the elections. Even the state-managed media coverage was considered fair, giving the opposition 56% of the airtime exposure, according to the EU report, while the ruling party received 44% of the coverage.
The opposition parties, much to their own surprise—and the shock of the ruling party—earned the keys to Addis Ababa's City Hall on election day. The ruling party acknowledged its loss in the capital, as well as losses in most of Ethiopia's other urban centers. The opposition managed to capture 170 seats, mostly in urban areas. This was significantly more than the meager 12 seats it won in 2000. This success is tempered only by the fact that most Ethiopians reside in rural areas.
The United States hailed the outcome of the May election as an affirmation of Ethiopia's political development. For the first time in their long history, Ethiopians had a democratic choice.
ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL TENSION
The great hope inspired by this election soon gave way to political turmoil. On election day and during the post-election period, there were reports of intimidation and harassment and that in some areas, ballot boxes had been improperly secured. From June 2–8, the opposition raised questions about the results for 299 seats. There was a general transportation strike in Addis Ababa June 6–8, and violence led to the deaths of three-dozen and the arrest of over 3,000 people.
Page 35 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The United States condemned the violence and cautioned that hate messages directed against other ethnic groups could further fracture the delicate ethnic balance within Ethiopia. The U.S. Ambassador in Addis Ababa, Ambassador Aurelia Brazeal, worked with her colleagues from the British, Austrian, EU, and other embassies to broker an agreement on June 10 between the opposition and ruling parties to enhance political engagement and resolve seats under dispute.
Since the departure of Ambassador Brazeal, our Charge, Ambassador Vicki Huddleston, and the U.S. Embassy staff have continued actively to reach out to opposition party leaders from the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), and Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM). U.S. Embassy staff is working to bridge the political divide separating the opposition parties and the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). The State Department has also engaged the Ethiopian diaspora in the United States, and the chief opposition leaders, Hailu Shawel, who heads the CUD, and Petros Beyene, head of the UEDF, who have been in the United States.
On numerous occasions, the Assistant Secretary sent me to Addis Ababa to work with the Ethiopian Government and opposition groups in support of U.S. Embassy efforts to encourage a reconciliation of differences between the opposition and the ruling parties, and to discuss ways to improve the political process with the Ethiopian government. We encouraged the opposition parties to take their seats in the Ethiopian Parliament and use their positions as parliamentarians to press for continued political reform and a greater voice for the opposition.
The opposition's stance evolved after May 15, 2005. Their unexpected political gains inspired the confidence to insist on more political control of the process, and they pressed for a review of the 299 seats they lost to the EPRDF. The Administration has encouraged dialogue between the government and opposition parties to resolve the dispute. U.S. government officials have repeatedly stressed that responsible discussions would help enhance confidence and bring about a peaceful resolution. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), which did a notable job in pre-election efforts, was overwhelmed by post-election tasks. The NEBE clearly requires significant assistance, as it works to build capacity and forge a constructive dialogue between the parties.
Page 36 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Under the existing NEBE process, the Complaints Review Boards (CRB) received 380 complaints of election irregularities and identified 178 cases for the Complaints Investigations Panels (CIP) to investigate. It was unclear why some cases were rejected. The European Union report on the elections asserted that over 90% of the CUD complaints were rejected as opposed to only 30% for the ruling party. It seems clear that the CRB/CIP process did not prove an adequate means for a fair resolution of all electoral disputes.
According to the Carter Center, which monitored the election process along with the European Union, in one-third of the investigations they observed, witnesses appeared frightened or intimidated, and there was credible evidence of intimidation and harassment including beatings and briberies. It is clear that the CRB/CIP is an ad hoc mechanism to review electoral complaints, rather than a reliable process for resolving the Parliamentary seat dispute. The Carter Center recommended that in this instance, and until the NEBE gains the maturity to resolve political disagreements, the opposition refer these cases to the High Court for adjudication.
We commend the work of the Carter Center and note the important work that the European Union carried out under difficult conditions. On the overall assessment of the elections, we agree with the final report, which noted that the elections had credibility and that majority of the constituency results based on the May 15 polling and tabulation are credible and reflect competitive conditions. Our own assessments support this view.
Despite our belief that elections results overall were generally credible the United States was deeply concerned about the 31 seats that went to a re-vote on August 21. The ruling party won all 31 seats, even among constituencies where the opposition had won a significant majority during May 15 balloting. Election observers noted that voters were perplexed as to why there was a re-vote and noted a dearth of information and increased presence of security forces at polling stations. Of even greater concern was the violence that erupted on June 8 and November 1, 2005 that led to the arrests of thousands of people after the elections and the detention of 128 CUD and civil society leaders. We objected strongly to the violence and the detentions both publicly through several press statements and privately to the government and the opposition.
Page 37 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Of particular concern to the United States are the early-November arrests of much of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) leadership, along with prominent members of civil society, journalists, editors, and publishers. After seven weeks in detention, the Ethiopian government charged 131 individuals with capital offenses of ''outrages against the constitution and constitutional order,'' and, in several cases, ''treason'' and ''attempted genocide.'' Charges were recently dropped against 18 of the defendants, including five American citizen staff members of Voice of America, who, with five others, were charged in absentia.
In addition to these leaders, Ethiopian authorities detained over 14,000 demonstrators holding them for as much as nine weeks in detention camps far away from Addis Ababa. While public protests aimed at destabilizing the country are objectionable, there is no excuse for mass arrests and the use of lethal force against civilians who wish to express their opposition to their government.
GLIMMERS OF HOPE
The electoral process of May 15, 2005 was historic and considerably enhanced the democratic consciousness of the people of Ethiopia. It was a much-improved election over 2000, which had been a great improvement over the 1995 election. The United States is committed to ensuring that the 2010 elections build on the progress of the 2005 elections, in moving toward transparent elections, responsive government, and greater power sharing.
That said, the post-2005 election problems point to the need for capacity building and further reform. The Ethiopian government and opposition agree on that score. We are working to help both sides forge a common commitment to work collaboratively toward a shared goal of developing a more democratic political process. We recognize the need for capacity building to strengthen the electoral commission, foster international exchanges that broaden exposure to other political systems, enhance the open and transparent political process—particularly with regard to Parliamentary procedures that ensure equal participation for opposition members, offer clear and detailed guidance regarding the electoral process, and encourage greater political debate and participation by members of the Ethiopian public.
Page 38 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Over the last year, we have encouraged the opposition parties to continue their political dialogue with the government about the necessity of reform. The Ethiopian citizens who have been detained without charge are of vital concern, and the Administration calls on the Government of Ethiopia to ensure a fair, transparent, and speedy trial for those charged, release of those who have not been charged, and protection of the human rights, health, and safety of all detainees while they remain in detention.
With the engagement of the EU and the Ethiopian government, the opposition and ruling parties have agreed to review parliamentary procedures, the capacity of the NEBE, media law, and the rule of law. The Ethiopian government has also agreed to reviews of domestic political institutions by outside experts from Germany, India, Great Britain, and Canada. The United States will review the media law, and we are working with the EU to encourage elected opposition officials to take their seats in Parliament, and many are. The United States has also engaged with the newly elected Addis Ababa City Counselors and NEBE to enable the opposition to take over City Hall.
We pressed the Ethiopian government to conduct an independent investigation of the violence and the arrests of thousands of civilians in 2005. The completed report from the commission appointed by Parliament is expected soon. We continue to urge the government to apply expeditiously and justly the procedures of the Ethiopian legal process to the cases of the remaining 111 detained CUD and civil society leaders. Resolution of the detention issue would fortify Ethiopia's developing democratic process.
The Administration is also working to ensure the return of the International Republican Institute, the National Democratic Institute, and IFES, all of which were expelled before the May 15 election. These organizations can help with capacity building and political reform.
Page 39 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
All of these actions have been undertaken in support of good governance and the primacy of democracy. We believe Ethiopia is heading in the right direction; in order to ensure positive momentum, the United States and the international community needs to work with Ethiopia to cultivate and nurture this process.
CONCLUSION
Ethiopia is currently at a crossroads; it can continue to move forward, or it can lapse into the sort of government that's best encountered in history books. It is incumbent upon Prime Minister Meles, his government, and the various elements of the multifaceted opposition to demonstrate to the world, but, more importantly, to Ethiopians, the sincerity of their professed commitment to democracy through their actions as well as their words. The United States has a role, as a partner and friend, to help Ethiopia's leaders to choose the right path to secure peace, stability, freedom, and democracy for the Ethiopian people.
Some interested groups, both within and beyond Ethiopian borders, seek to undermine what is best for the nation of Ethiopia, in favor of what they perceive to be the best for themselves. They cast stones at their adversaries, while engaging in the very acts they accuse their rivals of pursuing.
The challenge for the United States is to share with our Ethiopian partners—the government, the opposition, civil society, and the broader public—the lessons of America's own democratic experiment and impede the subversive effects of those who put their own objectives above those of the Ethiopian people. Through diplomatic persuasion, the United States has succeeded in bringing together the government and some opposition groups for dialogue to establish a more equitable political environment that includes respect for the rule of law. U.S. engagement has helped convince the vast majority of opposition Members of Parliament-elect to take their seats, so that they can challenge the political system from within to improve lasting institutions and make tomorrow better. The United States has supported efforts through which opposition members elected to the Addis Ababa city council sought to assume control of the capital city, in accordance with their electoral mandate.
Page 40 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The United States government remains hopeful that Ethiopia can achieve the democratic and development ideals that its people espouse. I am hopeful that Ethiopia's leaders will allow this to happen, and Ethiopia's friends in the United States stand by ready to help.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Mr. Secretary, thank you very much. And I think it is worth noting at the outset that it was almost a year to the day, on March 30, that NDI and IRI and the other organization were ousted just prior to the elections, which sent a very clear and ominous signal as to what was almost a harbinger of what was to come.
And as you know, we are calling for them to be allowed back. It is contained in H.R. 4423 as part of our findings and recommendations. And my hope is that the sooner they get back there, the better. All three of those organizations do exemplary work.
Let me ask just a couple of questions, first beginning with the detainees. Do we have a sense as to how many detainees there are? Have our Embassy personnel been able to visit? I know the ICRC, I think I read somewhere in one case had one visit, and that is all they were allowed.
And very importantly, what is the evidence on the use of torture? There have been allegations that torture has been used to extract confessions from detainees. What is our take on that?
And I would just say to my colleagues that I plan to initiate a letter to Manfred Nowak, the Special Rapporteur on Torture. When I met with him last year in Geneva and asked him if he would be willing to receive requests from Members of Congress on what to look into, he said yes. So we are planning, as a result of this hearing and the ongoing concern about the detainees and all of those who are unjustly incarcerated, to initiate such a letter to have him take a look at the torture situation. But if you could begin on that.
Page 41 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. It is the priority for this government to look into and to follow the detainees very carefully.
Our Ambassador and the Embassy have been extremely aggressive in following the trials, and also in following the health and the safety of the detainees. Eighteen were exonerated during the recent court case, and the charges were dropped against them. There are about 111 remaining.
We have followed the conditions of the detainees very carefully, even from bringing medications to the detainees. Again, the priority for us is to follow how the detainees are being treated. And again, until we have resolution of this issue, it becomes an obstacle to moving forward.
But also, Mr. Chairman, I want to equally emphasize the importance of the political dialogue that must take place between the opposition and the government. The issue on torture and other maltreatment, this is an issue that we follow very closely. And again, we refer you to the human rights report on the cases that we have investigated.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Let me ask you with regards to one specific case, Keefa Kenye Abate, who has been held apparently under Penal Code 238, attempting to overthrow a Constitution. Like others, it is being used, we think, as the charge that will be lodged against him.
And would you say parenthetically—and I say this because I know we will be hearing from the Ethiopian Ambassador right after your panel—that all-sweeping ''attempting to overthrow the Constitution'' language is reminiscent to many of us to the slander against the Soviet State, or some of the other catch-all phrases that are so often used, and used with great impunity, by countries, and very often by dictatorships, in order to put people behind bars. And in this case, they can be put behind bars up to life imprisonment.
Page 42 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
But in the case of Mr. Abate, and I would note parenthetically that his wife, Dr. Carmella Green Abate is a very, very prominent and very aggressive NGO leader, helping Ethiopian children, destitute Ethiopian children. So she is there on the ground, working day in and day out to help people who have little kids who are in dire straits. And now her husband is imprisoned.
And I just would note also that two courts so far have looked at the evidence and dismissed the complaint. As a matter of fact, on December 28 the court ruled that there was no evidence to justify his arrest, and that his case should be dismissed and that he should be released. On December 29 the Court of Appeals reiterated the initial finding there was no justification for his arrest, and that the case should be closed. And the prosecutor just turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to those findings, which raises serious questions about the rule of law and the lack of, at least from an independent judiciary point of view, whether or not they have the ability to say something and have it carried out by the Executive Branch.
He is only one of many, but I would just raise his case as another example of what appears to be a grossly unjustified incarceration by the Meles Government. What is your take on that?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Mr. Chairman, you raised a very good point on the capacity-building within the judicial process in Ethiopia. That is an area that we have focused on through our Good Governance and Democracy Program, and also that we are committed to ensuring that there is capacity-building and that there is improvement. And that we are working not only with the Ethiopian Government, but also with civil society and with the people.
Page 43 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
And your case, specifically, we will give you a response to the specifics on his case. But just to assure you, Mr. Chairman, that we have met with the family members of the detainees. I have done so in my several visits to Ethiopia, and I will do so again this time. And our Embassy has done so, as well.
And this is of high concern to have their loved ones who are detained, and also the treatment that they are receiving. Those are extreme concerns and high priority for us, and we will continue to follow it.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. I appreciate that. Now, I would ask you, if you could, on his specific case, if you would look into that. Keefla Tigna Abate. And I will give you the information before your departure. His wife again works for this organization. She is an American, Dr. Carmella Green Abate. And they work for Catholic Relief Services, but above all she is trying to help young children.
I wonder if you could tell us, maybe you could do this on the record or get back to us, on whether or not our Embassy has visited him.
Mr. YAMAMOTO. I will have to get back to you, sir, on that.
[The information referred to follows:]
WRITTEN RESPONSE RECEIVED FROM MR. YAMAMOTO TO QUESTION ASKED DURING THE HEARING BY THE HONORABLE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH
Page 44 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
While officials from the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia have not been able to visit Mr. Abate, a non-U.S. citizen, they do maintain regular contact with his wife, Dr. Carmella Green Abate. Mr. Abate has not reported being subject to any abuse during his detention. U.S. Embassy personnel have raised Mr. Abate's detention and trial with Ethiopian Government officials and actively follow developments in his case. Despite being unable to visit Mr. Abate directly, U.S. Embassy personnel meet regularly with others who have seen or met with Mr. Abate to monitor his condition.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Sure. Finally, I do have other questions. But let me, in the interest of your time, yield to Mr. Payne for his questions.
Mr. PAYNE. Thank you very much. Thank you for your testimony.
Amnesty International and other human rights groups have consistently reported about human rights and violations in Ethiopia. What is your assessment of human rights condition in general? And how many demonstrators were killed in June and November in demonstrations, approximately? And how many people were killed last year throughout Ethiopia?
We would like to see what the government's involvement is, and who are those who are perpetrating these, initiating this violence. And if you know approximately, I mentioned two people in prison, do you know how many are currently in prison? And perhaps an overview of the human rights conditions, particularly in the Oromo and the Somali regions of Ethiopia.
Page 45 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. YAMAMOTO. As far as the total number of killings, et cetera, and related to the elections, thanks to Chairman Smith, of course, and your good work, Congressman Payne, the government has set up a commission to investigate. And that report should be coming out soon. That we will be following up very closely.
The specific numbers of deaths, again to have any specificity, is very, very difficult. As we said, in the June 8 timeframe there were three dozen deaths. And of course, a couple of dozen as well in the November timeframe as well. And even one death alone is unacceptable. And that is something that we have protested, and also need to work to ensure that there is a compassionate manner in which demonstrators are dealt.
As for the total number of deaths and torture throughout the country, I refer you to the human rights report. Again, those are issues and questions that are very difficult to answer. We do, as stated, highlight issues that have been ongoing in Gambella last year and the previous year, and Oroma, and those have been highlighted. But as far as specificity on numbers, I would defer to the experts who have been on the ground investigating.
Just to say that we are investigating these cases and others, we work very closely with the NGOs, and also with the government and the opposition groups and other civil society groups, to investigate and to prevent these from happening again in the future.
On overall human rights, I think you can say that there are questions, as very clearly outlined in our human rights report. But these are areas that we are focusing on, and trying to work through the judicial reforms, through political reform to improve the condition. And in this context, to work with civil society, and also the people of Ethiopia, because it is their government, it is their country.
Page 46 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. PAYNE. Just quickly, since you have to leave and the other Members might want to ask questions, sort of the same area about the freedom of the press. The government controls the radio, although they did allow opposition people to have broadcast authority during the election, to some degree. They control radio, they control television, most major media outlets, although there is a small private press active in Addis.
But over the past several years, dozens of journalists and editors have been incarcerated by the government or left the country. The same sort of question.
What is your assessment in general about the freedom of the press in Ethiopia? And why is the government arresting journalists and editors?
Also, the government is reportedly in the process of issuing licenses for private radio, for radio and perhaps television. What do you expect from the private radio or television? Do you believe that there will be an opportunity for free and independent radio and television under this new initiative from the government?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. And then you cite a very good point. During the pre-election period, 56 percent of the air time on TV and radio was given to the opposition, 44 percent to the ruling government parties. And that was according to the European Union report.
The arrest of journalists after the election is an issue that we had raised in our press releases, and also in our private discussions, that it was not acceptable.
Page 47 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The issue, of course, is we continue to follow judicial reforms, and this is of great importance to us. In this context and our negotiations and discussions with the government, they have agreed and allowed us to review and work with them on the media law. And you can be assured, Congressman Payne, that we will be working very diligently and very assiduously with the government and civil society and journalists to ensure that we have the best possible media law.
Mr. PAYNE. And just last, NDI, IRI and IFES were expelled. When I met with the prime minister, I made a request that these organizations be allowed back in, just a verbal request. But has there been a formal request by the organizations? And what is the position of the government?
As we do know, the Carter Center was allowed to stay. The EU were allowed to stay. They seem to be selective about who they would allow in and out.
What is the current situation with those three groups?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Right now, we are discussing this with the government and also directly with these groups, because we do have funding for them. And we want them to spend that funding in Ethiopia on capacity-building. So it is ongoing. And we will report to you as developments occur.
Mr. PAYNE. Thank you. I will yield.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Ms. Lee.
Page 48 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Ms. LEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for your leadership, for calling these hearings. And thank you, Mr. Secretary, for being here.
Let me just first say a couple things. The use of excessive force, the killing of students and innocent civilians by the Ethiopian security forces is totally unacceptable. And the election that took place of course left a lot to be desired.
And in terms of our country's efforts, and I appreciate your diplomacy in indicating your negotiations and our protest, but quite frankly, I think we do need to do more now than protest.
And so, Mr. Chairman, I am glad that we are working on H.R. 4423, and hopefully we will be able to get that together so that all of us can have a good bill to move forward out of this Committee. Because certainly with the gross human rights violations now, and the lack of democracy, I think the United States Government needs to rev up its actions, and needs to do more.
A couple things I would like to ask you with regard to the opposition groups. Could you just kind of lay out the fundamental issues that you see at least as dividing the political parties? And is reconciliation possible? That is the first thing.
Then could you just bring us up to date on the Ethiopia/Eritrea border conflict. And finally, let me just ask you about HIV and AIDS. As you know, I visited Ethiopia a couple of years ago, and learned that at least 10 percent of the population is infected. And supposedly the numbers we got was about 2.9 million Ethiopians are living with HIV and AIDS.
Page 49 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
So I want to know what more—we weren't doing much 2 years ago. And I want to see what more we are doing to help, and what measures need to be taken on our behalf to help stop the spread of the infection.
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Thank you very much for your questions. On the reconciliation, the discussions are ongoing. I have been sent over a half a dozen times over the past year, especially in concern with the good governance and democratization process.
On the opposition, our position is that we want the opposition and the government to reconcile differences, to work together not only to reform the political system, but also to work together on the future elections. And specifically the local elections, which are coming up. And that is a decision that both the ruling party and the opposition party must take in order to ensure that these elections are free, fair, transparent, and open, and reflect the true will of the people of Ethiopia.
The opposition parties have raised the issue of 299 seats under dispute. President Carter and the Carter Center, in their investigation, said a couple things. And we discussed this with the opposition and the government. And that is to have a responsible discussion of how many of these seats are valid.
Just ask the government how many of the 31 seats that went for re-vote, those are issues that we have raised. Is that really in keeping with political reform, good governance, et cetera.
Page 50 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
And so the where the reconciliation process stands right now is, and that is one of the reasons I am heading off to Ethiopia right now, is to follow up just on the developments and the progress we have made. But we must also be mindful, as the Chairman and as Congressman Payne and as you have stated, on how we can resolve the detainee problem.
Just very quickly on Ethiopia/Eritrea Boundary Commission. We, the United States, are very much committed to this process. We just held meetings in London. This is the first time the Ethiopians participated in quite a long time. That, in itself, is a major step forward.
What we need to do is to keep up the pressure, to keep up the impetus on both parties to come to conclusion and resolve this border dispute. And that is what we are going to be doing through the United Nations, the witnesses, and future meetings in London. And again, another reason for the trip today to Ethiopia and to Eritrea is on the border.
The issues on HIV/AIDS, and here I want to just express our deep appreciation to you, Congresswoman Lee, for your involvement and engagement on this really critical issue in Africa. And you are quite correct. In the last 2 years that Ethiopia has been partnering with the Presidential Initiative on HIV/AIDS, we are developing programs and projects, and working with civil society and with the government to pinpoint and to work effectively to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDS, and to work to meet the needs of those who have HIV/AIDS.
And I think in the next couple years you will see, I believe, as we have in other areas where the Presidential Initiative has been implemented, progress and development.
Page 51 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Ms. LEE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just hope we see more funding as it relates to humanitarian assistance directed toward this HIV and AIDS pandemic. Because it could spiral out of control in Ethiopia.
Thank you.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Ms. McCollum.
Ms. MCCOLLUM. Thank you, Mr. Chair. First I would like to state for the record, I strongly support the people of Eritrea, along with many of the Ethiopian-Americans and Oromo-Americans in my district, and will continue to stand with them on their very challenging efforts to overcome extreme poverty and food insecurity.
But I also stand with the people of Ethiopia on their effort to have their voices heard in a free and democratic society.
Unfortunately, the current leadership, political repression, massacres, and extreme human rights abuses clearly demonstrate a government that is not on the path to democracy, but committed to retaining power at any cost.
I believe that American people reject the notion that a regime that massacres innocent citizens can be called a friend and a true partner of the United States. So I am a little troubled by the comment Ethiopia is heading on the right track.
Page 52 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
I know from reading your biography of the work that you did in China as a human rights officer during Tienanman Square. And now we have a similar case in Ethiopia, pro-democracy demonstrators being massacred, not once, but twice, by government security forces. Thousands more being beaten, arrested, tortured, and the government is just getting around to maybe investigating itself now.
Now, with all due respect, your comments about right track and capacity-building and further reform bother me a little bit, because innocent people were murdered. Thousands of innocent people, pro-democracy demonstrators, were arrested and beaten. And what about the need for full justice and accountability for those political leaders that are responsible for these atrocities?
Is a policy of oppression going to be condemned by the Bush Administration, openly condemned? Will the same standard of human rights and accountability that I hear in this Committee all the time, that the United States held to China in the Tienanman Square massacre, we used to hold the Ethiopian Government for the Ababa massacres and imprisonment.
And then my other question for you, sir, is, does the State Department consider the Oromo liberation front a legitimate public entity that should be allowed to participate fully and peacefully in Ethiopia's political life?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Thank you very much, Congresswoman. You raise very cogent arguments and statements.
Let me just, on a personal note, I have been involved now for 10 years just on Ethiopia and Eritrea issues. And it is heartbreaking to see the situation that occurred after the elections, as far as the violence that occurred on June 8 and November 1. And I received hundreds and hundreds of emails, and I responded to each and every one of them. And some of them were very, very heartbreaking, of people whose family members were killed on those days.
Page 53 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
And the issue is, how do we address those? How do we assure that that doesn't happen again? And that, I think, is what we must dedicate ourselves in working on. And that is what I know I am, and my team, and what we in the State Department are trying to do, so that doesn't happen again.
As far as the progress, there has been progress made. And this is in a political sense. In other words, from 2000 and 1995, the elections in 2005 were much better than those two previous elections.
Yes, there are many problems. Yes, there is irregularity, and more needs to be done. And I think we, as a government and as a people, when we see that there has been some progress, we need to make sure that that continues. And to work not only with the government, but the people and the civil society and journalists, and to make sure that they have their voices heard, as well. And to ensure that is why we have been working so hard with the opposition groups, to work on political reform, because we want their voices to be heard. We want them to be heard in the Parliaments of Addis Ababa and in Ethiopia, so that they could get their voices and their words heard.
We believe that negotiation is the best route for issues on the OLF. And that is an area that we have supported with the OLF, the government. And I know that, and I defer to my colleague from the Government of Ethiopia, on what steps they are taking on negotiations.
But for our part and for the part of the international community, is that we are supporting discussions and talks between them and the government.
Page 54 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Thank you.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Thank you very much. I know you will have to leave momentarily, and a number of us have additional questions we would like to submit for the record to you.
I would like to ask you very briefly, in this year's request for funding there is an increase called for in IMET, as well as for foreign military financing, to go from $594,000 to $640,000 for IMET and $1.98 million to $2 million in foreign military financing, which to me seems very contrary, given the state of affairs, to any concern that we would express rhetorically about human rights, when their military is getting support from us in a very tangible way.
And secondly, if I could very briefly raise the issue of the widespread intimidation of defense attorneys, which is a device so often used in dictatorships to try to stifle defense, and to completely obliterate anything that even looks like the rule of law.
What is your sense on the number of people by name who are being held, who are defense attorneys, and others who are being intimidated?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. On the reason for the increase in the IMET and the foreign military financing is Ethiopia is a major peacekeeping operation country. And to try to get well-trained groups is very difficult. And Ethiopian troops are being used. They are used in Burundi to stabilize that area, and Liberia, and in other areas. They are the third-largest group right now.
Page 55 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
And so what this is for, training specifically for peacekeeping operations.
The other issue of course is civil affairs, which is to use the military as a force for supporting natural disasters. And we give courses on good governance and democracy and other issues. And so it is helpful.
And the foreign military financing is in support of those peacekeeping operations and others. We can give you a breakdown in greater detail later.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Before you go to defense, does that training also include anti-human trafficking initiatives? They are the fifth-largest contributor of troops, UN peacekeeping.
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Yes.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. It does?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Yes.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Okay. And on defense attorneys?
Mr. YAMAMOTO. It is not only defense attorneys, we are talking the family members. Family members, lawyers, religious groups, et cetera.
Page 56 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
And any type of restrictions on one group is an affront to all groups. And so therefore, we have to keep focused on this issue. So I agree with you 100 percent, sir.
Mr. PAYNE. I would like to amplify what the Chairman said in regard to IMET. I know that IMET is training and attempting to have discipline, human rights, supposed to try to make the military understand the role of military, et cetera. And we definitely need to have more peacekeepers. Sudan should have three times as many, but there is the difficulty in getting them. So you are kind of betwixt and between that you don't want to reward a country that has used its military against its people. Where by the same token, the work that is being done in peacekeeping and other places is commendable.
So I would hope that the money is, if it is going, it is not used for special forces, for intelligence-gathering, which means it is condoning torture and that kind of thing. Sharpshooters who are used many times to quell crowds.
The other quick point is that I am glad that there is additional talks that may be going on in regard to the border dispute. I do feel that Ethiopia made the agreement in Algiers to accept the border agreement. And you know, in a border there can't be two winners, so someone was not going to win, according to them. And so I think that it was totally irresponsible for the government not to accept the border decision.
I do think that the U.S. should have been more engaged in trying to force the acceptance of agreement that was made. I mean, that is why you have an impartial mediator that comes up with an answer.
Page 57 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
So I would hope that the new spirit that there has been some leeway given. As a matter of fact, I think the prime minister mentioned about a year ago that he accepted the agreement in principle. This was the first time he ever mentioned any kind of acceptance, and said he would also participate in the cost of sharing border costs.
I think that we should work with that acceptance, at least in principle, and get it from in principle to reality. But I do hope that there is a breakthrough so that the border issue, and I think that President Isaias, I met with both of them twice last year just in regard to the borders. Because with guns facing each other, they need to be turned into plowshares, as a matter of fact. They don't need guns at all, they need butter and food.
But I think that if skillful negotiations can go on and perhaps get both of them off the hard line, in particular Ethiopia did say in principle. And I know that many of the new people elected are hard-liners that say don't negotiate, we ought to go back to the board. So it is a tough situation there. But I hope that you can press forward so that that issue can be resolved.
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Thank you very much.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Mr. Secretary, if you could provide for the record, because I remember we had a very bitter experience with Kapuas in Indonesia and training by United States military of people who we had very strong reason to believe actually fired on people during the Suharto regime, and some of the training they got was urban guerilla warfare from the United States, we never got the answer as to whether or not we trained those Kapuas agents or military special forces.
Page 58 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
If you could get back to us with who we trained, when and where, that would be very helpful to this Subcommittee. And I know you are late for your flight, so thank you so much.
Mr. YAMAMOTO. Thank you very much.
[The information referred to follows:]
WRITTEN RESPONSE RECEIVED FROM MR. YAMAMOTO TO QUESTION ASKED DURING THE HEARING BY THE HONORABLE CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH
MILITARY ASSISTANCE TO ETHIOPIA
The United States has provided Ethiopia with non-lethal training and assistance to improve the professionalism and capacity of Ethiopia's military to more ably contribute to international peacekeeping efforts and resist extremist Islamic terrorism.
In Ethiopia, FY05 International Military Education and Training (IMET) funded the development of a language lab, logistics executive development, combined logistics captain career courses, a course on intelligence for combating terrorism, a squadron officer school, a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) academy course, and creation of a civil-military strategy for international development in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Plans for FY06 IMET funding include attendance at U.S. schools, including the National War College, r Command and General Staff College, intelligence officer basic and advanced training, airborne instructor training, pathfinder, airborne aerial delivery, international special forces training, military justice training, a joint transition course, peacekeeping for decision makers, and an international military law development program. The programs funded by IMET include human rights training. Of note, personnel attending IMET courses are routinely vetted for human rights abuses.
Page 59 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. In keeping with the order, I will turn to my colleagues. Ms. Lee, do you have an opening statement?
Ms. LEE. No. I will just ask for unanimous consent for it to be put into the record.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Without objection.
Ms. LEE. Thank you.
[The information referred to was not submitted prior to printing.]
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Dr. Boozman, do you have an opening statement?
[No response.]
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Okay. I would like to now ask our second witness to join us at the witness table. And that is Ambassador Fesseha Tessema, who is the Chargé d'Affaires for the Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic, and the newly-appointed Ethiopian Ambassador to Israel.
Ambassador Tessema served as head of the Ethiopian Embassy's political and economic session since 2002. Prior to that posting, he was the Deputy Permanent Representative of Ethiopia to the United Nations, which I would note parenthetically Mr. Payne and I just spent the day at yesterday.
Page 60 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. Ambassador, please proceed.
STATEMENT OF HIS EXCELLENCY FESSEHA A. TESSEMA, CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES, EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA
Ambassador TESSEMA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. I have submitted my remarks, my full remarks, to the Subcommittee.
Mr. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY. Without objection, your statement will be made a part of the record.
Ambassador TESSEMA. Thank you very much. Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of the Subcommittee. I appreciate this opportunity to present the views of the Government of Ethiopia regarding the topic of the hearing.
Our perspective is far more optimistic than the title given to this hearing may suggest. Yet this optimism is grounded in the experiential reality of life and politics in Ethiopia today.
Indeed, I reject the notion that Ethiopia faces a troubled internal situation. While I do not wish to play the role of Pollyanna and suggest that all is well and can never be better, I do wish to emphasize that the growing pains of an emerging democracy should not be mistaken for tyranny, which is the exaggerated picture that opponents of Ethiopia's constitutional government want this Committee to believe.
Page 61 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Let me divide my comments into three main sections. First, I will give some historical perspective. Second, I will look at the current situation. And third, I will present reasons for optimism for the future of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia and the United States have a friendship that has lasted more than a century. The Ethiopian/American friendship and partnership in pursuit of common interests was interrupted only by the brutal dictatorship of Mengistu Haile Mariam, who came to power in a bloody military coup in 1974. He was deposed 17 years later through the collective sacrifice and determination of the Ethiopian people, who persistently fought his reign of terror.
Mr. Chairman, almost exactly 20 years ago, on the other side of Capitol Hill, the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United States Senate held a hearing on this topic: ''Ethiopia Update: Forced Population Removal and Human Rights.'' In introducing the hearing, Senator Nancy Kassebaum, who was presiding in the absence of the Chairman, said, and I quote:
''Our concern for saving Ethiopian lives last year led to a massive United States Government and private-sector effort to provide food and relief supplies to Ethiopia. Today, however, we find that the threat to Ethiopian lives comes not from famine, but from the Ethiopian Government.''
A few minutes later Senator Rudy Boschwitz made a fitting historical analogy. ''Very frankly,'' he said, ''it sounds to me that what is happening in Ethiopia is more like the 1920s and 1930s in the Soviet Union, when they collectivized farms and upward of 30 million people were killed, including about a third of the Ukrainians. Now it appears that something similar to that is happening in Ethiopia.''
Page 62 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. Chairman, I offer this short history lesson to describe the situation from which present day Ethiopia emerged.
When our country was liberated from the Mengiste dictatorship 15 years ago, our people had little idea of what self-government meant. We had even less experience exercising it. The transition from dictatorship to democracy was complex. The 1995 Constitution marked a transition toward multi-party democracy. It provided for a Federal state structure with nine member states making up the federation. It enshrined fundamental principles aimed at ensuring a democratic order and a political community founded on the rule of law.
Democratization has taken a center stage in the development discourse of today's Ethiopian politics. We recognize that there can be neither development nor stability without democracy. It is on the basis of such conviction that the Ethiopian Government has put in place a conducive legal, political, and administrative framework that have completely helped to implant and nurture democracy in the last decade.
Since 1991 Ethiopia adopted a multi-party system, and has so far held three periodic elections which over the course of time have demonstrated significant improvements.
This brings us to the events of the past year, events which brought us into this hearing room to discuss Ethiopia's internal situation. We are here because of what happened after last May's highly successful parliamentary and local government elections, which increased the number of opposition party members of Parliament from 12 to 172, and gave opposition parties all but one seat on the Addis Ababa city council.
Page 63 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The third national and regional elections held on May 15, 2005, represent a milestone in the advancement of democracy in Ethiopia. More than 27 million people were registered for the election, out of which 90 percent cast their votes. Seventy-seven political parties and 575 independent candidates contested for seats in the Federal Parliament and the State Councils. Over 300 international observers and tens of thousands of local observers monitored the election process.
International and domestic observers of the election agreed that the elections were conducted in a fair, free, and transparent manner. For example, the Carter Center sent a delegation of observers that concluded, and I quote:
''In contrast to previous national elections, the 2005 elections were sharply contested and offered Ethiopian citizens a democratic choice for the first time in their long history. The ruling party took the initiative to negotiate with the opposition and level the playing field, and agreed to a number of important electoral reforms that created conditions for a more open and genuinely competitive process. The early negotiations between parties were, in and of themselves, a step forward for the democratization process in Ethiopia.
''The National Election Board of Ethiopia implemented these reforms and adopted other important measures to increase transparency and responsiveness to political parties. Civil society organizations contributed greatly to the electoral process by organizing public forums, conducting voter education training, and deploying domestic observers.
''As a result of these efforts and others by diverse Ethiopian actors and institutions, the overwhelming majority of Ethiopians had the opportunity to make a meaningful choice in the May 15 elections. This significant accomplishment has the potential to lead to further democratization, and to consolidate multi-party competition.''
Page 64 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
The Carter Center report continues to say that, while some complaints about individual constituency results were credible, the majority of the constituency results based on the May 15 polling and tabulation are credible, and reflect multiparty competition.
The U.S. State Department statement of 16 September 2005 recognized the election ''to stand out as a milestone in creating a new, more competitive multi-party political system.''
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee, as experienced candidates and political leaders, you know that no election is flawless, even in a mature democracy. I need not remind you of the controversy surrounding the 2000 Presidential elections in the United States.
Ethiopia is learning through experience how to become a better democracy. We are pleased the international observers, such as those from the Carter Center, agree that Ethiopia is on the right path. The fact that opposition parties increased their seats in Parliament from 12 to 172 is evidence of progress, since a robust democracy depends in large part on the participation of an active and loyal opposition engaging the majority party in debate, respectfully challenging the positions of the prime minister and his cabinet, and helping to hone proposed legislation into good, strong, and effective law for the benefit of all the people.
Let me add that despite protestation and calls for boycott by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, a coalition of four political parties, more than 89 of its elected representatives have taken their seats in Parliament, seats that they won in fair, competitive elections. That number appears to be growing as constituents tell their elected representatives that a boycott is nothing but being on the outside looking in, rather than on the inside making a difference.
Page 65 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
A few days after the elections took place, a group of opposition leaders asserted that fraud or vote rigging had taken place in a number of constituencies, and they insisted that the results be nullified. The independent National Election Board set up a transparent complaint review mechanism, which was also endorsed by the major opposition parties.
The board investigated all the cases, something that severely taxed the board's resources. It concluded that in 31 cases there was sufficient evidence of fraud or other illegalities, and new elections were ordered. The Carter Center, in its final report, noted, I quote: ''Within the universe of seats impacted by the complaint process, many of these cases lacked sufficient evidence to warrant challenging the results.''
If only such an anecdote represented the worst of what happened in the weeks following the election. Unfortunately, in June and again in November people were killed and injured during attempted insurrections in Addis Ababa and other places. This much is true.
What is not often reported in the news media is that demonstrators came armed with clubs and grenades and guns. Policemen were killed and injured, too, while trying to keep the peace. In addition, a significant amount of public, as well as private, property was destroyed and looted by the so-called demonstrators.
These public insurrections were unfortunately called by hard-core elements of the CUD, who rejected the outcome of the elections, and vowed to disrupt the constitutional order. They persistently engaged themselves in fomenting riots and inciting violence.
Page 66 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Incidents such as those we experienced last June and last November, as much as they are regrettable, are not unique to contemporary times. Other democracies have experienced similar incidents like those as they developed, grew, and matured.
In the aftermath of last year's violence in Ethiopia, a number of individuals were arrested. Of these, the majority were released after an investigation. There are fewer than 170 people in custody today who are charged and are awaiting trial.
In every case, they are ensured access to legal counsel, and are able to communicate with their families. My government respects the due process of law, and wants to see justice satisfied in every one of the cases that resulted from the violent actions of the past few months. We firmly believe that the true measure of democracy is its dispensation of justice. Hence, we urge everyone to let the judicial process take its course.
Moreover, in an effort to prevent such violence from occurring in the future, Parliament has established an independent inquiry commission consisting of religious leaders, jurists, and civic activists. This commission is not only looking into the root cause of the violence, but examining the behavior of both the police and security forces.
Drawing lessons from the last election, the government is now taking measures to reform the procedure and code of conduct of the House to enhance the implementation capacity of the National Election Board and review and enhance the media laws. Accordingly, the government has hired foreign consultants to undertake studies and present a comparative analysis in light of the experience of four countries with rich democratic traditions. That is Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, and India. We believe that this approach would not only pave the way to adapt the experience of other countries to our objective reality, but would also ensure that views of all stakeholders are taken on board.
Page 67 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
It is my humble view that this process would help narrow the difference among political parties, and promote a healthy competitive and cooperative spirit.
At this point I would like to address what should be expected of the political opposition in Ethiopia, individuals and groups whom we hope understand what it means to be loyal opposition, as that term is used in mature parliamentary democracies such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and India.
Some of you may have seen an article that appeared in the well-respected London-based newsletter, Africa Confidential, last month. The article said, in part, and I quote:
''The coalition that is the CUD refused to take its parliamentary or council seats as a protest against election abuses. Splits have since weakened its members' resolve, but there is still no city government in Addis. Most members of the CUD Central Committee opposed a boycott, but with strong support from exiles in the United States, Chairman Hailu Shawal, who firmly opposed participation, outmaneuvered them.
''Most CUD MPs—that is, 92 out of 109—are busy organizing party caucuses to allow full legislative participation. The government has met some opposition demands. Consultants from Canada, Germany, India, and Britain are reviewing parliamentary procedures; others are reviewing the press law and the National Electoral Board.''
You have no doubt heard the expression—I think it was expressed in the first Spiderman movie, but that does not diminish its truth—that ''with great power comes great responsibility.'' Political influence and political activism also entail great responsibility.
Page 68 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Our concern that some opposition groups in Ethiopia, whether because they are fighting among themselves or because they are working purposefully to undermine the constitutional order of our country, is shared by United States officials, as well.
It is worth noting that at a news briefing last December 5, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazer, stated, and I quote:
''I must say also that it is the responsibility of the opposition as well, because when the opposition takes stones and pelts the police forces, they have to respect the rule of law when they are demonstrating freely.
''And so I think that the responsibility—this is true of Ethiopia, but it is true across Africa—there is responsibility that has to be there for both the opposition and for the government. Whereas we hold the government even more accountable because they are supposed to be the upholders of the rule of law, we still must say when the opposition goes out of bounds as such.
''And this is a very diverse opposition in Ethiopia. There are some who are demonstrating to sit in Parliament to create greater democratic space. There are others who are demonstrating to overthrow the government. That is true that there are differences of opinion, there are some who want to reclaim Eritrea. So this opposition, there are democrats within the opposition, and there are non-democrats within the opposition.''
Mr. Chairman, the overarching ramifications of Dr. Frazer's remarks about the importance of the rule of law are taken very seriously in Ethiopia. I can assure you, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, that the Ethiopian Government and the Ethiopian people are both equally committed to respect for the rule of law and to seeing that all those accused of crimes are accorded full due process of law, no matter what they are charged for.
Page 69 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
Mr. Chairman, here are the reasons for optimism. While the political situation in Ethiopia gives us much to ponder, I remain convinced that there are reasons to be optimistic about the future. Let me briefly mention just a few of these reasons.
First, democratization has taken a center stage in the development discourse of today's Ethiopian politics. Despite the challenges, Ethiopia is moving in the right direction toward democratization.
A second reason for optimism is that Ethiopia is experiencing strong economic growth. Our gross domestic product grew by 11.5 percent in 2004, and by 9 percent in 2005. Despite drought, in some parts of the country the agricultural sector has grown by 15 percent, and exports have grown by 24.5 percent in the past year.
Primary school education enrollment rate, which was 61 percent in 2001, grew to 79 percent in 2004/2005. Coverage of health services at about the same time grew from 52 to 70 percent. Infant mortality rate for under age 5, which was 167 per thousand in 2002/2003, declined to 97 per thousand this last year.
There is a construction boom in our capital and other cities, with residences, offices, retail shops, and manufacturing facilities being built at an unprecedented rate.
Third, despite increasing tensions between religious groups elsewhere in Africa and in many other countries of the world, the major religions live in harmony in Ethiopia, so much so that we humbly offer our experience as a model for other religiously pluralistic countries.
Page 70 PREV PAGE TOP OF DOC
A fourth reason for optimism is the recent United States diplomatic initiative to bring about a permanent settlement for the Ethiopia-Eritrea border conflict. The situation is still delicate, but with commitment and cooperation from the other side, we envision the demarcation of the border in an orderly fashion that assures lasting peace between our two countries. Success, however, depends on the support of the international community, and assurances of confidence from friends like the United States.
In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I would like to return to my opening remarks about the close friendship between Ethiopia and the United States. This is not simply a diplomatic friendship between distant states. No. It is in many ways a relationship of kith and kin.
There are, according to the best estimates, about half a million people of Ethiopian descent living in the United States. This includes not just recent immigrants, but the children and grandchildren of immigrants, as well. Some 100,000 Ethiopian-Americans live in the Washington metropolitan area alone. I am sure that each Member of the Subcommittee can number Ethiopian-Americans among your constituents. In fact, I am certain you have heard from some of them in the days leading up to this hearing.
We are not claiming to have a perfect multi-