U.S. issues warning after Ethiopia grenade attacks

The United States issued a warning Thursday to its citizens about travelling to a popular tourist region in Ethiopia after a string of grenade attacks targeting hotels and homes.
The US embassy in Addis Ababa said there had been four grenade blasts this month in Gondar, a city in the north known for its ancient castles.
A popular stop on Ethiopia's tourist circuit, Gondar was also the scene of anti-government protests last year that led to the declaration of a nationwide state of emergency.
"The embassy recommends US citizens carefully consider whether travel to Gondar is necessary at this time," the embassy said in a statement.
A spokesman for Ethiopia's government had no immediate comment.
While Ethiopia has enjoyed rapid economic growth in recent years and falling poverty rates, protests erupted in 2015 by communities disenchanted with the government of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.
Human rights groups say hundreds of people were killed and thousands arrested when security forces cracked down on the demonstrations.

The unrest erupted in the central Oromo region near the capital and then spread to Amhara in the north, including Gondar.
State-run Fana Broadcasting Corporate reported this month that Ethiopia's human rights commission had submitted a report to parliament saying 669 people were killed in last year's protests, along with 63 security officers.



The unrest led parliament to declare a six-month state of emergency in October 2016, which was extended for another four months in March.

Ethiopia’s Bloody Crackdown: The Case for International Justice

(HRW) — Ethiopian security forces gunned down at least 100 people a week ago in the bloodiest weekend in the ninth month of anti-government protests. Unlike previous protests, which have been largely confined to the Oromia region, the protests on August 6 and 7 were also in the northern Amhara region. Altogether at least 500 people have been killed since November and tens of thousands have been detained during the largely peaceful protests.

The protests in Oromia started in November over the government’s approach to development, but as the crackdown intensified, protester grievances focused on longstanding abuses and discrimination. In the Amhara region, protesters have voiced concerns over the dominance of those connected to the ruling party in economic and political affairs, complex questions of ethnic identity, and other historic grievances. Protesters vow to continue, and there is no indication of a letup from security forces or new concessions from the government.

Security force torture of people in detention has been pervasive. Girma (not his real name), an 18-year-old student, was released last week from an Ethiopian military camp seven months after he was arrested at a protest with his classmates. He told me when I talked with him after his release that the nightly beatings left him with permanent injuries that make it hard for him to walk. He is banned from returning to school and afraid he will be arrested again if he seeks medical care. He still hears the screams of the “hundreds of protesters still there who were tortured every night.”

Donor countries to Ethiopia have been largely silent about the brutal crackdown, presumably in part due to the Ethiopian government’s strategic relationships on security, peacekeeping, migration, and development. For years, the US, the UK and other influential governments have basically rejected public condemnation of the Ethiopian government’s repressive practices. But a strategy of “quiet diplomacy” is increasingly limited as Ethiopia’s human rights situation declines and its heavy-handed response to the largely peaceful protests is fueling more anger and frustration.

The small bit of good news is that the international silence on Ethiopia was broken on August 10 when the UN’s top human rights official, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, told Reuters that an international investigation and accountability are needed for the killings of protesters.

The protesters I spoke with in recent weeks have been increasingly reassessing the effectiveness of their peaceful protests in the absence of justice, accountability, and international condemnation of the government’s killing, torture and arbitrary arrests. They told me they are losing faith in Western governments to offer even the mildest criticism of their government.

There are few opportunities inside the country to monitor the government’s human rights record, to hold officials to account, or to access justice. After elections in 2015 that did not meet international standards, the government holds 100 percent of the seats in federal and regional parliaments, preventing any serious parliamentary debate. The courts have little independence on politically sensitive cases and the misuse of the anti-terrorism law is illustrated through the ongoing trial of an opposition leader and advocate for non-violence, Bekele Gerba, the ongoing trial of a former World Bank translator, Pastor Omot Agwa, and the conviction of numerous journalists on trumped-up charges. Numerous restrictions on independent media and nongovernmental organizations result in little scrutiny of abusive security forces. International journalists also face restrictions as three journalists detained during the recent protests can attest to.

Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission should be investigating abuses by security forces. But its lack of independence was underscored by its oral report on the protests to parliament in June. It concluded that the lethal force used by security forces in Oromia was proportionate to the risk they faced from the protesters. It is not known whether a written version of the report is available to justify such a seemingly politicized conclusion. The briefing was issued just a few days before Human Rights Watch issued a report describing the excessive use of force that resulted in the killing of an estimated 400 people during the first six months of the protests.

International scrutiny of Ethiopia’s rights record has also been lacking despite its June election to the UN Security Council, and its membership on the UN Human Rights Council – which requires it to uphold the “highest standards of human rights” and cooperate with UN monitors. Ethiopia has refused entry to all UN special rapporteurs since 2007. Among the outstanding requests are from the special rapporteurs on torture, freedom of opinion and expression, and peaceful assembly.

Ethiopia’s allies should back the call from the UN human rights high commissioner and press for an international investigation. Such a move will send a powerful and overdue message to the Ethiopian government that its security forces cannot shoot and kill peaceful protesters with impunity. And it will also send an important message to the victims and families that their pleas for justice are being heard.

Ethiopia’s allies need to urgently embark on a new approach to Ethiopia before the current situation descends into an even more dangerous and irreversible political and human rights crisis. They could play a leading role in pushing for investigative or monitoring mechanisms to hold the government to account for its brutal response to citizens exercising their fundamental rights to expression and assembly — or the toll of the dead and the tortured will continue to rise.

Horrifying Testimony of Torture in TPLF Prison

VOA Introducer, Alula Kebede: Today’s guest for democracy in action program is Mr. Habtamu Ayalew, former spokesperson of the opposition, Andenet Party (Unity party) in Ethiopia.  Mr. Habtamu was subjected to two years of imprisonment, waiting for trial after being accused of terrorism by the regime.  He says his health crisis is the result of the inhuman treatment, torture and extreme abuse he endured while in prison.  Based on his discussions, not only do the harsh and cruel torture techniques on prisoners result in a health crisis, but also the deaths of many prisoners. He explains how he and others have suffered in prison under the current TPLF regime.
Prior to broadcasting the program, Solomon Kifle (VOA program producer and interviewer) requests parents to exclude children from listening to this gruesome and extremely shocking torture story
Ato Habtamu starts his interview by saying you know In Ethiopia under the current regime if you ask or advocate for democratic rights, freedom and equality, your fate is one of the following 1. You End up in prison 2. You get killed or 3. You end up as a refugee in another country.
Once I was taken to the central prison (Maekelawi in Amharic) I was subjected to excessive torture that caused me physical and psychological trauma.  Extreme physical and mental scar have been inflicted on me by the regime.
Question-1: Were there times when you were subjected to solitary confinement in a dark room
Answer: The central prison has eight sections, sections one to eight
Section seven and eight are by far the most atrocious.  Section eight is built underground with no windows and natural light so it is complete darkness. It is also extremely cold in there.  It has four cells; the cells can sometimes be filled with cold water to make you even colder.  Furthermore, the cells are standing or sleeping cells so if you stand you have no room to stretch hands and legs and if you sleep on one side you have no room to change positions.
The second section is section seven where I spent most of the four months when I was at central prison.  Here the cells are very small but they purposely stuff people over capacity forcing you to basically pile on one another. The cell is right between two toilet rooms called “tawla” and “Siberia” toilet rooms, both toilets have intolerable stench, and below the cells a built-in big water tank.  Early on we were like thirteen to fifteen in one cell then after a while they took some people out and five of us remained.
Question-2: We hear the major problem in Ethiopian prisons being toilet deprivation.   How many times a day, were you allowed to use toilet rooms with in a day.
Answer: In my four months in Siberia, we could use toilets two times in twenty-four hours. One was very early in the morning at 6:00 AM then the next one was at 6:00 PM. Whether you are ready or not that is your only chance and you must train your body to urinate and excrete with in assigned time.  There were three toilets, and despite how many people are in the cell, you are given fixed time as a group. If you are ten you are given ten minutes which means each person has an average of say one minute to relieve himself. You have no chance to go to toilet for another twelve hours, between those hours you are back into an extremely cold and very dark cell, the only cloth you have is the one you came to prison with, you are not given any additional cloth.
As we are deprived of toilet use we were allowed a one-liter plastic bottle for emergency purposes.  Using the bottle, we are always mindful not to fill it up, if that happens you are in big trouble and most of the time you must force yourself to hold it until your assigned toilet time and that is extremely painful.  Because of that your bladder could be out of use very easily, so developing a bladder issue is very common.  In addition to getting interrogated and being subjected to different torture techniques daily, I had to always use my plastic bottle very carefully to urinate and hold on to my urine.  Thus, I have suffered excruciating pain and damage to my bladder.
The only other time you get out of the cell is when they take you out for interrogation. Even then you will be taken through a very dark tunnel.  When you are interrogated, unless you tell them what they want you to say they have several heinous and extremely harsh techniques to make you suffer.
Question-3: In your opinion, among all the horrible torture techniques used on you can you describe one to three that are the most extreme.
Answer: It is difficult for me or anyone else to understand the level of cruelty practiced in that place.
(a) Crucifixion Room: They have a room where they have a hanger to crucify you like Jesus Christ.  Whenever one of us are taken for interrogation the first question posed to you when you come back to the cell is, were you crucified?
(b) Forearm Hanger: They also have a room with a setup where you are hanged by your forearms.  Then a two-liter plastic bag filled with water will be tied to your testicles. I do know people who had to endure that kind of torture and have suffered complete testicular damage.  Due to privacy reasons, I will not name those guys but I wouldn’t mind discussing names and addresses of those people who suffered such inhumane treatment to those who are interested in collecting evidence.
(c) Swollen testicles: Another technique they use for interrogation is where the interrogator sits directly in front of you. Your legs are cuffed and your hands are cuffed behind then they tie strings on your testicles and pull the strings and due to the intolerable pain, you will be forced to lean towards the interrogator.  At that time, they will hit you hard with a rubber/wood baton or copper rods and push you back.  Then, they will ask you to admit you are collaborating with a group, will ask you confess to anything they want.  Due to the above-mentioned torture techniques, some people end up with swollen testicles, then walking or sleeping, any movement including closing your legs becomes extreme painful, thus people scream all day and night.
(d) Making You Unconscious: There is a small and very cold instrument they put in the middle of your head they kind of slap you with it from the back at which point you completely lose consciousness. If you are lucky to wake up, you will not remember what is done to you or things you have said.  You will have no recollection whatsoever and takes a long time to recover, there are some people who never had a chance to wake up.
(e) Forcing You to Urinate on yourself: They also do finger or sharp pinching on your kidneys on the left and right side to make you urinate on yourself.
(f) Interrogators urinate and defecate on prisoners: When some people were put under control prior to coming to the central prison, their face is completely covered and they were taken to an unknown location. This happened to some of the guys, they were tied to a chair and left in a dark room and interrogators urinate and defecate on them from top. The place is filled with urine and feces and has unbearable stench.  They put protective clothing including masks to protect themselves but they humiliate and mentally and physically torture you.  Those guys were then asked to sign statements prepared by the interrogators after which they were brought to the central prison.  Some who were forced to sign after being subjected to that cruel, inhuman and horrifying experience include, Abebe Wergesa, Lenjisa Alemayehu and some people from Gonder area including Angaw Tegegne, Abaye Zewdu, Engida Awayehu.  There are also some air force members that I know who were subjected to that horrible treatment. 

There are other horrible and despicable things done to me in that place that my Ethiopian background will not allow me to discuss in public.  Those are taboo for anyone be it Christian or Muslim or any other religion who grew up in my culture.