IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1183 

Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging continued democratic 

progress in Ethiopia, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 9, 2020 

Ms. BASS (for herself, Mr. SMITH of New Jersey, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. GARAMENDI, and Mr. WRIGHT) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging continued democratic progress in Ethiopia, and for other purposes. 

Whereas the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has 

been a key ally of the United States and an important 

economic and security partner, as well as a major troop 

contributor to international peacekeeping; 

Whereas, in January 2018, the ruling Ethiopian People’s 

Revolutionary Democratic Front declared that it would 

pursue reforms in response to intensifying 

antigovernment protests that began in late 2015; 

Whereas Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spearheaded significant 

and commendable reform measures following his selection 

in April 2018, including releasing thousands of political 


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•HRES 1183 IH 

prisoners, inviting exiled political opposition back to Ethiopia, negotiating a peace agreement with Eritrea, lifting 

bans on over 200 websites and improving media freedom, 

closing the notorious Maikelawi prison, repealing the draconian Charities and Societies Proclamation and the 

Antiterrorism Proclamation, appointing a gender-balanced cabinet, reforming electoral laws and the National 

Electoral Board of Ethiopia, taking steps to privatize the 

economy, and promoting private sector investment; 

Whereas key challenges, including recurring ethnic and intercommunal clashes and increasingly polarized political 

views that have spurred violence, threaten to impede 

Ethiopia’s democratic progress; 

Whereas ethnic, intercommunal, and intracommunal violence 

since 2017 caused the death of hundreds and displaced 

more than 3,000,000 Ethiopians, including over a million 

people displaced by conflict and violence in 2019 alone, 

according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center; 

Whereas the COVID–19 pandemic led the Government of 

Ethiopia to declare a state of emergency and indefinitely 

postpone elections originally scheduled for August 2020; 

Whereas the killing of prominent Oromo musician Haacaaluu 

Hundeessaa on June 29, 2020, sparked more than a 

week of violence and arrests, contributing to growing concerns about instability; 

Whereas ethnic and religious minorities were targeted in violent attacks, and homes, businesses, and religious institutions were looted or destroyed; 


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•HRES 1183 IH 

Whereas hundreds of people have been killed in the recent 

ethnic violence and unrest, some of them by Ethiopian 

security forces; 

Whereas Ethiopian security forces have arrested more than 

7,000 people since the unrest began, including several 

journalists and prominent opposition politicians, and 

their continued detention has spurred further protests 

and violence; 

Whereas the Government of Ethiopia has employed tactics, 

such as mass arrests, internet shutdowns, and prolonged 

detention without charge, that echo practices used before 

the opening of political space in 2018, threatening the 

democratic progress made over the last 2 years; 

Whereas polarizing narratives and threats of violence endorsed by some members of the opposition and parts of 

the diaspora also jeopardize Ethiopia’s transition to democracy by raising tensions and increasing the prospects 

for interethnic and interreligious violence; 

Whereas dialogue among the ruling and opposition parties on 

elections and the democratic transition appears to have 

stalled; 

Whereas transitional justice processes and mechanisms can 

help address legitimate grievances, and strengthen security, development, reconciliation, and good governance; 

Whereas the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is 

nearing completion, and is expected to significantly increase Ethiopia’s electricity generation capacity and generate billions of dollars from energy exports; 

Whereas negotiations surrounding Nile River water rights 

have a long, complex history involving regional and doVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:54 Oct 11, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR1183.IH HR1183

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mestic considerations by Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan; 

and 

Whereas a mutually acceptable agreement is critical for future regional stability and economic growth: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) stands by the people of Ethiopia and sup3 ports their peaceful efforts to advance democratic re4 forms and to exercise the rights guaranteed by the 

5 Constitution of Ethiopia; 

6 (2) strongly supports the historic reform meas7 ures undertaken by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed 

8 since 2018, including efforts to promote human 

9 rights, privatize the economy, repeal restrictions on 

10 freedoms of expression, organize the first ever multi11 party Presidential elections, and resolve regional 

12 conflicts; 

13 (3) condemns— 

14 (A) the targeted violence and destruction 

15 of property directed against ethnic and religious 

16 minorities; 

17 (B) the excessive use of force by Ethiopian 

18 security forces against peaceful protesters; 

19 (C) the arrest and detention of journalists 

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1 stitutional rights to freedom of assembly and 

2 expression; and 

3 (D) hate speech and disinformation that 

4 fuel ethnic and political violence, propagated by 

5 individuals and organized groups based in Ethi6 opia and in the diaspora; 

7 (4) urges protesters in Ethiopia to refrain from 

8 violence and to refrain from incitement or accept9 ance of violence in demonstrations; 

10 (5) urges all political, religious, and community 

11 leaders to call for calm and encourage their sup12 porters to reject violence; 

13 (6) urges all armed factions to cease their con14 flict with the Government of Ethiopia and engage in 

15 peaceful negotiations directly or through inter16 mediaries; 

17 (7) welcomes efforts by reformed national insti18 tutions such as the Ethiopian Human Rights Com19 mission to foster respect for human rights and the 

20 rule of law; 

21 (8) calls on the Government of Ethiopia to— 

22 (A) conduct full, credible, and transparent 

23 investigations into the killings that took place 

24 in Oromia, Addis Ababa, and the Southern Na25 tions, Nationalities, and People’s Region amid 


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1 the recent protests and unrest, including an in2 vestigation into the assassination of Haacaaluu 

3 Hundeessaa; 

4 (B) take immediate steps to prevent the 

5 use of excessive force by security forces and en6 sure accountability for security forces found re7 sponsible; 

8 (C) demonstrate respect for due process 

9 and ensure fair, transparent, and expeditious 

10 trials of journalists, activists, and opposition 

11 politicians arrested during the recent unrest; 

12 (D) respect the right to freedom of peace13 ful assembly and guarantee the freedom of the 

14 press and mass media, in keeping with Articles 

15 29 and 30 of the Constitution of Ethiopia; 

16 (E) resume dialogue with opposition par17 ties on outstanding issues regarding democratic 

18 transformation, including determining a 

19 timeline for national elections; and 

20 (F) consider employing transitional justice 

21 approaches, mechanisms, and measures to ad22 dress grievances in order to contribute to a 

23 democratic, peaceful, and prosperous future for 

24 Ethiopia; 

25 (9) calls on the United States Government to— 


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1 (A) play a more active and vocal role in 

2 encouraging and supporting an inclusive, intra3 Ethiopian dialogue on democratic reforms, elec4 tions, ethnic violence, and accountability for se5 rious human rights abuses; 

6 (B) immediately allow all obligated and 

7 planned bilateral foreign assistance to Ethiopia 

8 to continue, including critical funding for global 

9 health security, civil society and election pre10 paredness, economic growth, food security, and 

11 counterterrorism; and 

12 (C) consider application of existing United 

13 States sanctions authority, including as pro14 vided for in the Global Magnitsky Human 

15 Rights Accountability Act, for gross violations 

16 of internationally recognized human rights; 

17 (10) supports the African Union-led GERD ne18 gotiations among Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, and 

19 support an equitable outcome fair to all parties; and 

20 (11) supports increased United States private 

21 sector investment in Ethiopia, including in key sec22 tors such as telecommunications, energy, and agri23 culture, and encourages continued efforts to spur 

24 economic growth and privatize the economy. 

Æ 


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