I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4423 
To encourage and facilitate the consolidation of security, human rights, 
democracy, and economic freedom in Ethiopia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 18, 2005 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on International Relations 
A BILL 
To encourage and facilitate the consolidation of security, 
human rights, democracy, and economic freedom in Ethiopia. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ethiopia Consolidation 
Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY. 
It is the policy of the United States to support the 
advancement of human rights, democracy, and economic 
freedom in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 
in concert with United States security interests, in order
to better enable Ethiopia to play a leading role in partici-
pating with the United States and other countries in fos-
tering stability, democracy, and economic development in 
Africa. 
SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) Despite improvements in its human rights 
record, as noted by the Department of State in its 
2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 
the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic 
of Ethiopia continues to violate the internationally- 
established rights of its citizens, including unlawful 
killings by security forces (including the June 2005 
shootings by government security forces of more 
than 40 election demonstrators), arbitrary or politi-
cally-motivated arrests, long detentions without 
charge or trial and beatings and torture, with 
human rights violations increasing in the aftermath 
of the May 15, 2005, elections and subsequent pro-
tests of suspected election fraud. 
(2) According to the 2004 Country Reports on 
Human Rights Practices, the Ethiopian judiciary 
has demonstrated encouraging signs of independ-
ence, but the justice system—from the police to the
courts to the prisons—remains inadequate and does 
not effectively uphold the human and civil rights of 
the citizens of Ethiopia. 
(3) According to the Department of State’s 
International Religious Freedom Report for 2004, 
Ethiopia generally provides for freedom of religion, 
although local authorities continue to infringe on 
this right. 
(4) The Committee to Protect Journalists re-
ports that Ethiopia continues to imprison journalists 
and the Government of Ethiopia continues to refuse 
to revise a repressive media bill that further endan-
gers the right to free speech. 
(5) Because literacy in Ethiopia is less than 50 
percent, broadcasting is a key source of information 
for citizens, but the Ethiopian Government has de-
layed accepting licenses for private radio or tele-
vision since a licensing law was passed in 1999, leav-
ing the Ethiopian Broadcasting Service as a radio 
and television monopoly and infringing on freedom 
of information. 
(b) SUPPORT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TRAINING.—The 
President, acting through the Administrator of the United 
States Agency for International Development, shall revise 
the Agency’s country plan for Ethiopia to provide support
for capacity building for more effective independent 
human rights monitoring operations in Ethiopia and pro-
vide training for government officials on international 
human rights standards. 
(c) TRAINING FOR POLICE, SECURITY, AND PRISON 
PERSONNEL.—The President, acting through the head of 
the International Criminal Investigative Training Assist-
ance Program of the Department of Justice, shall provide 
necessary training for Ethiopian police, security, and pris-
on personnel in recognizing and maintaining international 
standards for arresting and interrogating suspects and 
otherwise handling prisoners and detainees. 
(d) TRAINING FOR COURT SYSTEM PERSONNEL.— 
The President, acting through the Administrator of the 
United States Agency for International Development, shall 
support programs directed at increasing the independence 
and competence of the Ethiopian judicial system, espe-
cially training for Ethiopian court personnel on handling 
suspects and defendants throughout the pre-trial and trial 
process in order to ensure their human and civil rights 
as defined by international accords. 
(e) FREE MEDIA.—The President, Secretary of 
State, and other relevant officials of the Government of 
the United States, shall encourage the Government of 
Ethiopia to abide by its own laws and ensure the open
and transparent licensing of independent radio and tele-
vision and use all available means to support the establish-
ment of independent radio and television as means of 
broadening the access of average citizens to information. 
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIZATION IN ETHIOPIA. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress makes the following find-
ings: 
(1) The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolu-
tionary Democratic Front has held power through 
three improving general elections since the overthrow 
of 
the 
government 
of 
President 
Mengistu 
Hailemariam in 1991. 
(2) Human Rights Watch has reported the har-
assment, detention, and even torture of critics of the 
Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of 
Ethiopia, especially in the Oromia region of Ethi-
opia, ostensibly to silence political opponents. 
(3) The European Union election observers in 
the May 15, 2005, elections accused the Government 
of Ethiopia of employing ‘‘hate speech’’ and listed 
acts of violence and intimidation in a letter to the 
National Electoral Board. 
(4) The Government of Ethiopia on March 30, 
2005, expelled three internationally respected United 
States nongovernmental organizations—the Inter-