European Parliament resolution on the situation in Ethiopia and the new border conflict
Date: 2005-12-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Ethiopia, border war, democratisation, government violence, human rights, repression

C 286 E/528

Official Journal of the European Union

EN

23.11.2006

Thursday 15 December 2005

P6_TA(2005)0535

Ethiopia

European Parliament resolution on the situation in Ethiopia and the new border conflict

The European Parliament,

— having regard to its resolutions of 7 July 2005 on the human rights situation in Ethiopia (1) and

13 October 2005 on the situation in Ethiopia (2),

— having regard to the preliminary report of the European Union Election Observation Mission of

25 August 2005,

— having regard to Rule 115(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. disturbed by recent news of large-scale human rights abuses following a massive and unprecedented
crackdown, in which political leaders, human rights defenders, independent journalists, NGO workers
and young people were arrested in Addis Ababa and in various other parts of the country,

B. whereas the demonstrations called by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy to protest against elec-
toral fraud were severely repressed, with the use of live ammunition and armoured vehicles amongst
other things,

C. whereas the political detainees include Hailu Shawel, President of the Coalition for Unity and Democ-
racy, Professor Mesfin Woldemariam, former Chair of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, Dr Yacob
Hailemariam, former UN Special Envoy and former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal
for Rwanda, Ms Birtukan Mideksa, former judge, Dr Birhanu Nega, Mayor-elect of Addis Ababa, Nets-
anet Demissie, Director of the Organisation for Social Justice in Ethiopia, and Daniel Bekele, of Action
Aid Ethiopia,

D. whereas many of the above-mentioned prisoners have been on hunger strike since 28 November 2005,

E.

alarmed by the information that thousands of youths arrested in Addis Ababa were taken to the
Dedessa River (south-west of Ethiopia) and are being held in inhumane conditions,

F. welcoming the release of about 8 000 people, but worried at the massive scale of detention which this
figure itself shows and by the fact that the government has not so far disclosed the total number of
people actually in detention and still less their whereabouts,

G. disturbed by unsubstantiated allegations of treason made against members of parliament, journalists,

civil servants, lawyers, aid workers and members of NGOs,

H. worried by the crackdown on the independent press,

I.

having regard to the joint statement of 6 November 2005 by the EU and US Ambassadors in Addis
Ababa, calling on the government to release all political detainees, to immediately put a stop to the use
of brute force and to reopen the political dialogue, and calling for an independent investigation into the
events of June and November,

J. whereas the European Union Election Observation Mission commented that the picture was mixed,

with some positive aspects up to 15 May 2005 and some negative aspects thereafter,

K. whereas Ethiopia receives the equivalent of USD 1 billion in international aid each year (including

490 million from the European Union), which represents one quarter of its GDP,

(1) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0305.
(2) Texts Adopted, P6_TA(2005)0383.

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L. whereas Ethiopia is a signatory to the Partnership Agreement between the Members of the African,
Caribbean and Pacific Group of States of the one Part, and the European Community and its Member
States, of the other Part (Cotonou Agreement), Article 96 of which stipulates that respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms is an essential element of ACP-EU cooperation,

M. whereas troop movements have been observed on both the Ethiopian and Eritrean sides of the border

and a ban has been imposed by the Eritrean Government on UN helicopters,

N. whereas relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea are poor amid fears of a new war and UN Secretary-
General Kofi Annan has warned that the tense situation on the Eritrean-Ethiopian border could lead to
another round of ‘devastating hostilities’,

Condemns the violence, the use of disproportionate means of repression by the armed forces and the

1.
mass arrests;

2.
Calls on the Ethiopian Government to immediately and unconditionally release all political prisoners
and journalists and fulfil its obligations with respect to human rights, democratic principles and the rule of
law;

3.
Calls on the Ethiopian Government to disclose the total number of persons detained throughout the
country, to allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross and to allow all detainees access to
their families, legal counsel and any medical care that their health situation may require;

Calls on the Ethiopian Government to fully respect the fundamental principles of press freedom, put
4.
an end to the state media monopoly and allow the independent press to function by returning confiscated
property;

Calls for the immediate establishment of an independent international commission of inquiry, ideally
5.
under UN responsibility, to investigate the human rights abuses and to identify and bring to justice those
responsible;

Considers that, despite the political dialogue between the EU and the Ethiopian Government under
6.
Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement, the latter has failed to fulfil its obligations with respect to human
rights, democratic principles and the rule of law;

Calls on the Commission and the Council to take a coordinated stance consistent with Article 96 of

7.
the Cotonou Agreement;

Calls on the Council and the Commission to consider targeted sanctions against members of the

8.
Ethiopian Government if the current human rights situation is not significantly improved;

9.
Calls on the Council and the Commission to channel humanitarian aid for the population of Ethiopia
primarily through NGOs and UN specialised agencies in order to provide direct assistance to the population;

10.
Calls for the resumption of the process of reform and improvement of democratic institutions,
including a serious and international examination of the results of the parliamentary elections held in May
2005;

11.
Expresses its full support for UN Security Council Resolution 1640(2005), which calls on Eritrea to
immediately reverse its decision to ban United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) helicopter
flights and all other restrictions imposed on UNMEE, demands that both parties return to the 16 December
2004 levels of deployment of their troops, and calls on Ethiopia to fully accept the final and binding
decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission;

12. Welcomes the 7 December 2005 statement by the President of the UN Security Council condemning
the decision of the Government of Eritrea to request some members of the UNMEE to leave the country
within 10 days;

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Thursday 15 December 2005

13. Welcomes the decision of the Ethiopian Government to move its forces from its borders with Eritrea
in compliance with a UN order aimed at averting fresh conflict;

Calls on the African Union, whose head office is in Ethiopia, to take a clear stance, proving its

14.
determination to bring democracy forward in Africa, especially in Ethiopia;

15.
Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Ethiopian
Government, the Ethiopian Parliament, the Pan-African Parliament, the two main opposition parties, the
Coalition for Unity and Democracy and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, and the African Union.