Patriotic Ginbot 7 Movement for Unity and Democracy, Press Release
The year 2016 was one of the most climactic in recent history of
Ethiopia. After two decades of political repression and economic
exclusion, millions of citizens across the four corners of the country
decided to engage in a peaceful rebellion demanding fundamental change
in the country.
Tragically, but not unexpectedly, the TPLF/EPRDF-led
regime decided to use brute force against peaceful demonstrators,
killing hundreds and throwing into jail tens of thousands who still
languish in identified and unidentified prisons scattered across the
country.
The suffocating political environment, exacerbated by economic
marginalization and exclusion, has created a social atmosphere of
hopelessness and desperation for the majority of citizens.
The recent grenade attack and explosions in the northern cities of
Bahr Dar and Gonder demonstrate that the people of Ethiopia are being
pushed to the limit by the regime supposed to serve and protect them.
The relentless brutally deadly measures being taken by forces loyal to
the regime has created a situation where people are resorting to
self-defense and resistance, at times taking desperate measures as seen
recently in the two northern cities.
In the context of the brutal political, economic and social
atmosphere, it is understandable that some groups might resort to such
acts out of desperation. Ultimately, however, the people of Ethiopia and
all concerned parties must hold the regime responsible for its
institutional violence that continues to brutalize and alienate
citizens, driving them to engage in desperate acts.
Conflicts, as the world has been witnessing in various countries,
have their own dynamics, at times going in unfathomable and tragically
abysmal directions. They start small, sporadic and scattered,
subsequently they grow and intensify, costing lives and enormous
destruction. The main catalyst for an unfortunate yet avoidable
catastrophe is repression, oppression, and exclusion which leaves
citizens with no choice but defend themselves and their families from
neo-totalitarian minority regime brutality. This is what we are seeing
in Syria and what we have observed across the Middle East and North
Africa in recent years.
The reality is that durable peace cannot be maintained through a
state of emergency and other forms of repressive measures. The only way
towards sustainable and just peace is democracy, the supremacy of the
rule of law and freedom for all citizens. Anything short of these
fundamental changes and democratic dispensations could only be described
as “pressure cooker” stability that is secured using brute force.
History tells that the peace and stability that result from
authoritarian rule are not only short lived but also dangerous.
The regime has a well-established record, not only violating
citizen’s fundamental rights, but disregarding the sanctity of human
life. As such, it is plausible that these kinds of irresponsible attacks
on civilian targets could be the works of the regime itself to sow
suspicion and mistrust among and between various communities.
All concerned parties, especially the international community, must
take note of the progression of conflict and the deteriorating peace and
security situation in Ethiopia under the veneer of a false sense of
stability the leaders of the TPLF regime proclaim. In the absence of
free and independent media, both national and international information
on what is happening around the country and beneath the surface is hard
to come by. However, citizen reporting and alternative media outlets are
describing the deteriorating security situation in various parts of the
country.
The people of Ethiopia are at the edges. Ethiopia as a multi-ethnic,
multi–religious nation is at crossroads. The Ethiopian people can no
longer endure the institutional repression they have tolerated for the
past 25 years. The time has come to usher in a peaceful transition. And
the time is now. The alternative which the international community
should be cognizant about is we will only see more violence and
destruction born out of desperation and hopelessness under the current
brutal minority regime. The international community must learn lessons
from ongoing conflicts elsewhere, witnessing the broad repercussions for
the security, and stability of the Horn of Africa region.
The Patriotic Ginbot 7 Movement for Unity and Democracy unambiguously
opposes any attack on civilian targets. Our movement, while committed
to transitioning Ethiopia to an inclusive democratic system of
governance, takes all the necessary steps and precautions to protect the
safety and security of the civilian population. Furthermore, we condemn
in the strongest terms the government’s irresponsible action targeting
civilians and demand it to immediately stop this heinous practice. We
also demand all other concerned parties to take all precautionary
measures that protects the safety of the civilian population.
It is imperative that the Western countries re-evaluate their
relationship with the regime, and begin to build relationships with
pro-democracy organizations and support their endeavors to move the
country toward democracy, stability and just peace.
Patriotic Ginbot 7 Movement for Unity and Democracy
Contact information: office@ginbot7.org
