This article, by Daniel Berhnane, was first published on the Canadian “Centre for Research on Globalization” on Oct. 31, 2014. Amnesty International made waves this week with its report alleging “patterns of human rights violations ” on the Oromos – a community to which the President of Ethiopia belongs. The London-based rights group claimed“at least 5,000 Oromos have been arrested based on their actual or suspected peaceful opposition to the government” and presented troubling accounts of individuals who allegedly had been subjected “to treatment amounting to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment”. Inadequacy of the human rights practices in Ethiopia is not a much disputed matter. Even the authorities in Addis Ababa felt the need to launched an inter-ministerial National Human Rights Action Plan (NHRAP) which“reviews the present human rights situation of the country, identifies potential problems, and sets feasible solutions”. But the similarity ends there. What the NHRAP acknowledges is “occasional human rights violations are committed by some police officers due to lack of awareness”, while Amnesty International alleges “patterns of human rights violations” in which “a multiplicity of both regional and federal actors are involved”. While NHRAP aims “to develop a comprehensive and structured mechanism to [...]
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