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Ethiopian authorities have banned peaceful protests against the ethnically motivated killings that were due to take place on October 28, in direct violation of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, Amnesty International said on Tuesday.
The National Amhara Movement (NAMA), an opposition political party, had called for protests following the killing of dozens of people from the Amhara ethnic minority in recent months. On October 27, the police prevented NAMA officials from accessing their party’s Addis Ababa office and traveling to various locations where the protests were to take place in the regional state of Amhara.
There has been an increase in deadly ethnic violence against the Amhara in various parts of the country, including in Benishangul, Oromia and the regional states of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples of the South.
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“The killings are abhorrent and serve as a wake-up call to the Ethiopian authorities to safeguard the right to life. People have the right to protest and demand justice for the lives lost. The authorities must ensure that security forces are deployed to facilitate and manage protests whenever they occur, so as not to disperse or inhibit the protesters, ”said Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern and Southern Africa.
According to the Ethiopian government, at least 45 people were killed in September by armed youth groups targeting Amharas in Benishangul. In October there were 31 more murders in the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Region (SNNPR) in such attacks.
“The authorities must not only thoroughly, effectively and impartially investigate all killings and hold those responsible to account, but also take steps to ensure that the protests unfold peacefully,” said Deprose Muchena.
In Oromia, at least 160 people died in June, including dozens of members of ethnic and religious minority groups, according to the Federal Police, following the violence that erupted after the murder of popular Oromo musician Hachalu Hundessa. Although some of the protests were peaceful, others turned violent when organized youths attacked members of ethnic and religious minorities.
And since August, Ethiopian security forces have used excessive force to disperse peaceful protesters calling for the release of detained opposition leaders Jawar Mohammed and Bekele Gerba, killing at least 20 people in areas West Hararghe and Bale of Oromia.
“People have the right to protest to exercise their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. They should not be killed, injured or arrested simply for expressing their opinions, but should be able to count on the protection of the authorities to exercise their right to peaceful assembly, ”said Deprose Muchena.
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