State of Emergency

CREW finds the October 8 declaration of the State of Emergency issued by the Ethiopian Government extremely worrisome. Restrictions on various human rights: including banning social media, broadcast media, peaceful protest and even gestures and others are imposed on the nation for the coming six months.

At the beginning of the month, it was reported at least 150 people died during the “Irrecha” religious sermon held in the town of Bishoftu, Oromia region in Ethiopia. Human rights organizations have documented that these deaths occurred because security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition at over a million people celebrating a religious occasion as well as peacefully expressing their opposition to the government.

The Ethiopian government failure to adequately and timely resolve citizens’ concerns in various parts of the country have culminated into this highly regrettable and volatile situation where hundreds of Ethiopians have lost their lives and several more jailed.

CREW believes that, while the current human rights crises in the country is largely attributable to the government failure to uphold its duty to Respect, Fulfill and Protect human rights under Universal Human Rights instruments, the State of Emergency Declaration will only deepen the crisis.

CREW is deeply worried that the government will use this decree to continue to kill, detain, intimidate and harass those who peaceful asked for their economic social and political rights tobe respected with impunity. Hence, CREW calls for United Nations and the United States of America and the rest of the international community to pressure the Ethiopian Government to lift the highly suffocating State of Emergency Declaration. CREW also reiterates its previous callfor the international community to pressure the Ethiopian government to concede for independent investigation of the human rights crises in the country.

*Center for the Rights of Ethiopian Women (CREW) is a non-governmental, not-for-profit, peace and human rights organization created to promote the rights of Ethiopian women worldwide.Address: P.O Box 10412, Silver Spring, MD 20914, USA. E-mail: ethiowomen@gmail.com Website:www.centerforethiopianwomen.org