Tag: poor human rights in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian facade of prosperity belies the truth of a country failing its people

 
Demeke Mekonnen asks Ethiopian diaspora to support unfettered foreign aid which will allow continued poor attention to health, education, food access, cost of living, human rights, and press freedom affecting the common folk of Ethiopia

The Ethiopian facade of being an independent African “superpower” belies the reality of a failing country whose decisions are directed to maintain Amhara elites and their self-centered allies at the expense of the common folk of all Ethiopia not just Tigray and Oromo. Giving unfettered aid from Western democracies without regard to internationally accepted goals of development only makes them accomplices in tyranny. Ethiopia ranks 173rd out of 189 on the human development index. Since Abiy Ahmed and his Prosperity Party have come to power this has been the consequence:

  1. A doubling of national debt to foreign entities which will exceed $70 billion. This will take several generations at best to repay.
  2. Two thirds of Ethiopia is facing a food crisis in part to due to lack of concern and agriculture planning
  3. Significant cuts in healthcare spending nationwide with increase in out of pocket payments being one of the highest in a developing country
  4. Severe cuts in education budgets and planning causing a major loss in this generation of school children reaching their potential
  5. Decades of relative peace have given way to violence and unrest not only in Tigray and Oromo but also Benishangul, Ethiopian Somali, Gambella, Amhara
  6. Unprecedented levels of extra-judicial killing since the fall of the Derg Regime
  7. The worst record of press freedom and imprisonment in Africa second only to Eritrea
  8. Arrest and detention based solely on ethnic identity 
  9. Complete disregard for the Ethiopian Constitution guarantees of personal rights and regional autonomy now replaced by fiat
  10. An Ethiopian government more beholden to diaspora concepts of glory then the basic needs of citizens of Ethiopia
  11. Claiming it is independent and sovereign while in fact totally dependent on billions in foreign currency aid for basic human necessities. This allows the Ethiopian elites to ignore these necessities, manipulate them to hold their power, and ignore true requirements for real development. This violates the covenant in spirit and in law of United Nations membership