News US official voices concerns over human rights violations in Ethiopia, urges for…
By Sisay Sahlu
August 10, 2024
A senior US Department of State official is the latest to voice serious concerns over what Washington describes as growing violence and worrisome claims of human rights breaches in Ethiopia, particularly in the Amhara and Oromia regions.
US Under-Secretary of State Uzra Zeya highlighted the concerns to Ethiopian media during a recent visit to Addis Ababa. She described the US government’s alarm over the ongoing hostilities and the involvement of both government troops and non-state actors in committing crimes.
“We remain concerned by ongoing violence and disturbing reports of human rights violations and abuses in Amhara, Oromia, and elsewhere in Ethiopia,” Zeya told the media. She called for unrestricted access by independent human rights monitors, as well as impartial investigations to ensure that criminals are held accountable.
Zeya met with senior officials during her visit, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Taye-Atske Selassie (Amb.) and Minister of Justice Gedion Timotiwos (PhD) to forward Washington’s stance on accountability and humanitarian cooperation.
The Under-Secretary sees the violence in Ethiopia is part of a larger disaster in Sub-Saharan Africa, where record levels of forced displacement have displaced more than 38 million people. Ethiopia presently houses approximately 1.8 million refugees mainly from South Sudan, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea, making it the third-largest refugee hosting country on the continent.
Zeya also announced USD 536 million in fresh humanitarian aid for Africa, with nearly a fifth of the total (USD 97 million) slated for Ethiopia. The vast majority of the aid will be going towards meeting the needs of refugees in Ethiopia, according to the US State Department.
Ervin Massinga, the US Ambassador to Ethiopia, echoed Zeya’s concerns and urged for discussions as an approach to resolve the crisis, which he says Washington is committed to doing as a supporting partner.
“We encourage dialogue as the means of addressing conflicts, and that will remain true going forward,” he said.
Zeya underscored the necessity of protecting universal human rights and freedom of expression, pointing out that the United States takes a consistent approach to these ideals across the world. She also emphasized journalists’ key role in addressing these concerns, describing their job as “critically important” in the continuing struggle.
“Genuine inclusive dialogue is the way to resolve ongoing political and security crises in Ethiopia,” said Zeya.
It has been one year since fierce fighting broke out in the Amhara region, which ignited only a few months after the two-year northern war ended with a peace agreement.