Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu wins 2013 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

 

Imprisoned Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu is the winner of the 2013 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Ms Alemu was recommended by an independent international jury of media professionals in recognition of her “exceptional courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression.”
The Jury took note of Reeyot Alemu’s contribution to numerous and independent publications. She wrote critically about political and social issues, focusing on the root causes of poverty, and gender equality. She worked for several independent media. In 2010 she founded her own publishing house and a monthly magazine called Change, both of which were subsequently closed. In June 2011, while working as a regular columnist for Feteh, a national weekly newspaper, Ms Alemu was arrested. She is currently serving a five year sentence in Kality prison.
The UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was created in 1997 by UNESCO’s Executive Board. It is awarded annually during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, which will take place this year in Costa Rica.
The Prize honours the work of an individual or an organization which has made a notable contribution to the defence and /or promotion of freedom of expression anywhere in the world, especially if risks have been involved. Candidates are proposed by UNESCO Member States, and regional or international organizations active in the fields of journalism and freedom of expression. Laureates are chosen by a jury whose members are appointed for a once renewable three-year term by the Director-General of UNESC

Regulations for the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize


Article 1 – Purpose
UNESCO established the World Press Freedom Prize in honour of Guillermo Cano, a Colombian journalist who died in the exercise of his profession. The purpose of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is to reward each year a person, organization or institution that has made a notable contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, especially if risks have been involved. The objective of the Prize is in conformity with UNESCO’s policies and is related to the programme of the Organization in the field of communication and information and, more specifically, to the priority given to promoting an enabling environment for freedom of expression and freedom of information.
Article 2 – Designation, amount and periodicity of the Prize
The Prize shall be entitled “UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize”.
The Prize shall be funded by the Cano Foundation and other donors* and shall consist of recurrent payments of US $5,000, US $20,000 and US $20,000 respectively, to be deposited in a special account opened for that purpose in accordance with the Financial Regulations of UNESCO, which may also receive voluntary contributions from public or private institutions, associations, foundations, corporate entities or persons. The value of the Prize shall be determined by the Director-General in consultation with the donors on the basis of the contributions received, the interest on the sum deposited in the special account in accordance with the Financial Regulations of UNESCO, and the charges to be borne by the account for the cost of administering the Prize.
The prize also consists of a certificate and an object symbolizing the award and granted to the prize winner.
All funds received and the interest accrued thereon shall be kept in a special interest-bearing account for the Prize (see Financial Regulations in Annex II).
The full staff support and operating/management costs of the Prize, including all costs relating to the award ceremony and public information activities, estimated at US $45,000 shall be fully covered by the Cano Foundation and other donors*. To this end, the Director-General shall determine a mandatory overhead cost amount to be applied and charged against the funds in the Special Account, which is to be established under the Financial Regulations for the Prize.
The Prize shall be awarded yearly.
Article 3 – Conditions/qualifications of candidates
Candidates shall have made a significant contribution to press freedom anywhere in the world. Prizes may be conferred upon individuals, institutions, other entities or non-governmental organizations.
Article 4 – Designation/selection of the prize winner(s)
The prize winner shall be selected by the Director-General of UNESCO on the basis of the assessments and recommendations made to him/her by a jury.
Article 5 – Jury
The Jury shall consist of two independent members from each of the six regions as defined by UNESCO, in other words 12 persons appointed in their individual capacity by the Director-General of UNESCO for a period of three years, renewable once.
Representatives and alternates of Members of the Executive Board may not be appointed as jurors. Jurors involved in a real or potential conflict of interest shall recuse themselves from further deliberations or be requested by the Director-General to do so. The Director-General may replace members of the Jury on legitimate grounds.
The Director-General shall appoint the President of the Jury. Members shall receive no remuneration for their work, but will receive allowances for travel and accommodation, where required. A quorum of eight present will be required for jury deliberations to proceed. The working languages for the Jury’s deliberations shall be English and French.
An ad hoc working group of three Jury members shall make a pre-selection to reduce the number of candidates to no more than twelve, if necessary. The working group should give priority to the candidates most frequently nominated. Any dispute over the pre-selection shall be settled by a simple majority vote of the members of the Jury present and voting, which may amend the final list of candidates accordingly.
The Jury shall conduct its business and deliberations in conformity with these Statutes and shall be assisted by a member of the UNESCO Secretariat designated by the Director-General. Decisions shall be taken by consensus to the possible extent, and otherwise by secret ballot until a simple majority is obtained.
The Jury shall deliberate every year by electronic means.
The Jury shall recommend only one prize winner to the Director-General of UNESCO.
Article 6 – Nomination of candidates
When UNESCO has received the funding for the Prize, as indicated in Article 2 above, the Director-General of UNESCO shall officially invite the submission of nominations to the Secretariat of the Prize, by 15 February, from the governments of Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions, as well as from international and regional professional and non-governmental organizations active in the fields of journalism and freedom of expression. The Jury shall vote, by electronic means, around 15 March and shall notify the Director-General of its choice.
Nominations shall be submitted to the Director-General by the governments of Member States, in consultation with their National Commissions, and by international and regional professional and non-governmental organizations active in the field of journalism and freedom of expression. A self-nomination cannot be considered.
Each nomination shall be accompanied by a written recommendation, which shall include, in English or French, inter alia:
(a) a description of the candidate’s background and achievements;
(b) the candidate’s contributions of major importance to the promotion of freedom of the press, submitted to the Jury for consideration;
(c) a definition of the candidate’s contribution to the Prize’s objectives.
Article 7 – Procedure for the awarding of the Prize
The Prize shall be awarded by the Director-General at an official ceremony held for that purpose on 3 May, on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. UNESCO shall present to the prize winner a cheque for the amount of the Prize, together with a diploma and an object symbolizing the award. UNESCO shall officially announce the name(s) of the prize winner.
The prize winner, shall, if possible, give a lecture on a subject relevant to the work for which the Prize has been awarded. Such a lecture shall be organized during or in connection with the prize ceremony.
Work produced by a person since deceased shall not be considered for the Prize. If, however, a prize winner dies before he or she has received the Prize, then the Prize may be presented posthumously.
Should a prize winner decline the Prize, the Jury shall submit a new proposal to the Director-General.

Article 8 – Sunset clause – mandatory renewal of the Prize
After a period of six years, the Director-General of UNESCO together with the donors will undertake a review of all aspects of the Prize and decide about its continuation or termination. The Director-General will inform the Executive Board of UNESCO about the results of this review.
In case of termination of the Prize, the use of any unspent balance of funds shall be determined by the Director-General, in accordance with the Financial Regulations of the Prize.
Article 9 – Appeals
No appeals shall be allowed against the decision of UNESCO with regard to the award of the Prize. Proposals received for the award of the Prize may not be divulged.
Article 10 – Amendments to the Statutes of the Prize
Any amendment to the present Statutes shall be submitted to the Executive Board for approval.
* From 1997-2011, the Prize was supported the Cano Foundation, JP/Politiken Newspaper LTD, and the Nicholas B. Ottaway Foundation. Since 2012, the Prize has been supported by the Cano Foundation, the Luis Carlos Sarmiento Foundation, and the Helsingin Sanomat Foundation (since 2013).

Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu wins 2013 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

16.04.2013 - UNESCOPRESS

© IWMFEthiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu wins 2013 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize

Imprisoned Ethiopian journalist Reeyot Alemu is the winner of the 2013 UNESCO-Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize. Ms Alemu was recommended by an independent international jury of media professionals in recognition of her “exceptional courage, resistance and commitment to freedom of expression.”

The Jury took note of Reeyot Alemu’s contribution to numerous and independent publications. She wrote critically about political and social issues, focusing on the root causes of poverty, and gender equality. She worked for several independent media. In 2010 she founded her own publishing house and a monthly magazine called Change, both of which were subsequently closed. In June 2011, while working as a regular columnist for Feteh, a national weekly newspaper, Ms Alemu was arrested. She is currently serving a five year sentence in Kality prison.

The UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize was created in 1997 by UNESCO’s Executive Board. It is awarded annually during the celebration of World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, which will take place this year in Costa Rica.

The Prize honours the work of an individual or an organization which has made a notable contribution to the defence and /or promotion of freedom of expression anywhere in the world, especially if risks have been involved. Candidates are proposed by UNESCO Member States, and regional or international organizations active in the fields of journalism and freedom of expression. Laureates are chosen by a jury whose members are appointed for a once renewable three-year term by the Director-General of UNESCO

Ana Gomes urges EU President to press for the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia

In her letter, Ana Gomes urges EU President to press for the release of political prisoners in Ethiopia.

http://sileshihagos.wordpress.com

Dear President
Barroso,
I am aware that you are meeting Hailemariam Desalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, this week. I would like to share some concerns with you, in the hope that you will raise them with the Prime Minister.
As you know, in the last few years, the crackdown against the free media and civil society in Ethiopia intensified under the regime of Meles Zenawi. Journalists like Eskinder Nega and Reeyot Alemu continue to languish in prison, despite western praise of their work and independent assessment that their conviction violates international law (please see enclosed).
Unfortunately, European diplomats concentrated on pressing for the release of the Swedish journalists, but neglected Ethiopian journalists and pro-democracy activists, who continue to be incarcerated. The hope for democratic transition and openness that we felt upon the new leadership of Mr. Desalegn fell void in recent months, since no groundbreaking reforms have taken place. I believe that Mr. Desalegn himself would push for democratic change, but he alone has reduced margin of manoevre. It is important to stress, though, that any prospects of a peaceful democratic transition in Ethiopia must necessarily include the prompt release of all political prisoners. Therefore I would urge you to press for the release of political prisoners and highlight the need to amend the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, which has justified arrests of both journalists and members of the political opposition, along with the Charities and Societies Proclamation law (CSO law), which severely restricts the work of NGOs in the country.
Moreover, apart from the refusal to settle the border with Eritrea, the military interference in Somalia, the barbarous repression in the Ogaden and against other people in Ethiopia, I am particularly concerned with the fact that the Meles regime started meddling in the Muslim community and creating dangerous resentment which is threatening the harmony developed for centuries between Christianity and Islam in Ethiopia. It is my conviction that the repressive EPRDF regime in Ethiopia, however deviously smart, is not sustainable and will not ensure long term stability in the country and in the region.I would thus equally urge you to stress for greater openness in the political space and respect for constitutional rights, in particular the rights of minorities.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Ana Gomes

Ethiopia threatens journalist with solitary confinement

April 10, 2013
His Excellency Berhan Hailu
Minister of Justice
P.O. Box 1370
Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Via facsimile: +251-11-517-755
Via email: justice@telecom.net.et
Dear Minister Birhan Hailu,
We are writing to bring to your attention the case of Ethiopian journalist and teacher Reeyot Alemu, whose health has deteriorated since her imprisonment in June 2011 on terrorism charges and who is now being threatened with solitary confinement. The Ethiopian Ministry of Justice has publicly subscribed to a vision in which "human and democratic rights are respected," yet Reeyot's full human rights are being denied to her in Kality Prison.
The Ethiopian High Court sentenced Reeyot, a columnist for the now-defunct independent weekly Feteh, to 14 years in prison on January 2012 under the country's anti-terrorism law. In August 2012, the Supreme Court acquitted her on two counts, but upheld the charge against her of participation in the promotion or communication of a terrorist act, and reduced her sentence to five years.
Prison authorities have threatened Reeyot with solitary confinement for two months as punishment for alleged bad behavior toward them and threatening to publicize human rights violations by prison guards, according to sources close to the journalist who spoke to the International Women's Media Foundation on condition of anonymity. CPJ has independently verified the information. Reeyot has also been denied access to adequate medical treatment after she was diagnosed with a tumor in her breast, the sources said.
We would like to draw your attention to the 2011 report by Juan E. Méndez, the United Nations special rapporteur on torture, in which he urged the prohibition of "the imposition of solitary confinement as punishment--either as part of a judicially imposed sentence or a disciplinary measure." We would also remind you that Ethiopia is a signatory to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and is legally bound to uphold these principles.
As a current member of the United Nations Human Rights Council and a signatory to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Ethiopia has committed itself to upholding the human rights of all of its citizens. This includes the right to freedom of expression and speech, as well as protection from cruel and inhumane forms of punishment such as solitary confinement.
All of the charges against Reeyot were based on her journalistic activities--emails she had received from pro-opposition discussion groups and reports and photographs she had sent to opposition news sites. Reeyot, who received the International Women's Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award in 2012, has covered key developmental issues in Ethiopia such as poverty, democratic opposition, and gender equality.
The prison sentence against Reeyot for performing her duties and exercising her rights as a journalist to ask questions and express opinions calls into question Ethiopia's commitment to the democratic values and human rights the country claims to uphold.
We urge you to fulfill Ethiopia's promise to build a humane and democratic state by withdrawing the threat of solitary confinement against Reeyot and ensuring her access to adequate medical care. No journalists should face detention or imprisonment in the exercise of their duty.
Yours sincerely,
Joel Simon
Executive Director

CC List:
Shiferaw Tekle-Mariam, minister of federal affairs of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia
Girma Birru Geda, ambassador of Ethiopia to the United States
Donald Booth, ambassador of the United States to Ethiopia
Lieselore Cyrus, ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Ethiopia
Greg Dorey, ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ethiopia
Xavier Marcha, head of the European Union Delegation to Ethiopia
Juan E. Méndez, special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, U.N. Human Rights Council
Claudio Grossman, chairperson, United Nations Committee against Torture
Firmin Edouard Matoko, UNESCO representative to Ethiopia
Pansy Tlakula, special rapporteur on freedom of expression, African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights
Med S.K. Kaggwa, special rapporteur on prisons and conditions of detention, African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Reine Alapini-Gansou, commissioner and special rapporteur of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights
Margaret Sekaggya, U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Arnold Tsunga, director, Africa Program, International Commission of Jurists
Antoine Bernard, chief executive officer, International Federation for Human Rights
Berhane Melka, head of Federal Prison Administration, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tombet Ariane, head of delegation, International Committee of the Red Cross, Ethiopia
Alana Barton, program manager, International Women's Media Foundation, United States

Gedion Zelalem is the new Cesc Fabregas

By John Cross

Mirror

Arsenal's next big star in the making is hoping to make his debut for the club in the under-21s Premier League at Liverpool tonight (Monday).

Teenage midfielder Gedion Zelalem, who turned 16 in January, received international clearance last week and is already being compared to Cesc Fabregas at the same age.

German youth international Zelalem has also lived in the US - which was where he was spotted by Arsenal - and he has also has Ethiopian heritage.

His former coach Matt Pilkington said in an interview last year: “The balance, the vision, the ideas – you don’t see that often at [Zelalem’s] age. We will see Gedion in Arsenal’s first team three years from now. He’s got a great future.”

የቤንሻንጉል ተፈናቃዮች ተመፅዋች ሆኑ

Written by  ናፍቆት ዮሴፍ (ከፍኖተ ሰላም)

“ከእነ ቤተሠቤ እዚህ ለመድረስ ያየሁትን ፈተና ፈጣሪ ያውቀዋል፡፡ ቤተሰቤ ከቁጥር ሳይጐድል ለአገሬ መሬት በቅቻለሁና ከእንግዲህ የፈለገው ይሁን” አሉኝ፤ ከቤኒሻንጉል ክልል ያሶ ወረዳ ተፈናቅለው በፍኖተ ሰላም ድንጋያማ መጠለያ ውስጥ ያገኘኋቸው አዛውንት፡፡ በአማራ ክልል የከሠላ ወረዳ ተወላጅ የኾኑት አዛውንት፤ ኑሮ አልቃና ቢላቸው በ1997 ዓ.ም ሦስት ልጆቻቸውን ከትዳር አጋራቸው ጋር ይዘው፣የትውልድ ቀያቸውን ለቀው የተሻለ ሥራ ይገኝበታል ወደ ተባሉበት ቤንሻንጉል ክልል ያቀናሉ፡፡ ኑሮአቸውንም በቤኒሻንጉል ክልል ካደረጉ በኋላ ተጨማሪ አራት ልጆችን አፍርተው የቤተሠባቸውን ቁጥር ወደ ዘጠኝ ከፍ ያደርጋሉ፡፡ ላለፉት ስምንት ዓመታት ቀን ከሌት እየሠሩም ኑሮአቸውን መምራት ይቀጥላሉ፡፡ ለዓመታት ከኖሩበት መንደር በድንገት እንዲለቁ ሲገደዱ ግራ የተጋቡት አዛውንት የስምንት ልጆች አባት በመኾናቸው ሲፈናቀሉ ከፍተኛ ውጣ ውስጥ ከተታቸው፡፡

በቀላሉ የሚሳካላቸው አልኾነም፡፡ ‹‹ ከያሶ ወረዳ ውጡ ተብለን ድብደባና እንግልት ሲደርስብን እንደ ሌሎቹ እመር ብዬ መሸሽ አልኾን አለኝ፡፡ ልጆቼንና ባለቤቴን እንዴት ላድርጋቸው? ከአንድ ቤት ዘጠኝ ሰው የትስ ነው መውደቂያችን? ስል ጭንቀት ገባኝ›› የአዛውንቱ ዐይኖች እንባ አቀረሩ፡፡ አሁን አዛውንቱ ብዙ ስቃይ አልፈው በአማራ ክልል ፍኖተ ሰላም ከተማ ከሌሎች 3500 ተፈናቃዮች ጋር ከእነ ቤተሠባቸው በችግር ውስጥ ይገኛሉ፡፡ በሚኖሩበት አካባቢ የእርሻ ቦታ ባለማግኘታቸው የተሻለ ሥራ ፍለጋ ከ1997 ዓ.ም ጀምሮ ኑሮአቸውን ከአማራ ክልል ወደ ቤኒሻንጉል ጉሙዝ ክልል ያዛወሩ የአማራ ተወላጆች ካለፉት ሦስት ሣምንታት ጀምሮ በወረዳው ባለሥልጣናትና ፖሊሶች ከቀያቸው ተፈናቅለው በምስራቅ ጎጃም በጀቢጠናን ወረዳ ፍኖተ ሰላም ከተማ በሚገኝ መጠለያ ውስጥ እንደሚገኙ በደረሰን ጥቆማ መሰረት ወደዚያው አመራን፡፡

ከመጠለያው ወዲህ ከንፈሯ ክው ብሎ ደርቋል በጥቁር መናኛ ሻሽ እራሷን ጠፍንጋ አስራዋለች፡፡ የለበሠችው ቀሚስ ዳር ዳሩ ተተልትሏል፣ የተጫማችው ላስቲክ ጫማ ብዙ ቦታ ተበሣስቷል፡፡ በጠይም መልኳ ላይ ድካምና ተስፋ መቁረጥ ይነበብባታል- በፍኖተ ሰላም ከዳሞት ሆቴል ጀርባ ከአውቶብስ መናህሪያ ዝቅ ብሎ ባለው ‹‹ፍቶተ ሠላም›› ክሊኒክ መግቢያ በር ላይ ያገኘኋት የ27 ዓመቷ ወጣት የአራት ወር ነፍሰ ጡር ናት፡፡ በጉዞዋ በደረሰባት እንግልት በመታመሟ ከመጠለያው ለህክምና ወደ ክሊኒኩ እንደመጣች ነገረችኝ፡፡ “ራሴን ያዞረኛል፣ ሰውነቴን በጠቅላላ ይቆረጥመኛል፣ ያስለኛል፣ በተለይ ሌሊት ሌሊት እንቅልፍ የለኝም” የምትለው ነፍሠ ጡሯ፤ ባደረገችው ምርመራ ደም ማነስ እና የተመጣጠነ ምግብ እጥረት እንዳጋጠማት ተነግሯታል፡፡

ባለቤቷም የታዘዘላትን መድሀኒት ሊገዛ ሄዷል፡፡ “ቀን ፀሀዩ፤ ማታ ብርዱ በዚያ ላይ ያለ ምንጣፍ ጠጠር ላይ እየተኛሁ ነው ለበሽታ የተጋለጥኩት፡፡ ከዚህ ቦታስ በሕይወት የምገኝ አይመስለኝም” አለች፡፡ ባለቤቷ ተመልሶ ሲመጣ ጨዋታው አላማረውም፡፡ ማንነቴን ጠይቆኝ ከተረዳ በኋላ፤ “እዚህ ያሉ የከተማው አስተዳደሮችና የክልሉ ኃላፊዎች አሁን ያለው ችግር እስኪፈታ ለማንም አትናገሩ ብለውናል” አለኝ፡፡ ‹‹አንዳንድ ጋዜጦች ከመካከላችሁ ያልሆነ መረጃ እየወሠዱና እየጻፉ ጋዜጣ ማሻሻጫ አድርገዋችኋል፤ ስለዚህ ዝም በሉ ተብለናል” የሚል ምላሽ ሠጠኝ፡፡ ችግሩን እንዲነግረኝ ለማግባባት ሞከርኩ፤ “ዋ! ለሠው ቢያወሩት መፍትሄ ካልመጣ ምን መላ አለው እህቴ?” በማለት መልሶ ጠየቀኝ፡፡ በእግራችን እየተጓዝን መጠለያው አካባቢ ደርሰን ነበርና ባለቤቱን ወደመጠለያው አስገብቶ አቧራማው ሜዳ ላይ ተቀምጠን ቀስ በቀስ ወደ ጨዋታ ገባን፡፡

የ31 ዓመቱ ወጣት አዲስ አበባ ውስጥ ለ12 ዓመታት በሎተሪ አዟሪነት ሠርቷል፡፡ ቤተ መንግሥት አካባቢ በሚገኘው ግቢ ገብርኤል ቤተክርስቲያን ፊት ለፊት ኢትዮጵያ አንድነት ት/ቤት ጐን ከአራት ጓደኞቹ ጋር ቤት ተከራይቶ ይኖር ነበር ፡፡ “አሥራ ሁለት ዓመት አዲስ አበባ ስኖር ለውጥ አጣሁ፡፡ ስለዚህ አገሬ ገብቼ ሚስት አግብቼ ወገኖቼ እንደሆኑት እሆናለሁ ብዬ ጐጃም ገባሁ” የሚለው ተፈናቃይ፤ አገሩ ከገባም በኋላ ተስፋ የሚሠጥ ነገር አልተመለከተም፡፡ ሆኖም ቤተሠቦቹ ልቡ እንዲረጋ በሚል አስቀድሜ ክሊኒክ በር ላይ ያገኘኋትን ጠይም ቆንጆ ልጅ ዳሩለት፡፡ የሙሽርነት ወጉን በአግባቡ ሳይጨርስ ሚስቱን አሣምኖ ይዟት ቤኒሻንጉል ያሶ ወረዳ ጥቅሻ ቀበሌ እንደገባ አጫወተኝ፡ ይህ የሆነው በ1999 ዓ.ም ጥቅምት ወር ላይ ነበር፡፡ ቀበሌዋ እጇን ዘርግታ እንደተቀበለችው ይናገራል፡፡ እንደ ሌሎች ያገሩ ልጆች እርሱም ከጉሙዝ ባለ መሬት ጋር ተስማምቶ ግብርናውን ቀጠለ፡፡ ባለ መሬቱ በሠጠው ቦታ ላይ ጥሩ ቤትም ሠራ፡፡

ህይወት ከአዲሶቹ ሙሽሮች ቤት በፈገግታ ገባች፡፡ ላለፉት ስድስት ዓመታት በጥሩ ሁኔታ ከተደላደለ በኋላ ልጅ ለመውለድ ከባለቤቱ ጋር ተመካክሮ ሚስት ፀነሠች፡፡ የአራት ወሩ ፅንስ ግን ዕድለኛ አልኾነም፤ መፈናቀል ተከሠተ፡፡ “አንተ ታመልጣለህ እኔ አቅመ ደካማ ነኝ፤ ከኅብረተሠቡ ጋር ልሣፈርና ልሂድ›› በማለት ባለቤቱ ቀድማው ወደ ፍኖተ ሠላም ትመጣለች፡፡ እርሱ እንዴት የለፋሁበት በቆሎና ሠሊጥ መና ይቀራል በሚል ብቻውን ጫካ ይገባል፡፡ ወደ እህሉ ክምር ሲመጣ፣ ባለ መሬቱ አሠሪው ሌሊቱን ሲወቃ አድሮ በማዳበሪያ ከቶ ያገኘዋል፡፡ “አሠሪዬ መኪና አምጥቶ የራሱ አስመስሎ የኔንም ጫነልኝ፡፡ 40 ኩንታል በቆሎ በ200 ብር ሂሣብ ሸጬ፣ ስንቄን ይዤ ድብደባና እንግልት ከበዛበት ቀበሌ ለማምለጥ ጥሻ ጥሻውን ስመጣ ሊገድሉኝ ለጥቂት አመለጥኩ›› ነበር ያለኝ፡፡

በፍኖተ ሰላም ባከል መንደር ስድስት ወይም በተለምዶ “ቄራ ሰፈር” ተብሎ በሚጠራው አካባቢ ለድንጋይ መጥረቢያነት ሲያገለግል የቆየ ኮረት ድንጋይ የፈሰሰበት ሰፊ ሜዳ ለጠራቢዎቹ ፀሐይ መከላከያ በሚል በተሠራው አምስት ቦታ ላይ ተፈናቃዮቹ ሰፍረዋል፡፡ ወደ መጠለያው ስጠጋ ለእርዳታ ሥራ እንደመጣች የገመትኳት ዩናይትድ ኔሽን ‹‹UN›› የሚል ሰሌዳ የለጠፈች ላንድ ክሩዘር መኪና በመጠለያዎቹ ቦታዎች መሐል ለመሐል ቆማለች፡፡ አምስተኛው መጠለያ አካባቢ ሁለትና ሦስት ፖሊሶች ተመለከትኩና መጠለያው እየተጠበቀ እንደኾነ ገምቼ ራሴን ደበቅ አደረኩ፡፡ ግድግዳ አልባ መጠለያ መጠለያዎቹ በወጣቶች፣ በእናቶች፣ በህፃናትና በአዛውንቶች ተሞልተዋል፡፡ አጠቃላይ ቁጥራቸው ወደ 3500 ይገመታል፡፡ ለመኝታ አይደለም ለመቀመጫ በማይመቸው ድንጋያማ ግርግዳ አልባ ባለ ቆርቆሮ ጣሪያ መጠለያ ውስጥ ደቀቅ ያሉትን ጠጣሮች ደልድለው ጎናቸውን አሳርፈዋል፡፡ ጠንከር ያለ አቅም ያላቸው ደግሞ ራቅ ብለው በመሄድ የባህር ዛፍ ቅጠል መልምለው ለማረፊያቸው ጉዝጓዝ አመቻችተው፣ ቢያንስ ካገጠጡት ጠጠሮች ጉርባጤ ራሳቸውን ይከላከላሉ፡፡ ከዚህ ውጪ ያሉት አብዛኞቹ ግን መሬቱ ላይ ተኝተዋል፡፡ የሸራ ምንጣፍ ያነጠፉ አንዳንድ ሰዎችንም አስተውያለሁ፡፡

የቆርቆሮ ጣሪያ ብቻ ያላቸው ‹‹መጠለያ›› የሚል ስያሜ የተሰጣቸው አምስቱ ቦታዎች በመሙላታቸው ሲመሽ ሜዳው ላይ የሚተኛው ተፈናቃይ ቁጥር እንደሚጨምር ነገሩኝ፡፡ መጠለያውን በዐይኔ ቃኘሁት፡፡ አራስ ሕፃናት ያቀፉ እናቶች፤ ልጆቻቸውን ከንፋስና አቧራ ለመከላከል ይታገላሉ፡፡ ከሞቀ ቤታቸው ወጥተው በደረቅ ሜዳ ተሰጥተው ንፋስና ፀሐይ ሲፈራረቅባቸው ማየቱ መንፈስን ይረብሻል፡፡መብራት የሌለውና እና ለዛ ሁሉ ተፈናቃይ ሁለት የውሃ ቧንቧ ብቻ ባለው መጠለያ፤ እናቶች ባዶ የፕላስቲክ ውሃ መያዣዎችን አንጠልጥለው ውሃ ፍለጋ ወደ ከተማው መሀል ይሄዳሉ፡፡ ተፈናቃዮች በውሃ ችግር የተነሳ በከተማዋ መግቢያ ላይ ወደሚኘው “ላህ” የተባለ ወንዝ እየሄዱ ይታጠባሉ፡፡ ጠዋት እና ማምሻውን ከምግብ ዋስትና የሚቀርብላቸው በነፍስ ወከፍ አንድ እንጀራ በአንድ ጭልፋ ወጥ 11 ሰዓት ላይ ተበልቶ መጠናቀቅ አለበት፡፡

ከዚያ ካለፈ መብራት ስለሌለ ማግኘት አስቸጋሪ ነው፡፡ ያውም ምሳ መመገብ የለም፡፡ ፍኖተ ሠላም አቅራቢያ በምትገኘው ማንኩሳ አካባቢ በአንዲት የገጠር መንደር የተወለደ የ25 ዓመት ወጣት ነው፡፡ የነተበ ቲሸርት ለብሷል፡፡ ቁምጣው ጉልበቱን ሳይነካ ታፋው ላይ ቀርቷል፡፡ የቀኑ ፀሀይና የማታው ንፋስ መፈራረቅ ሰውነቱን ከመሬቱ አፈር ጋር አመሣስሎታል፡፡ የቤተሠቡ መሬት ተሸንሽኖ ለታላላቅ ወንድሞች ሲሠጥ ዕድሜው ገና በመሆኑ ከቤተሠቡ ጉያ አልወጣም ነበር፡፡ “መሬት ጠበበ ደካማ ቤተሠቦቼ ላይ ሸክም አልሆንም ጉልበትና ጤና እያለኝ ሊርበኝ አይገባም፤ በዚያ ላይ ዕድሜዬ ለአቅመ አዳም እየደረሠ ነው ብዬ ነበር፤ በ2000 ዓ.ም ወደ ቤኒሻንጉል የሄድኩት›› የሚለው ወጣቱ፤ በያሶ ወረዳ በብርኮ ቀበሌ ኑሮውን ካደረገ አምስት ዓመታት ተቆጥረዋል፡፡ ከጉሙዝ ገበሬ የእኩል እያረሠ ሠሊጥ እና በቆሎ እያመረተ በመሸጥ ከራሱ አልፎ ደካማ ቤተሠቦቹን መርዳትም ጀምሮ ነበር፡፡ ወጣቱ እንደሚለው የቋጠረውን ጥሪት ለመሠብሠብ እንኳን ጊዜ ያልሠጠው “የአገራችንን ለቃችሁ ውጡ” ወከባ ባዶ እጁን ፍኖተ ሠላም እንዲመጣ አስገድዶታል፡፡

“በጣም ተስፋ የቆረጥኩት እዛው እያለኹ ነው፡፡ አንድ የክልሉ ፖሊስ ስድስት ሠዓት ላይ አግኝቶኝ ከሁለት ሠዓት በኋላ ስመለስ ባገኝህ በነፍስህ ፍረድ ካለኝ በኋላ ነው›› የሚለው ወጣቱ፤ “ከምሞት ነፍሴን ይዤ ላምልጥ በሚል የምቀይረው ልብስ ሳልይዝ 350 ብር ከፍዬ ወደ ፍኖተ ሠላም መጥቼ መሠሎቼን ተቀላቅያለኹ፡፡ እኔ ጉልበት ኖሮኝ አመለጥኩ፤ እዛው የቀሩት ናቸው የሚያሳዝኑኝ” ይላል፡፡ ተፈናቃዩ ጨርቄን ማቄን ያለ፣ ንብረት እና ቤተሰቡን ለመሠብሠብ የተፍጨረጨረ በድብደባ ለስብራትና ለቁስለት መዳረጉን ይናገራል፡፡ ኢትዮጵያዊያን እናቶች የመውለጃ ወራቸው ከመግባቱ ቀደም ብሎ እንደየ አቅምና ፍላጐታቸው የገንፎ፣የአጥሚት እህሉ፣ የህፃኑ ልብስና መታቀፊያ ይዘጋጃል፡፡ እናት ምጥ ስትያዝ በቤተሰብ በወዳጅ ዘመድ ትከበባለች፡፡ ሁሉም ጭንቀቷን ይጋራል፡፡ ተፈናቃዮቹ እናቶች ግን ይህ ዕድል ተነፍጓቸው በጠጠራማውና ገመናን በማይሸፍነው ሜዳ ላይ በስቃይ ልጅ እየተገላገሉ ነው፡፡ በዚህ ዐሥር ቀናት ውስጥ እንኳን አራት እናቶች በመጠለያው መውለዳቸው ተነገረኝ፡፡ አንጀት የሚጠግን ምግብ፣ ጐን የሚያሞቅ የረባ ልብስ ለማግኘት አልታደሉም፡፡ እነዚህን አራስ እናቶች ከ3500 ተፈናቃይ መካከል ለመለየት ብቸገርም የዐይን እማኞች ጠቁመውኛል፡፡

ከቤኒሻንጉል ሲባረሩ አራስ የነበሩ ወላጆችም በመጠለያው ይገኛሉ፡፡ ለነፍስ ያሉ የአካባቢው ነዋሪዎች ክርስትና ያልተነሱ ሕፃናትን ለይተው ክርስትና ሲያስነሱና ሲያጽናኗቸው እንደነበርም ነግረውኛል፡፡ በ17 ዓመት ወጣት ጀርባ ላይ የታዘለው በዐይን ግምት ሁለት ዓመት የሚኾነው ሕፃን አፍንጫው ተገባብጦ ቆስሏል፡፡ ወንድሜ ነው ያለችኝን ሕፃኑን ያዘለችውን ወጣት ምን ኾኖ አፍንጫው እንደቆሰለ ጠየቅኳት “የምንተኛበት መሬት ደንጊያ ስለሚበዛው ሲንፈራገጥ ልጦት ነው” አለችኝ፡፡ ድንጋዩ እንኳን ለሕፃን ለዐዋቂም እንደሚያስቸግር አስተውያለሁ፡፡ ከዛሬ ስምንትና ዘጠኝ ዓመታት በፊት ከአማራ ክልል ከተለያዩ ቦታዎች የተሻለ ሕይወት ለመኖር እና እየተባባሠ በመጣው የእርሻ መሬት እጦት የተነሳ በቤኒሻንጉል ጉሙዝ ክልል ከማይዞን ያሶ ወረዳ ሀሎ ጥቅሻ፣ ሆኒ፣ ሊጐ፣ ባብርኮ፣ ሻብቲ፣ ድልድል፣ ቲኒጆ መጢና ሌሎችም ቀበሌዎች ኑሯቸውን አደረጉ፡፡ አብዛኛዎቹ በአካባቢው ካሉ የጉሙዝ ተወላጆች ጋር በመስማማትና መሬታቸውን የእኩል በማረስ ጥሪት መቋጠርና የጉሙዝ ተወላጆችንም ሕይወት መቀየራቸውን በአፅንኦት ይናገራሉ፡፡

ጥቂቶች ደግሞ በያሶ ከተማ ንግድ ፈቃድ በማውጣት የንግድ ሥራ ማንቀሣቀስና በሕጋዊ መንገድ ለመንግሥት ግብር እየከፈሉ መኖራቸው ቀጥለው ነበር፡፡ በየዓመቱ በአካባቢው ባለሥልጣናት ውጡ እየተባሉ በስጋት ሲናጡ ይቆዩና ተመልሠው መሥራት እንደሚጀምሩ የሚናገሩት ተፈናቃዮቹ፤ አብዛኛው ገበሬ ከጉሙዝ ተወላጆች ጋር ተዋዶና ተስማምቶ፣ ጥሪት አፍርቶ ወልዶና ከብዶ ይኖር ነበር፡፡ የዘንድሮው የ “ውጡሉን” ጥያቄ ግን በጥያቄ ብቻ አላበቃም፡፡ እንደ ተፈናቃዮቹ ገለፃ ያለ ማስጠንቀቂያ ንብረትና ቤተሠብ ሳይሠበስቡ እየተደበደቡና እየተንገላቱ አካባቢውን እንደለቀቁ ይናገራሉ፡፡ ከአካባቢው ጉልበት ያለው እየሮጠ፣ አቅመ ደካማው እየተደበደበ፤ እየወደቀና እየተነሳ መውጣት የቻለው ወጥቷል፡፡ የወረዳው አመራሮች መኪኖች እየጫኑ እዲያደርሷቸው ለሹፌሮች ትዕዛዝ ሲያስተላልፉ፣ ሹፌሮችም አጋጣሚውን በመጠቀም በ300 ብር የሚሔደውን መንገድ ከ350 እስከ 400 ብር እያስከፈሉ፣ የሕዝቡን እንግልት ቢያባብሱትም ዕድለኛ የሚባሉት ነፍሳቸውን ይዘው በፍኖተ ሠላም ከተማ በአንድ የደረቀ መሬት ላይ በብርድና በፀሀይ እየተቆሉ ይገኛሉ፡፡

ተፈናቃዮቹ እንደሚሉት፤ ከባህርዳርና ከየወረዳቸው ኃላፊዎች መጥተው ስብሰባ እና ፍሬአልባ ውይይት እንደሚያደርጉ ይናገራሉ፡፡ “በየጐጣችን ያሉ የወረዳው ኃላፊዎች ለችግሩ መፍትሔ እስኪገኝ ወደየቤተሰባችን እንድንገባ ይነግሩናል” ያሉት ተፈናቃዮቹ፤ “እኛ ቤተሰብ አፍርተን እንዴት ደካማ ቤተሰቦቻችን ላይ ሄደን ሸክም እንሆናለን” የሚል ጥያቄ ለኃላፊዎች ሲያነሱ “እኛ ከክልሉ ታዘን እንጂ እንኳን እናንተን አንድ በሽተኛ የሚያስጠጋ እንኳን ቦታ የለንም” የሚል ምላሽ ማግኘታቸውን በመጠለያው ያሉት ተፈናቃዮች ይገልጻሉ፡፡

በድንጋጤና በወከባ ምንም ሳይዙ በመፈናቀላቸው ወደየትውልድ ቀያቸው ቢመለሱ የሚልሱት የሚቀምሱት እንደሌለ በስብሰባው ላይ ለኃላፊዎቹ ሲናገሩ “እንደምንም ተጠጋግታችሁ ተቀመጡ፤ ምንም ልንረዳችሁ አንችልም” ይሉናል፤ በዚህ አይነት ባዶ ሜዳ ላይ ከሚወድቁ እዚሁ ሜዳ ላይ መንግሥት የፈለገውን ያድርገን በሚል ወዴትም የመሄድ ፍላጐት እንደሌላቸው ይናገራሉ፡፡ “እኛ ከቤኒሻንጉል ስንባረር የክልሉ ተወላጅ ባለመሬቶች ስብሰባ እየተቀመጡ ከወረዳው ባለስልጣናት ጋር ሲሟገቱልን ከርመዋል” የሚለው አንድ ተፈናቃይ፤ “እኛ ምን መብላት እንዳለብንና እንደሌለብን እንድንለይ ያደረጉን እነዚህ ገበሬዎች ናቸው አርሰውና አምርተው ከሚሰጡን ምርት ሚስቶቻችንን ከእንብርክክ የድንጋይ ወፍጮ አውጥተን ዘመናዊ ወፍጮ እስከመትከል እና ባለሀብት እንድንሆን አድርገውናል” ብለው ለያሶ ወረዳ ኃላፊዎች ይነግሩላቸው እንደነበር ተፈናቃዮቹ ይናገራሉ፡፡

የጉምዝ ገበሬዎችን ሰብስበው “እነዚህ ስደተኞች መጀመሪያ ሲገቡ አባባ ይሏችሁ ነበር፣ ከዚያ አቶ እገሌ ማለት ቀጠሉ፣ አሁን ስማችሁን ብቻ ነው የሚጠሩት፣ ነገ ደብድበውና መሬታችሁን ቀምተው፣ ክብራችሁን አዋርደው የቀን ሠራተኛ ያደርጓችኋል፡፡ እነሱ ከመጡ ብዙ ሃብትና ንብረት አፍርተዋል፣ እናንተን እያሰነፉ ራሣቸው ሃብታም እየሆኑ ነው፤ ስለዚህ በአፋጣኝ መውጣት አለባቸው” እያሉ ሊያሳምኗቸው ቢሞክሩም የጉሙዝ ገበሬዎች ከእኛ መነጠሉን አልወደዱትም፤ እየተደበደብን ንብረታችን የትም ተበትኖ ሲቀር እያለቀሱ ሽኝተውናል” ነበር ያለኝ አንዱ ተፈናቃይ፡፡ ተፈናቃዮቹ ወደ ፍኖተ ሠላም ከገቡ ወደ ሦስት ሳምንት እየተጠጋቸው ሲሆን ገና እንደመጡ ያሳረፏቸው ሌላ ቦታ ነበር ፡፡

በዚህም የከተማው ሰውና የሚመለከተው አካል የማያያቸው ቦታ በመሆኑ ከተፈናቃዮቹ ወጣት ወጣቶችና በትምህርታቸው ትንሽ የገፉት ስደተኞችን በማስተባበር መጀመሪያ ካሉበት ቦታ ዋናውን አስፋልት መሃል ለመሃል ይዘው ግር ብለው ወደ አደባባዩ ሲወጡ የከተማው ሕዝብ ግልብጥ ብሎ ወጣ፡፡ ከዚያም የከተማው ኃላፊዎች አሁን ያሉበትን ቦታ እንደሰጧቸውና፣ አሁን ያሉበት ቦታ በፊት ከነበሩበት የሚሻለው ከተማው ውስጥ በመሆኑ የአካባቢው ሰው ለህፃናቱ ውሃም ዳቦም እንዲያቀብላቸው ረድቷቸዋል፡፡ የአካባቢው አርሶ አደር ወደ 15 ኩንታል የሚጠጋ በቆሎ ከማቀጣጠያ እንጨት ጋር ይዞ በመምጣት እየቆላ እንዲመገባቸው ይናገራሉ፡፡ በቄስ መሪነትም ወደ 200 የሚጠጋ እንጀራ ይዘው የደከሙትን እንዲመገቡላቸው ይገልፃሉ፡፡ እንደ ተፈናቃዮቹ ገለፃ በየዕለቱ ለስብሰባ ነው፡፡ መፍትሔ ግን የለም፡፡ ሰው በችጋርና በህመም እየተሰቃየ ይገኛል፡፡ ቀይ መስቀል አልፎ አልፎ ህክምና ቢሰጥም በቂ አለመሆኑን ነግረውኛል፡፡ አንዲት እናት “በቀን ሁለት ጊዜ ለሚሰጡን ብናኝ እንጀራ 50 ዐይነት ካሜራ እተየደቀነ እንቀረጣለን” ብለው አማረዋል፡፡

እኔ በስፍራው በደረስኩበት ዕለት ከአምስቱ በአንዱ መጠለያ ባለው ሜዳ ላይ ሕዝቡ ጨረቃ መስሎ ተሰብስቦ ነበር፡፡ ነፍሰጡሯ እንደነገረችኝ፤ ከቤኒሻንጉል በመጡት ስደኞች ሰበብ በየቦታው ስደት ሄደው የነበሩ ሁሉ ከእነሱ ጋር ያሰፍሩናል በሚል እየተቀላቀሉ በመሆናቸው፤ አሁን የየወረዳውና የክልል ሃላፊዎች እንለያለን በሚል መታወቂያ እየሰበሰቡ እንደነበር አጫውታኛለች፡፡ መንግሥትን ፍለጋ ተፈናቃዮቹ ከመጡ ሁለት ሳምንት አልፎ ሦስተኛውን ጀምረዋል፡፡ በየጊዜው የየወረዳውና የየ ክልሉ “በአማራ ሰንዲ ወንበርማ በተባለ አካባቢ ቤንሻንጉሎች ሰፍረው በሰላም እየኖሩ ነው፡፡ የእነርሱ ክልል ሃላፊዎች እኛን ጠልተው በግፍ ካባረሩን እነሱ ይውጡና ቦታውን እኛ እንስፈርበት የሚል ጥያቄ ለሃላፊዎቹ አንስተን ነበር” የሚለው አንድ ተፈናቃይ፤ “ይሄ የብሔር ግጭት ስለሚያመጣ እንዲህ ዓይነት ጥያቄ ማንሳት አስፈላጊ አይደለም፤ በድጋሚም እንዳታነሱ” በሚል እንዳስጠነቀቋቸው፤ ይገልፃል፡፡

አያይዞም ከዚህ በኋላ የተሻለ መፍትሔ ለማግኘት እስከ 12ኛ ክፍል የተማሩና የተሻለ ብቃት አላቸው ያሏቸውን በመምረጥ ኮሚቴ ማቋቋማቸውን ይናገራል፡፡ በኮሚቴው አማካኝነት ከተፈናቃዩ በነፍስ ወከፍ አምስት ብር ተዋጥቶ ሃያ ሺህ ብር እንደተሰበሰበ የሚናገረው የኮሚቴው አንድ አባል፤ ይህ ሃያ ሺህ ብር በተፈናቃዩ ለተወከሉ ሰዎች ተሰጥቶ መብታቸውን ለማስከበር ለሚደረግ የትኛውም እንቅስቃሴ ሥራ ማስኬጃ ይሆናል ሲል ነበር ያጫወተኝ፡፡ “ ጉዳያችን በየወረዳችን እና በክልሉ መንግሥት እልባት ስላላገኘ፣ የመጀመሪያ ሥራችን ተፈናቃዩን ወክለን ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ኃ/ማርያም ደሳለኝ ጽ/ቤት ለመሄድ ዝግጅት ጨርሰናል” ይላል ወጣቱ ተፈናቃይ፡፡ ሃያ ሺህ ብሩም ለዚሁ እንቅስቃሴ የሚውል ነው፡፡ ከመጠለያው ወጥቼ ኳስ ሜዳውን መሃል ለመሀል ሰንጥቄ ወደመጣሁበት ስመለስ አንድ መልከ መልካም ጐልማሣ ከበረዶ የነጣ ጋቢያቸውን ደርበው፣ ከአንድ ወጣት ጋር ሜዳው ላይ ተቀምጠዋል፡፡

ጥሩ ወዘና ያላቸው በመሆኑ ተፈናቃይ አይመስሉም፡፡ ግምቴም ትክክል ነበር፡፡ ሠላምታ ከተለዋወጥን በኋላ ስለ ስደተኞቹ አንስቼ መጨዋወት ጀመርን፡፡ “እኔ 58 ዓመት ሙሉ ስኖር የሰው ልጅ እንዲህ ያለ ፈተና ሲቀበል ሳይ የ”በኸሬ” ነው (በአካባቢው አነጋገር የበኸሬ ማለት የመጀመሪያዬ እንደማለት ነው) አሉኝ የአካባቢው ነዋሪ፡፡ “ሰሞኑን አራት ሴቶች እዚህ የምታይው ሜዳ ላይ (መጠለያውን ማለታቸው ነው) ሲወልዱ ስመለከት መፈጠሬን ጠላሁ” በማለት የችግሩን አስከፊነት አስረዱኝ፡፡ ወገን ሲንገላታ ማየት ምን ያህል እንደሚከብድ የተናገሩት የዛው መንደር (የባከል) ነዋሪው ጐልማሳ፤ የተፈናቃዮቹን ችግር ለመስማት “ላህ” የተባለ ወንዝ ሲሄዱ አብረው ሄደው ችግሮቻቸውን እንደሚያዳምጡም አጫውተውኛል፡፡

ምንም እንኳ የእኚህ ሰው ቤት ከመጠለያው ፊት ለፊት ኳስ ሜዳው እንዳለቀ የሚገኝ ቢሆንም ወደ መጠለያው ለመግባት አይደፍሩም፡፡ “ጆሮ ጠቢውና አዋሻኪው ማንና የት እንደሆነ አይታወቅም፤ ከእነሱ ጋር ለመጨዋወት ላህ ወንዝ ነው የምሄደው” በማለት ስጋታቸውን ነግረውኛል፡፡ በዛን ሰዓት ሜዳ ላይ ለምን እንደተቀመጡም ጠይቄያቸው ነበር፡፡ “ይሄ ሁሉ ሰው ሜዳ ላይ እንደጥሬ ፈሶ እንዴት በጊዜ እቤቴ እገባለሁ” የሚሉት እኚሁ የመንደሩ ነዋሪ፤ ሁኔታውን ለመቃኘትና የሰዎችን ሁኔታ ለመታዘብ ሁሌም በዚያ ሰዓት እዛ ቦታ እንደሚቀመጡ ነገሩኝ፡፡ በመጨረሻም “ለመሆኑ አንቺስ ከተፈናቃዮቹ ወገን ነሽ” የሚል ጥያቄ አነሱ፡፡ ለአካባቢው እንግዳ መሆኔን ነግሬያቸው ተሰናበትኳቸው፡፡

IWMF calls for the immediate release of Reeyot Alemu.

Imprisoned Ethiopian journalist threatened with solitary confinement; denied urgently needed medical care
IWMF April 3, 2013

http://sileshihagos.wordpress.com

According to reliable sources in Addis Ababa, imprisoned journalist Reeyot Alemu, a columnist for the now-defunct newspaper Feteh and winner of the IWMF’s 2012 Courage in Journalism Award, has been threatened by prison authorities with two months of solitary confinement as well as denial of family visits, legal counsel and medical care.
Earlier this week, officials of Ethiopia’s infamous Kaliti prison, where Alemu has been serving the majority of her 5-year prison sentence since her arrest on June 21, 2011, accused her of “disrespecting prison policies” and “planning to share information on human rights violations in Kaliti prison with the media”. Prison authorities are currently reviewing the accusations and have threatened to punish her with two months solitary confinement, as well as denying her family visits, legal counsel and access to prison services, including medial care, for four months.
This is not the first time that prison authorities have created obstacles to restrict the independent journalist’s access to medial care. In April of 2012, Alemu underwent surgery at a nearby hospital to remove a tumor from her breast, after which she was returned to jail with no recovery time.
In February 2013, Alemu was again diagnosed with a growth in her breast. Doctors recommended immediate treatment for the growth, but Alemu has been consistently denied access to care.
Sources also told the IWMF that prison officials had granted Alemu permission to enroll in a distance-learning program at Indra Ghandi National Open University where she was planning to pursue a Master’s Degree in Political Science, starting this month. Now, prison authorities have revoked their permission, forcing Alemu to forfeit the enrollment fee of $1,500.
Reeyot Alemu worked as a columnist for independent Ethiopian newspaper Feteh until her arrest in June 2011. She was held without charge until September of that year, when she was accused of “conspiracy to commit terrorist acts” and “participation in a terrorist organization”. The Ethiopian government presented articles Alemu wrote criticizing its actions as evidence at her trial, as well as telephone conversations she had regarding strictly peaceful protests. Based on these materials alone, a judge sentenced Alemu to 14 years in prison.
An appeals court subsequently reduced the 14-year prison sentence to five years and dropped most of the terrorism charges against her. Prior to these events, Alemu was one of her country’s only female reporters who wrote critically about the political climate in Ethiopia.
Freedom Now, a non-profit organization that represents individual prisoners of conscience as pro-bono clients, reported last week that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found the government of Ethiopia’s continued detention of independent Ethiopian journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega, whose case shares many similarities with Alemu’s, a violation of international law. A panel of five independent experts held that the government violated Nega’s rights to free expression and due process.
The IWMF calls for the immediate release of Reeyot Alemu.
Imprisoned Ethiopian journalist threatened with solitary confinement; denied urgently needed medical care
April 3, 2013 — According to reliable sources in Addis Ababa, imprisoned journalist Reeyot Alemu, a columnist for the now-defunct newspaper Feteh and winner of the IWMF’s 2012 Courage in Journalism Award, has been threatened by prison authorities with two months of solitary confinement as well as denial of family visits, legal counsel and medical care.
Earlier this week, officials of Ethiopia’s infamous Kaliti prison, where Alemu has been serving the majority of her 5-year prison sentence since her arrest on June 21, 2011, accused her of “disrespecting prison policies” and “planning to share information on human rights violations in Kaliti prison with the media”. Prison authorities are currently reviewing the accusations and have threatened to punish her with two months solitary confinement, as well as denying her family visits, legal counsel and access to prison services, including medial care, for four months.
This is not the first time that prison authorities have created obstacles to restrict the independent journalist’s access to medial care. In April of 2012, Alemu underwent surgery at a nearby hospital to remove a tumor from her breast, after which she was returned to jail with no recovery time.
In February 2013, Alemu was again diagnosed with a growth in her breast. Doctors recommended immediate treatment for the growth, but Alemu has been consistently denied access to care.
Sources also told the IWMF that prison officials had granted Alemu permission to enroll in a distance-learning program at Indra Ghandi National Open University where she was planning to pursue a Master’s Degree in Political Science, starting this month. Now, prison authorities have revoked their permission, forcing Alemu to forfeit the enrollment fee of $1,500.
Reeyot Alemu worked as a columnist for independent Ethiopian newspaper Feteh until her arrest in June 2011. She was held without charge until September of that year, when she was accused of “conspiracy to commit terrorist acts” and “participation in a terrorist organization”. The Ethiopian government presented articles Alemu wrote criticizing its actions as evidence at her trial, as well as telephone conversations she had regarding strictly peaceful protests. Based on these materials alone, a judge sentenced Alemu to 14 years in prison.
An appeals court subsequently reduced the 14-year prison sentence to five years and dropped most of the terrorism charges against her. Prior to these events, Alemu was one of her country’s only female reporters who wrote critically about the political climate in Ethiopia.
Freedom Now, a non-profit organization that represents individual prisoners of conscience as pro-bono clients, reported last week that the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found the government of Ethiopia’s continued detention of independent Ethiopian journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega, whose case shares many similarities with Alemu’s, a violation of international law. A panel of five independent experts held that the government violated Nega’s rights to free expression and due process.
The IWMF calls for the immediate release of Reeyot Alemu.

Ethiopia cancels $1 billion fuel imports from Sudan

April 5, 2013 (ADDIS ABABA) - The Ethiopian Petroleum Supplier Enterprise (EPSE) has retracted its statement last month that reported that the country had imported over $1 billion of fuel from neighbouring Sudan via Djibouti, as reported by Sudan Tribune on March 31.
The EPSE Sunday reported that the 1,091,823 metric tonnes of oil had in fact been
imported from other sources, the EPSE’s spokesperson, Alemayehu Tsegaye declined to name.
Without disclosing the reasons behind the decision the spokesperson told Sudan Tribune that Ethiopia stopped importing fuel from Sudan last year after it terminated its contract with Khartoum.
Ethiopia used to import up to 85% of its annual oil consumption from neighbouring Sudan, largely due to its geographic proximity.

source: Sudan tribune

Ethiopia: Muslim Protesters Face Unfair Trial

Open Hearings to Family, Independent Monitors, Media
Human Rights Watch
April 1, 2013

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The prosecution of 29 Muslim protest leaders and others charged under Ethiopia�s deeply flawed anti-terrorism law raises serious fair trial concerns, Human Rights Watch said today. The trial is scheduled to resume in Addis Ababa on April 2, 2013, after a 40-day postponement. The case has already had major due process problems, Human Rights Watch said. Some defendants have alleged ill-treatment in pre-trial detention. The government has provided defendants limited access to legal counsel and has taken actions that undermined their presumption of innocence. Since January 22 the High Court has closed the hearings to the public, including the media, diplomats, and family members of defendants. �There seems to be no limit to the Ethiopian government�s use of its anti-terrorism law and unfair trials to stop peaceful dissent,� said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. �The government�s treatment of these Muslim leaders bears the hallmarks of a politically motivated prosecution.�
The defendants include Muslim leaders and activists arrested and detained in July 2012 following six months of public protests in Addis Ababa and other towns by Ethiopia�s Muslim community over alleged government interference in religious affairs. Others on trial include Yusuf Getachew, former managing editor of the now defunct Islamic magazine Yemuslimoch Guday, and two Muslim nongovernmental organizations, allegedly managed by three of the defendants. Solomon Kebede was arrested and is being held under the anti-terrorism law.
According to official figures, Muslims make up approximately 30 percent of Ethiopia�s population. The protest movement began after the government insisted that the Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs accept members from an Islamic sect known as al Ahbash and tried to impose its teachings on the Muslim community. The government also sought to influence the operations of the Awalia mosque in Addis Ababa.
In January 2012 the Muslim community created a committee to represent it in discussions with the government. Nine of the 17 members of this committee are among those on trial: Abubekar Ahmed, Ahmedin Jebel, Ahmed Mustafa, Kamil Shemsu, Jemal Yassin, Yassin Nuru, Sheikh Sultan Aman, Sheikh Mekete Muhe, and Sheikh Tahir Abdulkadir. They were arrested as the Ethiopian security forces began a major crackdown on the protests at Awalia and Anwar mosques in Addis Ababa and on protests in other cities as well, arresting and assaulting hundreds of protesters. Although the government has not released numbers, credible sources told Human Rights Watch that as many as 1,000 people were arrested in July alone.
Journalists attempting to cover or report on the protests were also detained or intimidated. Despite these arrests, weekly protests have continued throughout the country.
As in Ethiopia�s earlier terrorism trials of journalists and opposition leaders, the current trial has been marred by serious due process violations, Human Rights Watch said. Defendants have had erratic access to lawyers and relatives, and a number of the defendants were initially held for almost two months without access to legal counsel.
Lawyers for the defendants have repeatedly complained to the courts about the treatment of their clients, and alleged that the Muslim committee members and Getachew were mistreated during their pre-trial detention at the Federal Police Crime Investigation Department, known as Maekelawi prison, in Addis Ababa, which is notorious for torture. The complaints do not appear to have been appropriately investigated, Human Rights Watch said. Both the first instance court and the higher court have claimed not to have the jurisdiction over these matters.
The defendants have all been charged with �terrorist acts� under article 3 of Ethiopia�s 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, and with planning and conspiracy to commit terrorist acts under article 4. Descriptions of the charges in the initial charge sheet do not contain the basic elements of the crimes that the defendants are alleged to have committed.
Human Rights Watch, other human rights organizations, and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have repeatedly raised concerns about the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation�s overly broad provisions, which have been used to criminalize legitimate free expression and peaceful dissent. Thirty-four people, including eleven journalists and at least four opposition supporters, are known to have been sentenced under the law between late 2011 and mid-2012 in apparently politically motivated trials.
The government has also undermined the defendants� presumption of innocence by broadcasting inflammatory material and accusations against them on state television, Human Rights Watch said. In February state-run Ethiopian Television (ETV) broadcast a program called �Jihadawi Harakat� (�Jihad War�) that included footage of at least five of the defendants filmed in pre-trial detention, including Muslim committee members Kamil Shemsu, Ahmed Mustafa, Abubekar Ahmed, and Yassin Nuru, and the activist Nuru Turki. The program equates the Muslim protest movement in Ethiopia with Islamist extremist groups such as Somalia�s armed al-Shabaab militants, and casts the Muslim protest leaders as terrorists. The High Court granted an injunction prohibiting the broadcast but ETV ignored the court order.
The ETV broadcast was the latest in a series of television programs � many of them produced by the government�s Communications Ministry in collaboration with police or security services �that try to smear the defendants in terrorism trials. In November 2011, ETV broadcast �Akeldama� (�Land of Blood�) during the terrorism trial of 24 people, including prominent members of the political opposition and journalists. The program, which included film of several of the defendants in pre-trial detention, apparently under duress, described the defendants� alleged involvement in a �terrorist plot.�
Two Swedish journalists were the subject of another similar piece in 2011 after they were arrested in Ethiopia�s eastern Somali region. They were subjected to a mock execution during the filming.
�The unfair trial of the Muslim activists is compounded by the government�s TV program that demonizes them as �terrorists� and threatens to raise suspicion of all Muslims and their ongoing protests,� Lefkow said. �The Ethiopian government is prosecuting people who are simply trying to protect their rights to religious freedom and free speech.�
The government has also continued to use the anti-terrorism law to silence the media, Human Rights Watch said.
Kebede, Getachew�s successor at Yemuslimoch Guday, has been held for more than two months in pre-trial detention without charges. He is being held in Maekelawi prison, without access to legal counsel, which heightens concerns about his treatment and safety.
On March 15 the first instance court granted the police an additional 28 days for further investigation in Kebede�s case. The Anti-Terrorism Proclamation permits pre-trial detention for up to four months without charge, one of the longest periods in anti-terrorism legislation worldwide, in violation of Ethiopia�s international legal obligations. Under the Ethiopian constitution detainees must be charged or released within 48 hours.
�Rather than jailing peaceful protesters and critical journalists, the government should amend the anti-terrorism law and stop these politically motivated trials,� Lefkow said. �The government should be reaching out to the Muslim community and discussing their grievances rather than silencing their voices and leaders.�

UN Finds Imprisonment of Ethiopian Journalist Eskinder Nega Arbitrary under International Law

For Immediate Release: UN Finds Imprisonment of Ethiopian Journalist Eskinder Nega Arbitrary under International Law and Calls for Immediate Release

http://sileshihagos.wordpress.com

/Freedom Now/ Washington,D.C.: In an opinion released today by Freedom Now, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found the Government of Ethiopia’s continued detention of independent Ethiopian journalist and blogger Eskinder Nega a violation of international law. The panel of five independent experts from four continents held that the government violated Mr. Nega’s rights to free expression and due process. The UN Working Group called for his immediate release.
Mr. Nega is serving an 18-year prison sentence on terror and treason charges in response to his online articles and public speeches about the Arab Spring and the possible impact of such movements on the political situation in Ethiopia. Arrested in September 2011, Mr. Nega was held without charge or access to an attorney for nearly two months before authorities charged him under Ethiopia’s widely criticized anti-terror laws. This is the eighth time during his 20-year career as an independent journalist and publisher that the Ethiopian government has detained Mr. Nega. His appeal has been repeatedly postponed, most recently on March 27, 2013.
In the attached opinion, released in conjunction with an op-ed by the renowned Ethiopian opposition leader and former prisoner of conscience Birtukan Mideksa, the UN Working Group found that the application of overly broad anti-terror laws against Mr. Nega constituted an “unjustified restriction” on his right to freedom of expression. The UN Working Group’s opinion also recognized “several breaches of Mr. Nega’s fair trial rights,” further rendering his continued detention arbitrary under international law.
“The Ethiopian government cannot continue to use anti-terrorism legislation to muzzle the work of independent journalists, even when it does not like what is being reported,” said Freedom Now Executive Director Maran Turner. “The targeting of journalists by resorting to overly broad anti-terror laws, just like the use of anti-state charges in the pre-9/11 era, is a violation of the internationally protected right to free expression and undermines international efforts to address real security threats.”
Freedom Now represents Mr. Nega as his international pro bono counsel.