Never, Ever Again! A myth for Ethiopian Mothers

Red Terror Martyrs' Memorial Museum, Addis Ababa Credit: Soman

By Munir H. Idriss

In the historic Meskel Square of the bustling capital of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa lies the Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum. A grim reminder of the thousands of Ethiopians from all walks of life mercilessly slaughtered by the communist military regime during the Red Terror campaign of 1972-74 G.C. Gracing the main entrance of the museum is an interesting sculpture of three women dressed up in the traditional attire, their faces covered in grief and despair. One of the women is holding a jacket, presumably belonging to her murdered son. The statue signifies the deep sorrow of Ethiopian mothers who had lost their precious sons, daughters and husbands to the Red Terror campaign. It is a tribute to all Ethiopian mothers who suffered prolonged and unbearable bereavement; those mothers who had no chance for final closure because they were officially banned from mourning and the mothers who were forced to pay for the bullet that killed their loved ones in an act of ultimate cruelty. Underneath the sculpture, a plaque reads “Never, Ever Again!”, a solemn pledge among Ethiopians not to repeat such an atrocity. An atrocity remembered as one of the darkest chapters of modern Ethiopian history.

The current ruling party, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) which came to power quarter of a century ago, capitalized on the horrors of the Red Terror campaign to garner popular support as guerrilla movement during its formative years. After the ousting of the military regime by the EPRDF, the full extent of the gross human right violations of the military regime was exposed to daylight. The top brass of the EPRDF promised that after that point, the country will be ruled by democratic principles with the unequivocal protection of basic human rights. Three years after the downfall of the military government, the new Ethiopian constitution of 1994 was ratified and came into full force the next year. The new constitution had elements from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights ensuring that the basic rights of freedom of expression, association, conscience, and religion, as well as the right to life, are infrangible. Ethiopians were optimistic a new era had dawned. Extrajudicial executions, political incarcerations, torture and disappearances were to be buried in the pages of history books.

One could only wish all the optimism and hope ushered with the new constitution could last. One of the earlier gross violation of human rights in Ethiopia occurred immediately following the disputed 2005 general elections. The ink of the new constitution had barely dried at that point. 193 unarmed protestors were gunned down in the streets of Addis Ababa during the unrest by security forces including army units. Working as a junior physician in one of the government hospitals in Addis Ababa, I had the misfortune of confirming the death of some of the victims. Some of the deceased were youngsters who had sustained fatal wounds to the head and chest from high-velocity bullets. Others had their bodies riddled with multiple gunshot wounds. The nature of the injuries was virtually similar to the ones seen in a full-blown armed conflict in a war zone. Besides the causalities, tens of thousands were arrested and detained for months without seeing their day in court. An inquiry commission was set up by the late prime minister Meles Zenawi to investigate the civilian massacre in the hands of security forces. After a thorough investigation, the commission deemed the measures by security forces as excessive. But some of the members of the commission were coerced to reverse their decision and had fled to western countries fearing repercussions. Later on, the commission revised the measures as “proportional” after new members were inducted to the investigative panel. The faith of so many Ethiopians that the country is in a “new era” of democracy had been shattered.

Fast forward a couple of years, the violation of human rights continued and had currently reached unprecedented levels. A resurgence of the 2005 type violence albeit at a far worse level is unfolding since the past few months. According to Human Rights Watch, 500 civilians had been gunned down since November 2015 during public protests that had engulfed the Amhara and Oromia regions. In August 2016 alone, 30 more unarmed protesters were fatally shot in the streets of Bahir Dar by security forces in a single day. Furthermore, tens of thousands have been detained and are suffering in makeshift camps across the country without due process of the law. Social media and independent media outlets are filled with grisly images of dead and severely injured civilians from the Oromia and Amhara areas where the violent onslaught is in full force by the security apparatus. Every day adds to the body count of innocent civilians. Every day is a blood bath.

Advertisement

The disturbing personal tragedy of an Ethiopian mother in the town of Dambi Dollo in western Ethiopia, as reported by the Amharic service of the Voice of America on September 7th, 2016, clearly depicts the ongoing gruesome atrocities of the Ethiopian government. Having heard that her 16 year-old-son who happens to be the bread winner for the family had been caught up in the violence, she rushed to the scene with her young daughter only to find that her son had been fatally shot in the neck by armed soldiers. While crying next to her dead son, the soldiers forced her to sit on his lifeless body and assaulted her mercilessly in front of her young daughter. The “crime” she committed was “not preventing her son from leaving the house during the protest” Fearing for the life of her remaining daughter she pleaded on the feet of the soldiers who left after ruthlessly assaulting her. Such level of inhumane violence and impunity against a mother is beyond the imagination. A mother who is revered in the Ethiopian culture with the utmost love, respect and affection.

Amidst all the violence, the ruling regime had rejected the request by the United Nations top human rights official for an independent international investigation into the killing of civilians. It is a shameful stance for a country that prides itself being a member and vice president of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the global watchdog for human right violations. The official counter argument for the rejection was that the Ethiopian Government was responsible for the “safety” of its citizens. An argument best described as political satire.

It is very unfortunate and heart-wrenching that Ethiopians are continually experiencing the horrific atrocities and gross violations of their basic human rights for decades. Generation after generation of Ethiopians have been killed, maimed, traumatized and forced to exile. In human history, there had never been a time where one group has been able to exercise its will and power over another group perpetually. It is inherent in human nature that the underdogs would challenge repression and injustice eventually. The “freedom fighters” of yesterday who had vilified the previous military regime for its human rights record are finding themselves in the same shoes as their predecessors. They were once victims of repression and violence. They should know better. But today they are the ones who are perpetrating the vicious cycle of violence. I hope the high priests of the Ethiopian government would miraculously have the wisdom and insight to see themselves as the one-time “underdogs” and somehow honor the lives of thousand of their brothers-in-arms who were sacrificed for the cause of freedom and justice. I guess a day trip to the Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum would refresh their memory for the primary reasons why they took up arms as guerrilla fighters.

The chain of events that will bring the day of true democracy has been set in motion. Sooner or later, the de facto in Ethiopia situation will change. I hope that day would be soon Read more here