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Ethiopia Ethiopia: Government Prepares Assault on Civil Society Repressive New Legislation Should Be Amended or Scrapped Ethiopia’s government should immediately abandon plans to impose strict government controls and draconian criminal penalties on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. The two groups called on donor governments, whose behind-the-scenes efforts to see the bill reformed appear to have failed, to speak out publicly against the de facto criminalization of most of the human rights, rule of law and peace-building work currently being carried out in Ethiopia. June 30, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Ethiopia: Army Commits Executions, Torture, and Rape in Ogaden Donors Should Act to Stop Crimes Against Humanity In its battle against rebels in eastern Ethiopia's Somali Region, Ethiopia's army has subjected civilians to executions, torture, and rape, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. The widespread violence, part of a vicious counterinsurgency campaign that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, has contributed to a looming humanitarian crisis, threatening the survival of thousands of ethnic Somali nomads. June 12, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Collective Punishment War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity in the Ogaden area of Ethiopia’s Somali Region
HRW Index No.: 1-56432-322-6 June 12, 2008 Report Download PDF, 1500 KB, 136 pgs Purchase online Read Press Release Statement on Human Rights Situations that Require the Council's Attention Human Rights Watch's Statement to the Human Rights Council Human Rights Watch brings human rights situations in Somalia, Ethiopia, China and Zimbabwe to the Council's attention during its General Debate on Agenda item 4. June 10, 2008 Oral Statement Printer friendly version Somalia: Beleaguered Journalists Recognized for Courage Vibrant Press Threatened by Worsening Chaos, Repression Three Somali journalists have been awarded the prestigious Hellmann/Hammett award in recognition for their journalism while risking their lives and suffering terrible hardships in the midst of Somalia’s worsening armed conflict, Human Rights Watch said today. June 2, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Ethiopia: Repression Sets Stage for Non-Competitive Elections Opposition Candidates, Voters Silenced Ahead of Local Polls The Ethiopian government’s repression of registered opposition parties and ordinary voters has largely prevented political competition ahead of local elections that begin on April 13, Human Rights Watch said today. These widespread acts of violence, arbitrary detention and intimidation mirror long-term patterns of abuse designed to suppress political dissent in Ethiopia. April 10, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Off-target When missile strikes at alleged terrorists go awry, U.S. policy takes a hit. By Jennifer Daskal and Leslie Lefkow Published in The Los Angeles Times On March 3 two Tomahawk missiles were launched toward Dobley, Somalia in the fourth U.S. airstrike aimed at individuals with Al Qaeda links in Somalia since January 2007. While missing its target, shrapnel from the missiles injured six civilians, a pattern that echoes previous U.S. strikes in Somalia. Such strikes inevitably turn ordinary Somalis against the United States, thereby bolstering support for militant groups, while the human rights and humanitarian crisis that terrorists feed off -- and that U.S. policies exacerbate -- is largely ignored. Additionally, the Ethiopian military offensive that ousted the ruling Islamist authority from Mogadishu and installed a weak but internationally backed transitional government triggered a predictable insurgency by both Islamist militants and ordinary Somalis, with the resulting conflict having led to thousands of civilian deaths and displaced persons. Ultimately, an effective counter-terrorism policy must address the underlying human rights and humanitarian tragedies that are fueling the crisis, as it has become clear that eliminating a few alleged terrorists will not solve these deeper problems. March 28, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Somalia: UN Security Council Must Not Ignore Abuses Video Footage From Mogadishu Shows Devastating Effects of Attacks on Civilians The UN Security Council should strongly condemn serious abuses of civilians in Somalia and establish a commission of inquiry to identify individuals responsible for these crimes, Human Rights Watch said. Later this week, the UN secretary- general is due to present his report on Somalia to the Security Council. March 11, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Making exceptions for Ethiopia By Tom Porteous, London Director Published in Guardian Unlimited Meles Zenawi thinks the west's attitude to Africa is unbalanced and unfair. But his country is being torn apart by human rights abuses January 31, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version AU Summit: UN Chief Should Demand Justice in Darfur During their meeting on Thursday at the African Union summit, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon should publicly call on Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to end his government’s obstruction of the new peacekeeping force in Darfur and his disregard for justice for international crimes, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the secretary-general. January 29, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Kenya: AU Leaders Should Urge Probe After Election Fraud Kenyan Authorities Should Ensure Accountability for Post-Election Violence African leaders attending the African Union summit in Addis Ababa on February 1-2, 2008 should call for an independent inquiry into post-election violence and election fraud in Kenya, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the African Union Commission’s chairman, Alpha Oumar Konaré. January 29, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Letter to US Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates on Somalia The Department of Defense should send a clear message to Ethiopia and other parties to the region's conflicts Human Rights Watch writes to Secretary Gates on widespread human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in Somalia. The conflict in Mogadishu has steadily intensified since January 2007, after Ethiopian forces supporting the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ousted the Islamic Courts Union from the city. To date, hundreds of civilians have been killed and up to 600,000 people are estimated to have fled the city, particularly following surges in violence in March, April and November. Since November, renewed clashes in Mogadishu have been marked by increasing brutality toward civilians, including further summary executions and enforced disappearances of individuals by Ethiopian and TFG forces conducting counterinsurgency operations. December 12, 2007 Letter Printer friendly version UN: Atrocities Fuel Worsening Crisis in Horn of Africa UN Security Council Should Press Ethiopia and Somalia to Put an End to Abuses The United Nations Security Council should urgently press the Ethiopian and Somali governments to end the grave human rights abuses that are fueling the worsening humanitarian crisis in Somalia and eastern Ethiopia’s Ogaden region, Human Rights Watch said today. December 3, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Caught in a Quagmire By Harun Hassan and Leslie Lefkow Published in The World Today For most residents of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, this has been a catastrophic year. The country’s longstanding crisis has moved into a new, chilling cycle of foreign intervention, relentless insurgency and brutal response. People who survived sixteen years of war, statelessness and ruthless warlords are fleeing. Civilians are daily victims of the violence, including mass arrests, targeted killings, indiscriminate bombardment and attacks similar to those common in Iraq – remote-control explosives and suicide bombings – with even less reporting and international attention. December 1, 2007 Commentary Printer friendly version Somalia: Mogadishu Clashes Devastating Civilians Protect Medical Facilities and Aid Workers Ethiopian troops and insurgents have violated the laws of war in killing and wounding dozens of civilians in new clashes in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, Human Rights Watch said today. November 9, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version We do believe that former heads of state deserve a fair trial Bringing their tormentors to book is an important way for victims to recover their dignity, says Reed Brody John Laughland suggests that human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, are more concerned about the conviction of former heads of state than about them getting fair trials. Nothing could be further from the truth. October 25, 2007 Commentary Printer friendly version Somalia: Killings, Arrests Shatter Independent Media Transitional Government Must Protect Journalists, Respect Free Expression The Somali government’s systematic harassment of journalists, its closures of media outlets, and its failure to investigate the killing of eight journalists have deeply damaged independent reporting in Somalia, Human Rights Watch said today. October 22, 2007 Press Release Printer friendly version Ethiopia and the State of Democracy: Effects on Human Rights and Humanitarian Conditions in the Ogaden and Somalia Human Rights Watch Testimony at a Hearing of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health Thank you Mr. Chairman, members of the committee, for providing Human Rights Watch this opportunity to voice our concerns about the dire, and deteriorating, human rights and humanitarian situation in the Horn of Africa, and particularly in regard to Somalia and the Somali region of Ethiopia. October 2, 2007 Testimony Printer friendly version Somalia: War Crimes in Mogadishu UN Should Address Civilian Protection Ethiopian, Somali and insurgent forces are all responsible for rampant violations of the laws of war in Mogadishu, causing massive suffering for the civilian population, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Human Rights Watch urged the UN Security Council during its current deliberations on Somalia to include a strong civilian protection mandate in any peacekeeping mission. August 13, 2007 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Shell-Shocked Civilians Under Siege in Mogadishu
HRW Index No.: A1912 August 13, 2007 Report Download PDF, 659 KB, 116 pgs Purchase online Read Press Release |
 
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