(The Sub-Saharan Informer, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia) – An American law professor, teaching at the Ethiopian Ministry of Education’s Mekelle University in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, had her contract terminated last week by university officials.
The administration claims “incompetence” was the reason for her termination. But Professor Abigail Salisbury claims that her public voicing of alternative views on the U.S. House of Representative’s Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007 (HR2003) got her fired.
After failing to convince the university’s academic commission that her contract should not be terminated, Professor Salisbury is planning to depart Ethiopia. The firing quickly followed an article she published in “The Jurist,” the online University of Pittsburgh law review journal, in which she described candidly her participation in a Mekelle University Law Faculty forum on HR 2003.
Taking one stance, Professor Salisbury writes, “Listening to the Ethiopians talk about the bill’s various points during the discussion forum, I… wonder[ed] if America hadn’t done something foolish…by asserting its right to determine the domestic affairs of a foreign nation.” She also points out that the factual findings section of HR2003 must be updated to reflect current human rights progress in Ethiopia.
But based on the passionate testimonies of her own international human rights law students at Mekelle, conveyed to her within mid-term essays she assigned, Salisbury reached an alternative conclusion – that HR2003 should be seen as an attempt by American foreign policy makers not to threaten Ethiopian sovereignty, but to improve the lives of poor Ethiopians who are truly suffering under a government with a firm grip on freedom of speech.
“I had been very careful in wording my assignment. I asked the students to select a human rights issue in Ethiopia…and find another country dealing with that same situation. They were required to then compare the actions of the two nations,” Salisbury writes. According to her, a number of students wrote that they would never give their real opinions to an Ethiopian professor, for fear of “being turned in to the government and punished.”
According to Professor Salisbury, the terms of her contract make it clear that in the case of premature termination, she should receive three months’ pay. Claiming they have an alternative interpretation, University officials have decided not to honor this clause. But Salisbury is more disappointed by the failure of the university’s professors and officials to honor freedom of speech. “The dean [of Mekelle Law School] told me never to be afraid to write anything,” the young American law professor recalled for SSI.
HR2003 was passed in October 2007 by the US House of Representatives and is now being debated by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It proposes to withdraw “nonessential” assistance from Ethiopia until the federal government meets human rights obligations outlined in the Act.
12 thoughts on “American law professor fired from Mekele University”
Elias,
Like the Tigrigna saying goes: ከይደቀስና ዝሓለምናዮ!
What does one expect from such pathological liars? They always try to hide the truth and of course they will never admit why they fired the professor. In a land where the judge is the jury and the prosecutor everything goes and there goes Professor Salisbury.
Prof. Salisbury broght the hiden agenda of the Wayanes to the light. She just presented students opinions or reports. These are real reports or opinions which they face on daily basis. Prof. Salisbury and here students have done nothing wrong,but exposed the true face of the Wayanes. That is the reality in which the Ethiopian people are in today.I have read her reports.She brought to the American peoples’ attention which the Ethiopian people have been crying for 17 years. That is lack of freedom, lack of freedom of expression, imprisonment, extrajudicial killings, torture etc. Wayanes have made from Ethiopia the prison house of nations. As the many of the Ethiopian people have paid dearly with their lives for speaking the truth, so Prof. Salisbury.
Elias,
You were not too satisfied (you thought, she could have said more) about Abigail Salisbury’s article and I told you it was perfect. She exposed Weyane, wisely and diplomaticaly and, now, you know I was right. She irritated the Adwa mafias so much, they took a drastic action.
Now, she is going be a big asset for the anti-Weyane forces.
That is how Anna Gomez and Jefrey Getlman started.
You should contact her and encourage her to come in full force against the mafias who terminated her contract.
Surprised to hear such words ‘incompetence’ when we don’t have law scholars at all. It is a whole truth that the university is infested by Woyane’s cadres and ears. She was in the firm grip of military bunches and, and they showed their incompetence in firing her. What a shame they would be called ‘Ethiopian professors’! I am afraid for the students who wrote the truth, Prof.Abigail Salisbury please make sure those papers or any pieces are not in the sight of anyone within Ethiopia for fear of the persecution of the truth tellers!
It seems that Woyane is committing suicide.
In this world of ours, very few people stand up for the truth, and when they do, they are often expelled from their jobs or persecuted, imprisoned, or even killed, so the firing of the American law professor from Meles’ hometown’s Mekelle University is not new to the lovers of truth and justice, and especially to those Ethiopians in diaspora. For example, in the Old Testament, Elijah the Prophet traveled more than 40 days and 40 nights to save his life threatened by Jezebel after he denounced without fear the king of Israel and his wife for worshipping Baal and after he slaughtered the 450 Baal Prophets at the Kishon Valley. In the New Testament, John the Baptist was arrested and finally beheaded for speaking out that Herod should not have Herodias, his brother’s wife, as his wife. In the same way, Professor Abigail Salisbury, as a foreigner in a foreign country, was not afraid in speaking out that there is no freedom of speech in Ethiopia and in all Ethiopian Universities. Those who fired her are nothing else but worshippers of Baal – Meles Zenawi – waiting to be slaughtered one day at the Kishon Valley – The Tekezie River by any Ethiopian justice lover like Elijah the Prophet. Let us wait and see where all the injustices Meles and his political gangs have intentionally committed would lead to.
Incompetence? kkkkkkkkk,
I wish the Ethiopian people could terminate EPRDF’s contract; for a true reason and that is, for incompetence. That would be the right reason for EPRDF’s firing not that of Professor’s
What are we going to hear next? oh, “she is not Ethiopian enough” ? wey gud,
Incompetence would be the last reason I would expect for her firing. The Professor holds a JD (Juris doctors) from an outstanding major american university (university of Pittisburgh school of law). Imagine how many bright Ethiopians would have benefited by her teaching at our university in Mekelle if she remained teaching there about international law? This is certainly a huge loss for our young men and woman who are thirsty of education. You see this is how Ethiopia is going down day by day. We are loosing big aassets in the form of college professors, engineers, potential health care professionals, e.t.c.
The woyane crime regime is a failur and the enemy of Ethiopia’s future generation. This criminal and mafia regime is a completer shame and an insult on Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
The main culprit in setting up the law professor was the University’s professor who told her to not anfraid to write anything she wants. That was the trap set up by agents of the crime regime of that Satan Meles Naziawi.
There is no more incompetent and corrupt regime than the Meles Naziawi regime. This regime is deserving to be ousted. All Ethiopians wish this regime a cancer and dies endlessly.
I couldn’t believe my ears. I have no affection for the rulers, my comments here are solely about Ethiopia, my country. Hi guys! She was not there for HR 2003 debate, or policy advice, but to teach the law. She was obliged to accomplish her job she was employed based on the terms and conditions of the employer. In the first place, why did she accept the job offer in a country she feels ruled by “undemocrats?” The Legal issues she was supposed to teach are far wider than her government’s foreign relations agenda. As any one can not mess in internal issues of her country so shouldn’t she. The garbage I read above is Eritrean sentiments.
Lady, you should be thankful for being an American. If you were an Ethiopian, you would have been called a terrorist or even you might get a life sentence for treson. Which acording to the Rthiopian constitution punishable by death.
How about that? you should also be greatful for the three month salary given to you for early termination. If you were an Eritrean, you would have been deported wearin your pajamas.
Dear Friends look what Mr. Kefyalew,
writes as the Wayane mouth-piece, when he says
“She was not there for HR 2003 debate, or policy advice, but to teach the law”. I think he is saying the truth is out. Because in the past the truth tellers are all of them labelled blindly terrorists. Since the Wayanes called themselves the Government of Ethiopia, The International community (including the Americans)trusted them. The matter of the fact is that The Waynes are behind curtain performers. Now they fear that there will be no money flow for the Wayanes from the American taxpayer, if the Senate passes that law. I hope that is the beginning of the Wayanes death.
He again writes “The Legal issues she was supposed to teach are far wider than her government’s foreign relations agenda”. Here, he wants to teach Prof. Salisbury how she should prepare her curriculum. He did not even understand that this one is contradicting the above sentence. America is the Land of “give me freedom or give me death”. On the contrary Wayanes law always says give them death while reiterating on the paper completely different. After all she had only prepared student report or project. From new projects new ideas flow. New projects start with new observation skills which actually generates questions. So to answer those questions a hypothesis should be put forward. When the hypothesis is tested one can either falsify or verify according to their results or findidngs. Fortunately, their findings are excellent and the hypothesis was verified even here on the net. From that they have deducted a piece of scientific theory supported by evidence. That evidence is that piece of truth which was brought to the public. They have just published their findings like any one else. Nothing wrong with that. This is to say that they have confirmed the just fear the Ethiopian people are in for over 17 years. Mr. Kefyalew be a witness, had there been any freedom of expression in Ethiopia, we would have said long time ago very loudly NO TO YOU(underline).
God Bless Truth Tellers!
It is good to be critical about governments especially when it comes to governments like that of Ethiopia. But it is also good to know about facts before giving any kind of judgement. Me, I don’t won’t to say anything about the measure taken by the University. But I would like to say that I used to teach with this lady at the same institution and I know her prety well. For those who are really interested in knowing about the case, I will highly recommend them to interview 3rd year Law students of Mekelle University.