(By David Gollust, VOA) — The United States said Thursday it has “persistently” expressed concern about human rights in Ethiopia with top officials in Addis Ababa, including alleged abuses in the Ogaden region. The comments follow an assertion by the monitoring group Human Rights Watch that the United States and key European countries have been silent on Ogaden rights violations. VOA’s David Gollust reports from the State Department.
The State Department says it is giving the Human Rights Watch report on the Ogaden careful study but it is rejecting out-of-hand the report’s assertion of U.S. silence on Ethiopian human rights.
The New York based monitoring group said in a report issued Thursday in Nairobi that in its battle with rebels in the eastern Ogaden region, the Ethiopian army has subjected civilians to executions torture and rape, and that the violence has added to a humanitarian crisis in the region.
The report, which also accuses the rebels of the ONLF, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, of serious violations, charges key aid donors to Ethiopia – the United States, Britain and the European Union – with remaining silent on Ogaden abuses.
It says the United States, viewing Ethiopia as a key anti-terrorism partner, has failed to use its leverage with Addis Ababa including military aid, to press for an end to the crimes.
At a news briefing, acting State Department spokesman Gonzalo Gallegos said the United States takes all allegations of human rights violations seriously and “strongly rejects” the Human Rights Watch contention that it has minimized or ignored Ethiopian abuses.
In the Ogaden, he said non-governmental groups have reported that both the government and ONLF have been responsible for abuses and “harsh techniques” to intimidate the civilian population.
The spokesman said that since the resurgence of Ogaden violence a year ago, the United States – both independently and in concert with others – has pushed for an end to rights abuses:
“Since May 2007, the U.S. government has collaborated closely with international organizations, NGOs and other donors, to develop a concerted approach to the Ethiopian government, urging it to mitigate the humanitarian and human rights impact of its counter-insurgency operations in the Ogaden region. Our ambassador in Ethiopia has persistently raised concerns over human rights abuses at the highest level of the Ethiopian government, as have senior U.S. government visitors to Addis Ababa,” he said.
At the roll-out of the report in the Kenyan capital, Human Rights Watch investigator Peter Bouchard said U.S. military and aid personnel have been active in the Ogaden region and should have first-hand human rights information, not just accounts gleaned from humanitarian groups:
“There certainly is a presence. As far as we know U.S. forces were not directly involved or implicated in the abuses documented in our report. But on the other hand, we also know that the U.S. government has sent assessment teams, including from the USAID, to the region, that they have the information available to them about the seriousness of some of the abuses committed in the Ogaden,” he said.
Ogaden fighting has been under way for two decades but intensified last year, when the government launched an offensive to pursue rebels who attacked a Chinese-run oil field there and killed more than 70 people.
A Human Rights Watch official said in Nairobi the renewed conflict has been largely hidden by a “a conspiracy of silence” by Ethiopia’s main international backers.
5 thoughts on “U.S. denies silence on war crimes in Ethiopia”
Blatant lie is not going to help American hypocrisy.
Here is Jendayi Frazer (spokes person for woyane) literally standing on fresh blood of murdered Ethiopians and denying the horrible atrocities committed by the Weyane thugs, giving them diplomatic cover, by saying it is mere allegation to the accusations levelled by many humanitarian agencies like Red Cross.
Here is a tell all from the British Independant Newspaper
“Ethiopia’s own Darfur”
http://tinyurl.com/ysmvtc
The criminals that were trained by US army, the weapons US sold to Terrorist regime of Tigrean Libertion Front, unstoppable funds that are sent to Mafia family of Tigrean origin is the causes of deaths, displacements, detainsions, tortures.
Looke, Awassa massacres where, over one thousand farmers were showered with live bullets were the consequences of United States direct contributions.
Gambelas Anuaks massacres that displaced over 100,000 population and caused deaths over 600 humans were funded by
USA and Great Britain.
Gara Sufi, Harar Genocide where a young girls bodies were among the butchered hundreds of killed, was the results of concerted efforts to demonize Africans at home through savoury Terrorists such as Meles Zenawi of Tigre Tribe whose begging hands never say enough, don’t give me no more hand outs.
The Mojo massacres, that 100’s prisoners were taken from various cells, their eyes were pulled out, skinned off, riddled with bullets Washington supplied the Africas Nazi party of Meles of Tigre tribe.
The Massacares of Bale Oromia, where men were hunted down, their tasticles were removed and showered with guns USA gave as gift to the barbaric migrats from Tigray aduwa.
Jima Oromia, thousands of people were murdered by Tigrean Liberation front, who recieved training from US army and the Uniforms and weapons were supplied by the United States.
Addis Ababa, election of May 2005, over 200 innocent Ethiopians were butchered while the US Embassy was there enjoying the killings.
Wollega massacre of May, 2008 was committed by army personnels that UNITED STATES army trained and supplied with modern Weapons, where over 10,000 frightened citizens are displaced up to this day and over 400 women and children are butchered at night with guns and fires.
Ogaden Somali region have been burning for over two years with US trained soldiers of African Hitler, Mr. Meles Zenawi, who is supplied over 200 billions of US dollars over 17 years but the money is being used for ethenic cleansing up to this second.
The Tigreans who Originate from their territory of Tigray have succesfully, displaced at minimum over 10 million Ethiopians of diverse ethenic tribal sections. This was made possible by the money western powers shovel down the African Tyrant Meles Zerkawi of Nepotist Tigrean tribal mafia.
United States must act fast and denounce their dirty affiliations with barberism that engulfed the entire Ethiopia, Somalia as the results and actions of their incompitant state department agents. Our people are extremely worst states of affairs than the privious Military Junta.
US need to stop funding the enemies of the Ethiopian people.The only enemy Ethiopians want out is the regime that is killing them day and night full time, and US is the guarantor and sponsor of Terrorist onto the Ethiopian people.
We understand that, Meles and his Waynee’s regime is bush’s administration the so called anti-terrorism partner. It is obvious that the mandate given to him is not to stop terrorism, but to start it. Shame on you republicans aristocrats, who chose to turn deaf ears to the cry of our nation. God in his own time will set things in order. regardless of the current situations back home, we will not give up.The best is yet to come.
Woyane trains aggazi paratroopers in rape techinques to intimidate civilian population in Ogaden region. While rape has not been a commonly used practice in Ethiopian culture, the current rate of rape of somali young children(girls and boys) by the specially trained woyane paratroopers known as Aggazi is very alarming and indicates a purposely used means to intimidate the somali population into submission.
The lynching of youngsters on tree braches is another means they are using to intimidate the population. Western nations are looking the other way. That is very troubling. IMO, talking to addis butcher to change his behavior is not going to work. The only solution is eliminating this dictator from his power.
I like the following statemants.
sabataa Dubbii
John F. Kennedy: Famous Quotes about Life
Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings.