Aftenposten, Aug 27 2005
The government, headed by Prime Minister Bondevik, says ”no thanks” to the invitation, now that the giant fertilizer Yara (previously Hydro) celebrates itself by awarding a prize to the dictator of Ethiopia. The artists Sissel Kyrkjeboe and Mari Boine are considering the same.
(Article by Gunnar Magnus, translated by – Anti Yara-Award Committee).
He is one of the most hated persons in Ethiopia.
This is stated about Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia, by associate professor Kjetil Tronvoll at the Norwegian Center for Human Rights. As the boss of the government owned agricultural association, the same man is an important customer for the artificial fertilizer products from Yara (previously the firm of Hydro).
As a part of the anniversary celebration the intent of Yara is to award the newly established Yara-Prize of more than one million Norwegian Crowns (about U.S.Dollar 150,000.-) to Zenawi. This is to take place in a spectacular arrangement in the Oslo Concert Hall. The justification for this prize is that Zenawi has taken “decisive steps in the direction of increased food production and to reduce poverty in one of the poorest developing countries of the world”. It will also be emphasized that he has brought political changes to Ethiopia, and he is praised for his engagement and inspiring leadership.
There are between 10,000 and 30,000 political prisoners in the country, according to Kjetil Tronvoll. He reports that there is torture in the prisons, that there are political murders, and an inadequate system of justice. Around 4,000 members of the opposition parties were arrested and their leaders placed under house arrest after the elections.
Other African countries have human rights problems as well. But Tronvoll makes it clear: This is one of the worst in its class. Here there are documented abuses on a large scale.
Yara has invited the Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and the political leadership in the Department of Foreign Affairs (UD), the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade to the award ceremony. But neither the prime minister nor any of the other ministers intend to be present. This is confirmed by the Oslo newspaper Aftenposten in an inquiry by phone to the respective departments.
Leiv Lunde from the Department of Foreign Affairs will probably be the only political leader of a department who is going to be present. Lunde confirms that there have been several discussions in his department whether or not to attend.
Is this a signal that the official Norway is going to be represented by only one governmental secretary?
Jan Peterson is pre-occupied, and Hilde Frafjord Johnson is visiting Tanzania at present, according to Lunde. And the Aftenposten newspaper is informed by the prime minister’s office that it is not appropriate for any of the other ministers to accept now that Mr. Bondevik himself says “no”.
A Mixed Reception.
Arne Cartridge, the director of communication in Yara, confirms that the invitations that have been sent out have received a mixed reception.
He states: “I do not wish to go into detail regarding the invitations, but they are given to representatives of the official Norway, voluntary organizations, and a broad spectrum of Norwegian society. Some do not wish to be present, some are pre-occupied with elections, but a number have accepted. We believe that there will be around 800 persons present in the Oslo Concert Hall”.
Sissel Kyrkjeboe and Mari Boine are two of the best known artists, who according to plan are to entertain during the award ceremony in the Oslo Concert Hall next Saturday. According to their managers Arne Svare and Paal Gjersum the two artists intend to use the weekend to decide whether or not to attend, since they have been informed – among other from exiled Ethiopians – about Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s disputed position in Ethiopia.
Source: Aftenposten, updated August 27, 2005.
URL http:/www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/okonomi/article1103955.ece