Lalibela, Ethiopia – On the afternoon Feb. 21, I was catching up on some work in the office, when I was distracted by a man dressed in white rushing past the window, closely followed by Hafte, the guard’s son. I thought he was coming into the office, but when he didn’t, I didn’t think anything of it and simply carried on with my work.
A few minutes later he did come into the office – a tall Ethiopian man wrapped in a gabi, wearing a hat, and carrying a ‘cow tail’ stick which people swish around to get rid of the flies. He came over, shook my hand and said a lot of things to me in Amharic, while Hafte sniggered behind him. I’m used to random people coming up and speaking to me as if I am fluent in Amharic, so I went along with it, shaking his hand, saying hello etc. A totally normal part of my day!
Then he grabbed me and tried to pull me out of my chair, which is not so normal. I managed to rip my tee shirt out of his grip, and I pushed him away, more shocked that anything, while Hafte tried to guide him out of the office, telling me he’s got mental health problems (I believe the phrase was ‘he’s crazy’). Okay, I can deal with mental health stuff, no problem. So when he refused to leave the office and instead sat down at the desk opposite me, chattering all the while, I just got on with my work and left Hafte to deal with him.
Then he started to grab things – my bottle of water, my roll of tissue paper, and then my bag …
This is when it started getting a little silly. Hafte was holding my bag, stopping him from running off with it, and the man had stuck the bottle of water between his legs so we couldn’t get it (well, we could, but this man has thighs like a vice!). Hafte had stopped him running off with my bag, but the man was now refusing to leave the office, just sitting at the desk causing as much havoc as he could considering Hafte was pinning him to the chair.
Now, this was a bit of an inconvenience for me, in the sense that I wanted to get on with my work and the mad man sitting opposite me wasn’t helping, but I didn’t fear for my life or my things. He’d hurt me a bit when he grabbed me, but I guessed Hafte would stop him from disappearing with all my stuff, and other than that he was just annoying. I managed to move my laptop out of his reach and take my passport, money and phone out of my bag, though, just in case.
However, he didn’t leave (with or without my bag) and he started to get more and more aggressive, throwing a punch at Hafte and screaming about ‘faranjis’ – I didn’t ask for translation. So I went to get some help from my project manager’s house, thinking a few men would be able to lift him out of the office. Unfortunately, only H, his girlfriend was there. She went to get the police, while a merry band of people gathered around my office – the female teachers from our school, who had just come back from market, Yeshimembit, the woman who bakes injera for me, and a little girl who simply appeared from nowhere.
A little while later, as Hafte continued to hold this man and stop him from stealing my things, one of A’s friends arrived, closely followed by a policeman. Okay, I thought, they’ll get him out. I mean, all they have to do is lift him out of the office – there are two of them and one of him, right?
I moved out of the way, while the policeman asked the man to move out of the office. He obviously didn’t particularly want to go, and a few minutes later I saw him thrown out of the office by the two of them.I thought it was over, then the policeman smacked him round the head and pushed him so hard he fell to the floor. In a split second before it happened, I saw what was coming – the policeman kicked the man, hard, in the head. Then he did it again. I cried out – the man was out of the office, he was lying on the floor, he wasn’t doing anything. Stop it!
Nobody else thought this was a problem. They all stood there and watched as the policeman kicked and beat the man who was lying on the floor, posing no threat to anyone. I tried to stop the policeman myself, but Aman’s friend pulled me back, telling me to leave it. The policeman took two seconds to tell me ‘it’s no problem’, then pulled the man to his feet and started to push him down the stone stairs.
What could I do? I didn’t want the man hurt, I just wanted him out of the office and to stop trying to hurt me and Hafte, or trying to take my stuff. The man is sick, not bad. Instead, I stood by, helpless (apart from the noise I made), while he was beaten and then dragged off to a prison, where he is likely to be beaten again.
As everyone stood around, totally unconcerned, telling me ‘it’s normal in Ethiopia’ and ‘it’s no problem’, I shut myself in my office and sobbed.
It’s not seeing the physical violence that upsets me; I’ve seen dead children lying in the road in Addis Ababa, and I was there as a man drowned in front of his devastated daughter in Blackpool. What really affects me is the casual cruelty that Ethiopians are capable of inflicting on anyone who doesn’t conform.
It’s not the first time I’ve seen this here. I now refuse to go to John Café in Lalibela (which is a considerable sacrifice considering the size of this town!) after I saw the way the owner treated another mentally disabled man. My loud protests stopped her from hitting him in this instance, but she humiliated and treated him worse than a dog, and I refuse to give my money to someone who does that.
Objectively, these are isolated instances where two people have been cruel and violent towards someone they see is worth less than them. It’s not unusual in any country. The thing that distresses me, though, is how ‘mainstream’ this attitude is. This afternoon, educated people who would tell you that they believe everyone is equal, and human rights apply to all, stood around and watched as a policeman kicked a man in the head simply for being mentally ill — and more than that, thought it was the right thing to do. In the café, a crowd of people which included the town’s bank manager and members of local government, sat around and laughed at the spectacle. All of these people call themselves committed Christians. Didn’t Jesus say ‘what you do to the least of my people, you do to me‘?
‘He’s not normal’ is often offered by way of explanation. Anyone who is different is not considered a human being and not worthy of the protection everyone else expects. To be honest, it’s not usual here to argue against a policeman – I can get away with it, because they know I’m protected by my British Passport in ways the average Ethiopian is not. But even after the policeman had gone, my tears were seen as something bewildering. He’s not normal, you see, the policeman did what anyone would have done.
I know I am tired and shocked, but it is afternoons like these that make me want to pack up and head home. Why on earth should I have given up all my home comforts, my friends, my life and my job to come and help people who treat others this way?
(Click here for more on Jenny Higgins work in Ethiopia)
19 thoughts on “Shocked and disillusioned”
Well come to the kingdom of gangs!
Dear Jenny,
Societies are cruel to non-conformist everywhere in the world. Even from the culture where you come from, I would assume they have been cruel to non-conformist at least at some point in their history. Even to these day non-conformist will be treated harshly. It is not uncommon to see people calling to most sever penalties say for a rapist or a person who committed a harsh crime. Of course, one could say there is no comparison between a rapist and a crazy person. But may be the way he is raised that makes him a rapist. And some day people will see the death penalty as barbaric. Another example is people in society who are considered loner (non-conformist I would say) are treated harshly in the west. There are words like creep … to describe those that don’t look the same. Of course, beating is very savage in the west but alienating isn’t? At least at the moment. In Ethiopia, beating is fairly rampant. So people are used to it to a degree but it might be shocking to you. Anyway, what I am trying to say is that some people might be unfairly labeled non-conformist to you in place like Ethiopia. And the punishment might also be different (cruel) than you are used to. One reason could be difference in life experience and developmental level. I am not trying to justify what has been done to these people over there, not at all. All I am trying to say is that, it is in human nature to do these things and we have been doing this for a very long time. But the important thing is to try to improve ourselves. Then, why are some people changed fast while others did not? That is a big question. Different books are written about it. You mentioned even “the educated people” are accepting this. Education is the gate to improvement. The bank manager you mentioned is probably raised in these circumstance all his life. As is everywhere, I believe our (in Ethiopia) moral standards and the values of human right and equality is improving. Or you might conclude that some people are just cruel. In any case, good luck with your work if you didn’t quit already.
what is your point. i can’t stand people like her trying to pull out one bad seen and apply it to the whole Ethiopia. Unless you have the blood of Ethiopia i don’t think you have any business trying to downgrade the country. go fix your own country. first understand the culture and the whole system before insulting the educated ones.
Our abusive culture towards the weak is written very well here. The politics and the leaders who are emerging from that culture will do the same whether they are Tigrayan, Amhara or Oromo etc.
People need to be civilized and the Diaspora Ethiopians can help on this by being a good example and denounce any form of abuse
Jenny,
I am sorry but that is the day to day life in my country. Why do you think that so many Ethiopians run away from their country. The abuse is unbearable. Any idiot with a police uniform can do whatever he likes. No justice!! My advise to you is that you better pack your stuff and leave that place as soon as possible, before it’s too late. Who cares about your British passport (do you think they understand what British passport means? ) if one of those idiots want they can put you in trouble any time.
Another article of a ferenji on a mission to civilize the good savages?
To avoid cultural shock, tourists need to be warned that Woyanne police are not there to protect, but to abuse, intimidate and harass citizens.
You were able to convey the contradiction of being Ethiopian. I am sorry you have to witness such cruel behavior. The government has low regard towards the citizen, the police have no regard to the law and we have no regard towards each other. On one hand, we are all loving and smiling, on the other hand, within a few seconds we are all scornful of each other. We were not always like this. This sickness came with the military regime and now the minority government has made it into normal practice. Be careful that you don’t end up like us. It is a contagious disease if you ask me. Your article touched me so much and it is so true of us. may god help us.
Jenney Higgins said “Why on earth should I have given up all my home comforts, my friends, my life and my job to come and help people who treat others this way?”
Well you, Ms. Higgins, may knot “Know” it, but you are where you are because of your governments malicious interference on the affairs of Ethiopia. You may think you are helping the Ethiopian people, but, in reality you are there to give credence to the vampire regime for which your government is so proud! LOL!
You see jenny,
Life is very complex. Yes it feels tragic that a man should be treated that way but it would not have happened if the man had acted properly in the first place. Just like capital punishment, this is also not right but necessary to discourage people from acting violently. Nobody wants violence but once it happened it is very difficult to be objective in that situation.
Yes what we need is not only change of gov’t but we need to change the people and bring in may be Sweds.
hwala ker hula tesebsibo
Kumilachew, Ywnatulij,
Are you justifying this type of behavior? You people are despicable.
Jenny Higgins, First of all how did you know the police man was a Christian man. Second why didn’t you report for human rights and why didn’t you take a picture to expose the regime even though that was not your job. third I am not sure how many boys and girls had been molested by western missionaries I remember some years ago around 15 orphan boys were sexually molested in Wolo by western missionaries just from one orphan home. Some times in the southern Ethiopia places like Hosaena and Awasa even in Addis Ababa etc even western pastors take sexual advantage most of the time young boys some times young girls this is known by the local people, so you should not accuse the people when you should expose the criminal Meles tribal government and his police man who was acting as if he was god in front of you. More over there was a news the western aid missionaries including united nation peace keepers sexually molesting young girls and I think also boys in congo even bribing with aid donation. Some times I admire Esayas of Eritrea for prohibiting the western missionaries from his country if he did not do it the missionaries would do the same thing to his people I am sure Meles would not care.
Dear Jenny,
Has it occured to you that a nonconformist is someone who stands against [a rep of] the authorities? Of course no one would intervene to stop the policeman: they fear being tarnished with anti-government colors! What was the man saying to you? Why was he desperate to draw your attention? I wish you had asked for translation. What if he is perfectly sane. Perhaps he is a minute replica of the Ethiopian people under the current regime.
You are legitimizing an autocratic regime. Just pack up and head home, wherever it is. you help Ethiopians better if just leave.
It’s annoying how you think that you went there to help Ethiopians. My friend, you went there to step away from your useless life in the west and be in a place where you’re ‘better’. What you describe is called poverty and lack of awareness. It is not cruelty. Go home if you don’t have the mind to understand this and help in improving the situation in a meaningful way (rather than boycotting cafes).
I would advise you to go and see how black people are treated in the street of USA by white cops.
It is so sad how Western mentality works and we Africans are so dependent on them and it has become normal that we always need support from Ferenj. During Haile Selassie, when a foreigner comes, he comes to give training on business and professional manner and leave. There was no donor mentality. The ferengis are there purely to provide training and they will be paid for their training. There was not mentality saying let me go to Africa to help the poor. It is so sad such mind set is happening in our country. As someone also says above, there are three perpetrators on what happened, your government British government, the so called Ethiopian government which is called TPLF/Weyane which does not represent Ethiopians as a whole, and the Weyane police. We are trying to educate you why such disrespect and act can happen. Weyane government does not have proper rule, is corrupt, ethnocentrist, you name it and on top of that the police you encountered is paid to protect the Weyane government / work for the government, they are there to spy for the government against the innocent Ethiopian people that is why the peopole there could not do anything. It is done so that the police to scare and abuse the peopole so that they don’t speak out against the government. under this government, morality, care, compassion, social life is gone because the government has injected tribalism and money as the most important into the society. Your government supports our governmnet to continue to opppress its own people and do you know why? Your government along with U.S want the instablity of the country and to become least developed so that the people do not have the power to stop your government with your corporations from expoiting our resources. The police, is trained so that he doesn’t care about the mentally ill. I hope you learn about why Afria is the way it is, do your research, as questions, ask your NGO why they are there for over 50 years after the West claimed development for Africa why it is still the worst? So, Ethiopia does not need “help” it needs business partners without any exloitation.