ADDIS ABABA: As another day dawns in Ethiopia, shadows of an “escalating crackdown” on civil society grow longer, according to Human Rights Watch. Lately, the country has witnessed the suspension of two pivotal human rights organizations, causing a stir in both local and international circles.
Last December, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRC), renowned for its enduring legacy, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC) found themselves curtailed by a governmental watchdog. This was on grounds that allege an overreach of their mandates and questioned their independence. What was Ethiopia signaling by clamping down on its oldest human rights entities?
Mausi Segun, the Africa director at Human Rights Watch, painted a bleak picture: “The Ethiopian authorities over the past year have waged a relentless assault against human rights groups,” she asserted. Her words ring with an unmistakable clarity, calling to mind the timeless struggle between authority and the torchbearers of civil liberties. “By suspending groups engaged in critical human rights documentation and advocacy, the government is showcasing its intolerance of independent scrutiny,” she elaborated, highlighting a growing sense of foreboding in the community of advocates and activists.
This isn’t an isolated move but follows a pattern observed as December saw the suspension of three more groups. Among them were the Center for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy, Lawyers for Human Rights, and the Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia. Only one has managed to overturn its suspension since then.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government defends its stance, with Billene Seyoum, spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, chiming in to highlight perceived progress since 2018. “Significant measures have been taken to create a more inclusive and legally grounded environment for all actors to engage meaningfully in Ethiopia,” she argued. Seyoum describes a landscape transformed from its once constricted form to one where entities can ostensibly operate with political neutrality, providing they remain on the right side of local laws.
The narrative of a metamorphosed civil society space, though, contrasts sharply against the backdrop of armed conflict in Ethiopia. This nation, perched in the Horn of Africa with a population nearing 120 million, faces turbulence in its most populated provinces—Amhara and Oromia—where federal forces and armed militias clash. The reports of human rights breaches attributed to both sides only add layers to an already complex situation.
Ethiopia’s rugged terrain echoes with tales of conflict scraping through its history. Yet, amid these tumultuous times, the voice of civil society remains pivotal, whether emboldened or silenced. One might ponder: In an age where information can be wielded as both a sword and shield, who will ultimately hold the narrative of truth in Ethiopia?
“The captured moments of brave individuals resisting suppression form the core of human rights work,” an old friend and colleague once shared with me, during a long conversation on warm African soil. Perhaps it’s in those moments that the heartbeat of a nation can best be felt—a reminder, if nothing else, that the quest for rights and justice often begins in the simplest of stories, whispered among those unwilling to yield.
Report By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
