IN ETHIOPIA, A CRY FOR BASIC FREEDOMS
Visit by Obama seen as positive, but many residents fear their leaders
Primary school teacher Hikma Lemma, 30, is pleased that President Obama is visiting his country and making an issue of the government’s crackdown on free expression. Lemma’s only regret: “He took too long to come.”
On the streets of this capital, many like Lemma hope Obama’s visit to Ethiopia, the first by a sitting U.S. president, will lead to greater political freedom.
Human rights groups charge that the government of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is using its war against terrorism to clamp down on opposition groups, arresting politicians, activists, journalists and critics on trumped-up terrorism offenses while violating basic freedoms, such as speech and assembly.
Ethiopia jails the most journalists in Africa after Eritrea, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Amnesty In- ternational and Human Rights Watch have condemned the country’s human rights record. And in May, the State Department expressed concern over how the elections that month could result in all seats being won by the ruling party and its partners. The department noted lingering “restrictions on civil society, media, opposition parties, and independent voices and views.”
Obama said Monday that he raised the human rights environment with Ethiopian leaders: “I don’t bite my tongue too much when it comes to these issues.
“We are very mindful of Ethiopia’s history, and it was relatively recently that there has been a democratically elected government, but there is still more work to do,” Obama said. “There are certain principles that we think need to be upheld.”
Later Monday, Obama met with African leaders in a discussion that focused mainly on neighboring South Sudan, which has been embroiled in a bloody civil war since December 2013. Before the meeting, Obama said, “Conditions on the ground (in South Sudan) are getting much, much worse.”
After his private talks with Obama, Desalegn said Ethiopia is moving toward democratic rule but needs time to adopt changes. “This is a fledgling democracy,” the prime minister said at a joint news conference. “Our commitment to democracy is real, not skin deep.”
On the streets and in shops, residents express fear of the government. “Don’t take pictures here,” Lemma said. “We are not politicians, just poor prisoners who cannot speak our minds.”
Obama said Monday that he raised the human rights environment with Ethiopian leaders: “I don’t bite my tongue too much when it comes to these issues.”