By Barry Malone, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Ethiopia could suffer ethnic violence next year ahead of its first national elections since a 2005 poll triggered street clashes following a disputed victory for the government, a think tank has said.
In a study released over the weekend, the International Crisis Group (ICG) warned of the potential for a violent eruption of conflict ahead of the election scheduled for May 2010 because of rising ethnic tensions and dissent.
“The international community must stop ignoring and downplaying these problems and encourage meaningful democratic governance in the country,” the ICG said in a statement.
Ethiopian government officials were not immediately available to comment.
The 2005 elections were touted as Ethiopia’s first truly democratic poll. But they ended in bloodshed after the government declared victory and the opposition cried foul.
Police and soldiers then killed about 200 people who had taken to the streets in protest. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi accused the demonstrators of trying to topple the government.
Rights groups regularly accuse his administration of cracking down on opponents. One party leader has been jailed and several former and serving military officers have been charged in recent months with plotting to oust Meles.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is made up of parties from all major ethnic groups.
It introduced a system of “ethnic federalism” when it took power in 1991, after a communist regime was toppled, with major ethnicities controlling the regions where they dominate.
The government says that gives all ethnicities equal power.
“Ethnic federalism has not dampened conflict, but rather increased competition among groups fighting for land, natural resources, administrative boundaries and government budgets,” said Francois Grignon, director of the ICG’s Africa Program.
“This concept has powerfully promoted ethnic self-awareness among all groups and failed to accommodate grievances.”
The ICG called on donors who give money to sub-Saharan Africa’s second most populous country — which is one of the world’s biggest recipients of foreign aid — to put pressure on Meles’ government. (Editing by Daniel Wallis)
September 7th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
It is given, It does not matter who get elected through democratic majority vote casting,the amaras will as usual will try to grasp power though undemocratic means of violence like they did in 2005. Some how if the violence breaks out, that will be the begining of long lasting civil war and Ethiopians will fragment in ethnic tribal warfare, in central region of Ethiopia that the oromos will revolt against Amharas in order to librate Oromoia regions from Amara domination, such action usually end up in endless blood letting.
GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA !
September 8th, 2009 at 3:11 am
This is what expected from Western Medias and think thanks. They initiate an ethnic conflict. They should know that Ethiopians are very smart. The people have been always against such conflicts even though the illegitimate government has tried so many times such evil agendas but failed.
September 8th, 2009 at 3:34 am
Tazabe; You sound like a broken record. I hope it will not take you a 100 more years to get the facts straight about your people and country.
September 8th, 2009 at 5:58 am
አቶ ታዘበ በርስዎ አባባል ኢትዮጵያን ከጥፋት የሚከላከላት ዎያኔ ስለሆነ አትንኩት ነው የሚሉን:: በጣም ደካማ ኖት ኢትዮጵያን ለዝህ ሁሉ ምስቅልቅል የዳረጋት ዎያኔ መሆኑን የማይገነዘብ ሰው ስለለሌ ትርፉ ትዝብት ነው:: ተዎደደም ተጠላ ዎያኔ እርቃኑን እየቀረ ነው ኦሮሞና አማራን ለማጣላት 20 ዓመት ተሞክሮ ስላልሰራ ወደፊትም አይሰራምና አይልፉ ቅን አሳቢ ከሆኑ በትግራይ ሕዝብ ስም የሚነግደውን ዎያኔን ይምከሩት ለማንም አይበጅም ይበሉት ካልሆነ እንደ ሞኝ ልቅሶ መልሶ መላልሶ እንዳይሆንብዎ እፈራለሁ
አምላክ አገራችንን ይጠብቅ!
September 8th, 2009 at 6:31 am
የሚያስገርም ዘረኛ ታዛቢ(Tazabe): ትንቢትህ ሁሉ ያው ዘረኞቹ ፋሽስት ወያኔዎቹ ውስጥ እንዳለህበት ግልጽ ነው:: ከወያኔና ከጥቂት ዘረኞች በስተቀር መላው ኢትዮጵያዊው ሁሉ በአንድነት ከልቡ የሚያምነው ” አንድ ሃገር የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ: አንዲት ኢትዮጵያ ለዘለአለም ትኖራለች” ነውና: ያንተ ወይም ያንቺ ምኞት (ወያኔ እና መላው የውጭም ሆነ የሃገር ውስጥ የውድ ሃገራችን ኢትዮጵያ ጠላቶች) በኢትዮጵያ ሃገራችን ውስጥ ለማበጣበጥ የጻፋችሁት:- oroms against amhara ብላችሁ የጻፋችሁት ቅብጥርሶ: የኢትዮጵያውያንን አንድነት ለመፈታተን ስለመሆኑ እያየን ነውና: ታዛቢው! ኢትዮጵያዊ የሆነ ሁሉ: በሃገሩ ጉዳይ ላይ በፍጹም ታዛቢ አይሆንም ፋሽስቶች ወያኔዎችን እስከመጨረሻው ድረስ ይታገላል ለኢትዮጵያውያን አንድነት ከልቡ ዘብ ይቆማል:: ስለሃገሩ ጉዳይ ኢትዮጵያውያን ያላሰቡትንና ያላለሙትን ሰይጣናዊ ምኞት አይጽፍም:: GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA የሚለውን ልባዊ የሃገር ፍቅር ስሜት የሚጽፍ ሰው ሁሉ በፍጹም ልቡ በፍጹም አንደበቱ ” አንዲት ሃገር ኢትዮጵያ አንድ ህዝብ ኢትዮጵያውያን ብሎ ያምናል:: እንዲሁም ዘረኞቹ ወያኔዎች የደገሱትን ብሔረሰብን ከብሔረሰብ የማጋጨትን ዕቅድ አያናፍስም::
” እኛ ኢትዮጵያውያን በፍጹም ጽናት በፍጹም ኢትዮጵያዊ የቀድሞ አንድነት የፋሽስት አምባገነን ወያኔዎችን ከፋፍለህ ግዛ የጭካኔ ፕላን ከልብ በማውገዝ ” ሁሉም ነገር ሃገርን ወደማዳን ትግል እንላለን”::
ድል ለኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ!!!
September 8th, 2009 at 7:57 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15MFx3SR-34&feature=channel_page
Kaldeferese ayteram…yileyilet gudu
September 8th, 2009 at 9:02 am
The ethno-fascists led by Meles Zenawi are taking the country towards conflicts and eventual break up which can have a destabilizing effect on the whole region. Ethiopians should forget the farce elections of the ethno-fascist Meles Zenawi and instead concentrate on democratizing and uniting their country. This can only be achieved by removing the ethno-fascists from power and asserting the sovereignty of the people of Ethiopia.
September 8th, 2009 at 11:17 am
you stupid and lazy egnorant woyane we know you from your word that you want us to be confused on your tribal hatrat agenda.we Amhara and oromo brother’s have our own historical conection.But you are the one who loos’s your own identity from our mother land Ethiopia ,not the Amehara and oromo peace loving poeple.When you think Amhara and oromo tribs you know you dont even have enough power to stay long.All vots will counts on the majority side note the minority .But we Ethiopians will not divide.We blive all human being are equal to lead each other for there comon goal.There is no place for ignorants the one likes you who they make themselves blide no to see the reality and makes your self deaf on porpose for not to hear the innocenet poeple voice of Ethiopians. Your hands are full of inocenet blood that will not give you rest for a second,your criminal history filled by innocent blood’s do you think that you will have place for the future in Ethiopia? there is not.this days there is no place for your likes to hide from the jedjement day.All Ethiopian poeple blood screaming all the time from the ground where they baried by your Boss meles setanawi and you yourself.There is nothing left secret that you hiding from the peoples of Ethiopia.All your criminal records are start liking to all over the world,one day you will drink your last minit goodbuy cup from international criminal court center.Long live Ethiopia death for racist woyane idiology blivers.
September 8th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
ይቅርታ አድርጉልኝ እና መልክቱን ሙሉ ለሙሉ ልማንበብ ስልቹ ስለሆንኩ ግን ክአርእስቱ እንደምረዳው አንድ ድግስ እየተደገሰልን መሆኑን የሚያሳይ ነው:: ጎበዝ ቀበቶን ጠበቅ አድርጎ ጥቃትን ለመክላከል እንዘጋጅ
September 8th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Tazabe! I can see you following your leader (the tyrant Meles) in trying to spread fear. This is a very old tactic. I don’t think anybody fall for that anymore. This was how your fascistic leader tricked multitudes of ethiopians of tigre origin to follow him. I hope all ethiopians are awake this time around.
September 8th, 2009 at 2:40 pm
tazabe you are so ignorance you are real weyanee (AGAMEE)you think you spark fire KKKKK .you time is done we will see who is servive
September 8th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I defnitely say that the tazabi comment is very foolish and unacceptable. Because the 2005 voilence regarding election was total the mass moblization, allover the country,not because of amara, oromo tigrigna or others. All of the world observed that it was free of ethinic conflict and people moblize for free democracy in the country.This is confirmed by EU observers, the US and AU,that the election result was completely abused by the present government.
I strongly suggest for the readers of ICG report that the comments given by tazabe above is exactely what the present government songs for its existance. But, the ethiopian people know the reality that nobody was benefited from ethinic federalism in the last 18 years.
September 8th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
sir, I respect your view as ethiopian. please dont marginalize in terms of racist style…amara..oromo tegere..etc we all are ethiopians, did u choose to be oromo before your birth, … if not you are not responsible for the killing of inocent amhar in bedeno!!! etniccleansy !!
Let us look the nation as a one strong country..also note that the bigest mistake of the current regim is this divistion by race. Let god help you see from your heart, then god is alwys with ethiopia not with recist, read bible to learn the history of ethiopia,
September 8th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Ethiopians gave woyane the benefit of the doubt; fed them, supported them, and shown them the way to Addis hoping that they are human beings, hoping that they are better than the derg. Of all, the OPDO, Debub and all other DD party members of the EPRDF umbrella gave the the benefit of the doubt while working with them expecting that the TPLF will stop trying to rule the whole of Ethiopia on its own. However, these people are still working day and night to strengthen tigray’s dominance in every respect.
Everybody feels betrayed by the Tigreans and is fade up of seeing the perpetuation and expansion of their dominance. This is the big scare to the stability of our country.
September 9th, 2009 at 4:24 am
Dear Tazabe you play well unfortunately you miss the goal soooo sad bro try some otherday ok!!!!!good we Oromo’s and Amhara ppl are not gonna see backward and fight for your stupid and cheap propaganda that you trying to creat war between oromo and amhara noway thats gonna be your daydream we oromos says deemi kanbiraa nyaadhuu!!!!!!! i hope our amhara brothers also tell you lela bila!!!!!! Hey Tazabe we don’t have a room for stupid like you please go to aiga forum that’s your home BANDA YE BANDA LIJ !!!!!!!!!!!
September 9th, 2009 at 8:35 am
.
መልካም አስተዳደር የመላካም ህዝብ ተምሳሊት ሲሆን .
ስቱፒድ አስተዳደር የስቱፒድ ህዝብ ተምሳሊት ነው.
.
September 9th, 2009 at 8:45 am
dear all concerned ethiopians,
I, too much satisfied with most of the comments.It exactely indicates that almost all the Ethiopians are looking for their strong solidarity to abandon the worest ethinic fragmentation that led the country to everlasting ethinic conflict. It also shows the wise thinking of Ethiopians in respect of our diversity and the country too. This is also a good message for those who fabricate the conflict across the nation and use this conflict for their servival in power. But, Ethiopian people unerstood the reality that the nation as a whole were not benefited from fragmentation.Now the time will come that we leason one another to solve our problem and we ignore those who fabricate their dead ethinic policy, which is roadmap to destruction of nation and country.
Now we have to believe on the reality that we have to come together peacefully and discuss on matters pertaining to safeguard the country and the nation. We never give live for the woyane regime that was already dead in 2005 and now the body remains ungraved. The overall reality is, woyane must be replacedand we want to see who is elected by the people in this country. This however,will not come by goodwill.There fore,nation refusal is extreamly important.I believe that refusal by nation is more than any strong military power. If nations refused,not to be governed by force, no force can derive the nation without nations interest. We can learn this strategy from Gandy,s principle in India that they ignore the British colonial power without gun,simply by ignoring them and they secure their independence. Now we see the great country india. I finalize my suggestion that everybody has to work strongly for pschological strength of nation not to accept the forceful measure of woyane and its allies.
God bless Ethiopia
September 9th, 2009 at 9:47 am
Mr/Ms. Tazabe,
I am afraid that Mr/Ms. Tazabe`s comment reflects the actual facts in the ground today in Ethiopias politics.
Beside, I do not think it is smart idea for Amharas (Minority) to revolt against Ethiopias majority (Oromos) any more. Oromos been oppressed for so long by the last three amhara dominated governments they may consider exit strategy to form their own independence.
September 9th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Lighting house
አንተና ታዛቢ አንድ ናችሁ:የምትይዙት የምትጨብጡት ያጣችሁ:
ኦርሞና አማራ አብርዋል :ከርሰምድር ሊልኳችሁ:
የተበላ ዕቁብ ተበልቶአል: ኦርሞን ከአማራ ማጋጨት:
አብሮአል ተባብሮአል: ዳግም በወያኔ ተንኮል ላይሳሳት:
አስር ብትቀባጥሩ; ተሸፋፍናችሁ ስትመጡ: በኢንተርኔት ሁሌ:
እናውቃችኋለን; መሆናችሁን ;ሕሊናቢስ የመለስ ሎሌ::
ሂዱና አላዝኑ በቦታችሁ አይጋፎረም:
ዘር! ዘር !እያላችችሁ ዘምሩ ግ….ም ለ…ም:
እኛ ነቅተናል ተንግዲህ ኦርሞ ከወያኔ እንጅ ከሌላ ጋር አይጣላም:
አማራ- ኦረሞ ሁሌ ስትዘምሩ:
ግንዶችን ቆርጣችሁ; ዘር ልትቀብሩ ስትቆፍሩ:
የዘራችሁት ዘር :ዘር አልሆነም: እራሳችሁን ቅበሩ::
September 10th, 2009 at 2:37 am
What is wrong with you Tazabe? Really speaking this guy should be evil minded person if he is a person at all. He should be from woyane camp. I assure you that no ethnic conflict will arise in this blessed land. You will be on daydream till your death. It is preferable to a person who has such thinking will be expired soon coz they are rubbish for him/her self and to our home land. God bless Ethiopia and Tazabe if he has a room to change his evil thinking.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:37 am
This days Woyane’s guys they looks like the blind man leads his blind troops in the decisive war front to stay on power up to the end of their last breath.No matter how.The reality is its bad dream.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:35 am
the choice between two evils - i will take woyane.
oromos ruling over ethiopia means is the end of amharic language and amharic culture and amharic history, the oromos will vanish our history and our language and replace it with their own afaan oromoffiaa. And god knows what kind of flag we ethiopians will have under oromo.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:59 am
Lighting House!, You are living in the darken House and you are thinking darken.
Ethiopian never give up for your poor and ignorance idea to create a major confusion & conflict among the innocent people.
Your Fascist Weyane leaders are trying to do this, about 19 horrable Years, but Ethiopian are aware at all times to keep up their unity forever as before.
We recognized that, You and your Bosses(Fascist Weyane regime Leaders) are confused on this time, because of Ethiopian Nations United revolution to devastate the racial governers.
- All Ethiopian Nations are on the way, in G7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy.
Victory to all Ethiopian!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 8:03 am
LIGHT HOUSE (PAID WOYANNE) THX GOD THE ETHIOPIANS INCLUDING WHOM YOU ARE TRYING TO MARGINALIZE (OROMO) ARE WELL AWARE THIS DAYS TO FINGER OUT THOSE WOYANNE DOGS AFTER 18 YEARS OF DESTRUCTIVE EXPERIENCE. YOUR LIKES ARE THE ONES WHO MAKES OUR STRUGGLE NOT TO MAKE ANY ACHIEVEMENT IN ALL THESE YEARS BUT IT SEEMS THAT YOUR TIME IS OVER SLOWLY BUT SURELY . ONE THING THAT I CAN TELL YOU FOR SURE IS THE TIME FOR ETHIOPIANS TO DANCE ON YOUR GRAVE IS VERY NEAR THAN YOU EXPECT IT WE KNOW EACH AND EVERY SOLD OUTS CADRES WOYANNES TO BRING THEM TO JUSTICE . I THINK YOU YOU ARE IN THAT NUMBER
September 10th, 2009 at 8:08 am
YOU BETTER CHANGE YOUR SLOGAN TO GOD BLESS WOYANNE(MELLESE) RATHER ETHIOPIA WHOM YOU ARE TRYING TO KILL DAY IN DAY OUT TILL YOU GET YOUR JUSTICE LIKE THAT OF YOUR BOSS
September 10th, 2009 at 8:10 am
THE PREVIOUS COMMENT IS A RESPONCE TO TAZABE (WOYANNE OR CADRE PAID DOG OR WHAT EVER)
September 10th, 2009 at 11:28 am
አቶ ታዛቢ
የለመደውን የወያኔን ፕሮፖጋንዳን የሚነግረን::ሃገራችንን እንድ ኮሶ የተጣባት ዘረኛው ወያኔ ነው::ወያኔ ደግሞ ቢጠፋ እልልታችን ነው::የሚገርመው ደግሞ ቅንጅት በሀይል ስልጣን ለመያዝ ሞከረ ይለናል::በቦታው ያልነበረ ደንቆሮ ወያኔ የነገርውን ሰምቶ እዚህ ይዘባርቃል::ምርጫ 97 ሰሞን ሀገር ቤት የነበረ ወያኔ ምን ያህል በወራዶችና እፍረተ ቢሶች የሚመራ ድርጅት እንደሆነ ይገነዘባል::ወያኔ የህዝብ ድጋፍ የሌለው በመሳሪያ ሀይል የተቀመጠ ማፍያ ድርጅት ነው::
September 10th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Barry Malon paid mersinary, gutless!
September 10th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
Ahmed
evry time you comment 2 things i notic
1, woyane paid cadre and
2, our struggle
don’t you think paid cadre is better than brain wash stupid and
is kahat merkana is your struggel you are so funny and stupid
September 10th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
በስንቱ ልበጥበጥ አለ በሶ
September 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am
STOP BLAMING OROMOS, MENILKE`S HISTORY SOAKED IN OROMOS BLOOD
How do you expect to have peace and harmony between oromos and Amaras when you have Menilike`s (Black Hitler) statute erected in oromos land (Addis/Finfine) ?
Don`t forget, it is the Amhara Menilike(Black hitler) who mass genocided thousands of innocent Oromos in order to enslave oromos and steal oromos land/Finfine and gave it to his own amhara tribe with the new name/addis Abeba. This is the main reason why oromos dispute hate menilkes statute and trying to destroy it, because Menilke`s statute in addis/fifne is like erecting Hitler`s statute in the middle of Jerusalem.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:33 am
A.K, You are one of አጋሰስ ፋሽስት ወያኔ! Menilik had a link with the Oromo Nation and his most Authorities are from Oromo;
-The minstry of defense was- Fitawrari HABTEGIORGIS DINEGDE(Oromo)
-The commander of the Heavy Gunners- Dejazmach Balcha Abanefso(Oromo-Guragie)
- The commander of the infantry regiments- Ras Gobena…..etc
የወያኔዎች ውድቀታቸውን ማወቃቸውና ዘረኝነታቸውን እንደሩዋንዳ እልቂት ለማስከተል መሞከራቸውና የዘረኛ ድርጅቶቻቸው ማብቂያቸውን ስላወቁ የማይቆፍሩት ጉድጓድ የለምና ኢትዮጵያውያን በአንድነት ተነስተናል::
A.K ከነአለቆችህ ዋጋህን ታገኛለህ:: አሸባሪ ጽሁፍህ መልሶ ይወጋሃል:: ምች ይውጋህና
ድል ለኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ!!!
October 11th, 2009 at 5:40 am
[…] Mideksa and others they say are political prisoners. (Picture: Mass rally in Addis, 2005. Also the ICG warned of the potential for a violent eruption of conflict ahead of the election scheduled for May […]