MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Ethiopia
19.1.2016 - (2016/2520(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Mark Demesmaeker, Arne Gericke, Raffaele Fitto, Beatrix von Storch, Angel Dzhambazki, Monica Macovei, Ruža Tomašić, Jana Žitňanská on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0082/2016
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Ethiopia;
- having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ratified by Ethiopia in the year 1993;
-having regard to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ratified by Ethiopia in 1994;
- having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
- having regard to the statement of 23 December 2015 by the EEAS on recent clashes in Ethiopia;
- having regard the latest Universal Periodic Review on Ethiopia before the UN Human Rights Council;
- having regard to the US State Department statement of 18 December 2015 on clashes in Oromia, Ethiopia;
- having regard to Rules 123(4) and 135(5) of its Rules of Procedure;
A. Whereas in the election of 24 May 2015 the government coalition of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in its twenty fourth year in power won all 547 parliamentary seats and the opposition none;
B. whereas Ethiopia receives 3.5 billion euros in aid annually, making it the fifth ranking country of all aid recipients with the EU being the single largest donor;
C. Whereas Ethiopia is leading the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediation efforts in South Sudan. It has contributed a significant number of troops to the African Union mission to Somalia, in particular, fighting al-Shabaab with considerable success;
D. Whereas Ethiopia with a population of 100 million is making good progress towards the Millennium Development Goals for social and economic growth and was estimated by the IMF to grow economically by an impressive 8% in 2015, has reduced poverty by one third between 2000 and 2011;
E. Whereas the spring and summer rains failed in 2015 in Ethiopia bringing about conditions reminiscent of the 1984 drought, leading to the growth in the numbers of those needing food assistance from 2.9 million in February 2015 to 10.2 million in December according to the Government;
F. Whereas Ethiopia is host to over 700,000 refugees, mostly from South Sudan and Somalia;
G. Whereas Ethiopia’s government regularly accuses people who express even mild criticism of government policy of association with terrorism journalists, bloggers, protesters, and activists have been prosecuted under the country’s draconian 2009 Anti-Terrorism Proclamation, many being subject to ill treatment and torture, at least seven journalists and four bloggers from the blogging collective Zone 9 remain in detention;
H. Whereas Oromia, Ethiopia's largest region, has seen mass protests over the expansion of the municipal boundary of the capital, Addis Ababa, into the land of Oromo farmers where two million live, human rights groups claim that Ethiopian security forces have killed at least 140 peaceful protesters;
1. Expresses specific concern that Ethiopia's lack of respect for democracy, human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press and the rights of minorities will lead to greater unrest at the very time that it needs stability the most;
2. Urges the Government to fully respect the freedom of speech, of association and of the press as provided for in the Ethiopian Constitution and to release detained journalists and bloggers;
3. Commends Ethiopia for the progress it has made in improving the conditions of its rapidly growing population, including refugees from conflicts in neighbouring states, and is grateful for the leadership it is showing in the region and in the African Union;
4. Deeply regrets the loss of life in the recent clashes in Oromia and offers its condolences to the friends and relatives of those who have lost their lives;
5. Calls on the government of Ethiopia to uphold its undertaking to stop the Addis Ababa development Master Plan without further public consultation and urges it to organise a consultation with all affected parties as soon as possible;
6. Condemns the crushing of peaceful protest in the Oromia and Amhara regions with armed force and the resulting death toll and calls for an investigation of the killings and the prosecution of those responsible for unlawful deaths;
7. Calls on the European Commission to liaise with the other members of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) to consider making aid to Ethiopia contingent on living up to the commitments it has undertaken under international law;
8. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the EEAS, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the European Commission, the parliaments and governments of the Member States, and the Government of Ethiopia.