Friday, March 3, 2023
The Honourable Members of Congress,
United States of America,
Washington, D.C.
Dear Members of Congress,
Subject: “Urgent Action Needed: Addressing Human Rights Violations in Ethiopia”
We write to you today on behalf of the New York Centre for Foreign Policy Affairs to express our deep concern regarding the ongoing human rights violations in Ethiopia. The situation in the country is rapidly deteriorating, and we believe that urgent action is required to address the crisis.
The Ethiopian government has been engaged in a brutal crackdown on political dissent, media freedom, and civil society for several years now. The government has been targeting opposition parties, journalists, and human rights activists with arbitrary arrests, detentions, and torture.
The situation in Ethiopia has been exacerbated by the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region, which has led to widespread violence, displacement, and humanitarian crisis. The conflict has also seen the involvement of regional powers, further escalating the situation.
We urge Congress to take immediate action to address the human rights crisis in Ethiopia. The United States has a moral obligation to stand up for human rights and democratic values around the world, and Ethiopia is no exception. We recommend the following steps:
Urge the Ethiopian Government to Respect Human Rights:
We call on Congress to urge the Ethiopian government to respect human rights, including the right to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. The Ethiopian government must also end the use of torture, arbitrary detention, and extrajudicial killings, and hold accountable those responsible for these abuses.
Support Humanitarian Efforts in Tigray:
We urge Congress to support humanitarian efforts in the Tigray region, where millions of people are in urgent need of assistance. The United States must provide additional funding and resources to support the provision of food, water, and medical care to those affected by the conflict.
Impose Targeted Sanctions on Human Rights Abusers:
We recommend that Congress impose targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights abuses in Ethiopia. These sanctions should include travel bans and asset freezes, and should be used to hold accountable those responsible for committing or ordering human rights abuses.
Review U.S. Military Aid to Ethiopia:
Finally, we call on Congress to review U.S. military aid to Ethiopia in light of the country’s human rights abuses. The United States must ensure that its military aid is not being used to commit human rights abuses or to further the government’s crackdown on dissent.
We believe that these steps will send a clear message to the Ethiopian government that the United States stands with the Ethiopian people in their struggle for human rights and democratic values.
We urge Congress to take immediate action to address the human rights crisis in Ethiopia. The United States must not stand idly by while human rights abuses are being committed in Ethiopia.
We appreciate your attention to this important matter and look forward to your response.
Very Respectfully,
Justin Thomas Russell
Principal Director
Sources:
– Amnesty International. (2021). Ethiopia: Release journalists and opposition politicians arrested during elections.
– Human Rights Watch. (2021). Ethiopia: Widespread Abuses in Response to Security Threats.
– United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. (2021). Ethiopia: Situation of human rights in Tigray.
– United States Department of State. (2021). Ethiopia 2020 Human Rights Report.
