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GADEN:
THE DIRE HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMANITARIAN SITUATION AND THE ROLE
OF THE UNITED NATIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS AND APPEALS
Although prestigious international and national
human rights organizations, have issued several reports about
well-documented human rights violations in the Ogaden and elsewhere
in Ethiopia by the current Ethiopian government, the international
community has remained tight lipped about those violations for
the last sixteen years. Nevertheless, the Ogaden Human Rights
Committee has not given up hope of the international community's
help to force Ethiopia to honour its commitments to internationally
accepted human rights principles. Hence, the OHRC requests and
recommends the following:
TO: THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, DONOR COUNTRIES,
UNITED NATIONS, ETHIOPIAN GOVERNMENT AND OGADEN NATIONAL LIBERATION
FRONT:
United Nations Security Council designates a safe heaven for
the civilian population fleeing from Ethiopian armed forces’ onslaught
and atrocities.
United Nations High Commission for Refugees provides necessary
shelter protection and maintenance to the Somali refugees from
the Ogaden in the neighboring countries.
The United Nations appoint a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights
in the Ogaden.
United Nations Security Council form an independent inquiry commission
to investigate recent massacres and atrocities in the Ogaden.
The international donor community help the Somali people in the
Ogaden generously and directly through international NGOs in order
to assure the reach of the food and medical aid to the victims
of the famine.
The international donor countries and World Food Programme put
in place an effective and verifiable monitoring mechanism to assure
the reach of the emergency aid to its intended beneficiaries in
the Ogaden.
The Ethiopian government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front,
declare immediate, comprehensive and unconditional cease-fire
in the Ogaden in order to aid famine and war victims in the Ogaden.
The international community exert more pressure on the Ethiopian
government to allow ICRC and MSF to operate freely in the Ogaden
as well as respecting ICRC’s mandate and the Geneva Conventions
regarding to the civilian population.
The Ethiopian government allow all humanitarian and relief organizations
to operate in the Ogaden without restrictions, regardless of nationality
or religion as well as national and international human rights
organizations and international press.
The Ethiopian government should be held responsible for infamous
mass killings; disappearances, rape, arbitrary arrests, torture
and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and perpetrators
of those atrocities should be brought before the International
Criminal Court.
United Nations Security Council freeze all foreign bank accounts
belonging to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his entourage.
United Nations Security Council impose visa and travel restrictions
on Ethiopian government officials.
The international community intervene to stop the forcible repatriation
of Somalis from the Ogaden to Ethiopia.
The international community refrain from aiding and supporting
the Ethiopian government as long as it violates human rights and
fundamental freedoms of the Somali people in the Ogaden and elsewhere
in Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian government and Ogaden National Liberation Front
give ICRC free access to all detainees in their custodies.
The Ogaden Human Rights Committee asks for all political prisoners
in Ethiopia to be immediately and unconditionally released or
charged with recognized criminal offences, and given fair trials;
and be given unrestricted and regular access to their family members
and to representatives of the International Committee of the Red
Cross.
Full
Press Release. |
