AFRICA - House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats

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gion. The Government restricted freedom of movement. Numerous internally displaced
persons (IDPs) from internal ethnic conflicts remained in the country. During
the year, neither the Human Rights Commission (HRC) nor the Office of the Ombudsman
was operational. Violence and societal discrimination against women and
abuse of children remained problems. Female genital mutilation (FGM) was widespread.
The Government supported efforts to eliminate FGM and other harmful traditional
practices. The exploitation of children for economic and sexual purposes remained
a problem. Societal discrimination against persons with disabilities and discrimination
against religious and ethnic minorities continued. Forced labor, including
forced child labor, and child labor, particularly in the informal sector, continued
to be a problem. There were reports of trafficking in persons.
RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Section 1. Respect for the Integrity of the Person, Including Freedom From:
a. Arbitrary or Unlawful Deprivation of Life.—The security forces committed
many unlawful killings, including some alleged political killings during the year.
The number of unlawful killings during the year was estimated to be between 1,000
and 1,500. There continued to be numerous unconfirmed reports of unlawful killings
by government security forces from Oromiya and the Somali regions.
For example, on July 18, soldiers shot and killed a 13-year-old boy who was returning
home from a wedding party with four friends. The Government did not investigate
the killing by year’s end.
On July 21, soldiers shot and killed a 25-year-old driver who was walking back
to his residence. The Government did not investigate the killing by year’s end.
On November 10, the military opened fire on a crowd that began throwing stones
at them, killing one person and injuring eight others, at a security checkpoint near
Hartishek, outside the town of Jijiga in Somali region.
In December government security forces killed two persons in Kuraz Woreda in
the town of Amorate, South Omo region.
During the year, the Government took no disciplinary action against members of
the security forces responsible for the following 2001 killings: The January killing
of 5 persons during riots between Christians and Muslims in Harar; the April killing
of at least 31 Addis Ababa University (AAU) students during a violent demonstration;
and the April killing of an Oromo Mekelle University student who had
protested the violence at the AAU demonstrations.
During the year, the Government took no disciplinary action against members of
the security forces responsible for the following 2000 killings: The February torturing
and killing of two farmers in Soro; the March killing of a student who was
attempting to assist another person who was being arrested; the March killing of
Getu Driba in Ambo; the April killing of a student during a student demonstration
in Dembi Dollo; the May killing of seven SEDPC supporters; and the December killing
of a student during a demonstration in Awassa.
During the year, the Government completed its investigation of the 2000 case in
which security forces killed two women in Hadiya zone while they were voting; however,
the Government did not report on its findings or take any disciplinary action.
There was no action taken, nor any likely, against the persons responsible for the
following 2000 and 2001 preelection and postelection killings: The January 2001
case in which rapid deployment forces of the federal and regional police killed 2 supporters
during a meeting organized by the Council of Alternative Forces for Peace
and Democracy in Ethiopia (CAFPDE); the April 2001 case in which the army killed
4 Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Coalition (SEPDC) members in Badoacho,
Shone Woreda; the case in which government forces killed at least 11 supporters
of the SEPDC in the period leading up to the December 2001 elections; the 2000
case in which an EPRDF member killed 3 persons, including an opposition party
election observer; the 2000 killing of 5 election observers, 1 opposition candidate,
and 3 other persons when their cars either were struck by rockets or landmines;
and the 2000 beating to death of a man detained allegedly in retaliation for election
activities.
Security forces killed numerous persons while forcibly dispersing demonstrations
during the year (see Sections 1.d. and 2.b.).
There were some deaths in custody during the year due to illness and disease (see
Section 1.c.).
No action was taken, nor was any likely, in the July 2001 death in custody of
an opposition party member who had been detained following the AAU student demonstration.
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