A recent conference in Washington, D.C., focused on human rights issues and Ethiopia's continuing political crisis, with prominent speakers calling for heightened awareness, accountability, and international intervention. Sylvia Stanard, a representative of United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights, emphasized the urgent need for global engagement on the situation in Ethiopia, rooted in the principles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Stanard stated that human rights violations are occurring daily in Ethiopia, with religious freedom under severe attack and churches and priests being targeted. She highlighted the alarming lack of awareness surrounding the crisis, noting challenges in competing for global attention amidst other high-profile conflicts. Stanard urged the Ethiopian diaspora and allies to educate policymakers and media, directing those seeking more information about human rights education to https://www.humanrights.com.
Ato Yilkal Getnet, in his address titled "Ethnic Federalism and the Crisis in Ethiopia," argued that Ethiopia's current political instability stems from its constitutionally enshrined ethnic federalism. According to Getnet, this system prioritizes ethnic identity over a collective national identity, resulting in political fragmentation and social unrest, with the Amhara people suffering the most from ongoing political repression.
Abel Gashe, another leader in Ethiopian American organizations, detailed mass killings and massacres targeting Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and Amharas. He reported that in the last two to three months, more than fifty Orthodox Christians have been killed, churches have been burned, and faithful have been massacred while worshipping. Gashe described the situation as religious genocide and called upon the Ethiopian government to defend those being killed for their belief and identity.
Mr. Scott Morgan, head of the International Religious Freedom's Africa Working Group, noted that crises in other regions overshadow events in Northern Ethiopia, but emphasized that the situation there remains no less serious than other crisis spots in Africa. The conference, organized and emceed by Mr. Mesfin Mekonen, author of Washington Update, concluded with calls for the international community to pay closer attention to Ethiopia's human rights violations, advocate for meaningful dialogue, and support policies aimed at restoring stability and justice in alignment with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
