Ethiopia: Government cancels poverty campaign launch

Government of Ethiopia Cancelled Poverty Campaign Launch
Global Call for Solidarity with Civil Society in Ethiopia

On the 24th day of April 2005, the civil society in Ethiopia was scheduled to officially launch the Global Call to Action against Poverty (GCAP) campaign under the motto “Enough with Poverty!”

“Enough with Poverty” is part of the GCAP and the MDG campaign organized by a range of civil society actors in Ethiopia, including national coalitions; women, youth, students and teachers associations; community based organizations; associations of the physically disabled and poor peoples associations.

GCAP (Global Call to Action against Poverty) is a world wide alliance of civil society including, among others; national coalitions, trade unions, faith based organizations, women and youth organizations and other civil society organizations committed to pushing world leaders to live up to their promises and to make a breakthrough on poverty in the year 2005 by taking concrete action in the following critical areas affecting poor people: (1) ensuring trade justice, (2) total debt cancellation, (3) more and better aid to poor countries and (4) ensuring the accountability of national governments.

GCAP was officially launched at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil where President Lula of Brazil was present and in UK where President Nelson Mandela was present. Since then, a number of countries have joined this campaign and poor people across the world have shown their solidarity to this global level movement calling for an end to poverty in the year 2005.

The relevant authorities of the government of Ethiopia had given the necessary security clearance for this peaceful gathering of citizens which was scheduled to be held on the 24th day of April 2005 and thousands of citizens were mobilized to voice their demands and show their solidarity for the global level GCAP movement.

The timing of this event was strategically important for poor people in Ethiopia to voice their demands when the country is in the run up to the third national level election in May 2005. A number of CSOs participating in organizing this event spent time, energy and resources in the mobilization for this first ever civic rally of citizens making a call both to the national government and the international community as well.

The UN Millennium campaign Director Mr. Salil Shetty and Nobel laureate, Chair of ECOSOC and Deputy Environment Minister of the Government of Kenya, Professor Wangari Mathai, were some of the international level guests expected to attend the event and address the public gathering in the city of Addis Ababa.

However, the city government of Addis Ababa, in an official letter written on 18 April 2004 and copied to the federal and city police commissions, cancelled the public gathering and postponed it for an indefinite period of time. The authorities gave no reason for canceling this peaceful demonstration other than stating in the letter that “… [they] found it necessary to postpone the public rally for various reasons….”

The participating CSOs in Ethiopia are extremely angered by this outrageous and arbitrary decision of the authorities unduly denying citizens constitutional right for peaceful demonstration. The authorities did not and could not give any justification what so ever to cancel the holding of this campaign and deny citizens constitutional right for peaceful assembly and demonstration.

The ban on this campaign comes after the National Election Board of the government of Ethiopia banned a coalition of Ethiopian CSOs from monitoring the upcoming election which evidences part of a systematic assault on civil society in Ethiopia. A group of Ethiopian CSOs have now taken legal action against the Election Board challenging the directive it issued which bans CSOs from election monitoring.

At a time when this global call has continued to grow both in terms of participating countries and deepening the alliances of civil society actors, it is extremely disappointing that the authorities in Ethiopia cancelled the public rally scheduled for 24 April 2005. Given the active involvement of Ethiopian government in the Commission for Africa, this would have been the last thing to expect but it evidences the gap between rhetoric’s and practice.

We call upon fellow Ethiopians, local and international organizations and global citizens at large to denounce the decision of the authorities of the Ethiopian government and show your solidarity with civil society in Ethiopia.

Send your statements to the following authorities in Ethiopia

1. His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
The Prime Ministers Office
Fax number: +251 1 552030 or +251 1 241194

2. His Excellency Seyoum Mesfin, Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Fax number: +251 1 514300
Email: [email protected]

3. His Excellency Mayor Arekabe Iqubay, Mayor of the City of Addis Ababa
City Government of Addis Ababa
Fax number: +251 1 553688

4. His Excellency Kemal Bedri, President of the Federal Supreme Court and Chairman of the National Election Board
National Election Board
Fax number: +251 1 510025.
Email: [email protected]

Poverty Action Network of Ethiopia
Christian Relief and Development Association
Network of Ethiopian Women’s Association
Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association
ActionAid Ethiopia
Panos Ethiopia
Organization for Social Justice in Ethiopia
Women in Self Employment
Pro-Pride
Ethiopian Bar Association
Youth Network for Sustainable Development
Ethiopian Federation of People with Disabilities
Action Professionals Association for the People
Vision for Justice – Ethiopia
Afro-flag Youth Vision
Youth Corps Ethiopia
Forum for Environment
ACCORD
Zega Le-ediget