Genocide Watch, the international campaign to end genocide, has called on United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Justice Navanathem, to initiate an investigation against the government of Meles Zenawi. Genocide Watch cited the atrocities committed in Gambela against the Anuaks and ethnic Somalis in the Ogaden as examples of the crimes that have not been seriously investigated by the UN body.
In an open letter Genocide Watch President Dr Gregory Stanton wrote to the Commissioner, he commended the International Criminal Court for indicting the Sudanese President, Omar Hassan Al Bashir, but noted that “one of the first leaders to defend Omar al-Bashir and condemn the warrant was Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, whose government has also been implicated in a pattern of widespread perpetration of serious human rights atrocities in Ethiopia and in Somalia.”
“He and those within his government may be keenly aware of their own vulnerability to similar actions by the ICC in the future that could upend a deeply entrenched system of government-supported impunity that has protected perpetrators from any accountability,” Dr Stanton noted.
The Genocide Watch President asserted that a UN investigation was justified due to the culture of impunity that existed within Ethiopia and underlined that “extensive documentation is available to examine the violations, most of which has been compiled in independent investigative reports completed by international human rights organizations.”
“We also believe that the Ethiopian people have been waiting long enough for genuine justice and relief from the harsh oppression and brutal tactics committed by a government that purports to be a partner in the War on Terror, while terrorizing their own people,” the letter noted.
Dr Stanton said that Genocide Watch and Survivors International confirmed that the atrocities committed in Gambela against the Anuaks in 2003 “fit the definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch also conducted two investigations of their own and determined that the crimes against the Anuak meet the stringent definition of crimes against humanity.” He also indicated that Genocide Watch was willing in providing assistance to the Commission in carrying out the investigation.
“We in Genocide Watch, and other human rights organizations are determined to pursue justice, even long after violations have occurred, as part of our mission. Investigative reports, contacts and other information can be provided should you need them,” he said.
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FORUM | 18 Comments
Very good news. We should help any organisation which trys to bring the monster (Meles) to jusice.
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March 31st, 2009 at 7:00 AM
Correct,that is all Ethiopians expect in a very near future,that Meles Zenawi & His Companies must face justice,because of their many crimes against humanity,atrocities ,robbery,genocide and destruction of our land Ethiopia.We all fight together with the international community and help them in whatever for the final process in which Meles face justice.
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March 31st, 2009 at 7:03 AM
Gud metsiyu(Gud Fella).
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March 31st, 2009 at 7:10 AM
My Ethiopian brothers and sisters, this may sound strange to you but the people who need to bring the Woyanne regime to justice are not some international organizations but the EHTIOPIAN PEOPLE.
Yes whoever this organization is may have good intentions but do you really think Woyanne’s masters will really give him up? Unless of course they have another puppet ready to take over. Plus the ICC and other western organizations are hypocrytes, they would never indict brutal dictators and western invaders who caused countless innocent people to justice.
What I am trying to convey is that, the Ethiopian people shoudl by themselves bring brutal Woyanne junta to justice inside Ethiopia, that is not an easy task but when the people of Ethiopia take care of their own affairs they won’t be exposed to more western domination. You can’t have foreigners do your job for you, that is a sign of helplessness and weakness, the Ethiopian people are more than capable of bringing Woyanne to justice, all they need unity and clarity of purpose, that is easier said than done but something as important as political unity in a diverse nation like Ethiopia is never going to be easy.
There is a proverb in Tigrigna that goes like this KAB SEB ZIDELIS KEM SA’INI YIBELI…..translated HE WHO DEPENDS ON OTHER GETS OLD LIKE A PAIR OF SHOES…..So the best solution is to it yourselves not expect others to do it for you, otherwise you will be treated like old shoes, discarded when westerners don’t need you anymore.
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March 31st, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Surely, one day the sun of freedom will rise on today’s dark Ethiopia. Meles is the king of many other Meleses who are behind the king. Also they must come to the justice to answer the Ethiopians about thousends of killing, disappearance, robbery, confisications and rapings.
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March 31st, 2009 at 11:13 AM
There will be peace and prosperity for all if the USA reveses its foreign politics followed so far and say no to “state terrorism” – A terrorist is one who terrorizes and there is no what is called “friendly tyrant” as the US used to call friendly dictators/killers like Mobutu/Meles and Pinochet
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March 31st, 2009 at 12:55 PM
LooooooooK!!!!!!!!!
It is not that the International Criminal Court or any international organization will giving justice to the people of Ethiopia.
The point here is, the recogniton of the crime commited agaiest the people is a resoinding victory to the People and all those who are struggling against this brutal system.
Genocide, Crime against Humanity, War crime and Treson are all the charges the tyrant has to pay for.
Watch carfully what is going to happen in short period of time!!!!!
The people of Ethiopia are the filan Victors!!
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March 31st, 2009 at 1:23 PM
I agree with comment # 4 above. We need to bring the criminal thuggery into our own justice in Ethiopia and only by Ethiopians. Forget about the so called Infamouse Criminal Coherts (ICC). Judging by how the ICC functions and considering that Mesles has been an obedient errand boy to the west, there is no fat chance that the ICC will even contemplate to indictthe criminal gungs…
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March 31st, 2009 at 1:44 PM
Let us all work hard on this matter. We all have the responsibility to all those perished by this big bed bug. Forward the news to all law makers and parlamentarians in your constituences and to all organizations that might of help. We have take this opportunity to see the biutcher and his cronies in The Heague. We have to make sure that no one never agin in that country get away with any crime committed against our poor people. Those perished inocent poors deserve justice and we are here alive, strong, and cupable of holding the perpetrators accountable to the crimes they committed. It is a real shame if we could not capitalize on this opportunity and play our part to bring dictatorial era of this vampires to an end in that country.
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March 31st, 2009 at 2:10 PM
Unless we make reconciliation soon, many will die. We should focus on the bigger picture which is the rule of law based on equality for all!!Ethiopia for all Ethiopians!!
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March 31st, 2009 at 4:35 PM
Some times might good news come to you so unexpectedly as this one.
Some times dreams come true and the helpless people get hand from an unexpected source.God help all the peoples of the Horn of Africa make this come true and dictator Males to be brought to justice.
jeerjully by
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March 31st, 2009 at 6:47 PM
This guy and his boss, Bereket Simon, must face jutice in Ethiopia and hope they will serve time in the prison camps they built.
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March 31st, 2009 at 7:29 PM
Meles is not an Ethiopian leader, and for that matter does not qualify to be an Ethiopian. I don’t care if he is hanged by his boses in the West. HE DOES NOT DESERVE ANY PROTECTION BY ANY ONE WHO IS ETHIOPIAN.
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April 1st, 2009 at 2:56 AM
Can we organize a petition in support of the Genocide watch’s effort to bring this criminal to justice? I heard people talking about this already. If you have info please post.
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April 1st, 2009 at 2:59 AM
This is what we have been waiting for many years. We hope the genocide watch procceeds with it just like al bashir of the sudan. The butcher of Addis shall the price.
We pray for the outcome
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April 1st, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Do you know 20 general officers are Tigrians in defence of ethiopia army!there are 2 from Oromo 0 from Amhara 2 from Agew in the name of Amhara.0 from debub.if you want their name i can least ask me
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April 1st, 2009 at 6:52 PM
God be with the Genocide Watch president for his help for Ethiopia and Ethiopians to bring the genocide criminal before justice for the innocent victim Ethiopians.
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April 4th, 2009 at 3:55 PM
This is verry good news . The Ethiopian government is starving and killing its own people in the remote eastern Ogaden region, according to refugees, who describe a terrifying four-month crackdown in which security forces have sealed off villages, torched homes and businesses, commandeered food and water sources, and beaten, raped or executed anyone who resists.
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April 20th, 2009 at 12:14 AM