CRISIS IN ETHIOPIA AND THE IMPLICATIONS FOR ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENTS IN EAST AFRICA

On June 8, 2018, AIUSA, Amnesty International Bronx chapter, Safari Yangu and a coalition of US-based Africa diaspora groups, have organized a conference in New York City focused on the human rights situation inside Ethiopia and its implications for the region. The conference The Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia and the Implications for Accountable Government in East Africa will be held from 12-4 PM at the New York Ethical Society, 2 W 64th St, New York, NY 10023.

The conference will focus on the Ethiopian diaspora but will also be marketed to other east African diaspora from Kenya and Uganda and will seek robust participation from the youth segments of these diaspora communities.

We have invited some of the leading voices of civil society working on these issues in the region as well as activists here in the United States who have been supporting efforts in the region to protect and expand political space, establish accountable governments and ensure respect for human rights.

Among the individuals we have invited are:

1. ESKINDER NEGA , recently released former prisoner of conscience and journalist.

2. Dr. BEKELE GERBA, recently released former prisoner of conscience, one of the leaders of the Oromo Federalist Congress English Professor at Addis Ababa University.

3 ANDUALEM ARAGIE, recently released former prisoner of conscience, Vice President and Press Secretary for the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJP).

4. Dr. AWOL ALLO, lecturer at Keele University in the UK. He also taught at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Dr. Awol has published many academic articles in reputable journals. He has been a frequent guest analyst on the mainstream media like the BBC and Al-Jazeera on issues related to Ethiopia and Horn of Africa.

KENYA

1. HON.JAMES ORENGO , Senate Minority leader in the Kenyan Parliament and prominent activist and lawyer.

Was awarded the title of Senior Counsel by former Kenyan President Kibaki. Orengo also led efforts to end single-party rule in Kenya and establish multiparty elections.

2. IRUNGU HOUGHTON, Executive Director of Amnesty International Kenya, helped launch Shule Yangu Campaign Alliance aimed at protecting public schools from illegal land grabs was in involved in the Release for Political Prisoners campaign in 1991, I Mothers in Action campaign that focused on the rape of 60 school girls at St. Kizito as well as working on ethnic clashes around elections.

UGANDA

1. KIZZA BESIGYE - Ugandan physician, politician, and former military officer in the Uganda People's Defense Force. He served as the president of the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) political party and was an unsuccessful candidate in Uganda's 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 presidential elections, losing all of them to the incumbent Yoweri Museveni.

EUROPE

1. ANA GOMES, a member of the European Union Parliament from Portugal and leading advocate for human rights in Ethiopia.

We have also invited several US-based activists who will be able to provide insight and firsthand experiences about engaging in solidarity work on these issues from the United States.

The conference will focus on closing political space, human rights defenders (HRDs) in the region and the implications of the current human rights crisis in Ethiopia.

Goals:

1. Raise awareness about closing political space in the region both; Kenya and Uganda have serious human rights challenges and HRDs top the list of people at risk

2. Build links and solidarity among different diaspora groups and get them engaged with Congress as we have been able to do with the Ethiopia coalition

3. Offer platform for the regional activists to help articulate an agenda for the future