Day: June 14, 2023

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) report issued a fortnight ago is a destabilizing agenda intended to disrupt the ongoing peace agreement in Ethiopia, an American journalist who visited the area stated in the report noted.

The American journalist, Jemal Countess, told ENA that the Human Rights Watch and other international human rights organizations have repeatedly failed to employ proper working procedures during investigations.

According to him, the Human Rights Watch latest sensational report containing a litany of allegations of grave human rights violations is solely a compilation of phone reports.

The journalist, who visited the areas cited in the report last year noted that these organs have had years to engage people doing phone reports even from other countries and adjacent countries.

The fact is those people have never seen anything on the ground, he stressed.

“Whether people who may or may not exist, but they had the opportunity to have a phone report about these places and say something. It is completely questionable.”

As he had witnessed the facts on the ground, Countess rejected the latest Human Rights Watch report that has basically reversed the circumstances.

The American described the report as a statement employed by a destabilizing agent.

Moreover, it can obstruct the ongoing peace process that has ended the two-year war in northern Ethiopia by fueling ethnic conflict, he underscored.

Therefore, “I think that drastic action is required on the part of governments and other entities like human rights entities in Ethiopia and in the region for that matter. This body (Human Rights Watch) is a destabilizing agent that challenges the entire region, not just Ethiopia.”

Countess believes that most of the international human right organs are instrumental for intervention to achieve their geopolitical interest in Africa by putting pressure on the ground.

Africans, therefore, need to band together and support other Africans.

“Those human right organizations think that they have free reign to spew anything they want. That is why I am saying this needs to be a collective African effort. Multiple countries and other players just need to start the call and force change because the reason is this can't go on like this.”

The journalist finally urged all Ethiopians to reinforce the reconciliation and justice efforts and avoid divisive agendas that lead to unnecessary conflicts.

“We need to move forward in that way. At the same time this needs to be a collective voice, basically to reject conflict entrepreneurs,” Countess pointed out.

Recall that the Ethiopian government declared that Human Rights Watch's report is a distorted and misleading portrayal of the situation that attempts to undermine peaceful coexistence and fuel inter-ethnic conflict in Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has adopted a roadmap for the resolution of the conflict in Sudan and commended the African Union-led and Ethiopian-owned successful peace process.

The 14th Ordinary Session of the IGAD Assembly of Heads of State and Government was held on Monday, 12th June 2023, and was chaired by Malik Agar, the Deputy Chairman of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan and representative of the Chair of the IGAD Heads of State and Government, it was indicated.

The assembly was also attended by leaders of the IGAD member countries and foreign affairs ministers including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

In its communiqué sent to ENA, IGAD has adopted four point of action plans to resolve the ongoing Sudan crisis.

It Includes Ethiopia as the fourth member of the IGAD High-Level Delegation for the Peace Process in the Sudan; and for William Ruto, President of Kenya, to Chair the Quartet Countries of the Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan and for the Quartet to work in close coordination with the African Union Commission.

Within ten days, the Quartet would arrange a face-to-face meeting between General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, the Chairperson of the Transitional Sovereignty Council of Sudan, and General Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo in one of the regional capitals, it was indicated.

Moreover, the communiqué stressed the need to secure a commitment from the leadership of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to establish a humanitarian corridor within two weeks.

Within three weeks, an inclusive political process towards a political settlement of the conflict in the Republic of Sudan will be initiated, it added.

Expressing alarm regarding the continued fighting and the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Sudan, it commended the unrelenting efforts of IGAD High-Level Delegation led by Salva Kiir Mayardit, President of Sudan, towards the de-escalation of armed engagements and resolution of the conflict in Sudan.

The communiqué also lauded the African Union, the AU High-Level Panel, and the African Union Commission, the AU Monitoring, verification, and compliance mission, the IGAD Executive Secretary for supporting the implementation of this AU-led and Ethiopian-owned successful peace process.

IGAD further called upon regional and international partners to support Ethiopia`s efforts for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of conflict-affected areas in northern Ethiopia.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Ni John Fru Ndi’s unwavering devout to the democratization of Cameroon politics was displayed on a number of occasions marked by landmark incidents.

From the moment he left the ruling CPDM party and created the Social Democratic Front (SDF) in 1990 in defiance of the one-party system at the time, dissenting voices became motivated. It led to the rebirth of multiparty politics in Cameroon.

Several attempts were made to suppress the awareness created by Fru Ndi.

Amidst the tension in the country, the opposition leader was invited by the US for Bill Clinton’s inauguration in 1993, a move which was seen as a recognition of Fru Ndi’s claimed victory.

In 1997, he refused to run for the elections, citing the fraudulent nature of the electoral system. However, he later announced his candidature again for the 2004 elections, which he still lost, this time, with a wider margin – 17% as compared to Biya’s 70%.

He continued mobilizing and sensitizing followers on the need to fight for their rights, especially the English-speaking minority. This inspired the escalation of the 2008 strike initiated by transport workers against high fuel prices in Cameroon’s major cities, which quickly turned into an anti-Biya campaign.

In 2013, he made comments about machetes he had bought to prepare for bloodier protests. He later expressed regret at the disunity among youths “In most countries that have had a revolution with people fighting on the streets, it’s the youths that go out to do it. But the Cameroonian youths are so divided that just with 500 FCFA they change their minds” he said.

The anglophone crisis which began in 2016, has been one of the key events in which Fru Ndi is considered to have remained resolute despite pressure from both sides of the conflict. He maintained his stand for a unified federal state in Cameroon, despite demands by the anglophone separatists for the restoration of an independent state called Ambazonia, and the government’s insistence on a “one and indivisible” Cameroon, which blatantly signified shying away from dialogue.

Before his demise on June 12, Ni John Fru Ndi’s ideas were already being considered outdated and autocratic by some of his party’s bigwigs. This led to the expulsion of several high-profile members, for rebelling against the party. There were multiple demands for his resignation.

It was officially announced on June 4, that he would step down as the party’s chairman. This happened a few days before his death. A new leader is expected to be elected during the elective congress in July.

Source: Cameroon News Agency