EPRDF (Ethiopian Government) to head the Media Forum at CAPP: Apparently, the Oppressors of Media running the show!

Isn’t this strange how the Ethiopian government get accolades and honors, the latest was this week in Niamey in Niger. What is special is that this one is about perception and about the profession of media. A profession that is dangerous to have in Ethiopia. In a country where journalists who writes articles are detained, editors detained and bloggers jailed. Two TV-Channels banned in 2016 during the ‘State of Emergency’ and other acts against the freedom of expression in Ethiopia. With this in mind, all of the detained journalists and bloggers in Ethiopia, the knowledge of this should been known by leadership and committee of Council of African Political Parties (CAPP). But they doesn’t seem to care, because if they did. The CAPP would know of the countless innocent citizens writing and spelling out the oppressive behavior of their government. Would see the light of day and not be incommunicado. The amounts of journalists who has been trialed and taken to serve time in prison. Also, the modern day bloggers who has gotten same ill-treatment. That is why this news of getting the lead in the Media Forum of CAPP. Just take a look!

Press Statement from ENA on CAPP:

Addis Ababa July 13/2017 The Constitutive Meeting of the Media Forum of the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) held in Niamey, Niger, has elected the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to lead the Media Forum. Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) is a non-governmental organization established by 47 African political parties representing 35 African countries in the constitutive conference held in Khartoum, Sudan, in April 2013. According to a press statement issued by EPRDF, the party’s representative at the meeting, Kebede Kassa, commended the confidence the political parties have shown on Ethiopia and its ruling party” (…) “The Media Forum is an organization for the media cadres of the African Political Parties to advance their profession through updated technologies, discussions on issues of interest and exchange of experiences, it was learned. On the occasion, Secretary General of Council of African Political Parties (CAPP), Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie explained the need for the establishment of the Media Forum to realize the objectives of the council. According to him, “the Media Forum should play to correctly introduce Africa instead of the negative perception regularly viewed in particular by the western media.” (ENA, 2017).

The government in Ethiopia cracks down on the media and wants it’s fist on it. They are repressive against uprisings and freedom of expressions. Therefore, the Ethiopian government and the EPRDF is not fit to lead the Party. The Media Forum of CAPP will not help the troubles and the ones in need in jail. That the Council of African Political Parties (CAPP) are not considering the implications of their leaders and heads of their Forums, since they have elected one that can easily silence and oppress its own. So it is like having tobacco producers to run cancer studies and efforts for better health, when everyone knows the causes of the extensive use of tobacco.

Like reports in mid-July the Government wrote to all media and ordered them if they we’re to mention the deceased Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in a sentence either as “Great/Visionary”. So this is a state who orders the news and controls the messages. If it doesn’t fit the EPRDF it will be silenced or detained. Therefore, how come these sort of people shall introduce the world to Africa, which is just wrong. CAPP should had the possibility to pick someone with a little less oppressive track-record on the media among their member parties. Peace.

Reference:

Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) – ‘EPRDF Elected President of CAPP Media Forum’ (13.07.2017) link:http://www.ena.gov.et/en/index.php/politics/item/3483-eprdf-elected-president-of-capp-media-forum

DRC: Time to care about the mass graves in the Kasai-Oriental Province Part II

By Mid-April there we’re found 40 Mass Graves in the Kasai-Oriental Region in the Democratic Republic of Congo. You would think the findings of 40 Mass Graves in the region are dire enough. The warning signs of the efforts done to kill and burn villages in the region. The province of Kasai has been targeted by the Armed Forces of Democratic of Congo (FARDC). This has been done since there is local rebellion because of the violence of the army, this is known as Kamunia Nsapu.

The extent of the violence hasn’t been known, but the world has been kept in the dark, even as UN Experts was killed in the region when they we’re investigating the violence. This to stop the truth of the massacres and killings there. As the numbers of graves become even worse, even the United Nation wants the state to answer for it. They should have been more decisive, since the reports now in July 2017, has become worse than in April 2017.

Jose-Maria Aranaz, the UN human rights director in the DRC, was speaking just a day after the UN said another 38 suspected mass graves had been discovered in this central part of the country. “With more than 80 mass graves identified … it is essential that the inquiry goes beyond those who physically did it and identifies command responsibilities at the military and political level,” said Aranaz. Aranaz dismissed as “unconvincing” the suggestion that rogue elements of the security forces were responsible for the violence. “We have to stop the killing,” he said” (Today.ng, 2017). “Now, they are among more than 1.3 million people that have become internally displaced by a conflict that has in recent months ravaged Kasaï, a vast area almost the size of Germany in the heart of DRC. The Kasaï region has been known for stability that allowed its residents to live peaceful lives. All that changed last year when militia violence, followed by an army crackdown, pitched the area into chaos” (Kirchhof, 2017).

Another 38 probable mass graves have been discovered in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the country’s troubled central region of Kasai, the United Nations said on Wednesday. At least 80 mass graves have now been identified in the region that has seen a major spike in violence between security forces and a tribal militia since September” (African Democratic Institute, 14.07.2017).

So when you have 80 mass graves in the region that is verified by the United Nations and 1.3 million internally displaced people. It shows the state of anarchy and killings. That the people fear both the rebels and the army, so much that they flee from it. They leave their homes and try to find refugee somewhere else. This going-on with nearly no condemnation, no one thinking of adding pressure on the government and trying to forcefully sanction Kinshasa. This isn’t justice, this is naked violations against humanity. If this sort of killings and destruction of society isn’t targeted by the International Criminal Court

This state of affairs not healthy, it is not worthy a great of a nation like the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Congolese authorities and state should care more for the innocent civilians. But clearly they don’t. Time to care about it and spread the terrible news so it can become agenda. More than the ugly tweets of Trump. This is actual killings and murder of civilians, done by either army or rebels. The world cannot be silenced to this and look the other way! Peace.

Reference:

Kirchhof, Andreas – ‘Violence engulfs Congo’s once-peaceful Kasaï region’ (14.07.2017) link: http://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/violence-engulfs-congo-s-once-peaceful-kasa-region

Today.ng – ‘DRC must identify those behind Kasai massacres – UN official’ (14.07.2017) link: https://www.today.ng/news/africa/314263/drc-identify-kasai-massacres-official

RDC: Lettre – Societe Civile Forces Vives de la Republique Democratique du Congo – Province du Nord-Kivu: “Object: Etat de lieu de la situation socio securitaire de Bisie Territoire de Walikale” (26.06.2017)

RDC: Lettre du Cabinet d’Advocats – “Concerne: Cas Des Tortures du Batonnier Jean Claude Muyambo” (23.06.2017)

RDC: “Note Technique – Violence dans le Grand Kasai – Resume des dommages soufferts par les institution ecclesistiques” (16.06.2017)

RDC: Communique de Presse du G7 (24.06.2017)

RDC: Message de L’Assemblee Pleniere Ordinaire des Eveques Membres de la CENCO (23.06.2017)

DRC: High Commissioner Zeid welcomes creation of international investigation into Kasais (23.06.2017)

GENEVA, Switzerland, June 23, 2017 – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Friday said the creation of an international investigation into allegations of gross violations and abuses in the Kasai regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo sends a strong message to the perpetrators that the international community is serious about bringing them to justice.

The resolution, passed by consensus, in the UN Human Rights Council, calls on the High Commissioner to appoint a team of international experts to investigate “alleged human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law in the Kasai regions”. Since 2016, some 1.3 million people from the Kasais have been internally displaced by the violence, while some 30,000 refugees have fled to Angola.

“We fully support the establishment of an international investigation by the Human Rights Council as a step forward in identifying the perpetrators of gross violations and bringing them to justice,” High Commissioner Zeid said.

“I will present a comprehensive report with the team’s findings to the Human Rights Council. The team will conduct investigations in a fully independent manner, in accordance with international standards, as mandated by the Council. The resolution also clearly states the importance of ensuring the protection of all those who cooperate with the team, which underlines the need for the team of experts to operate independently. We expect and count on the full cooperation of the authorities, particularly in providing unfettered access to all sites, files, people and places.”

“The victims – those who have been killed, maimed, subjected to terrible violence and forced from their homes – deserve justice,” Zeid said.

The High Commissioner added that the UN Human Rights Office will also continue its monitoring, reporting and technical assistance activities in the DRC.

The resolution requests the High Commissioner to provide an oral update to the Council at its March 2018 session followed by a comprehensive report in June 2018.

UN Human Rights Council – Tunisia Draft Resolution: “Technical Assistance to the Democratic Republic of Congo and accountability concerning the events in the Kasai Region” (23.06.2017)

RDC: UN Calls for an end to the Violence in the Kasai Provinces (02.06.2017)