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Recommendations

To the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

  • Take all necessary and appropriate steps, including the issuance of clear public orders to the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), to stop immediately the commission of crimes against humanity and other human rights violations in Gambella.

  • Conduct an independent, impartial and public investigation into human rights violations committed by ENDF forces in Gambella.  Ensure that the investigation examines ENDF abuses that have occurred anywhere in Gambella at least from the time of the December 2003 massacre up to the present.  Provide protection for victims and witnesses who come forward to participate in this investigation. 

  • Investigate and prosecute ENDF personnel and government officials at all levels who are alleged to have been involved in the commission of crimes against humanity or other human rights violations in Gambella.  Suspend from duty all personnel, including commanding officers, directly implicated in serious abuses or culpable as a matter of command responsibility.  Investigate in particular the commanding officers of the ENDF garrisons near Illea, Pochalla and Gok Dipatch, as well as federal security officials in Gambella.

  • Allow and facilitate full and independent access by international humanitarian organizations, international and national human rights monitors, journalists and donor government representatives to Anuak communities in Gambella.

  • Provide appropriate human rights training to all members of the Ethiopian armed forces.

  • Provide adequate and speedy compensation to civilians who have suffered human rights abuse, theft or destruction of property by ENDF forces.

  • Provide assistance for projects to assist rape victims, who have special needs.  Such assistance should include outreach, medical services, and trauma counseling and testing and access to anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy and treatment.

    To the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations

  • Ensure that any peacekeepers provided by the Ethiopian government for UN peacekeeping operations are vetted to ensure that they have not been involved in the human rights violations committed in Gambella or other regions of the country.

    To Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

  • Deploy significant numbers of human rights monitors to the Gambella region to monitor, investigate and publicly report on abuses against civilians by the ENDF, militias or armed groups.

    To Donor Governments

  • Publicly insist that the Ethiopian government conduct a thorough, public and independent investigation into ENDF abuses in Gambella.  Closely monitor the progress of government investigations and take prompt and appropriate action in response to their findings.

  • Call for the government to permit access to the region to international humanitarian agencies, international and national human rights monitors, the media and diplomatic representatives.

  • If they have not done so, make military assistance to Ethiopia contingent on the government’s adherence to international human rights and humanitarian law and exclude any assistance to units implicated in human rights violations.  All suppliers should actively monitor the use of any weapons or non-lethal items to ensure they are not being utilized to commit abuses.

  • If providing military assistance, pressure the government to abide by its commitments under international law.  Donor states should publicly condemn specific violations, including the widespread enforced disappearances committed by security forces, and urge the government to address them.

  • Demand that ENDF and government officials found to have participated in ongoing human rights violations be held accountable.

    To Anuak Political and Community Leaders

  • Publicly denounce violence directed against highlanders.  Take concrete actions to prevent such violence and facilitate the prosecution of individuals who carry it out.


    <<previous  |  index  |  next>>March 2005