People left for abuse, a regime bankrolled to abuse

For Immediate Release

On Saturday August 31, 2013, the Ethiopian capital once again turned into a hell where heavily armed TPLF commando forces besieged the Blue Party headquarters, looted the entire office material, and assaulted young men and women who at the time were on their last minute preparation for a peaceful demonstration planned for the following day. According to eye witnesses, leaders, members and supporters of Blue party were handcuffed; frog marched and badly beaten by heavily armed Special Forces. The assault and humiliation on young female members of the party was even worse and strange to the Ethiopian culture that treats all women as mothers. Many female members of the party were taken to police stations and army barracks, ordered to take out their clothes, and forced to roll in stinking sewage sludge.

Just like the absolute majority of the over 90 million Ethiopians, the dream of young men and women of Blue party is to see the important values of justice, liberty, and democracy prevail in their country. The only weapons they carry are pen and paper, their sole goal is peace and prosperity, and their slogan is “Let our voices be heard”. However, last Saturday; the response from an excessively brutal regime that knows only violence was to use an overwhelming force to silence the voices of freedom. This past Saturday, as it usually does; the TPLF regime took the constitutional right of the people and by doing so; the brutal regime has once again demonstrated its utter intolerance to multi-party politics and any kind dissent in Ethiopia.

Ginbot 7 Movement for Justice, Freedom and Democracy denounces the savage and heartless acts of the TPLF regime in its strongest sense and holds the regime accountable for all of its actions. Ginbot 7 understands that no words can comfort those who endured last Saturday’s horrendous assault and humiliation at the Blue party headquarters. However, we at Ginbot 7 want the courageous Blue Party leaders and members to know that we are thinking of you and sharing your pain at this difficult time. Most importantly, we want to reassure you that regardless of what the brutal regime does, no one can close the opened gates of liberty, and we shall overcome.

After 22 years of brutal killing, complete neglect for human right, utter intolerance for dissent, ever shrinking democratic space and unprecedented corruption; Ethiopia is left completely shattered and is now a failed State. At this historic juncture, Ginbot 7 wants to ask donor nations and other enablers of Ethiopia’s brutal dictators a very important question: Are you for the Ethiopian people or against the Ethiopian people? Are you financing dictatorship or development?

At the meantime, Ginbot 7 makes a call for all democratic forces of Ethiopia inside and outside the country to set aside their minor differences and stand firm for a nation that has been bleeding for so long. The question of how to fight the TPLF regime has already been answered by the continued and unabated brutal actions of the regime. We as a nation have been pushed to the limit and there is no more space to be pushed. We either fight collectively and declare our freedom or perish collectively. The nation has called us, let us answer the call.

We shall overcome!