[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1183 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1183
Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging continued
democratic progress in Ethiopia, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 9, 2020
Ms. Bass (for herself, Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Wilson of South
Carolina, Mr. Garamendi, and Mr. Wright) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting respect for human rights and encouraging continued
democratic progress in Ethiopia, and for other purposes.
Whereas the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia has been a key ally of the
United States and an important economic and security partner, as well as
a major troop contributor to international peacekeeping;
Whereas, in January 2018, the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front declared that it would pursue reforms in response to intensifying
antigovernment protests that began in late 2015;
Whereas Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed spearheaded significant and commendable reform
measures following his selection in April 2018, including releasing
thousands of political prisoners, inviting exiled political opposition
back to Ethiopia, negotiating a peace agreement with Eritrea, lifting
bans on over 200 websites and improving media freedom, closing the
notorious Maikelawi prison, repealing the draconian Charities and
Societies Proclamation and the Antiterrorism Proclamation, appointing a
gender-balanced cabinet, reforming electoral laws and the National
Electoral Board of Ethiopia, taking steps to privatize the economy, and
promoting private sector investment;
Whereas key challenges, including recurring ethnic and intercommunal clashes and
increasingly polarized political views that have spurred violence,
threaten to impede Ethiopia's democratic progress;
Whereas ethnic, intercommunal, and intracommunal violence since 2017 caused the
death of hundreds and displaced more than 3,000,000 Ethiopians,
including over a million people displaced by conflict and violence in
2019 alone, according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center;
Whereas the COVID-19 pandemic led the Government of Ethiopia to declare a state
of emergency and indefinitely postpone elections originally scheduled
for August 2020;
Whereas the killing of prominent Oromo musician Haacaaluu Hundeessaa on June 29,
2020, sparked more than a week of violence and arrests, contributing to
growing concerns about instability;
Whereas ethnic and religious minorities were targeted in violent attacks, and
homes, businesses, and religious institutions were looted or destroyed;
Whereas hundreds of people have been killed in the recent ethnic violence and
unrest, some of them by Ethiopian security forces;
Whereas Ethiopian security forces have arrested more than 7,000 people since the
unrest began, including several journalists and prominent opposition
politicians, and their continued detention has spurred further protests
and violence;
Whereas the Government of Ethiopia has employed tactics, such as mass arrests,
internet shutdowns, and prolonged detention without charge, that echo
practices used before the opening of political space in 2018,
threatening the democratic progress made over the last 2 years;
Whereas polarizing narratives and threats of violence endorsed by some members
of the opposition and parts of the diaspora also jeopardize Ethiopia's
transition to democracy by raising tensions and increasing the prospects
for interethnic and interreligious violence;
Whereas dialogue among the ruling and opposition parties on elections and the
democratic transition appears to have stalled;
Whereas transitional justice processes and mechanisms can help address
legitimate grievances, and strengthen security, development,
reconciliation, and good governance;
Whereas the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) is nearing completion, and is
expected to significantly increase Ethiopia's electricity generation
capacity and generate billions of dollars from energy exports;
Whereas negotiations surrounding Nile River water rights have a long, complex
history involving regional and domestic considerations by Egypt,
Ethiopia, and Sudan; and
Whereas a mutually acceptable agreement is critical for future regional
stability and economic growth: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) stands by the people of Ethiopia and supports their
peaceful efforts to advance democratic reforms and to exercise
the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Ethiopia;
(2) strongly supports the historic reform measures
undertaken by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed since 2018, including
efforts to promote human rights, privatize the economy, repeal
restrictions on freedoms of expression, organize the first ever
multi-party Presidential elections, and resolve regional
conflicts;
(3) condemns--
(A) the targeted violence and destruction of
property directed against ethnic and religious
minorities;
(B) the excessive use of force by Ethiopian
security forces against peaceful protesters;
(C) the arrest and detention of journalists and
peaceful protesters who exercised their constitutional
rights to freedom of assembly and expression; and
(D) hate speech and disinformation that fuel ethnic
and political violence, propagated by individuals and
organized groups based in Ethiopia and in the diaspora;
(4) urges protesters in Ethiopia to refrain from violence
and to refrain from incitement or acceptance of violence in
demonstrations;
(5) urges all political, religious, and community leaders
to call for calm and encourage their supporters to reject
violence;
(6) urges all armed factions to cease their conflict with
the Government of Ethiopia and engage in peaceful negotiations
directly or through intermediaries;
(7) welcomes efforts by reformed national institutions such
as the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission to foster respect for
human rights and the rule of law;
(8) calls on the Government of Ethiopia to--
(A) conduct full, credible, and transparent
investigations into the killings that took place in
Oromia, Addis Ababa, and the Southern Nations,
Nationalities, and People's Region amid the recent
protests and unrest, including an investigation into
the assassination of Haacaaluu Hundeessaa;
(B) take immediate steps to prevent the use of
excessive force by security forces and ensure
accountability for security forces found responsible;
(C) demonstrate respect for due process and ensure
fair, transparent, and expeditious trials of
journalists, activists, and opposition politicians
arrested during the recent unrest;
(D) respect the right to freedom of peaceful
assembly and guarantee the freedom of the press and
mass media, in keeping with Articles 29 and 30 of the
Constitution of Ethiopia;
(E) resume dialogue with opposition parties on
outstanding issues regarding democratic transformation,
including determining a timeline for national
elections; and
(F) consider employing transitional justice
approaches, mechanisms, and measures to address
grievances in order to contribute to a democratic,
peaceful, and prosperous future for Ethiopia;
(9) calls on the United States Government to--
(A) play a more active and vocal role in
encouraging and supporting an inclusive, intra-
Ethiopian dialogue on democratic reforms, elections,
ethnic violence, and accountability for serious human
rights abuses;
(B) immediately allow all obligated and planned
bilateral foreign assistance to Ethiopia to continue,
including critical funding for global health security,
civil society and election preparedness, economic
growth, food security, and counterterrorism; and
(C) consider application of existing United States
sanctions authority, including as provided for in the
Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, for
gross violations of internationally recognized human
rights;
(10) supports the African Union-led GERD negotiations among
Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, and support an equitable outcome
fair to all parties; and
(11) supports increased United States private sector
investment in Ethiopia, including in key sectors such as
telecommunications, energy, and agriculture, and encourages
continued efforts to spur economic growth and privatize the
economy.
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