A video that went viral last week on the social media portraying an arrested man whose hands were bound behind his back and beaten by two policemen created public grievances. Before a couple of years, likewise, a forceful response of policemen on those who publicly expressed their protest against the government was a habitual scene on the street of Addis Ababa.
However, after the reform that brings comparative stability to the nation, such incidents are strange and might reactivate individuals’ past trauma. Actually, the reform resulted in improved human rights handling in Ethiopia. For instance, the current leadership of the nation released thousands of political prisoners and dismissed some abusive security force officers. And for the first time in eight years, Human Rights Watch staffs were permitted to visit the country. People are free to express their opinions. They are speaking very openly about sensitive subjects in public spaces, cafes, and mini buses.
To be consistent with the results of the reform, the city police commission expressed its apology for the wrong deed after detaining the staffs last week. Such incidents shouldn’t be happen again as they regenerate crime squads to affect laws, according to the commission. When the law is broken by any ordinary person, it won’t cause notable influence. However, the impact may get worsen when it offensively misconducted by individuals who have power.
In Ethiopia, some incidents that cause instability are not limited to individuals who motivated by ill thought but also by some undisciplined law enforcing staffs. Therefore, improving the disciplines of citizens especially law enforcing individuals is significant to reduce crimes.
The Ministry of Peace (MoP) is also working with intended bodies to restructure and reform the police institutes and their internal arrangements and services. The ministry has discussed with stakeholders on the ways to undertake the rearrangement to ensure a well-disciplined and impartial personnel that won’t be variable through regimes.
Accordingly, the committee that leads the police doctrine and directives roadmap preparation has been established and it is working on the rearrangement process through identifying five basic points including limitations of law, policy and strategy. In addition, structural miscommunications, training setbacks, and shortages of logistics and armament are some of the constraints identified by the committee to be fixed under the new roadmap.
Former members of the police staff also expressed their recommendations on the roadmap. They suggested that the administration of the nation’s police should be led by its own authority and should remain free of political partiality. They also recommended that the country needs to strengthen its police services in active participation of the public. Moreover, the former police detectives request the organizers of the panel to give emphasis to sector disciplines and ethical principles.
Besides to the security bodies, it is also important to closely work with various bodies to enforce laws through active participation of each stakeholder. Ministry’s recent agreement to work together with religious institution and foreign partners is one stride to this end.
Recently, Minister of Peace Muferihat Kemil has discussed with Pope Mathias, Ethiopian Orthodox Church Leader, ways the church can participate in advocating peace. The pope underscored that while the church has been endeavoring to ensure peace and unity through generations it is yet exposed to various offences by some wrongdoers.
He also called on the government to take legal measures who try to attack the church. According to Muferihat, the attacks are not only intended to the church rather they are orchestrated on all religious institutions. Therefore, the religious leaders and their followers ought to work in collaboration with the government in building democracy and ensuring rule of law. The pope also expressed the commitment for cooperation.
On the other hand, the country is also working in cooperation with international partners in exchanging experiences and to collaborate in enforcing laws and ensuring peace. It is remembered that recently Ethiopia and US have signed a cooperation agreement on law enforcement and criminal justice for their respective governments.
Recently, United Kingdom Ambassador Alastair McPhail visited the Ministry of Peace and met with Minister Muferihat to discuss the current affairs of Ethiopia. They also identified potential areas in which Ethiopia and UK can work in cooperation. Ambassador McPhail expressed UK’s interest in working along with the Ministry. Muferihat shared with the Ambassador about the way that the government is working to address current concerns through police reform and conflict resolution.
She also indicated the effort of her ministry together with ministry of health in addressing the trauma induced due to IDPs. Her ministry is at the heart of the reform process and it is redefining what peace-building means in Ethiopia, she underlined.
It is not only injustice and grievance that drive a certain people to upheaval, the weak structure of the government also plays uneasy role when it fails to take legal measure on those who break the law, said Dagnachew Assefa (PhD) in a program that recently organized by the office of the prime minister to discuss on peace.
In addition, he said, when the government lacks power or when it gets reluctant to properly use military and other security institutions public rebellions will be inevitable. Therefore, he noted that the government should strengthen its security bodies across the country and effectively operate them to enforce laws without abusing human rights.
To sum up, the Ethiopian government has accomplished a great deal in improving the human rights landscape since the reform. Commitment to legal reforms of repressive laws, lifting restrictions on access to the internet and the like that cultivate respect for the human rights ought to be sustained. Improving respect for human rights can be ensured without compromising the rule of law.
The Ethiopian Herald September 3, 2019
BY YOHANES JEMANEH
