During the last two-and-half years Ethiopia has moved on a path of reforms that aim to bring about changes in the democratic system, rule of law and economic development. Yet the path the government passed through over the stated period was not a bed of roses. It has been facing various challenges including unrest and the global public health threat, COVID 19-pandemic. Over the week, The Ethiopian Herald had made a brief stay with Billene Seyoum, Prime Minister Office (PMO) Press Secretariat International Media Spokesperson to find out the progresses of the government in realizing its objectives and other current issues. Excerpts:
Herald: – Can we say the country is back to normal? Would you mention some indicators?
Billene: First, I would like to express condolences on behalf of the Office of the Prime Minister to [Hachalu Hundessa’s] family, friends and fans. It was a huge loss of life that took place. At the same time again condolences to the families and friends of individuals that had lost their lives as a result of the destruction and riots that ensued his death.
Contrary to lots of media outlets belief, and this is something that had also taken place on the social media as well as on the traditional media internationally, indeed the country has stabilized. But we also need to be careful when we are saying the country has gone back to stability, as the unfolding had occurred only in Addis Ababa and up to six zones of Oromia. We have to be careful not to paint a picture that all of these things happened throughout the country.
There were deadly events that took place on Tuesday, 30 June 2020, and partially on Wednesday. People went to express sadness and solidarity following the death of Hachalu, but there were some elements that hijacked the peaceful expressions of solidarity for other disruptive purposes. However, by the afternoon of Wednesday of that week, things had gone under control. Following those few days, indicators of having gone back to normal activities were witnessed; to mention but a few, people were going out, undertaking their day-to-day activities as well and businesses opened.
Herald: Now is major rainy season and people would be planting trees during this season. So, can we say that the people’ve resumed the green legacy initiative?
Billene: Though what occurred had been to a smaller extent in Addis and to a larger one in Oromia region, as Ethiopians, we share common threat and common humanity. The incident has affected a lot of people. Somehow, the tree planting may have been deterred in those moments. Following that, however, we have seen in different parts of the country, people resuming normal activities, particularly in a way of expressing their hopes for peace, planting trees.
For instance, the PM as well as other high-level government officials have planted tree seedlings within the compound of the PMO as a memorial for Hachalu Hundessa. The same was true in other parts that are not affected, and has continued.
Herald: Can you tell us about the achievements of the government ever since it took office?
Billene: One important issue that we have to understand is that democratization is a process; it is not something which can be materialized within a short period of time. When we look at the political history of Ethiopia, it had been marred with violent conquest to get to power. One of the key indicators of democratization or nascent or budding democracy witnessed recently was that there had been peaceful power transfer between the last Prime Minister [Hailemariam Dessalegn] and the current one [Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed].
It did not happen in a violent way. Following that there has been a series of reform undertakings, political, economic reforms, and social reforms… To this end, there have been reforms taking place in the Ministry of Defense and the security sector in general. Those institutions are that used to serve one party, and the vision and aspiration of one party rather than being accountable to the people of Ethiopia. The efforts of making sure that the defense and security sector are accountable to the people of Ethiopia, or not to a particular political party is one demonstration, though the reform has not ended.
The other aspect is that the media spaces have been opened up. There had been clear invitations to those outlets that were in exile to operate in the country. These media outlets had previously been branded as terrorists by the former anti-terrorism proclamation.
Close to the change of administration, and at the time when we were under a state of emergency, there was a fear factor; people were told if they were found watching those media channels, there would be repercussions by the government.
So, coming out of such repressive and autocratic political environment to a space that has been opened up allowed these media entities to operate here within the confines of the laws of the land and media principles. These are manifestations of the democratization process.
Like that, there are so many other key milestones you’re looking at the country that had appeared democratic or was operating under the banner of democracy for the last twenty seven/eight years. Our political history was really one of autocracy rather than democracy. Coming out of that, it takes a long time to build the foundation and what this administration has been doing for the past 2.5 years is a double task.
Number one is scraping of everything that had been utilized under the banner of democracy, not necessarily destroying, but leveling out what did not serve as democracy or nascent democracy and putting in place the foundations for what is supposed to be a real democracy in the true sense and that process is still going. Probably, we may fully experience the manifestations of that in the coming years as well as for the generations to come.
If you look at the practice of other countries, counties that have been long time democracy, there are still ongoing evolution. Ours is emerging within the last 2.5 years. The foundations are there. So, we are building those adequate institutions, not strengthening but building institutions.
There is a misinformation that there were institutions before but they had not really been functioning, or they were serving a particular purpose. Building institutions that are accountable to the people, building the capacity and mindset within the society to utilize those institutions adequately is part of the on-going democratization process. It is a long process but it is something that this administration is committed to at the highest level. Having such political will at the highest level is quite critical to the processe.
Herald: In connection with the recent unrest, the government has banned some media and shutdown the internet. Does this not go against the government will of ensuring press freedom? How does the government reconcile press freedom and responsibility?
Billene: There are three components to what you have said. I don’t think the government is compromising press freedom. Press freedom still exists, but press freedom exists within the confines of press responsibility. The press and the media are there to inform the public of major undertakings, it is also there to hold government and other entities accountable for what they said and done as well. They are there to promote the flow of ideas, they are there to educate and build the [society].
Media has got multiple tasks and responsibilities as part of educating and as part of intensifying development. Particularly, in materializing the ambition of this administration in creating prosperous Ethiopia, media is an important component, particularly when you are looking at hundred and plus million population, a growing population and a growing youth, a multi-identity and multi-ethnic state.
In term of this, the media is a powerful tool to bring about development, harmony, tolerance and to promote coexistence as well.
Then again media exists and functions within in specified laws, the laws of the land, and international protocols and norms that also govern press freedom. When we talk about press freedom, we shouldn’t necessarily always correlate it to the freedom to say anything that we want; the responsibility comes in term of what impacts are you having on different categories and protected categories as well What we witnessed after the announcement of Hachalu Hundessa’s untimely death is incitement by various groups based within the country and outside of the country in two forms. Through social media, incitement of hate and violence; and intensifying riots and destruction of people’s lives and livelihoods. That was one thing that had been witnessed.
Second thing was utilizing extremist voices through the traditional media, inciting hate towards a particular group based on an assumption that a particular group was responsible for the killing of Hachalu. Mind you, when we or the nation fold out that Hachalu was killed, nobody knew about his killer or killers, nobody knew where his killer or killers came from, who they are, what their background is, what their affiliation is.
As a media entity, the reporting was supposed to be objective and non-partisan. Reporting such one-sided and targeted accusations towards a particular group as being responsible for the killing is dangerous. Because this is something that is part of an investigation to find out who they are affiliated with and what they are coming through. What we saw through these media was rather intensifying the destructions further.
The government has a primary responsibility of maintaining rule of law, which is why the government exists. Governments have responsibility of guaranteeing human security, ensuring people’s livelihoods, lives and their property also protected. In light of what was being called for further destruction and further violence, taking actions towards these kinds of entities, was important—one of them being the internet disruption, which is now being slowly restored. Government has a responsibility that what has already started does not intensify and continue due to the measures taken.
If you look at the stocks taking over the past weeks, the number of lives lost as a result of being targeted based on who they are, and the number of property that had been destroyed is huge. People’s livelihood, built over their entire lifetime was being vanished in one particular day, while they did not know what could happen the next day. So, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the intensification does not happen.
So it is not necessarily pushing press freedom but ensuring that press and media that were intensifying and inciting harm rather than informing public rightfully within the laws held accountable. The government has been ensuring, through its mandate, the rule of law that such media entities are held accountable.
Herald: Some people claim that the government has tended to be soft in taking actions against some forces like activists, social media or parties involving in series of destructive activities. How do you see that?
Billene: The government has not been soft. Ethiopia’s longtime political history of autocracy and particularly while the country had declared itself democratic at the world stage for the past 27/8 years, using the banner of democracy, there were a lot of repressive activities that had been undertaken. Ethiopia was not really a democratic state. Coming out of that and with this administration’s particular commitment in the democratization process, it was important that a lot of reforms and a lot of opening ups and patience had to be endured because democratization is new to Ethiopia and the process is new to lot of citizens as well.
So, while these reforms are taking place, that element that I had mentioned to you earlier about changing mindset needs to happen at the same time as well. A lot of these things have been happening through the space that has been opened up for conversations, for dialogues, and debate constructively to materialize. Yes, there are groups that have taken advantage of that but not for positive reinforcement but have rather taken the advantage to create instability in the country as well.
If the government was not democratic or if it was not functioning within the confines of the constitutional order in place, it could have had a heavy hand like we have been used to over the past twenty something years.
This administration chose to take the path of being pragmatic and patient within the democratization process. Expecting things would turn around within a short period of time, 2.5 years, is very difficult. It should not be taken as softness, it is a way of modeling to citizen’s democratization looks like, it is a way of modeling to institutions that clamping down the moment something happens is not the way to democratization but it was letting this to air out.
Herald: Can we say some elements endangering democratization is putting the process under question mark?
Billene: Absolutely not. Even what we say is happening within the confines of the rule of law; it is within government’s authority to protect the constitutional order, to ensure the rule of law is manifested. So, there are speculations that we’re rolling back on democratization. But that is absolutely not. Markers to this is the expediting of the legal process and if you see the attorney general office, people apprehended including high-level individuals are brought to court within 48 hours, there have been access and many more privileges that have been provided and this is something the human right commission as an independent body validated as well with minor corrective measure that need to be taken as well. Another component is holding not only non-government individuals and people within the government at the Oromia region are held accountable, what has been publicly proclaimed is equally enforced. Institutions are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
Herald: The government says the recent unrest is prearranged and coordinated attempt as shortcut to power, originally meant to be staged in September. Why do you think it surfaced in June?
Billene: I can’t really explain on behalf of the instigators, but there is evidence that clearly has come out from police and attorney general’s offices that it is orchestrated attempt by those who attempt to cease power back and by those that has been struggling for power.
But, this is clearly not the way to engage in the new Ethiopia as some of those implicated were invited by the government under the merciful amnesty to engage in peaceful ways. They had been branded by the previous regime as terrorist, and had been struggling out of the country for several years and the current administration has allowed to come under blanket amnesty and engage in peaceful struggle, to enable them put on table their policy options.
The attempt to come to power through political intrigue and through creating fear and terror on the people is characteristic of how things were before. The current administration does not encourage that.
We really need to start moving away because Ethiopia has a lot of potential; Ethiopia has clearly lots of untapped potential in terms of human capacity. With growing population, with youth going to education and coming out, and with abundant natural resources, with a little bit of an investment put in to it, Ethiopia can be an emblem of prosperity and stability for the Horn and Africa.
What Ethiopia and Ethiopians need at this time are people that engage in bringing alternative policy options which will take us to the path of prosperity. If the final ambition is prosperity, if the final outcome is prosperity, and if what people are vying for is the way to achieve that, they need to table them and say these are the policy options. Taking up arms and creating instability are not the way to win the hearts and minds of Ethiopians. Ultimately, Ethiopians are the one to decide the administration and the people that lead them to prosperity.
Herald: Had these forces been operating alone or there are external hands?
Billene: That is something that the investigations are going to step into the work of the federal police and the attorney general. It is an ongoing investigation. In a nutshell, there is evidence indicating towards that, over the course of the due legal process, the attorney general and the federal police will explicitly share how the connection is made.
Herald: Do you think the killing of Hachalu has any link with the intention of interrupting the planned filling of GERD?
Regardless of this incident, there would always be a plan to interrupt the filling and operation of the dam. The GERD is a huge project for Ethiopia, not only for Ethiopia but it is a clear demonstration of African countries’ capacity to mobilize, develop and operate huge infrastructural projects by itself. There could definitely be forces that do not want this going to happen. With regards to the incident, like I said, the federal police and attorney general will come back to that connection.
Herald: Finally, do you have any message for the diplomatic community and Ethiopians?
Billene: The reform that has been started will not be scaling back; in fact there is a further momentum. So, the diplomatic community and the international community are requested to understand the context and dynamics of it. The international community as well needs to understand, in their assessment and their outlook towards Ethiopia, the context of how things are happening. There is a tendency for media that is not within in the country to really sensationalize what’s happening, craft it and design it as this is a huge demise to Ethiopia. That is not the case at all.
This is a hurdle that Ethiopia has overcome and will overcome as well, condensing or reducing Ethiopia to sound bites and to sensational titles is not accurate, and it is not accurate to the aspiration of this country. Also it would be disingenuous to the capacity of Ethiopians to always go back to a narrative that were used to as Africans, as a country within Africa as well, that such incidence would display.
To reflect on individuals, to really move away from a mindset that we may have adopted over the years, not really having a say in where we’re going. Because the actions we take, the words we choose, the conversations we engage in the debate we choose to take or not to take will ultimately decide our path to prosperity or to destruction.
An amalgamation of choices is what directs a country towards a desired outcome, this is a call for silent voices particularly sober and silent voices to come out and show their solidarity to the Ethiopia’s prosperity, not necessarily solidarity to the government, on ways and means of utilizing our potential towards a constructive engagement and utilizing the capacity and energy towards creating Ethiopia.
Herald: Thank you very much
Billene: Thank you
The Ethiopian Herald July 19, 2020
BY ZEKARIAS WOLDEMARIAM
