Ethiopia April 2007
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COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT ETHIOPIA 11 APRIL 2007 RDS-IND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE ETHIOPIA 11 APRIL 2007 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN ETHIOPIA, 24 MARCH 2007 TO 5 APRIL 2007 REPORTS ON ETHIOPIA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED SINCE 1 APRIL 2007 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ..................................................................................... 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.03 2. ECONOMY ......................................................................................... 2.01 3. HISTORY ........................................................................................... 3.01 Dergue Trials ................................................................................ 3.06 Border Conflict with Eritrea 1998-2006....................................... 3.06 National Elections May 2005 ....................................................... 3.13 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS ................................................................... 4.01 March 2007.................................................................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION .................................................................................. 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM............................................................................ 6.01 Political Overview......................................................................... 6.01 The Executive Branch.................................................................. 6.02 The Legislative Branch ................................................................ 6.03 Ethiopian politics in general........................................................ 6.04 Ethnicity in Ethiopian politics ..................................................... 6.07 Coalitions ...................................................................................... 6.08 The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front ........ 6.09 The Opposition ............................................................................. 6.12 United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) ............................ 6.20 Oromo National Congress (Member of UEDF)........................... 6.29 Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Coalition (Member of UEDF) .........6.30 Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) ................................. 6.31 All Ethiopian Unity Party (Member of CUD) .............................. 6.43 Ethiopian Democratic Party ........................................................ 6.46 United Ethiopian Democratic Party (Member of CUD) .............. 6.47 The Rainbow Party of Berhanu Nega ......................................... 6.49 Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) .................... 6.50 Council of Alternative Forces for Peace and Democracy in Ethiopia .............6.52 Hadiya National Democratic Organization (Member of UEDF). 6.53 Rebel Groups/Illegal Opposition Parties.................................... 6.51 Ai-Ittihad Al-Islam (AIAI) ............................................................ 6.54 Oromo Liberation Front.............................................................. 6.55 Ogaden National Liberation Front.............................................. 6.64 Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party..................................... 6.66 Ethiopian People’s Patriotic Front.............................................. 6.67 ii This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 11 April 2007. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. 11 APRIL 2007 ETHIOPIA Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION......................................................................... 8.01 9. CRIME............................................................................................... 9.01 10. SECURITY FORCES ............................................................................ 10.01 Police............................................................................................. 10.02 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 10.06 Armed forces ................................................................................ 10.08 Torture ....................................................................................... 10.10 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 10.20 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 10.26 11. MILITARY SERVICE............................................................................. 11.01 12. JUDICIARY ........................................................................................ 12.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 12.01 Former Members of the Dergue/Workers Party of Ethiopia ..... 12.07 Organisation ................................................................................. 12.10 Independence ............................................................................... 12.11 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 12.15 Penal code and code of criminal procedure.............................. 12.19 13. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS ......................................... 13.01 Disappearance.............................................................................. 13.07 Political prisoners ........................................................................ 13.08 14. PRISON CONDITIONS.......................................................................... 14.01 15. DEATH PENALTY................................................................................ 15.01 16. POLITICAL AFFILIATION...................................................................... 16.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 16.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 16.07 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 16.14 17. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ...................................................... 17.01 Overview of the Ethiopian media................................................ 17.01 Newspapers and journals............................................................ 17.09 Television and radio..................................................................... 17.16 The internet................................................................................... 17.19 18. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS ......... 18.01 Civil society .................................................................................. 18.01 Non-governmental organisations ............................................... 18.02 Human rights activists................................................................. 18.10 19. CORRUPTION .................................................................................... 19.01 20. FREEDOM OF RELIGION...................................................................... 21.01 Overview ....................................................................................... 20.01 Legal and policy framework ........................................................ 20.05 Restrictions on religious freedom .............................................. 20.09 Ethiopian orthodox church.......................................................... 20.14 Protestants.................................................................................... 20.16 Islam .............................................................................................. 20.17 Jehovah’s witnesses.................................................................... 20.22 Ethiopian Jews ............................................................................. 20.23 Pentecostals ................................................................................. 20.26 21. ETHNIC GROUPS................................................................................ 21.01 Ethnic divisions............................................................................ 21.02 Languages in Ethiopia ................................................................. 21.05 Oromos.......................................................................................... 21.08 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 11 April 2007. iii Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. ETHIOPIA 11 APRIL 2007 Amharas ........................................................................................ 21.14 Sidama/Sidamo............................................................................. 21.18 Somalis.......................................................................................... 21.17 Berta (‘shankella’, beni, shangui) .............................................. 21.19 Afar ................................................................................................ 21.23 Gurage........................................................................................... 21.23 Anuak ...........................................................................................