Ethiopia COI Compilation

Ethiopia COI Compilation

BEREICH | EVENTL. ABTEILUNG | WWW.ROTESKREUZ.AT ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin & Asylum Research and Documentation Ethiopia: COI Compilation November 2019 This report serves the specific purpose of collating legally relevant information on conditions in countries of origin pertinent to the assessment of claims for asylum. It is not intended to be a general report on human rights conditions. The report is prepared within a specified time frame on the basis of publicly available documents as well as information provided by experts. All sources are cited and fully referenced. This report is not, and does not purport to be, either exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, or conclusive as to the merits of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Every effort has been made to compile information from reliable sources; users should refer to the full text of documents cited and assess the credibility, relevance and timeliness of source material with reference to the specific research concerns arising from individual applications. © Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD An electronic version of this report is available on www.ecoi.net. Austrian Red Cross/ACCORD Wiedner Hauptstraße 32 A- 1040 Vienna, Austria Phone: +43 1 58 900 – 582 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.redcross.at/accord This report was commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Division of International Protection. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it endorse, its content. TABLE OF CONTENTS List of abbreviations ........................................................................................................................ 4 1 Background information ......................................................................................................... 6 1.1 Geographical information .................................................................................................... 6 1.1.1 Map of Ethiopia ............................................................................................................ 6 1.1.2 Territories of major ethnic groups .............................................................................. 7 1.2 Brief overview of political institutions ................................................................................ 8 1.2.1 Federal structure .......................................................................................................... 9 1.2.2 Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) ................................. 15 1.3 Ethnic groups in Ethiopia ................................................................................................... 18 2 Main political developments ................................................................................................ 22 2.1 Anti-government protests 2015-2017 .............................................................................. 22 2.1.1 Planned expansion of Addis Ababa ........................................................................... 22 2.1.2 State of emergency (October 2016 - August 2017) .................................................. 23 2.2 Resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn and selection of Abiy Ahmed Ali ........................ 24 2.3 Political reforms from February 2018 to November 2019 .............................................. 25 2.3.1 Expansion of civil and political rights......................................................................... 27 2.4 Sidama referendum ........................................................................................................... 32 2.5 June 2019 events (“attempted coup”) ............................................................................. 34 3 Political opposition ................................................................................................................ 36 3.1 Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) ........................................................................................... 36 3.2 Oromo Democratic Front .................................................................................................. 38 3.3 Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) ........................................................................ 39 3.4 Ginbot 7 (aka G7, Arbegnoch Ginbot 7, Patriotic Ginbot 7, PG7) ................................... 40 3.5 Youth groups ...................................................................................................................... 42 3.6 Other opposition parties and alliances ............................................................................. 46 4 Security forces ....................................................................................................................... 49 4.1 Police .................................................................................................................................. 50 4.1.1 Federal Police ............................................................................................................. 51 4.1.2 Regional Police ............................................................................................................ 52 4.2 Military ................................................................................................................................ 54 4.3 National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) ............................................................. 56 4.4 Intelligence monitoring ...................................................................................................... 59 4.4.1 Monitoring of persons within Ethiopia ..................................................................... 59 4.4.2 Monitoring of Ethiopian diaspora.............................................................................. 60 5 General human rights issues ................................................................................................ 63 5.1 Freedom of expression, association, and assembly ......................................................... 63 5.1.1 Treatment of political opposition groups and activists ............................................ 64 5.1.2 Treatment of human rights and women’s rights activists........................................ 65 5.2 Freedom of the media ....................................................................................................... 66 5.2.1 Treatment of journalists and bloggers ...................................................................... 68 5.2.2 Internet and social media activism (incl. internet providers and censorship) ........ 69 5.3 Freedom of religion ........................................................................................................... 72 5.4 Treatment of women ......................................................................................................... 74 2 5.4.1 Violence against women ............................................................................................ 75 5.4.2 Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) .............................................................................. 77 5.5 Treatment of individuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities ............. 79 5.5.1 Legal situation and treatment by the state............................................................... 79 5.5.2 Treatment by members of society ............................................................................ 79 6 Rule of law/Administration of justice ................................................................................... 82 6.1 General overview of the Ethiopian judicial system .......................................................... 82 6.2 Detention procedures and conditions .............................................................................. 84 6.3 Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) .................................................................. 89 7 Situation of ethnic groups .................................................................................................... 91 7.1 Oromia regional state, Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa .............................................................. 92 7.1.1 Political discontent in Oromia regional state ............................................................ 92 7.1.2 Central Oromia including Addis Ababa ..................................................................... 95 7.1.3 Eastern Oromia and border area of Somali regional state and Dire Dawa ............. 97 7.1.4 Guji - Gedeo conflict ................................................................................................. 102 7.1.5 Western Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz ............................................................. 104 7.1.6 Continued armed activities of Oromo liberation groups ....................................... 105 7.2 Amhara regional state ..................................................................................................... 109 7.2.1 Political discontent in Ahmara regional state ......................................................... 109 7.2.2 Ethnic conflict in Amhara regional state ................................................................. 112 7.2.3 Clashes between ethnic Qemant (Kemant, Kimant, Qimant) and Amhara ........... 112 7.2.4 Conflict in Benishangul-Gumuz and Amhara regional states ................................. 114 7.3 Tigray regional state ........................................................................................................ 117 7.3.1 Political discontent

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