Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-15-Speech-4-228"
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"en.20051215.38.4-228"2
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".
Mr President, the Commission is very concerned about the internal political developments in Ethiopia since the elections on 15 May. The democratisation process has come to a difficult crossroads.
Currently, the Commission is promoting the advocacy role of Ethiopian civil society with the aim of enabling them to play a stronger role in the democratisation process. In our view, these efforts must be continued, despite setbacks to the democratisation process.
On the Ethiopia/Eritrea peace process I would like to recall the European Union position on this matter. The European Union encourages the parties to abide by the Algiers Peace Agreement, as well as by the final and binding decision of April 2002 of the Ethiopia/Eritrea Boundary Commission. Eritrea and Ethiopia should respect and implement UN Security Council Resolution 1640(2005). Furthermore, the initiative is with the United Nations Security Council because the United Nations is the guarantor of the Algiers Peace Agreement and can enforce international law.
The Commission condemns the killings of innocent civilians by the security forces on the streets of Addis Ababa and in other cities of the country in July and November. The arrest of thousands of people for sympathising with the opposition parties is unacceptable.
The Commission also condemns the arrest of opposition leaders who have completed three weeks of hunger strike, putting their lives in danger.
The Commission’s concern has been expressed in writing by Commissioner Louis Michel, as well as in Addis Ababa by the European Union and United States' ambassadors, and by the Donor Ambassadors Group. The Ethiopian authorities have been duly notified of our concerns but have not yet reacted in a constructive manner.
As an immediate reaction to the events, the Commission and other donors have agreed to reconsider the implementation of development aid. Budget support is already delayed, whereas humanitarian aid, food aid and other programmes continue at present.
On the political front, the European Union Heads of Mission will launch a structured political dialogue with the Ethiopian Government, according to Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement.
The Heads of Mission in Addis Ababa have proposed to the government a detailed structure for the dialogue and performance indicators to measure progress on the political and human rights situations. These indicators mainly relate to progress in the democratisation process, the respect for human rights and the rule of law, as well as issues of regional peace and stability.
At this stage, the Commission does not consider that consultations, as foreseen in Article 96, should be opened because there is still hope that political dialogue can achieve positive results.
In the longer term, the Commission will need to work on the strengthening of democratic institutions in Ethiopia and the promotion of open dialogue between the government and civil society."@en1
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