On Thursday a joint investigation by Newsnight and the Bureau was broadcast on the BBC. The film exposed human rights abuses and the withholding of aid for political means within Ethiopia.
The Ethiopian Embassy in the UK has now issued a press statement rejecting the allegations made. The Deputy Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK Abdirashid Dulane was interviewed on the programme.
The Embassy has also asked for further opportunity to put forward its side of the argument.
Here is a copy of the statement:
PRESS STATEMENT ON NEWSNIGHT FILM ON ETHIOPIA
5th August 2011
Last night, 4th August, BBC Newsnight broadcast a 17-minute film making allegations of human rights abuses against the Ethiopian government. The timing of this report is guaranteed to inflict maximum damage on those who are suffering from the worst drought for sixty years in our region. It was difficult to respond to allegations in the few minutes given to our Deputy Head of Mission, Ambassador Abdirashid Dulane, after the film was aired, when we had not been permitted to see the film in advance. We are issuing this statement to put the record straight.
The most serious allegations in the film, which the government utterly refutes, were voiced by the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Ethiopia’s parliament has designated the ONLF and OLF as terrorist groups. The two groups are affiliated to Al Shabab and Al Qaeda. None of this was mentioned in the film.
The Ethiopian government refutes absolutely the allegation that there is a policy or practice of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrest and routine torture by the police, prison officers and other members of the security services and the military.
The ONLF admitted to killing 74 Ethiopian citizens and Chinese workers at the Abole oil installation in April 2007. Its UK spokesman openly boasted about this on Al Jazeera Television’s English and Arabic services the following day. Despite assurances from the Newsnight producer, these facts were not included in the Newsnight film. The vast majority of the people of the region do not support the ONLF because it has a well-known policy of destroying development infrastructure and attacking communities that do not support it. The voices of this majority were not heard.
Newsnight repeatedly claimed that their film was made ‘clandestinely’ as the film-makers would ‘not have been allowed to film in Ethiopia’ if they had applied for visas. But dozens of film crews visit Ethiopia every month. The BBC’s own correspondent Mike Wooldridge was in Ethiopia three weeks ago for a week covering the drought in the Ogaden region itself and was issued a visa instantly. Newsnight were made aware of this but, again, chose not to tell its viewers.
It is regrettable that the BBC failed to consider the context – the wide array of rights that the majority of Ethiopian people now have to education, healthcare, clean water, increased agricultural output, which the British government and people have generously supported and continue to support, and micro-credit schemes to start up small and medium sized businesses, to mention but a few.
Ethiopia has an independent judiciary that is respected throughout the African continent and beyond. Defendants are treated in accordance with the law and due process is observed. Ethiopian prisons undergo regular inspections by independent bodies.
The Ethiopian government refutes absolutely the allegation that there is a policy or practice of extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrest and routine torture by the police, prison officers and other members of the security services and the military. The Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) fully understands the importance of serving the cause of the people. It has won the hearts and minds of people in the Ogaden region as it always ensures that its actions against spoilers in the region do not in any way disrupt the peaceful lives of the people of the region. The army’s professional integrity and discipline is not limited to its activities within Ethiopia. This has also been repeatedly demonstrated in the numerous peace-keeping operations in which it has taken part, in various part of the continent. It is unheard of for countries to agree to the deployment of an entire brigade from a neighbouring country in a peacekeeping mission, but the reputation of the ENDF is such that both South and North Sudan have unequivocally agreed to its recent deployment.
The Ethiopian police and other security services are equally well trained and disciplined and there is no evidence, apart from the noisy allegations of the ONLF and some international NGOs of questionable motives, to suggest that torture and other inhumane treatment are systematically used to extract confessions.
Newsnight’s claim that aid is being denied to supporters of the opposition has been strongly refuted, not just by the Ethiopian government but by the Donors’ Assistance Group (DAG), a consortium of 26 donor governments and international organizations such as the World Bank, based in Addis Ababa, after it had made thorough investigations.
Ethiopia has an independent judiciary that is respected throughout the African continent and beyond. Defendants are treated in accordance with the law and due process is observed. Ethiopian prisons undergo regular inspections by independent bodies. The ICRC gives regular training to prison staff and prisons have become rehabilitation centres so that those serving time can learn skills thus easily reintegrate into society.
The BBC’s Addis Ababa correspondents have largely made an effort to come up with well-informed, balanced and fair coverage. We feel that on this occasion the BBC has abandoned all attempt at fairness and produced a polemical and deeply damaging film that does not reflect the lives of Ethiopia’s 82 million people, but relies on the testimony only of those who are engaged in terrorism in the region and of a few Diaspora-based rejectionist politicians. We reiterate our views that last night’s programme presented an unbalanced story about the Horn of Africa drought crisis, using it as a pretext to make allegations based on unsubstantiated facts. We urge BBC Newsnight to offer the Ethiopian people a right to reply worthy of the name and look forward to its response.
ENDS
August 5th, 2011 at 6:27 pm (#)
the regime has a culture of not admitting anything ever!
its absolutely shameful to them to replay like this!
why do they refuse ICRC to go in to Ogaden? why do they arrest Jeffry of NY Times? and now Martin and Johan of Sweden? why the the Region in under Blockage since 2007?
how could won 99’9% of the last election in the Country?
why do the rape, kill torture the young women in the Ogaden?
August 5th, 2011 at 8:06 pm (#)
WHY then UK is donating 400 million to ethiopia if it is not reaching the intended people. we the people of britain have already donated well on the drought in east africa, we love to see the suffering people to be supported. But how is that possible if their governments are delibareteley starfing their people.
August 5th, 2011 at 8:39 pm (#)
this is normal bark of ethiopian current regime,and they trying to defend them selves in order to beg and take british tax payers so they can feed their military which killing,raping and looting the ogaden people and its land.
It is trial that they want bogas the international community to not to talk about the plight of ogaden.And they don’t know that the world has develop and no body can hide any this in this world.
let them know the BBC is not for them it is the most soffestacated news chennal in the world and It doesn’t effect the lairs and looters allagation,and I hope we receive more about ogaden plight.
Thank you for you report
And let not those lairs make you bussy for you accredited jobs that you have done for innocent people.
Thank you.but
Abdi.
August 5th, 2011 at 8:44 pm (#)
Try harder- Please.
A typical response from genocidal minority ethnocentric dictatorship thugs.
The irony is that they (TPLF) claimed Derg (the previous regime) did all the horrible things that they themselves are doing now. The fact of the matter is Ethiopia has never seen such an evil entity like the TPLF. It is a punishment from god.
August 5th, 2011 at 8:52 pm (#)
it is rabish press statement that has been written by most ignorance country or regime in the world.
August 5th, 2011 at 9:10 pm (#)
What a drama, a report full of lie and fabrication…what the hell happened to BBC??? Did they smell some kind of oil resource in Ethiopia? or how much are they paid to produce such a fiction like report full of disgusting lies? Well, well Ethiopia is much stronger than ever before, this rubbish report is simply going to make it even stronger. Ethiopia is at peace with itself and helping other African get peace…whatever bullshit story you creat, it is not going to change anything on the ground…BBC will be loooooser…
August 5th, 2011 at 9:22 pm (#)
The regime(April the fool) always telling its old fashioned lies to the intentional community, and the worst thing is the western accept it’s lies and pour millions of dollars that goes to torture the Ethiopia people. Who is terrorist????? people fighting for their right & freedom or the regime that torture, terrorize and oppress the people ??
August 5th, 2011 at 9:51 pm (#)
This called government of Ethiopia is a shame to the whole continent . Unless you put bullets in their empty head , they don’t admit whatever evidence you bring to them …..Meles and all his puppets are stone-headed.
When you see the regime’s security forces who are recruited from Meles Zenawi’s own ethnic group slaughtering civilians in front of your eyes , they come up with a bunch of lies to blindly justify the killing that the victims are OLF or ONLF militias whom the public at large know they are not linked to these group whatsoever .
………these cliques were born in lies and will also dies in lies
August 5th, 2011 at 10:21 pm (#)
I have no words for this shameles response.
Do you want us believe that a rebel group in 1980′s that spent 95% of food aid to buy weapons would have a sense of humanity now?
I wonder what kind of non-sense people you are. Don’t you have fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters? emagine one of the being yours, and try to feel it please.
Thank you BBC
August 5th, 2011 at 10:23 pm (#)
Ambassador Aldirashid do you think you are alive for me you are dead or half dead it is better to tell the truth and be a daily laborer than to be an Ambassador like you.
There are adequate information that your Government is using food as a biological weapon to eliminate what he considers as enemies.
Terrorizing farmers/pastoralists by labelling opposition supporters disrupts normal agricultural/pastoral activity and no wonder if the people are dying of famine caused by your Government. Denying farmers land, agricultural inputs, credit by labelling them as opposition supporters or not ruling party members or friendly for sure causes famine. Controlling the national and international trade by non-tax paying party affiliated companies and hoarding grains for sure causes famine.
The world should be serious and say no to state terrorism going on in Ethiopia. Meles and his servants are all known for not telling the truth.
August 5th, 2011 at 10:31 pm (#)
The tyrants live on denial. Even if you catch the murdering with bloodied hands, they would deny. Deny, deny, deny!
The question here is not about ONL or OLF, but about the starving people of Ethiopia – the money that has been snatched from the mouths of the starving and used for private purpose, feeding those who support these tyrants and staving those who stand up against them.
We are under the yoke of tyrant regime, caging hundreds of thousands in jail, maining, killing thousands, and vanishing millions of us into exile.
This is a regime that evicts farmers and sells their land to foreigners. This is a regime that sells our women to third countries and housemades. This is a regime that sells children as adoptees.
Well done Bureau of Investigative jouralism! Well done! Thank you for being the voice of the voiceless for our journalists have been silenced.
August 5th, 2011 at 11:49 pm (#)
Ethiopia, during the Universal Periodic Review last March in UN Headquarters in Geneva this year rejected recommendations suggested by the countries who feed that regime like US, UK, Switzerland and other countries asking acces to the Ogaden. The international NGO’s and the press are not allowed to travel to the East of Ethiopia specially in the Ogaden, where Ethiopian army helped by a local militia they set up called Liyuu Police (Special forces similar to those Janjawid in Darfur) are waging a war agains civilians.
July this year during the Human Rights Committee session in Geneva and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in New York, the Ethiopian government failed again to be in conformance with the international human and political rights standars. The both Committees stated that the rape, mass killing, arbitrary exacution and detention are commonly and widely used by Ethiopian forces in Ogaden and in Oramia.
These reports can be read on this link
http://www.ccprcentre.org/en/home/31
August 6th, 2011 at 12:55 am (#)
The BBC chose not to mention the terrorist and Islamist character of it’s sources, and that is stupid. The BBC just echos the “slander boldly, something always sticks” gibberish of terrorists that had openly admitted to slaughtering 74 Ethiopian and Chinese civilians while they were sleeping.
The supporters of these terrorists reside in Great Britain and they are repeatedly granted air time by the BBC to promote their murderous propaganda.
Lord Carlile, the government terrorism watchdog has recently warned that Britain has become a ‘safe haven’ for foreign terrorists, for these terrorists cannot be deported, due to controversial court rulings.
August 6th, 2011 at 1:20 am (#)
If melez zenawi regime is not hiding anything let NGOs like red cross and international media enter the ogaden region.
August 6th, 2011 at 2:22 am (#)
It’s no surprise to have a shameful response from brief case bandits (The Meles Zenawi’s Regime). I was working for the ministry of Defence 4 yrs a go and witness the killings and random shootings by federal police in Oromia regional state: Ambo, Nekempte, Adama, etc. The Ethiopian government has had a hidden agenda of ethnic cleansing, and this has been practiced behind the bar. How one on earth can trust them when they assert the OLF as a terrorist organisation (the well respected and trusted political party by over 50 million Oromos)?
Their statement was far from the truth although the writer seemed to take long time to draft so as to convince the Newsnight. Do not be naïve again; the Newsnight and the bureau of investigative journalism are by far smarter than you. The problem is: Meles will never ever admit his failure. Look for example, how that dolly Ambassador was reacting towards questions during the interview. He was not answering the questions appropriately; he rather wanted to fight with the interviewer. He reacted in an unmannered way exactly the same way he has been trained by his big boss, Meles Zenawi.
The Ethiopian police force and military under Meles regime has never been trained to protect Ethiopian people. They were officially trained to protect the ruling party and aggressively trained to suppress the opposition politicians and their supporters. So how can they maintain good disciple where there is no justice and violation of basic human rights in a broad day-light. Participating in peace keeping mission doesn’t mean that the security forces and military are discipline. How do you bring peace in neighbouring countries without having peace in your own states? That is laughable
August 6th, 2011 at 3:28 am (#)
Firstly, My thousands thanks to the prave journalists, who showed for the whole world their profissionalism, self-confident, and their humanity. This huge and clear evidence is less than 10% of what is going in Ethiopia partcularly Ogaden.
Secondly, Ogaden Human right reporters in the Nogob province reported the grisly discovery of the bodies of 3 women in the tributary of the city of Xamaro. They showed signs of rape and extreme torture prior to being strangulated to death using metal rods. When the bodies were found the metal rods were still connected to their necks. These three dead bodies were last seen in the custody of the Wayone (Ethiopian army) stationed in the city of Xamaro.
The names of the deceased are:
1. xxxxxx
2. xxxxxx
3. xxxxxx (We didn’t get her full name)
It is reported that in the same area locals found a young girl who miraculously survived this barbaric killings carried out by the Ethiopian military. The rope used to hang this young girl is said to have broken off and the Ethiopians left the girl for dead.
This young girl who still had the rope in her neck is reported to have been found by the city dwellers that discovered the bodies of the three victims. The name of the surviving young girl is said to be xxxxx.
Reports of civilian killings and disappearances follow renewed campaigns by the Ethiopian military to pressure civilians specially those who live in the countryside
There is constant fighting between Ethiopian troops and ONLF forces in the Ogaden region. Human rights organizations accuse the Ethiopian soldiers of violating the human rights by harassing the people in the Ogaden region.
(Editor’s note: this post has been edited in accordance with posting rules).
August 6th, 2011 at 4:33 am (#)
Nothing can obstruct a sunny day. Despite the fact that, the Ethiopian regime tried all means and ways to hide the atrocities it committed against the Ethiopian people in general and the Ogaden people in particular, eventually the fact is coming out.
It is time for the international community to pressure the Ethiopian regime to unconditionally allow the international media and the NGOs to enter Ogadenia to cover the truth on the ground and help the innocent civilians in Ogadenia.
It is the nature of an oppressor to arrogantly reply to the media in an effort to cover their messes.
Thanks to Newsnight BBC for their recent coverage on the human rights violations in Ethiopia.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:21 am (#)
TO LATE my friends The world has seen the crimes committed by the Ethiopian regime no need to tell lies your days are limited…Free Ogaden
August 6th, 2011 at 5:34 am (#)
May be for the first time ever, “our officials/embassy” responded and tried to justify their stand without insulting free media and people. I appreciate that!
I remember Anna Gomeze was publicly harassed and bad words told about her on the state owned media “ETV”, after the election of 2005. Shame on that! Thanks the bureau of Investigative Journalism for revealing your findings! Of course Ethiopian people knew it long ago….!!! but had no means to speak it out …. come on …. I am not sure if the embassy/our officials know that we have only state owned TVs in Ethiopia….. no single free TV or radio… the people have no means of getting independent views….
August 6th, 2011 at 6:17 am (#)
Ambassador Abdirashid Dulane had been given ample time to
put his side of the story. As trained he denied and lied as
they usually do. This is a government that like a pet by the west just because Al-Shabaab is alleged to be an Al-quaeda affiliate. They are give blank cheque and blind eye
for their barbarous acts throughout the country and beyond. Hundreds of journalist are exiled. Currently two are
in prison on trumped up charges. Independent media is stifled,closed down and routinely dragged to their kangaroo courts. Independent Web sites are blocked.Foreign radio broadcasts like VOA and Deutsche Welle; satellite TV like ESAT are jammed. This is a government who gave a list of names to VOA that should not to be invited on their programmes. A West-spoilt-brat.They parrot their way on their state radio and Tv programmes at home. They are not used to being challenged.
Even after the spring Arab uprising blew on their faces, western leaders, still flirt with African dictators at the expense of the suffering people of Africa. I don’t see any reason why the BBC should appease anti-democratic little brats too.
August 6th, 2011 at 6:31 am (#)
The British government, like may in the West, has been supporting brutal thugs and dictators in the interest of establishing “client dysfunctional states”. Ethiopia is a good example. The ruling thugs lead by Meles Zenawi, a servant to the West, have been torturing their own people to death for the last 20 years. The West has been providing the tools and funding to the thugs who are considered terrorists by their own people irrespective their crimes.
The West, in particular, Britain does not have excuse to ignore the ongoing tragedy caused by UK’s tax payers money provided to thugs who starve millions of people to death for decades. Enough is Enough. Africans do not want money from the West. What they are asking the West is to stop assisting brutal thugs such as Meles Zenawi and his cronies who are responsible for the death of millions of people.
August 6th, 2011 at 9:03 am (#)
“Ethiopia’s parliament has designated the ONLF and OLF as terrorist groups. The two groups are affiliated to Al Shabab and Al Qaeda.”
Hmmmmm … it’s you who did say that! Every group that is against your brutal regime is a ‘Terrorist group’.
Amazingly, the government do all the killings and tortures so systematically that the fact had been hidden from the international community for so long. I am an Ethiopian and I live in Addis. Do you journalists have the courage to do a similar investigation in the other parts of the country, including the capital Addis?? Then, do it ASAP as you and the tax payers, whose money is used for human rights abuses and political oppression, will be surprised to know the worst! Of course it will be a very dangerous task for you and the people you might try to get facts from, but that’s the rule of the game in journalism.
August 6th, 2011 at 9:09 am (#)
I dont know what to say to this ethiopian statement,The world has seen the crimes against humanity you have committed in the Ogaden and else where in ethiopia.You can no longer deny this,You have been lying to the international community for decades.What u deserve is to be brought to justice for the crimes you have committed.furthermore,you should immedtley allow human rights organization to purse their work and media to operate in the ogaden.If u have nothing to hide allow to work freely in the country.Melez and his regime is the worst criminal in world.
August 6th, 2011 at 9:16 am (#)
“Ethiopia’s parliament has designated the ONLF and OLF as terrorist groups. The two groups are affiliated to Al Shabab and Al Qaeda.”
Hmmmmm … it’s you who did say that! Every group that is against your brutal regime is a ‘Terrorist group’.
Amazingly, the government do all the killings and tortures so systematically that the fact had been hidden from the international community for so long. I am an Ethiopian and I live in Addis. Do you journalists have the courage to do a similar investigation in the other parts of the country, including the capital Addis?? Then, do it ASAP as you and the tax payers, whose money is used for human rights abuses and political oppression, will be surprised to know the worst! Of course it will be a very dangerous task for you and the people you might try to get facts from, but that’s the rule of the game in journalism.
August 6th, 2011 at 9:34 am (#)
This minority regime has no shame in denial. The saddest thing is that it does no have the power to deceive the world but it is countries such as the U.S and U.K. that are deliberately ignoring the suffering of the people of Ethiopia for their narrow interest. Everybody knows the Ethiopian minority regime could not survive without this aid even for a single day and the West have extreme leverage on the regime, but alas they do not want to pressure the regime to comply with the basi human rights issues the very pillars of their philosophy they claim to stand for. I hold for one the U.S. and the U.K. responsible for the suffering of the people for failing to pressure the regime and for providing an instrument of oppression. The regime is weak and lifeless, it is only because of these aids that is sustaining itself to oppress the Ethiopian people. But after long silence it is time to expose this brutal regime and thank you for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC for their work. Do not get intimidated by the recless denial of the regime and the offensive of their online supporters who benefit from this aid money. Tell the truth to the world especially to the tax payers who deserve to know the truth.
August 6th, 2011 at 10:44 am (#)
Who wil believe Ethiopia had an independent judicairy system ,, may be as they said African attocrates, or the EPRDF !! Ethiopia was dictatorial and will remain dictatorial if the Ethiopian people do not accept to die for their freedom. This regime is the worst ever in Ethiopia, becouse durin Haile Selasie ad Mingisto the militry were profissinal army whereby in this regime the army oficialdome are all TPLF cadres who believe in nothig but Tigrei (Woyane) suppermacy. Support ONLF and build your own army to defend the country and your self from Woyane degrading abuses otherwise keep crying.
August 6th, 2011 at 10:55 am (#)
How can you deny the stories of those women who have been betrayed by their government. It is unfortunate that our governments funds such terror. SHAME ON US
August 6th, 2011 at 11:16 am (#)
It is usuall of the BBC to broadcast allegations of this type. It is not long ago the broadcast corporation asked Sir Bob Geldof an excuse about its unfounded report about Ethiopia’s 1984 famine. And I think the BBC should ask another exuse this time too.
August 6th, 2011 at 11:51 am (#)
Ethiopia just give up, it is too late. You cannot cover the sun with your hands. How long can you continue lying?
August 6th, 2011 at 12:58 pm (#)
this report is a fabricated news by states like Egypt,Eritrea and some other groups with greedy journalists who don’t want Ethiopia to be a strong nation ,this isn’t the first time they fabricated such allegations on Ethiopia,now because Ethiopia is growing faster than any country with the aid of the western countries they want to block the aid so they can drag us down again.Don’t let them fool ya.
August 6th, 2011 at 1:26 pm (#)
Thanks to BBC Newsnight and Bureau of Investigative Journalism for revealing the real tragedy unfolds in Ethiopia, particularly in Ogaden. As horrifying reports continue to emerge, and humanitarian emergency grows in Ogaden, due to the current drought crisis engulfing Ogaden, which is largely caused by the Ethiopian policy of starving out the Ogaden people. Yet there is no indication that the United Nations and international community are willing to intervene, despite promises of never again and explicit obligations under the 1948 Convention on Genocide.
There is a real risk of another imminent, extraordinary human catastrophe right under the eyes of the United Nations Security Council and international community, yet they are not acting promptly to stop the genocide taking place in Ogaden. History is watching the international community and will be judged, so with that in mind, it is time for the United Nations and the international communities to take prompt action to stop the genocide that is taking place in Ogaden before it is too late.
The ongoing genocide in Ogaden is a tragedy that shocks the conscience of every human being who cares about human rights and basic human dignity. But the Ethiopian regime tries hard to hide the atrocities that they committed against the innocent people in Ogaden and the latest BBC Newsnight interview and this shameful press statement are good examples. So I urge the UN and international community to cease the silence policy and set up inquiry into allegations of cross human rights violations that are ongoing in Ogaden.
August 6th, 2011 at 1:55 pm (#)
Bravo by the excellent intervention of Ambassador Abdrashid and by the well prepared follow-up of the Press Statement. This is a documentary financed by Human Rights Watch. It is a mockery of Investigative Journalism. What is investigative about about hearing the lies and fabrications of the old, bankrupt and rejected so called “seasoned politicians,respected human rights advocate…” again and again? The New Ethiopia, with all its Nations, Nationalities and peoples, is on the move with the implementation of the GTP.Those few noisy losers in the diaspora and their hunchmen will fall like a dead leaf. Thanks to the British government and people for their unswerving support to change the livelihood of our people. You have to be proud that your support is changing the lives of millions who have graduated to lead productive livelihoods. Keep up the good work. BBC!!! you have become a propoganda forum for terrorist elements like ONLF and OLF. Now you are less respected internationally than Thursday Night by maligning Africa’s fastest growing economy. Don’t misuse British taxpayers money by falling prey to the ill-fated propaganda machine of HRW.
August 6th, 2011 at 1:58 pm (#)
At This moment im writing this comments at this hour and date at this month and year and last 20 years TPLF ruling party they committed crime against humanity in Ogaden people and the rest of Ethiopia; Ogaden become the hidden crime place commted by tplf. Thanks the prave reports like bbc now and NY TIMES THOMASON AND THE LAST SWIDHISH reportes who are now under TPLF hand. Ogaden the rich oil pland and the man made poorest land in the world need the intrnational community to stand and stop the crime against humanity they commiting Malse rigeme
August 6th, 2011 at 3:19 pm (#)
The BBC( Newsnight) should held their heads in shame by allowing such a garbage, one-sided, none-news worthy and politically motivated piece of trash to be aired at the British tax-payers money. It was also laughable and logic defining for the program’s editor to allow the disjointed piece to run for 17 minutes and give the Ambassador 2 minutes to respond to the staggering fictitious claims delivered by people under instruction by terrorist groups like ONLF, OLF and Dergi sympathisers, who have only one motive and that is to turn the clock back to what it was 20 years ago.
I urge the BBC’s board of trustees to look into the poor judgement so bluntly displayed by the Newsnight’s editor Peter Rippon.
August 6th, 2011 at 3:53 pm (#)
TBIJ, it seems you are only posting responses which are supporting your fabricated allegations as your outdated and poorly researched allegations. For the sake of truth and fairness post the comments immediately.
August 6th, 2011 at 4:56 pm (#)
By now everyone knows why different bodies, who have real and assumed interest in Ethiopia and the region, are behaving the way they do. So, we know why the west including Britain involved in supporting minority ethnic based despots in Ethiopia, the usual short sightedness. In the past, this policy of absolute pragmatism has been proved to be costly and even disastrous. Those who are currently in power in the west are blinded by their domestic political rating. They want to stay in power at any cost, even if that means to continue supporting repressive regimes all around the world. The Woyane repressive regime is seen as a regional partner in a fight against terrorism by the west. While it keeps on terrorizing its own people on a daily basis, systematically, using the resource received from the west. It is the Ethiopian people who have condemned to live under tyranny and state terror , while the current west governments appears to their electorate as doing everything to ‘protect’ them from the force of terrorism.
The case is clear; it is up to us, the Ethiopians, to prove to the little Woyane and the short sighted west that they cannot continue feeding each other in this common crime against us.
As to the undercover journalists (I know what it takes to go a place like a current Ethiopia and come back with a report like you did.) you have no other interest, except, telling the truth to the world, what actually is happening in this forsaken land of Ethiopia. You are true professionals. We Ethiopian will never forget those who come to our aid in this very difficult time in our history.
Hey!!! You guys, you should be proud of yourself, as we are proud of you, the same goes to Ana Gomez.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:23 pm (#)
First of all I would like to thank the jurnists who risk their lives to exposed this criminal regime. If Ethiopian ever need friends to help, it is now. By exposing the true nature of the regime to the Europeans and Americans public {not officials}, by telling them how their officials are financing murderer regime with their taxes will bring change to the ethiopian people. We all know what happen to Egypian Hussnein Mubarak, one of the west main puppet in the region. Thanks to brave men like you who covered the uprising,international public opinion got to hot and they abondanded him. So please continue to expose the regime in support of the defensless people of Ethiopia. God bless you
August 6th, 2011 at 5:35 pm (#)
Its absurd to assume that the required standard of investigative journalism has been applied.
As the ambsdr A dulane has rightly said the report lacks objectivity.B/c they allegedly claimed that the goverment has banned the bbc in the ogaden but the reality is there was a bbc reporter in the area reporting the impact of drought in the area and was even reporting in dolo ado refugees camp in the border area.
Therefor, they either choose to ignore this reality or did not knew altogather and in both cases amounts a wholly breach of the very principles of investigative journalism.
What a shame.
Ofcourse in ethiopia there is a lot of violations and problems to cover but its another thing when the motive is purely politics and mouthpiece of outlawed terrorists organisations
August 6th, 2011 at 6:28 pm (#)
The Game is over# thanks BBC.
August 6th, 2011 at 7:50 pm (#)
the fact that british gov is giving donation dont allow you to right any thing you like. did u forget that its with the help of british government that TPLF come to power. u are the source of trouble in ethiopia and the rest of african country. it is clear that you are worried about the money not the human right in ethiopia. this is right time to defame ethiopia. i know that there is lack of fairnes, justice as it is in most african country.this doesnt mean that ethiopia is a hell.
August 6th, 2011 at 10:09 pm (#)
I don’t blame Meles Zenawi.
I blame those British Ministers that use our hard earned taxpayers money to support a regime that is starving its own people. The more they terrorise their own people, the more money that we give to this government. The more money they spend on buying military armament, the more we give our hard earned money.
Meles just spent over $100 million dollars buying 200 tanks. By giving more money to this guy, we are indirectly subsidizing his military expenditure. How can any Minister justify this? This is not new.
August 7th, 2011 at 1:07 am (#)
Has the TBIJ smell the oil in ogaden its absurd to think otherwise.becouse if u look at the timing of their report has knowingly or unknowingly correspond exactly after the gov’t awarded a contract to chinese company & they come up this old stories of allegations here and there
August 7th, 2011 at 5:26 am (#)
Dear,Sir/Madam.
Since I watch this report , i was looking the explanation of the the human right words and I found that the meaning of the word is ( the tool of that the western government is use to destroy to where they want to distroy ) if the human right meaning is not what I said ,why then this things happening by the hands of a pour and ignorant government that killing.
Thank you.but
August 7th, 2011 at 8:14 am (#)
The New Ethiopia will march to a better pasture and let me quote an Afari proverb “Let the caravan move while the noisy dogs bark”. HRW, ONLF, Remnants of the butcher Derg, TBIJ the Ethiopia of today is alert, strong and is minding its business of defeating poverty and backwardness sustainably within a short time.Eat your heart out Abdi “trailer” and see the New Ethiopia after five short years of implementing GTP.
August 7th, 2011 at 11:48 am (#)
On behalf of Ogaden Youth and Student Union, we congratulate BBC Newsnight and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism for the bravery they have shown. We hope the world will take a notice and question where and how their Aid is used. Congratulation BBC and the Journalist who risked his life. Your effort of trying to discover the hidden genocide and human right violation that exist in the Ogaden and the rest of Ethiopia is appreciated.
Lul
August 7th, 2011 at 5:29 pm (#)
It is not fair that the Oromo`s are being treated like this.
We need to do some thing.
I am six years old.
August 7th, 2011 at 10:14 pm (#)
I have never watched a report which far from the truth and also full of fabrication …edited stories from the dadab refugee camps in northen kenya..infact you could have gone to the ground and established the truth about ethiopia….. so sorry for the bbc…..which is great company……yet agian bbc should apologise as they have done before……..similar aid reports proved to be wrong……….
August 8th, 2011 at 6:01 pm (#)
I wasn’t surprised to watch the documentary by Newsnight and The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. At the same time I wasn’t also surprised to see a representative from the Regime deny the undeniable truths about the Human Rights abuses by the regime with no shame, because even if they personally agree with the content of the report they cannot say both in private and in public because it will cost them dear.
Despite the repeated verbal denial by the Ambassador of the evidence confronted with him, I could however sense and see clearly the pain and anguish the ambassador was feeling inside (his face and demeanour said it all) when he was confronted by the Newsnight host with the powerful images of atrocities taking place in Ethiopia and in particular in the Ogaden region. Again he cannot help, because he is a captive to the regime himself.
I also read the Press Release by the Embassy trying to limit the damages which I think is already done. I am also concerned about the tone of the Statements and if you read between the lines the regime is already blaming the Ambassador for his poor performance. I would not be surprised if he is recalled to Addis Ababa soon and he knows what this means.
August 9th, 2011 at 1:38 am (#)
The crimes committed in the Ogaden by this Ethiopian regime are some of the most heinous crimes of the last decades in the whole world. Worst of all the media has been silent.
Thank you for having the courage to expose it.
i challenge the regime to allow unfettered access to the Ogaden for journalists and human rights organisations.
Even the Red Cross is not allowed to operate there.
Aid has always been used as weapon by regime that is not new.
August 10th, 2011 at 2:35 am (#)
I can not stop laughing at all these TPLF cadres pretending to have Ogaden names such as “Abdi” and the real give away is the way they spell Dhadhab Refugee Camps. They call it “Dadab”. No Somali speaking person will call it Dadab. Get a grip and stop defending the indefensible. You can not cling onto power like this by draging the whole country down with your blood thirsty regime who have little regard to human life. The BBC is an independent and respected media and I think it is queite ignorant of the regime and its cadres to blame anyone but themselves and I find it astunding you labeling your oppositions terrorists when you are terrorising your own citizens or shall we say Ethiopian citizens as you only beleive in Tigree supremacy just like Hitlers Nazis and believe that no one else has the right to live. We as British citizens will be telling our politicians in no uncertain terms that we do not want our hard earned taxes to be spend in this manner. In any way, how long must we feed the hungary people as we have been doing over the past 50 years without ever estabalishing any outputs like democracy. The Derg was a dictatorship and even more so by this regime led by a former rebel who claims to have won the last elections by more than 99% of the vote. We all know that Malez was competing with himself while all the opposition were lock up or chased out of the country. There is no democracy in Ethiopia and the sad thing is we are still funding him. Anybody shed some light as to why?