Ethiopians hold demonstration in DC denouncing human rights violations in their country, demand US to take firm stand

ESAT News (March 15, 2016)

Ethiopians living in the metropolitan Washington, DC area held a demonstration at the US State Department on Tuesday denouncing the human rights violations perpetrated by the tyrannical regime in their country against the people of Surma in South Ethiopia as well as the human rights abuses at various locations in the country.

The demonstrators also demanded the US government to show unwavering stance against the human rights abuses perpetrated by its ally in Ethiopia.

An international uproar ensued last week after a picture of Surma men in a chain gang, loaded on a police pickup, surfaced on the social media. They were apparently held by the regime’s forces for protesting the seizure of their land by the government for sugar plantations.

The Ethiopians demanded the regime in their country to immediately desist the wide range of human rights violations in Oromia, Wolkait in Amahra and Gambella regions and other corners of the country. The demonstrators hold the oppressive regime in Ethiopia responsible for the death of hundreds of people in the Oromia region of Ethiopia in the last four months protests.

The organizers of the demonstration have submitted to the US State Department a paper detailing the various human rights violations in Ethiopia.

Tuesday’s demonstration was organized by the Washington DC Joint Task Force, civic, political and religious organizations.