Skip to main content
Start of content
Start of content

432-00009 (Foreign affairs)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the House of Commons

We, the undersigned Canadian citizens and residents of Oromo descent draw the attention of the House of Commons to the current political violence targeting Oromos in Ethiopia.

The current Ethiopian Government is systematically dismantling the country's constitution of multinational federation and carrying out heinous political violence against citizens defending the constitution. Hiding behind the Nobel Peace Prize, the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is reinstituting dictatorship and totalitarian repression. The recent Amnesty International report of May 29 highlights some of the gross human rights violations in 2019.

Since then the brutal atrocities have worsened, now hiding behind the State of Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under state-sponsored terrorism, the military is intensifying its extrajudicial killings, torture, mass imprisonments, and mass evictions. State-sponsored militias and vigilantes are terrorizing and killing innocent civilians. Hundreds of young Oromos are murdered in front of their families. Over 50,000 members and sympathisers of Oromo opposition parties are herded in prison. Mothers and daughters are gangraped side by side. Elderly people are mercilessly beaten. Hundreds of thousands are evicted from their lands and homes. This terrorizing of citizens intensifies the regime's ongoing crimes against humanity.

Therefore, we the undersigned request the House of Commons to be our voice and raise our concerns to call on the Canadian Government to:

1) Stand for human rights and press Ethiopia to stop its brutal crimes against humanity;

2) Examine Canada's foreign aid to Ethiopia which the regime uses to intensify repression;

3) Press Ethiopia to hold the elections it postponed within reasonable time;

4) Press Ethiopia to stop torture, free political prisoners, and bring perpetrators to justice;

5) Press Ethiopia to stop killing innocents and withdraw its military from civilian areas;

6) Press Ethiopia to stop sponsoring the atrocities of militias and vigilantes.

Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne

The promotion and protection of human rights, democracy and fundamental freedoms is a cornerstone of Canadian foreign policy. Together with other members of the international community, the Government of Canada has publically expressed concerns with respect to the recent instances of intercommunal and political violence in Ethiopia.

Canada is committed to standing up for human rights and striving for a world where the rights and freedoms of all people are respected. Canada supports efforts underway in Ethiopia to open democratic space and is working with the Government of Ethiopia to strengthen its capacity to uphold fundamental freedoms, implement reforms, and engage in inclusive dialogue. Specifically, the Government of Canada funds programs which seek to strengthen Ethiopia’s democratic institutions and the delivery of free and fair elections, with a special focus on ensuring the participation of women, youth and ethnic groups, in the electoral process. Recently, the Government of Canada contributed $1 million to help strengthen the capacity of the National Election Board of Ethiopia to conduct credible, inclusive and peaceful elections.

Canada will continue to monitor the human rights situation in Ethiopia and engage with a broad range of actors, including government officials, non-governmental organizations, and representatives of civil society, to promote and protect human rights.

Presented to the House of Commons
Tim Uppal (Edmonton Mill Woods)
September 25, 2020 (Petition No. 432-00009)
Government response tabled
November 16, 2020
Photo - Tim Uppal
Edmonton Mill Woods
Conservative Caucus
Alberta

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.