By Tewodros, De Birhan Staffer
28 September 2012
The Prime Minister said this in his address at the General Debate of the 67th Secession of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today. This controversial statement comes when his regime is being continuously criticized for violating civil and political rights of its people at home. The late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi used to give various justifications of the precedence and relationship between human rights/democracy and economic development before he finally said that there was no relationship between the two during the 22nd World Economic Forum meeting in Addis Abeba in May 2012. Hailemariam's "bizarre" justification of human rights and economic development signals that there is little hope of openness and policy shift with regards to democracy and human rights from/by the new Prime Minister.
28 September 2012
The new Ethiopian Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn has said that there was no human rights violations than stopping the economic development that was being registered in Africa, particularly in Ethiopia. He said,
...out of the 10 fastest growing economies in the world last year, 6 were Africans and I should mention, Ethiopia is among the sixth. Africa is in deed changing, and changing for the better. There is no greater human rights violation than attempts to put obstacles to the success of this ongoing transformation of Africa which would have enormous salutary implications for hundreds of millions of Africans.
The Prime Minister said this in his address at the General Debate of the 67th Secession of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today. This controversial statement comes when his regime is being continuously criticized for violating civil and political rights of its people at home. The late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi used to give various justifications of the precedence and relationship between human rights/democracy and economic development before he finally said that there was no relationship between the two during the 22nd World Economic Forum meeting in Addis Abeba in May 2012. Hailemariam's "bizarre" justification of human rights and economic development signals that there is little hope of openness and policy shift with regards to democracy and human rights from/by the new Prime Minister.
Hailemariam also stated that his country was ready to work with neighboring countries for economic growth, peace and security and commitment to continue to "assist" Somalia. He also mentioned his pleasure at the "major progress" in the peace process between the two Sudans.
