Evidence of meeting #10 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was ethiopia.
A video is available from Parliament.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
You're starting the clock from the beginning. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I was saying that the subcommittee is unfortunately used to doing these kinds of studies, and we are often told that women and children are the first victims in conflicts like the one in the Tigray region.
Ms. Hailu Gebrekirstoes, can you give us some insight into what life is like for women and girls in the Tigray region right now?
Balderas North America
I'm concerned about Balderas for True Democracy. I don't have too much about the Tigrayan region. What happened is there, but I believe and I know that all over Ethiopia, there are women, men and a lot of old ladies dying everywhere. There is injustice and there is no freedom. It's been three years. Mr. Abiy Ahmed was given an award for peace. He promised peace and freedom, but what we see is that everybody is dying and nobody has the right to say a word. Even political parties are arrested and they're not able to do anything. That's what I know.
Bloc
Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe Bloc Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Thank you, Ms. Hailu Gebrekirstoes.
Perhaps Mr. Hussein could provide us with more information, since he does so much work with refugees. I imagine he's heard many people's stories.
Program Director, CARE Sudan
We have over 60,000 refugees in Sudan who fled from the Tigray conflict and most of them are women, girls and children. They are disproportionately affected by the crisis, whether they lost their husbands, brothers or fathers. They're extremely fragile at the moment. There is also a report of ongoing rape and killings within the Tigray region. That is not only in the Tigray region but in many parts of Ethiopia, even if today our focus is on the Tigray crisis.
To give you one example, I met with a woman with three children who lost her husband in the conflict. He was not on anybody's side. He was just killed in the crossfire. She's here in Sudan with her children and she doesn't have any hope for the future. I met another women who was supposed to have a cancer treatment in Adrigat National Hospital, but she ran to Sudan because of the conflict. When she reported to the clinic in the refugee camp, she was given only anti-pain medication for her serious medical care.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Thank you.
We're now moving to Ms. McPherson for five minutes, and this will end our first round.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you to all of our witnesses. I have spent a great deal of time in Ethiopia and it's very sad for me to hear some of this testimony. I actually realized that the painting behind me is one that I purchased in Addis Ababa. I take all of this very much to my heart.
One of the things that I would like to ask about is Canada's role in helping with this conflict. I know, particularly with our overseas development assistance and with humanitarian aid, that Ethiopia is an enormous recipient of our aid. Almost $200 million goes to Ethiopia from the Canadian government. It seems to me that, at this point, that aid is being weaponized. From what I'm hearing from you, that's very clearly happening. Food is being withheld and humanitarian aid is being withheld.
I would like to start by asking my fellow Albertan, Mr. Teklay, to talk a little bit about the impacts of Canadian aid. What would you like to see the Canadian government do and how would you like to see the Canadian government use that as a tool?
February 16th, 2021 / 8:35 p.m.
Association of Tigrayan Communities in Canada
Thank you, honourable member of Parliament.
If the regime gets money, it's using it on war. In the last three years, we haven't seen that much development in Ethiopia. It's just building the military, buying machine guns, etc. Now it has gotten to the extent of even paying the Eritrean regime a service fee for the crime or for the support it's giving the Addis Ababa regime, for its involvement.
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
That's not the humanitarian dollars that are being spent on that, is it, from your perspective?
Association of Tigrayan Communities in Canada
It's going to the same coffers so we don't know if the regime is spending the money responsibly. I don't know what procedures are in place to make sure Canadian dollars are spent appropriately. I assume that the regime has all the leverage to divert the money to wherever it wants to divert it.
I would say there should be a clear accountability of humanitarian aid money and a way to reach out to the actual recipients, but not through the government. If it goes through the government it will be directed for other purposes, which means for—
NDP
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Thank you.
Maybe Mr. Hussein or somebody from the CSO community, the humanitarian community, could also comment on that.
Program Director, CARE Sudan
Absolutely.
What I would like to request is that the Canadian government not withhold humanitarian assistance to the Ethiopian people or the Sudan government, which is hosting more than 60,000 refugees. However, there is a need to work with the government to address this critical issue, which is not only the Tigray crisis.
If today we're in Tigray for this crisis, I'm sure tomorrow something else will happen. Of course, there is an ongoing crisis in Benishangul-Gumuz, which is not reported as much. We have very critical structural problems within the country and tomorrow we'll have another crisis unless the Government of Canada and others work with the government to address these critical issues. We don't have a commonality as a country, so everything is very polarized and everybody has their own narrative of the situation.
For some people the Tigray conflict started when the war broke out, but no, it was in the making for years. It is not because Abiy Ahmed came to power. We have an ethnic-based country. If you are from Tigray, you don't feel safe in the Amhara region or other regions, and vice versa. It is a very polarized country that needs huge help in terms of addressing these conflicting narratives everywhere.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Thank you, Ms. McPherson.
We've moving to our second round now, members and witnesses.
We have to limit our time. We're at two and a half minutes per questioner, and we'll try to hold to that pretty strictly.
Our first questioner is Anita Vandenbeld from the Liberals for two and a half minutes.
Liberal
Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON
Thank you very much.
I want to thank all of the witnesses for being here today to explain this to us.
I remember it was only a few years ago, I believe in 2018, at a global democracy conference, that Ethiopia was held up as the great promising hope. Clearly, the international community missed certain warning signs.
How is it that it went from this tremendous hope for democracy to this deplorable situation we're hearing about today? What is it that the international community can do better in terms of being able to be forewarned?
I hear what Mr. Hussein is saying, that this was in the making for many years, if not decades. How do we forewarn and prevent these kinds of things from happening, particularly when the international community is looking at it as a promising area?
Balderas North America
The Ethiopian budget comes from aid and loans from Canada, the U.S. and the European Union. As donor countries they can pressure the government to reform to make everybody safe by amending the constitution, respecting human rights and solving political problems through talks, through round table discussions, not through using weapons.
Abiy Ahmed cares more about his image and he cares more about being a peaceful man. He's been the Gorbachev of Ethiopia. He cares more about his image. If these donor countries pressure him to make reforms, and say, if not, then we're not giving him money, “Stop the war, and if you don't, then we won't give you money”, this kind of talk would have a big impact.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Peter Fonseca
Thank you very much. We're going to have to move to our next questioner.
We have, from the Conservatives, Mr. Kenny Chiu, for two and a half minutes.
Conservative
Kenny Chiu Conservative Steveston—Richmond East, BC
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
My question has already been asked by the member from Edmonton Strathcona, which is actually great, but I would like to expand on it a little bit, Mr. Teklay.
We heard about the weaponization of agriculture and products. You mentioned about the government side of it, but what about the NGOs? Is the foreign NGO aid in the region helping or not helping?
Association of Tigrayan Communities in Canada
Thank you.
One of the biggest problems is the government not allowing access to humanitarian aid, whether it's food or medicine or anything else. Repeated calls have been made by UN agencies—the Norwegian Red Cross, for example—and the government doesn't say no, but it puts in place bureaucratic hurdles so that these NGOs won't be able to deliver the necessary aid to people in need.