From Thursday, African leaders will gather in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, home of the African Union (AU), for the continental body’s annual summit. This week, the Ethiopian Human Rights Council said “at least 45 civilians” had been killed by federal troops in Amhara. This, despite a history of domestic turmoil: for example mass arrests of street hawkers and the homeless in Addis Ababa, to keep out of view of visiting dignitaries and release after their departure, has gone unnoticed. Strategic alignmentIndeed Ethiopia has often gotten a pass from the international community despite several human rights violations and questionable foreign policies. “The government had expressed its displeasure with the AU’s inquiry, calling it ‘regrettable’ and ‘unilateral’,” explains journalist and Addis Standard magazine’s founder Tsedale Lemma.
