Ethiopian activists disrupt mining conference in Perth, Western Australia

By Mareshet Meshesha
September 13, 2016

Ethiopians representing different civic and community groups disrupted Africa Down Under Mining Conference held at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth, Western Australia. The activists patiently waited for the conference delegate Mr Jemal Bekir, representing Tolessa Shagi, the mining minister finish his presentation in which he told the conference that Ethiopia has a democratic government and that the country was not land-locked as it has access to the Indian ocean through Djibouti and Kenya, both countries including South Sudan and Uganda, with which he claims Ethiopia to have an economic cooperation. Also present in the venue was the tplf ambassador in Australia, Tirfe Kidane.

Ethiopian activists at the conference asked the speaker what his definition of democracy was and if Ethiopia was actually a safe destination for investment in mining resources. They also confronted ambassador Tirfe Kidane about the recent killings of unarmed protesters and human right abuses. They told the conference delegates not to trust the tplf delegates as they represent a system of liars and killers.

Many Ethiopians were also protesting outside the conference venue.