"Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person", article 3, Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

"Every individual shall have the right to enjoy the best attainable state of physical and mental health", article 16. The African Charter on Human and People's Rights

As the world observes World AIDS Day, SOCEPP expresses its concern for the victims of this virus while once again exposing the human rights violations of the TPLF/EPRDF regime in Ethiopia. No less than 4 million Ethiopians are afflicted by the AIDS virus and thousands of deaths are registered every year. The regime's discriminatory ethnic politics and practices have compounded the problem and the fact that the health sector has been neglected in most parts of the country has enabled the virus to afflict and kill thousands annually. The regime militates for a system of uncontrolled sex trade with pre teen girls on the market, child prostitution fanned and lack of awareness of the AIDS menace tolerated if not encouraged. The top officials of the regime ranging from the wife of the unelected Prime Minister Meles Zenawi up to the widely contested and condemned patriarch of the Orthodox Church are engaged in the NGO racket dealing with AIDS. Money solicited and sent for combating AIDS has been embezzled and diverted to foreign bank accounts (New York and Malaysia).

The AIDS epidemic in Ethiopia and Africa as a whole is debilitating and destroying the vital labour force. The breakdown of the health system, the corruption and fleecing associated with the retroviral drugs, the refusal to launch a vast and effective awareness campaign, the ethnic politics that deliberately exposes certain ethnic groups to the epidemic, the collaboration between certain local and international NGOs to divert the money donated for the anti-AIDS campaign are all to be mentioned and duly condemned for the disastrous spread of AIDS in Ethiopia and Africa. Life under brutal dictators also spawns desperation and hopelessness leading to alcoholism and unsafe sex and AIDS. The regime of Meles Zenawi has exposed the people of Ethiopia to death from AIDS and as it spends millions on arms and neglects the people's right to enjoy the best attainable physical health it deserves a vigorous condemnation. Its ongoing racketeering on the AIDS disaster should also be condemned and stopped.