Saturday, November 23, 2013
he Oromos and other nation and nationalities
The Oromos and other nation and nationalities of Ethiopia in Germany, Protest Killing of migrants in Saudi Arabia
UOSG | November 22, 2013A Protest demonstration organized by the Union of Oromo Students in Germany (UOSG) in collaboration with the Oromo Community in Hessen and the Oromo Community in Munich and strongly condemns the mass killing, inhumanly killing, torturing, murdering, massacring, brutal treatment and being raping by Saudi citizens and security forces publicly more than ever. The protest took place on 21 November 2013 in front of the Saudi Arabia consulate in Frankfurt am Main, Germany with more than 60 peoples. The very active and emotional participation of the numerous members of the Union of Oromo Students and the Oromo nationals from all parts of Germany, gave a special glamour to it with slogans of Stop killing innocents migrants, Saudi Shame on you!!! Saudi you will pay the price!!!!!You are killer! Saudi Arabia you are terriorist, you are murderer, Free our brothers and sisters, you are rapper…raper…raper, Stop killing and Rape our sister and Brothers!!Enough is enough!!The blood of Oromo youths and Nation of Ethiopians cries out for justice’:
The call for the Demonstration including our demand letter was already sent to different organizations and diplomatic missions operating in Germany including City administration of Frankfurt, Aminist International EU and Human Right Watch.
fullreport http://ayyaantuu.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Report21Nov2013Demonstration.pdf
Monday, November 18, 2013
WE WILL RISE AGAIN!
By Bahru D. Bayisa*
The twenty-first century is marked by an unprecedented technological advancement. This in turn resulted in the mingling of diverse groups of people throughout the world thereby enabling societies to accept, or at least, tolerate the myriads of differences among them. As often said, the globe has become one village, and no niche is an island anymore. The modern human being, regardless of where he or she lives or which race or ethnicity he or she belongs to, is now confronted with the undeniable truth that no one group of people is inferior or superior to any other.
In one of the graduate courses I took on diversity at the San Diego State University, we had to do a “cultural plunge” by going to communities of people from different cultures, and languages that were not intelligible to us. We plunged ourselves into cultures of the groups and tried to introspect how we felt about ourselves as a result of being different, or not being able to communicate with anyone. The result was astonishing. We felt totally lost and alone despite the crowd. The experience was so informative and powerful that, as teachers, we can always empathize with any student who comes to our classes from the Middle Eastern, Asian or African cultures with minimum English language skills, and find him- or herself in a totally different cultural milieu.
The fact that we are different culturally, linguistically, psychologically, or racially does not mean that we are better or worse than others. We are just different. Any one person may, sooner or later, unavoidably experience a culture shock when involved in a cultural plunge. Most educated and confident people understand these diversity issues, and try to treat everyone with respect without expecting any favor in return. For example, some studies show that most people in the United States treat immigrants with significant amounts of respect by going out of their ways to support them in various ways. They don’t really care whether you are Chaltu or Mantegbosh!
However, some supercilious and arrogant groups and individuals condescend on the cultures and languages of other people as if their culture and language are better than that of others. In the Ethiopian empire, where over eighty ethnic groups coexist with their own cultures and languages, it’s incomprehensible for an average person — let alone the so-called educated ones, to be totally out of touch with this reality. Most “main stream” Amharic-speaking Ethiopians are still oblivious about the burning issues of diversity in the country, and they don’t seem prepared to take a single stride in the right direction. They fervently deny or justify verbally and psychologically abusing others especially, the Oromo people. There is no way they feel the pain and agony they inflicted on most of us because the pains are only ours, and we cannot forget them. Their own proverb, “Ye wega biresa, ye tewega ayiresam,” may be in order here, so to speak.
No language, culture, religion, or lineage makes a people the first-class citizens of any country at the expense of others, and for our Ethiopian friends, this truth may be tantamount to an insult. Who can be equal to the saints? Time and again, most of us failed to fit their criteria, namely being Orthodox Christians, speaking Amharic only, and denying everything about us. They are not aware that the essence of diversity is acceptance, or at least tolerance, of the needs of others. I said “modern human being” above – because those who are still in the medieval mentality have not yet achieved the intellectual and moral standards of the human dignity.
“Chaltu Inde Hellen,” according to activist Geresu Tufa, is a true story of a young, bright, and pretty Oromo girl who was a relative of his. The prolific and enlightened Tesfaye Gebre’ab heard this touching story from Geresu, and only used his superb writing skills and outstanding literary gift to make the story so powerfully moving with a tragic suspense. Samson’s continuous bullying of Chaltu and his classmates’ ganging up on her as soon as the honorable teacher, Tsigie, left the classroom are all familiar classroom horror stories for many of us. It’s also worth mentioning that the actions of conscientious and caring individuals like Tsigie mean so much to the victims of this pernicious system, and that we should be very careful not to make hasty generalizations.
Anyone with a typical Oromo first (or second) name – who lived among Amharic speakers, may automatically see him- or herself in this sad story and tearfully sympathize or empathize with Chaltu, while the unsympathetic Ethiopians see themselves in Samson Zeleke, who was bullying and bashing this poor girl nonstop. She was obviously brighter than the bully (who stood forty-first in his class) since she stood third in her class, but it really does not matter in Ethiopia. You can be a bully as long as you belong the “right” ethnic group and find a lonely victim from “other” ethnic groups.
I never forget a summer day when, while my Oromo friends and I were walking in Piazza, Finfinnee, chatting in Afan Oromo, an Amharic-speaking beggar asked us for some change. We politely answered him that we did not have change. He was so upset and abruptly yelled to our face, “Hodam Galloch!” We walked by him quietly since we were more refined university students than the beggar who believed he was better than us just because he belonged to the “right” group. My older brother, now 60, whose first name is Bedhsa, once told me that his college dorm-mates called him “Be xaasaa,” and stressed to me that there was no escaping the abuse since the system itself condones such ethnic slurs and abuses. His eldest son’s name was Dinqa Bedhasa, and as may be expected, was often addressed as “Dingayi Be Xaasaa” by these heartless imbeciles. He was later forced to change his first name to Megersa. My younger brother named Gutu was often called “Guttoo!” and he was so emotionally drained about it all the time.
I myself have personally experienced such abuses due to my last name,
Bayisa, but mine was less severe since my first name was “acceptable”
to the bullies. I especially felt so bad when, in the third year at
Sidist Killo, my close friend and dorm-mate, whose last name was also
Bayisa, decided to change it. When our professor asked him why he wanted
to change his last name, his explanation was that girls teased him so
bad, and that he should take more acceptable last name to be on his B.A.
degree by the next year. I enjoyed some degree of justice though when
the professor yelled, “Do you see how he has just Amharized himself?
Shame on you!”
My point is that all my family members with an Oromo name have been severely bullied at one time or another. And, it goes without saying that all Oromos whose identities are known to these narrow-minded, ethnocentric gangs cannot be immune to such demeaning and dehumanizing abuse.
The painful irony, however, is that it is they who are complaining and whining the most about their diabolical and condescending words and manners. The so-called Judge Weldemicheal’s dubious and inconsistent diatribe is a case in point. His unending and self-contradicting argument proves that, even education fail to change the minds of the Ethiopians. How could a lawyer, given all the facts we know, say that Tesfaye Gebreab is a devil who should have been persecuted for a genocide? Education was wasted on the Judge! No wonder that thousands of innocent people in Ethiopia have suffered in the hands of such incompetent and cruel Judges.
Similarly, in his interview with SBS, journalist Zenaneh Mekonnen did not even come anywhere close to admitting the truth about Tesfaye Gebreab’s “Chaltu Inde Hellen.” All he did was criticize the writer for inciting ethnic conflict in order to dismantle Ethiopia. His argument that the name “Chaltu” is acceptable around Finfinnee is disingenuous and far from the truth. He should be in our shoes to feel our pain and suffering. Educated or illiterate, young or old, these groups cannot see beyond their narrow ethnic boxes. Like parrots, they repeat verbatim what one of them says.
They still, out of sheer ignorance and empty pride, think that they have been favored by God over other peoples. And, they still think their severely prejudiced opinions are facts, and they take them for granted. Any deviation from their scheme of thought is considered unwise and naïve. They belittle, despise, and disparage not only the views of others, but also the identities of the people who they think are naturally inferior to them. Nazism, fascism, and apartheid were examples of state doctrines in which the supremacy of one people became the norm, but these doctrines have long gone for good. Ethio-centerism, however, is a doctrine that totally disregards diversity issues and attempts to build the supremacy of one group of people at the expense of others. It has destroyed, and is still destroying the identities of others in order to build the one and only Emiye Ethiopia.
When we speak and write about these abuses and bullying, it should be clear that we have been the victims. Why would we play victims if we haven’t suffered such unbearable pains? It’s not fun to be victims. Therefore, rather than trying to deny or justify the abuses and the bullying, it would be wise to apologize, or at least admit it. Trying to victimize the victims will totally destroy any hopes of reconciliations in the future.
All told, we will rise above all these unfair encroachments on our inalienable human rights sooner or later. We will overcome just like so many others before us. To do this, however, we should not bow down to their demands and expectations, for doing so will only prolong our pain and agony. On their part, the bullies should be educated about diversity issues and stop bullying other ethnic groups, especially the Oromo. We could have easily been their dreams, but if they continue to be disrespectful, we can also be their worst nightmares because WE WILL RISE AGAIN!
“Ethio-centerism is a doctrine that totally disregards diversity issues and attempts to build the supremacy of one group of people at the expense of others.”Discrimination and abuses wound the human soul. They destroy self-esteem, devastate personality, and expose to varieties of personal and psychological issues. This is especially true when such unfortunate maltreatments begin during childhood due to racial or ethnic differences. These wounds are never easy to overcome. Fortunately, our world has achieved a significant progress in this regard with the help of humanitarian movements and the human rights advocates throughout the world.
- Ob. Bahru D. Bayisa
The twenty-first century is marked by an unprecedented technological advancement. This in turn resulted in the mingling of diverse groups of people throughout the world thereby enabling societies to accept, or at least, tolerate the myriads of differences among them. As often said, the globe has become one village, and no niche is an island anymore. The modern human being, regardless of where he or she lives or which race or ethnicity he or she belongs to, is now confronted with the undeniable truth that no one group of people is inferior or superior to any other.
In one of the graduate courses I took on diversity at the San Diego State University, we had to do a “cultural plunge” by going to communities of people from different cultures, and languages that were not intelligible to us. We plunged ourselves into cultures of the groups and tried to introspect how we felt about ourselves as a result of being different, or not being able to communicate with anyone. The result was astonishing. We felt totally lost and alone despite the crowd. The experience was so informative and powerful that, as teachers, we can always empathize with any student who comes to our classes from the Middle Eastern, Asian or African cultures with minimum English language skills, and find him- or herself in a totally different cultural milieu.
The fact that we are different culturally, linguistically, psychologically, or racially does not mean that we are better or worse than others. We are just different. Any one person may, sooner or later, unavoidably experience a culture shock when involved in a cultural plunge. Most educated and confident people understand these diversity issues, and try to treat everyone with respect without expecting any favor in return. For example, some studies show that most people in the United States treat immigrants with significant amounts of respect by going out of their ways to support them in various ways. They don’t really care whether you are Chaltu or Mantegbosh!
However, some supercilious and arrogant groups and individuals condescend on the cultures and languages of other people as if their culture and language are better than that of others. In the Ethiopian empire, where over eighty ethnic groups coexist with their own cultures and languages, it’s incomprehensible for an average person — let alone the so-called educated ones, to be totally out of touch with this reality. Most “main stream” Amharic-speaking Ethiopians are still oblivious about the burning issues of diversity in the country, and they don’t seem prepared to take a single stride in the right direction. They fervently deny or justify verbally and psychologically abusing others especially, the Oromo people. There is no way they feel the pain and agony they inflicted on most of us because the pains are only ours, and we cannot forget them. Their own proverb, “Ye wega biresa, ye tewega ayiresam,” may be in order here, so to speak.
No language, culture, religion, or lineage makes a people the first-class citizens of any country at the expense of others, and for our Ethiopian friends, this truth may be tantamount to an insult. Who can be equal to the saints? Time and again, most of us failed to fit their criteria, namely being Orthodox Christians, speaking Amharic only, and denying everything about us. They are not aware that the essence of diversity is acceptance, or at least tolerance, of the needs of others. I said “modern human being” above – because those who are still in the medieval mentality have not yet achieved the intellectual and moral standards of the human dignity.
“Chaltu Inde Hellen,” according to activist Geresu Tufa, is a true story of a young, bright, and pretty Oromo girl who was a relative of his. The prolific and enlightened Tesfaye Gebre’ab heard this touching story from Geresu, and only used his superb writing skills and outstanding literary gift to make the story so powerfully moving with a tragic suspense. Samson’s continuous bullying of Chaltu and his classmates’ ganging up on her as soon as the honorable teacher, Tsigie, left the classroom are all familiar classroom horror stories for many of us. It’s also worth mentioning that the actions of conscientious and caring individuals like Tsigie mean so much to the victims of this pernicious system, and that we should be very careful not to make hasty generalizations.
Anyone with a typical Oromo first (or second) name – who lived among Amharic speakers, may automatically see him- or herself in this sad story and tearfully sympathize or empathize with Chaltu, while the unsympathetic Ethiopians see themselves in Samson Zeleke, who was bullying and bashing this poor girl nonstop. She was obviously brighter than the bully (who stood forty-first in his class) since she stood third in her class, but it really does not matter in Ethiopia. You can be a bully as long as you belong the “right” ethnic group and find a lonely victim from “other” ethnic groups.
I never forget a summer day when, while my Oromo friends and I were walking in Piazza, Finfinnee, chatting in Afan Oromo, an Amharic-speaking beggar asked us for some change. We politely answered him that we did not have change. He was so upset and abruptly yelled to our face, “Hodam Galloch!” We walked by him quietly since we were more refined university students than the beggar who believed he was better than us just because he belonged to the “right” group. My older brother, now 60, whose first name is Bedhsa, once told me that his college dorm-mates called him “Be xaasaa,” and stressed to me that there was no escaping the abuse since the system itself condones such ethnic slurs and abuses. His eldest son’s name was Dinqa Bedhasa, and as may be expected, was often addressed as “Dingayi Be Xaasaa” by these heartless imbeciles. He was later forced to change his first name to Megersa. My younger brother named Gutu was often called “Guttoo!” and he was so emotionally drained about it all the time.
“We should not bow down to their demands and expectations, for doing so will only prolong our pain and agony.”
My point is that all my family members with an Oromo name have been severely bullied at one time or another. And, it goes without saying that all Oromos whose identities are known to these narrow-minded, ethnocentric gangs cannot be immune to such demeaning and dehumanizing abuse.
The painful irony, however, is that it is they who are complaining and whining the most about their diabolical and condescending words and manners. The so-called Judge Weldemicheal’s dubious and inconsistent diatribe is a case in point. His unending and self-contradicting argument proves that, even education fail to change the minds of the Ethiopians. How could a lawyer, given all the facts we know, say that Tesfaye Gebreab is a devil who should have been persecuted for a genocide? Education was wasted on the Judge! No wonder that thousands of innocent people in Ethiopia have suffered in the hands of such incompetent and cruel Judges.
Similarly, in his interview with SBS, journalist Zenaneh Mekonnen did not even come anywhere close to admitting the truth about Tesfaye Gebreab’s “Chaltu Inde Hellen.” All he did was criticize the writer for inciting ethnic conflict in order to dismantle Ethiopia. His argument that the name “Chaltu” is acceptable around Finfinnee is disingenuous and far from the truth. He should be in our shoes to feel our pain and suffering. Educated or illiterate, young or old, these groups cannot see beyond their narrow ethnic boxes. Like parrots, they repeat verbatim what one of them says.
They still, out of sheer ignorance and empty pride, think that they have been favored by God over other peoples. And, they still think their severely prejudiced opinions are facts, and they take them for granted. Any deviation from their scheme of thought is considered unwise and naïve. They belittle, despise, and disparage not only the views of others, but also the identities of the people who they think are naturally inferior to them. Nazism, fascism, and apartheid were examples of state doctrines in which the supremacy of one people became the norm, but these doctrines have long gone for good. Ethio-centerism, however, is a doctrine that totally disregards diversity issues and attempts to build the supremacy of one group of people at the expense of others. It has destroyed, and is still destroying the identities of others in order to build the one and only Emiye Ethiopia.
When we speak and write about these abuses and bullying, it should be clear that we have been the victims. Why would we play victims if we haven’t suffered such unbearable pains? It’s not fun to be victims. Therefore, rather than trying to deny or justify the abuses and the bullying, it would be wise to apologize, or at least admit it. Trying to victimize the victims will totally destroy any hopes of reconciliations in the future.
All told, we will rise above all these unfair encroachments on our inalienable human rights sooner or later. We will overcome just like so many others before us. To do this, however, we should not bow down to their demands and expectations, for doing so will only prolong our pain and agony. On their part, the bullies should be educated about diversity issues and stop bullying other ethnic groups, especially the Oromo. We could have easily been their dreams, but if they continue to be disrespectful, we can also be their worst nightmares because WE WILL RISE AGAIN!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Heavy clashes between ONLF and Ethiopian Troops in Ogaden- Reports
Heavy clashes between ONLF and Ethiopian Troops in Ogaden- Reports
Heavy clashes between ONLF and Ethiopian Troops in Ogaden- Reports
File Photo: ONLF Fighters in Ogaden valley in Fik Zone.
By Mohamed Faarah
14 November 2013
(Ogadentoday Press)- A heavy fighting between, ONLF, Ogaden National Liberation Front and Ethiopia coalition troops are reported in Ogaden region, eastern Ethiopia.
According to reports that Ogadentoday Press have received, the clashes took place on early this week in the area of Fik Zone in Ogaden Region.
Government has cut of transportation of the area several days.
Locals confirmed Ogadentoday Press the clashes
A source in Fik told Ogadentoday Press that 25 wounded Ethiopian troops have been taken to Jigjiga military hospital.
Many of them are Paramilitary forces named Liyu Police, while some others are Ethiopian military forces deployed in the area recently, the source added.
39 of Ethiopian Troops have been killed while ONLF lost dozens 12, a source close to regional administration told Ogadentoday Press on the phone.
ONLF officials confirmed the clashes but declined to comment on their side loss.
In Ogaden, military leaders have formed paramilitary forces that are fighting alongside with Ethiopian national defense forces (ENDF).
Ethiopian Paramilitary Forces have long accused of human right abuses in Ogaden Region but Ethiopia denies the accusations.
Media and journalist are banned in the Ogaden region and that is why the conflict in Ogaden is not getting international attention.
The past few days the region has seen an increase in heavy fighting.
Since 2005, Ethiopia government isolated Ogaden region from the World, Ethiopia imposed a ban all international aid and media organizations in Ogaden despite some are operating under the permit of intelligence surveillances.
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) fighting for the self-determination of Ogaden Region in Ethiopia since 1994.
Ogadentoday Press
File Photo: ONLF Fighters in Ogaden valley in Fik Zone.
By Mohamed Faarah
14 November 2013
(Ogadentoday Press)- A heavy fighting between, ONLF, Ogaden National Liberation Front and Ethiopia coalition troops are reported in Ogaden region, eastern Ethiopia.
According to reports that Ogadentoday Press have received, the clashes took place on early this week in the area of Fik Zone in Ogaden Region.
Government has cut of transportation of the area several days.
Locals confirmed Ogadentoday Press the clashes
A source in Fik told Ogadentoday Press that 25 wounded Ethiopian troops have been taken to Jigjiga military hospital.
Many of them are Paramilitary forces named Liyu Police, while some others are Ethiopian military forces deployed in the area recently, the source added.
39 of Ethiopian Troops have been killed while ONLF lost dozens 12, a source close to regional administration told Ogadentoday Press on the phone.
ONLF officials confirmed the clashes but declined to comment on their side loss.
In Ogaden, military leaders have formed paramilitary forces that are fighting alongside with Ethiopian national defense forces (ENDF).
Ethiopian Paramilitary Forces have long accused of human right abuses in Ogaden Region but Ethiopia denies the accusations.
Media and journalist are banned in the Ogaden region and that is why the conflict in Ogaden is not getting international attention.
The past few days the region has seen an increase in heavy fighting.
Since 2005, Ethiopia government isolated Ogaden region from the World, Ethiopia imposed a ban all international aid and media organizations in Ogaden despite some are operating under the permit of intelligence surveillances.
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) fighting for the self-determination of Ogaden Region in Ethiopia since 1994.
Ogadentoday Press
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Three Ethiopians immigrants killed in Saudi Arabia
Foreign workers gather outside Saudi immigration department as they try
to get visas and legalize their work situation, on November 3, 2013 in
Riyadh. (Photo: AFP – Fayez Nureldine)
Each year, large numbers of Ethiopians move to the Middle East looking for jobs, often as domestic workers. Saudi Arabia is among the preferred destinations.
“The act of killing innocent civilians is uncalled for, we condemn that,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Dina Mufti told reporters, saying he had been informed of the death of three Ethiopian citizens.
Ethiopia announced last week it would repatriate its citizens illegally living in Saudi Arabia after a seven-month amnesty period allowing immigrants to gain legal status expired.
Dina said the government has called for an investigation into the deaths and said that a delegation has been sent to Saudi Arabia to help the repatriation process.
“We have asked also for an investigation into the killings,” he said, adding that Addis Ababa had dispatched a team to Saudi Arabia to take care of Ethiopians there, and either register them or bring them home.
Around 200,000 women sought work abroad in 2012, according to Ethiopia’s Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.
Many of those leaving face physical and mental abuse, poor working conditions, low pay and discrimination, the International Labour Organization reports.
Last month, the Ethiopian government said it was barring young women and men from moving to the Middle East, amid reports of widespread abuse.
With 91 million citizens, Ethiopia is Africa’s most populous country after Nigeria, but also one of the continent’s poorest, with the majority of people earning less than two dollars a day.
Around 27 percent of women and 13 percent of men are unemployed, according to the ILO.
–AFP
Oromo woman speaks on Abuse by Saudis part 8
http://www.youtube.com/v/3FBVu3EAFcY?version=3&autohide=1&feature=share&showinfo=1&autohide=1&attribution_tag=CFDMKlhxnx6_CHaI5ZLKlQ&autoplay=1
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Ethiopia’s Liyu Police -The New Crisis of the Horn of Africa
November
6, 2013 (Ogaden News Network) — Ethiopian paramilitary Force or Liyu
Police militia better known as “Ethiopia’s Janjaweed ” is killing,
raping, torturing,and arresting unarmed civilians in Ethiopian-Occupied
Ogaden Region.
The Militia’s human rights violations is well-documented by the Rights
Groups-such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and Genocide
Watch.The Guardian reported that this criminal institution to receive
£19 million from UK’s department for International Development or
(DFID), a report denied by the DFID.
Twenty-three year-old,Nafis, who only gave her first name for fear of
reprisal told me how she escaped from her town Hamaro,in the Fiq
province,on phone. “A large number of paramilitary soldiers stormed our
houses while I was in the vicinity of the town, killing any-one in sight
and taking few people with them including my 2-year-old baby, Neima
Mohammed, she said.
Two hours later, she was confirmed that her baby, Neima,was taken and
detained in “Ogaden Jail” for political background. The baby’s father,
Mohammed, is one of the ONLF-sympathizers and that is the reason behind
the baby’s detention. But Nafis was shocked and was more gut-wrenching
for the news of her baby. Now a refugee in Yemen, Nafis’s message to
International community is simple: “I want my little baby back”.
The aforementioned reveals down-to-earth reality in Ogaden:the local
people face a stark choice indeed, namely either to remain at home in
Ogaden, and be exposed to various deprivations, extreme suffering,
routine army brutality, long imprisonment, and brutal scorch earth
tactics or flee and manage to get to some refugee camps in the
neighboring countries whereby safety is not an issue anymore, but the
conditions of life are truly miserable and the humanitarian assistance
is very limited.
Nafis is one of more than 3,000 Ogadeni refugees currently living in Yemen’s Capital, Sana’a under UNHCR’s mandate.
Liyu Police-controlled notorious prison locally known as “Jail Ogaden”
in the regional capital of Jigjiga, is one of brutal prisons on earth
that is held many inmates without charge. About 5,000 inmates are in
Ogaden jail among them are women, children and babies including men.This
prison is known for “dishing out not just physical torture to its
inmates but mental as well.” I will write in details for my upcoming
articles.
According to human rights groups, Ethiopian forces and its ally,Special
police,carry out unlawful detention and extra-judicial killing of
civilians sought to be sympathizers of the ONLF. Ethiopian forces are
also accused of forcefully recruiting civilians among them children to
do its war against Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) but Liyu
Police members are defecting one-by-one and Ethiopian forces may not
rely on it any longer,as a former Liyu defector ,Capt.Hassan Aafo, told
me.
This academy for qualified murderers enjoy international community’s
silence when it comes to human rights abuses being committed against the
unarmed Somali civilians in Ethiopian-occupied Ogaden region by the
Liyu Police militia and Ethiopian Army.Many people were forced
out Ogaden region and died in the seas,therefore,Liyu Police militia is
not only a new regional crisis but international one.
According to Swedish Paper, Aftonbadet,Swedish War Crimes Commission has
launched a preliminary investigation against Ogaden Regional President,
Abdi Mohamoud Omar and his vice president Abdullahi Yusuf Werar. The
Report came right after different Swedish TV channels including Swedish
Television SVT,showed a movie smuggled out from Ogaden by an Ogadeni
Refugee, Abdullahi Hussein, who had been a government official in the
region. The 100 hours long movie is said to have many evidences of
genocide committed by the Ethiopian government in the region.
According to a report by the Ogadentoday Press three civilians were
executed in Godey,quoting an NGO-worker in the area,who declined to be
named,said,that the men who were demised were accused of being
sympathizers of Ogaden National Liberation Front(ONLF).
The Oil-rich Ogaden Region borders Djibouti,Kenya and Somalia and many
of its residents are ethnic Somalis.The region was Italian and
British-colony,but in 1954,British handed over the region secretly to
Ethiopia a decision rejected by the Ogaden Somali population and fight
for full Independence ever since.
Brutal dictatorship of Weyane regime
Brutal dictatorship of Weyane regime
TPLF regime is known as Marxist Leninist League of Tigray (MLLT) in early 1970s and as Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) since late 1980s. EPRDF is a pseudo multi-ethnic political party under strict control of the regime. It is in reality the TPLF because it is neither a unitary nor a coalition of political parties. It is an instrument of ethnic political organization that totally adopted political program of the TPLF (Berhe, 2005). It is guided by principles of divide and rule system of colonial governance. The regime is known by its fake names like Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), Oromo People Democratic Organization (OPDO), South Ethiopian People`s Democratic Front (SEPDF), and etc in Amhara, Oromia, Southern Ethiopia, and other administrations, respectively. These surrogate ethnic political organizations are nothing but they are simply representatives of the regime in other parts of Ethiopia. These fake organizations are unconstitutionally imposed on peoples of Ethiopia through the rule of gun in violation of sovereign rights of civil people, the rights to organize and elect their own political organizations freely. Thus the regime has institutionalized its brutal governance system with insignificant challenges of opposition political forces to its authority. Absolute dictatorship of the regime is demonstrated by human rights violation and provoking ethnic conflicts.
Human right violation:
TPLF regime is well experienced in carrying out rebellion. It has been employed the tool during 17 years of civil war to topple the communist military junta under dictatorial leader ship of Colonel Mangiest Haile Mari yam. Rebellion activities of the regime from 1974 to 1991 against communist junta could be justified because there has not been other alternative instrument rather than armed struggle to change brutal practices of totalitarian governance system of Ethiopia. The regime also continued its rebellion activities after 1991 to suppress non-violent political struggle of the civil people. Peaceful struggle of multi nations and nationalities of Ethiopia for justice, peace, freedom, democracy, and stability is constitutionally legitimate right of the people. However the regime has been undermining constitutional civil rights by routinely practicing human rights violation. Its rebellion activities against the civil people include extrajudicial killings, long imprisonment without independent trial, torching, rapping, etc.
Inhuman atrocity of the regime is characterized by (I) Extra-judicial killings and disappearances: 3981 extra-judicial killings and 943 disappearances of civilians suspected of supporting groups opposing the government have been documented since 1994 (OSG, 2008) ; (II) Massacring innocent civilians: Security forces of the regime has been intensively massacring innocent civilians, for example: (i) Murdering of peaceful demonstrators of 92 Oromo civilians on 25th of March 1992 in Eastern Oromia, 67 Oromo civilians on 10th of February and April 1995 in Eastern and Western Oromia, 20 Oromo students in March and April 2002 in western and central Oromia, 105 Oromo civilians in November 2005 to April 2006 in Oromia, and 19 Oromo civilians detainees in February 2007 in Eastern Oromia, 200 peaceful demonstrators following 2005 election; (ii) Murdering of peaceful demonstrators of 200 Sheko and Mezenger civilians on 10th of March 2002 and 46 Sidama civilians on 24th of May 2002 in Southern Ethiopia; (iii) Murdering of 430 Anuak civilians from December 2003 to April 2004 in Gambela; (iv) Murdering of peaceful demonstrators of 193 civilians in August and November 2005 in Addis Ababa town, and (v) Massacre of thousands of innocent Ogaden civilians in Eastern Ethiopia since 1992; (III) Detention without trial: At least 25,000 peoples were in prison in year 2001 in Oromia federal state alone; (IV) Increasing refugees: Thousands are quarterly seeking refuge in neighbouring countries and (V) Suppression of free media: Independent media totally paralyzed because most of independent journalists are languishing in prison and others were forced to escape to abroad in fear of brutal mistreatment (HRW, 2005 and UOSG, 2007).
Human rights watch (HRW) reported dozens of cases of sever abuse by Ethiopian troops in the Ogaden including gang rapes, arson and what it is called “demonstration killing” including hangings and 4 beheadings meant to terrorize the civil people (HRW, 2008a). Many of the Oromos interviewed reported family members had been killed or were missing or “disappeared” for many years under the TPLF regime (AHR, 2009). Human rights violation is one of the instruments effectively institutionalized by the regime to guard its brutal governance system through diffusion of fears into civil societies across each corners of the country.
Provoking ethnic conflicts: Conflict at local level is mainly originated from the dispute seasonally raised by shortage of grazing land and water for livestock in rural areas. The regime either orchestrated or manipulated the conflict to implement its anti-peace strategy. It has been frequently inciting ethnic conflicts between Oromo and Somali, Sidama and Oromo, Oromo and Afar, Amhara and Oromo, Tigre and Oromo, Oromo and Gurage, Gumuz and Oromo, and others to destabilize peaceful relation between different ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Hundreds of innocent civilians have been lost their life and thousands are internally displaced seasonally as a consequence of regime`s manipulation of local conflicts since 1991. Some of the recent reports include the following as example: (I) Conflict of Oromo and Somali in Southern Oromia has killed 135 and internally displaced about 100 thousands of people in August 2005; (II) Conflict of Oromo and Somali in Eastern Oromia has killed 73 and internally displaced about 85 thousands of people in August 2005; (III) Mobilization of Gumuz militia by the regime against Oromo in Western Oromia has killed 400 and internally displaced thousands of Oromo people on May 17 to 19 / 2008; (IV) Conflict of Sidama and Oromo in southern Ethiopia has killed 140 and internally displaced 30 thousands of people from April 2 to 7/2008 and on May 31/2009; and (V) Conflict of Afar and Oromo in Eastern Oromia: has killed 35 and internally displaced thousands of people on May 20 to 29 /2009 (IDMC, 2005; Sudan tribune, 2008; OLF, 2009a to 2009e; and Megalommatis, 2009).
Provoking ethnic conflicts is the second most important instrument that the regime is effectively employing to sustain its brutal governance through destabilization of peaceful and mutual coexistence between different ethnic groups of Ethiopia.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Attack on Indian-owned farm in Ethiopia turns spotlight on land policy
All land in Ethiopia belongs to the state, giving the government unusual leverage in its dealings with local communities
Nov 5, 2013, India (The Hindu) — A violent attack on a tea plantation leased by Indian-owned Verdanta Harvest Plc, a subsidiary of the Noida-based Lucky Group, has renewed concerns over Ethiopia’s policy of leasing out large tracts of land to international investors.On October 20, unidentified individuals destroyed buildings and machinery worth approximately $140,000, according to Verdanta officials.
Media reported that locals set the plantation on fire “on account of destroying the rich forest resources”, a claim denied by the company.
Community leaders in Gambella did not comment on the attack, but rights groups have warned that a policy of leasing out 42 per cent of Gambella’s land and resettling over 30,000 agro-pastoral communities is the likely cause of the unrest.
In 2011, for instance, armed gunmen killed five workers on a farm developed by a Saudi Arabian company.
All land in Ethiopia belongs to the state, giving the government unusual leverage in its dealings with local communities.
Rights groups like the Oakland Institute claim Indian companies have acquired 6,28,000 hectares of agricultural land under a government programme to lease 3.6 million hectares for export-oriented agriculture.
Disagreements
More than half the land deals, worth an estimated 3,65,000 hectares, have since fallen through due to disagreements among investors, communities and the various levels of government.
Verdanta said its land was acquired by the government in the 1980s. The attack comes after nearly three years of discord with local officials and some sections of the community.
In 2010, Verdanta signed an agreement for 3,012 hectares in the hope of harvesting 500 hectares of tea by 2015. Thus far only 169 hectares have been cleared and 70 hectares planted.
“We met the local officials and found their expectations were a little too high. So we asked for another piece of land,” said Manojeet Barkataky, General Manager for Verdanta Harvests, explaining the community had demanded roads, electrification, schools and a hospital before the company began its project. “We said we will implement our CSR [corporate social responsibility] once the project begins.”
Nine months later, Mr. Barkataky said, the government claimed to have consulted the local community and urged the company to start work.
In February 2011, Ethiopian President Girma Woldegiorgis wrote to the Ministry of Agriculture, expressing concern that Verdanta had been allotted forestland, a claim denied by the government and the company.
When the federal government in Addis Ababa demarcated a plot for the company, its counterparts in Gambella issued a different map, reducing the plot by 327 hectares. An additional 80 hectares was earmarked for a cultural site revered by the community, but the federal government dismissed their claim. These competing claims over the size and scope of the project exacerbated the tension in the region.
“It is a total incompetence, inefficiency, and neglect on the part of the local government up to the federal government,” said Mr. Barkataky. “Why couldn’t the government finalise the boundary in the last three years?”
Displeasure
At a press conference last month, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn indicated his displeasure with the development of the agriculture sector. “Until now the progress is very slow,” he said. “It is not a problem with the investors, the problem is infrastructure. Our future plan is to engage heavily in infrastructure development.”
Verdanta has halted all work on its project until the government guarantees security for its operations.
Ethiopia arrests 2 journalists from independent paper
New York, November 5, 2013--Ethiopian police have arrested without
charge two editors of the leading independent Amharic weekly Ethio-Mihdar, according to local
journalists.
Police in the town of Legetafo, northeast of the capital Addis Ababa, on Monday arrested Getachew Worku in connection a story published in October alleging corruption in the town administration, according to Muluken Tesfaw, a reporter with the paper, who spoke to Getachew shortly after his arrest. Getachew has not been charged, he said.
Police in the town of Legetafo, northeast of the capital Addis Ababa, on Monday arrested Getachew Worku in connection a story published in October alleging corruption in the town administration, according to Muluken Tesfaw, a reporter with the paper, who spoke to Getachew shortly after his arrest. Getachew has not been charged, he said.
On Saturday, police arrested Million Degnew, the general
manager of the newspaper, and Muna Ahmedin, a secretary, said Muluken and local
journalists. Muna was released the same day but Million remains in custody
without charge, Muluken said.
"A free and inquisitive media is a cornerstone of development that should benefit all Ethiopians," said CPJ's Africa Program Coordinator Sue Valentine. "Repeatedly detaining journalists without charge is an intimidation tactic that must end. We urge the authorities to release Million Degnew and Getachew Worku immediately."
The government has harassed Ethio-Mihdar in the past for its independent coverage, according to CPJ research. Million and Getachew have been sued for defamation by the public Hawassa University, according to local journalists and news reports. University officials are seeking 300,000 birr (US$15,000) and the closure of the newspaper over a report alleging corruption in the school's administration, according to local journalists.
In May, Muluken was detained for 10 days while reporting on evictions of farmers from their land in northwest Ethiopia. He was released without charge.
Ethiopia trails only Eritrea as Africa's worst jailer of journalists, according to CPJ's annual prison census. More than 75 publications have been forced to close under government pressure since 1993, CPJ research shows.
"A free and inquisitive media is a cornerstone of development that should benefit all Ethiopians," said CPJ's Africa Program Coordinator Sue Valentine. "Repeatedly detaining journalists without charge is an intimidation tactic that must end. We urge the authorities to release Million Degnew and Getachew Worku immediately."
The government has harassed Ethio-Mihdar in the past for its independent coverage, according to CPJ research. Million and Getachew have been sued for defamation by the public Hawassa University, according to local journalists and news reports. University officials are seeking 300,000 birr (US$15,000) and the closure of the newspaper over a report alleging corruption in the school's administration, according to local journalists.
In May, Muluken was detained for 10 days while reporting on evictions of farmers from their land in northwest Ethiopia. He was released without charge.
Ethiopia trails only Eritrea as Africa's worst jailer of journalists, according to CPJ's annual prison census. More than 75 publications have been forced to close under government pressure since 1993, CPJ research shows.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Ethiopian woman hanged herself in saudi arabiya
Ethiopian woman in Saudi Arabia hangs herself, another badly beaten up (Warning: Graphic photo)
Ethiopian woman has committed suicide by hanging herself in the northern Saudi Arabia province of Tabarjal yesterday. The report says that the police is investigating the circumstances of her death, and has not released her name yet.
Another Ethiopian woman, who was badly beaten up by her employer, went
to get an assistance from the Ethiopian embassy and was turned away. Her
friends took this photo and sent it to us. Some Ethiopian women resort
to suicide after being subjected to such barbaric acts in the hands of
their Saudi employers, and the so called “Ethiopian embassy” refuses to
provide them with assistance. The women are trafficked to Saudi Arabia
by agencies in Ethiopia that are affiliated with Saudi-Ethiopian
billionaire Al Amoudi and his associates, in collaboration with the TPLF
junta.
Source:-http://www.ethiopianreview.us/49798
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