SILENCE AND PAIN: ETHIOPIA’S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD IN THE OGADEN

Martin Plaut  | January 31, 2014

Introduction

The Ogaden is Ethiopia’s dark, dirty secret. It is far from prying international eyes, where almost anything can be done to anyone the government does not like.

The Ogaden was conquered and forcibly incorporated into Ethiopia by Emperor Menelik II in the last quarter of the 19th century. Its Somali speaking, almost exclusively Muslim community, never really accepted an Ethiopian identity. In 1977 it was the scene of an international conflict, as Somali President Siad Barre attempted to wrest the region from Ethiopia. The Soviet Union poured arms and Cuban troops into Ethiopia and the invasion was halted. The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has been fighting the Ethiopian government since 1995, and local people have been caught up in the conflict.

Ethiopia – Land for Sale

As the economy thrives, we examine the plight of Ethiopians forced from their land to make way for foreign investors.

NGO’s and policy advocates say the true consequences of the land grabs are almost all negative [Reuters]

January 28, 2014 (Al Jazeera) — Just a few decades ago, Ethiopia was a country defined by its famines, particularly between 1983-1985 when in excess of half a million people starved to death as a consequence of drought, crop failure and a brutal civil war.

Against this backdrop, it is impressive that in recent years, Ethiopia has been experiencing stellar economic growth. The headline statistics are certainly remarkable: the country is creating millionaires faster than any other in Africa; output from farming, Ethiopia’s dominant industry, has tripled in a decade; the capital Addis Ababa is experiencing a massive construction boom; and the last six years have seen the nation’s GDP grow by a staggering 108 percent.

But it is not all positive news, because for all the good figures there are still plenty of bad ones.

AYYAANI WBO BARA 2014 BIYYA UK MILKIIN XUMURAME

Amajjii 28, 2014

Ayyanni kun gaafa Amajjii 25, 2014 biyya UK, magaalaa London keessatti kabajame ayyana kana irratti kan hirmaata miseensota ABO, deggartootaa fi hawaasa Oromoo biyya UK magala adda adda irraa  heddumminaan dhufan ture.

Kabajaan ayyana kanaa kan eegale manguddoo fi ibsa gabaabaa I/G ABO kutaa UK, Obbo barsiisaa Guutamaa kennanii ture. Itti annasee, Obbo Xahaa Abdii, MGS ABO, seenaa guyyaa WBO bal’inaan ibsaniiru. Itti annansee miseensotni WBO kabajamoon- J/ Lalisee Roobaa, J/ Obsaa Milkeessaa fi J/ Fayisaa (Mul’is) wal duraa duubaan muuxannoo WBO fi aarsaa qabsoon hidhannoo feessisu dhiheessuu dhan dargaggoo fi shammarran hamileessanii jiru.

Ethiopia Abducts two key-ONLF senior leaders and negotiators in Nairobi, Kenya

By Ahmed Abdi

January 28, 2014 (ONLF) — Two high-ranking members of the ONLF, who were peace negotiators between ONLF-and- Ethiopia have been abducted in Kenya by the Ethiopian security agents on Sunday afternoon(26/01/2014).

The Group issued yesterday a press release saying that “The Ethiopian security abducted Mr Sulub Ahmed and Ali Hussein, two senior ONLF leaders from Nairobi yesterday afternoon. The leaders, who were members of the ONLFnegotiation team, were in Nairobi for a proposed third round of talks.”http://onlf.org/?p=578

Amharic fluent speaker-Sulub Ahmed ,a former ONLF-head-quarter’s commander and a member of Central Committee and Ali Hussein aka Ali-dhere ,a member of the 74 ONLF central Committee have been in Nairobi waiting to resume a peace-talk between Ethiopian government -and-ONLF which stalled 17 October last year. 

US Congress against Land Grabs-Related Forced Evictions in Ethiopia

January 27, 2014
Oakland, CA – In a historic move, the US Congress has taken a stance on land grabs-related human rights abuses in Ethiopia. The 2014 Omnibus Appropriations Bill contains provisions that ensure that US development funds are not used to support forced evictions in Ethiopia.

The bill prevents US assistance from being used to support activities that directly or indirectly involve forced displacement in the Lower Omo and Gambella regions. It further requires US assistance in these areas be used to support local community initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and be subject to prior consultation with affected populations. The bill goes further and even instructs the directors of international financial institutions to oppose financing for any activities that directly or indirectly involve forced evictions in Ethiopia.

Amhara’s far right Fundamentalist ‘Moresh’ leaders officially declare war on Oromo!

Moderator, Sidama National Regional State Information Net Work

January 25, 2014

A highly controversial far right fundamentalists Amhara organisation advocating to reclaim its lost hegemony officially declares war on the largest Ethiopia’s Oromo Ethnic nationals, on January 24, 2014 in its officially dispatched press statement in Amharic. Known under its Amharic name ‘Moresh Wogene Amhara Dirjit’ dispatched its unpalatable, unbalanced, uncivilised and potentially venomous propagandas against the Oromo nationals –erroneously blaming them for causing death and destruction to others Ethiopian nations and nationalities; more essentially accusing them of attempting to destroy the concept of Ethiopianism created by Abyssinian king ‘Atse Menelik II’ who had colonised nations and nationalities of Ethiopia to create today’s Ethiopian Empire’s geo-political shape.

Ethiopia Has a Terrible Human Rights Record – Why Is the West Still Turning a Blind Eye?

By Eleanor Ross, Writer and journalist based in London
January 23, 2014 (The Huffington Post) — Some disappeared, others were given lengthy prison sentences. One thing all thirty men arrested in 2012 in Ethiopia had in common was that they had criticised the state and the policies of the former Premier, Meles Zenawi.
And yet last week Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and a group of Japanese business leaders met with the current Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn to discuss further support for Ethiopia at “government and private sector level.”
The former Meles Zenawi was a staunch supporter of American counter-terrorism policy while at the same time overseeing a country with a violent human rights record. In the eyes of the USA, Ethiopia is strategically situated. Located in the Horn of Africa, next to Somalia, northern Kenya and Sudan, it acts as a buffer zone between the growing Islamic extremism of Somalia and the West. As a result, the human rights violations of Zenawi were ignored.

UK: Public Meeting on the State of Human Rights in Ethiopia

January 17, 2014
A meeting on Human Rights Situation in Ethiopia took place at the House of Commons on 26 November 2013. It began by an opening speech of Mr David Anderson (MP) chairman of All-Party Parliamentary Group on Third World Solidarity who also highlighted efforts that has been underway to highlight and address allegations of human rights abuses by the government of Ethiopia. He further indicated that despite the continuous reports of such allegations the government of Ethiopia has always been dismissive in its response. He then invited speakers.
Dr Trevor Truman, chairman of Oromia Support Group (OSG) was the first person who briefed the audience about the suffering of Oromo refugees who fled Ethiopia and live in different parts of Africa. Based on factual accounts and story of Oromo refugees in Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, South Africa and Egypt he presented the nature of human rights crisis Oromo refugees had to go through while they were in their home land and after they left Ethiopia.

The Human Right Issues and Violations in the Horn of Africa,Ethiopia-Oromia

By: Dejene Abdissa Janna | January 10, 2014

A paper presented on the Conflict of the Horn of Africa,the Struggle for Freedom, Democracy, Peace and Development Conference
04 January, 2014
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
E-Mail: abdissa2011@gmail.com
Human Right
The modern concept of human rights is rooted in the experiences of ‘legal lawlessness’ when crimes were committed with the authorization of the law, and when some human beings were denied their status as such. An answer to these experiences was the emergence of the international human rights law. The main aim of this branch of international law is to prevent broad violations of fundamental rights from recurring in the future. Appreciating the worth of every human being, the international community decided to eliminate elements that could destroy the individual person, but also to create the conditions that would enable him or her to develop and flourish. Accordingly, the Preambles to the International Bill of Rights  provide that the “foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world” is the “inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family”. (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966). However, the dictator government of Ethiopia otherwise known TPLF is unable in the enforcement of these rights and remain a headache,mainly due to technical blockades; lack of effective institutions or the existence of weak institutions only; and lack of political will to implement human rights with differing degrees. Therefore asking your rights in Ethiopia will either lead you to be imprisoned or counted you as anti-government.