Civil society calls upon UN Human Rights Council to investigate government crackdown on Oromo protest

To Permanent Representatives of
Members and Observer States of the
UN Human Rights Council
Geneva,  24  February 2016

 RE: Addressing restrictions on freedom of assembly and civil society in Ethiopia

ETHIOPIAN PM VOWS ‘DECISIVE ACTION’ AGAINST OROMIA SECESSIONISTS

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, pictured at an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, January 30, has said that secessionist movements in the Oromia region will not be tolerated.

(Nesweek) — Ethiopia’s prime minister has threatened to crush secessionist forces accused of stoking protests in the Oromia region, where security forces have reportedly killed hundreds of demonstrators.

Protests began in Oromia—home to the Oromo ethnic group—in November 2015 over plans to expand the territory of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Oromo farmers raised concerns that increasing the size of the city would lead to forced evictions and loss of arable land.

#OromoProtests – Continued, February 23, 2016

#‎OromoProtests‬-(23.02.2016, ‪#‎TPLFArmy‬, Oromia) This is a scene from the premises of Tikur Anbassa Hospital in Finfinnee today. The army brought in numerous “political prisoners”. They prevented the public to approach them.
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‪#‎BilisummaaOromoo‬- (23.02.2016, ‪#‎LoltuuWayyaanee‬, Oromiyaa) Suuraan kun Hospitaal Xiqur Ambassa keessaa har’a kan kaafamee dha. Raayyaan konkolaataa irraa mul’atu kun “hidhamtoota Siyaasaa” hedduu fe’anii geessan. Ummati akka achi hin dhiyaanne dhorkaa jiran

An account of the city of Shashamane and its vicinity – by William Davison, Bloomberg correspondent

From William Davison’s Facebook – posted 19 hrs ago.

This is an account of a small part of what’s been going on in West Arsi of Oromia last week. It’s very limited as I was unable to spend more than one morning in the area

On Wednesday in Bulbula, which is south of Ziway around 100 kilometers north of Shashamene, there was a vandalized Coca Cola truck and a torched tanker. There were also Derba Cement bags and smashed glass in a couple of places on the road, suggesting that was where the company’s trucks had been attacked. As with several places where there’d been protests, there wasn’t a heavy visible security presence, and most regular activity had resumed in the town. As we drove south, a Federal Police truck and pick-ups, followed by armed Oromia police, whizzed north in what looked like an emergency response.

Oromia Protests: Hundreds Killed, Thousands Arrested In ‘Brutal Crackdown,’ Human Rights Watch Says

Ethiopian migrants, all members of the Oromo community of Ethiopia living in Malta, protest against the Ethiopian government and its crackdown on demonstrations in the Ethiopia’s restive Oromia region, Dec. 21, 2015. PHOTO: REUTERS/DARRIN ZAMMIT

The Killing and Mass Incarceration of Oromos doesn’t Save the Ethiopian Government From its Demise

 

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(Oromo Liberation Front Press Release)

The present Ethiopian regime that came to power through mere force and foreign support, like its predecessors, has never been willing to answer the political, economic and other social demands of the peoples under its rule. The regime doesn’t want to solve the fundamental questions but instead it covers up the real issues and try to impose artificial and simple solutions unrelated to the fundamental demands of Oromo people.

It has become the culture of this dictatorial regime to refuse to listen to the genuine questions and demands of the people but actually consider those demands as crimes and uses brutal force to silence the Oromo population. The regime continues to exhibit its unparalleled cruelty to the Oromo people by killing and maiming children, pregnant women, mothers and the elderly and unbridled exploitation of resources.

Ethiopia: No Let Up in Crackdown on Protests

 

February 21, 2016 in Human Rights, Oromia  

Killings, Detention of Protesters Enter Fourth Month

Nairobi (HRW) – Ethiopian security forces are violently suppressing the largely peaceful protests in the Oromia region that began in November 2015. Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began.
Security forces, including military personnel, have fatally shot scores of demonstrators. Thousands of people have been arrested and remain in detention without charge. While the frequency of protests appears to have decreased in the last few weeks, the crackdown continues.
“Flooding Oromia with federal security forces shows the authorities’ broad disregard for peaceful protest by students, farmers and other dissenters,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to rein in the security forces, free anyone being held wrongfully, and hold accountable soldiers and police who used excessive force.”
Women mourn during the funeral ceremony of Dinka Chala, a primary school teacher who family members said was shot dead by military forces during a recent demonstration, in Holonkomi town, in Oromiya region of Ethiopia December 17, 2015. Ethiopia’s government said on Monday at least five people had been killed in protests against its plan to incorporate areas of farmland near the capital into a new zone to attract business, while an opposition figure said 30 had died. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri – RTX1Z5UT[/caption]

Qondaali TPLF Shewangizawu Abebe jedhamu Humna Addaa WBOn ajjeefame.

(SBO – GURRAANDHALA 11,2016) Godinoota Lixaa fi Kibba Lixa Shawaa keessatti dhiiga ilmaan Oromoo dhangalaasuu keessaa harka kan qabu basaasni wayyaanee Gurraandhala 06,2016 ajjeefame.

Oduun SBO dhaqqabe akka ifa godhutti FXG Godinoota Lixaa fi Kibba Lixa Shawaatti deemaa jiru keessatti ilmaan Oromoo hedduun akka ajjeefamanii fi hidhaman kan godhe basaasni wayyaanee Shewangizawu Abebe jedhamu Gurraandhala 06,2016 naannoo Mojootti tarkaanfii Humni Addaa irratti fudhateen ajjeefameera.

Humni Addaa tarkaanfii kana fudhate basaasa diinaa kana yeroo dheeraaf hordofaa akka turee fi xumura irratti naannoo Mojootti du’aan akka adabe beekuun danda’ameera.

Australia must denounce Ethiopian unrest

By Ms Parke

Hiriirawwan Har’aa Oromiyaa Keessaa fi Tarkaanfii Humnoonni Mootummaa Fudhatan, Jedhame

Jaallannee Gammadaa, Soraa Halakee, Namoo Daandii

Ummati Oromoo Gujii Tokkummaan Ka’uun Barattoota Oromoo 8 Hidhaa Wayyaanee Keessa Turan Baafatan.

Gujii, Oromiyaa | Gurraandhala 05, 2016

Ummati Oromoo Gujii gootummaa isaaniitiin barattoota saddeet mana hidhaatii baafatan. Ummati gamtaan bahuun pooilisoota ariyatee barattoota 8 hidhaa keessaa baasee fudhatee galeera. Diddaa fi mormii seena qabeessa kanaan humna wayyaanee raasaa jiran.

Three members of the US Congress urge Secretary of State, John Kerry, to take action against Ethiopian regime

Unrest in Ethiopia: the ultimate warning shot?

RENÉ LEFORT 2 February 2016

The culture of power is one of centralisation. But real federalism couldn’t be beyond reach. Oromya shows that it is becoming an absolute requirement.

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(Open Democracy) — The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), the strongest component of the ruling coalition, from the middle of 2014 has faced the highest level of Tigrean popular discontent since its inception 40 years ago. That came first. Now the unrest in the most populated region of Ethiopia has sent to the regime as a whole the most shattering warning shot since its arrival in power in 1991.

Despite Tigray’s marginality in terms of geography, population – 6% of Ethiopians – and its economy, the TPLF had the strength to impose its hegemony after its victory over the Derg military-socialist junta in 1991. This dominance has recently declined, but it remains the driving force of the coalition between the four ethnic forces constituting the near-single party – the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) – with the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), the Oromo People’s Democratic Organisation (OPDO) and the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM).

WBOn loltoota diinaa 33 yeroo ajjeesu, 31 ol ammoo madoo taasise

(SBO – GURRAANDHALA 02, 2016) Abdii fi Gaachanni Ummata Oromoo WBOn Falmaa Godhu Jabeessee Itti Fufuun Diina Irraan Kasaaraa Guddaa Geessisaa, Injifannoo Boonsaa Galmeessaa Jira.

Haaluma kanaan WBOn Godina Bahaa keessa sossohu Amajjii 18 – 31,2016tti Lixa Harargee Onoota gara garaa keessatti tarkaanfilee adda addaa waraana gabroomfattuu wayyaanee irratti fudhateen kasaaraa guddaa irraan gahuu Ajaji WBO Godina Bahaa oduu tarkaanfii SBOf ergeen beeksisee jira.

Ethnic Clashes in Ethiopia’s Gambella Kill Dozens, Official Says

By William Davison

This is Government prepared documentary film

(Bloomberg) — Dozens of people have been killed in the western Ethiopia region of Gambella during fighting between Nuer and Anuak groups that involved local security forces, an official said.

Ethiopia: Life-Threatening Situations in Kalitti Jail

Oromo Voices from Ethiopia Prisons

HRLHA Urgent Action

The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) would like to express its deep concerns regarding the safety of Oromo prisoners in the Kalitti Jail in Addis Ababa/Finfinne in Ethiopia. According to information leaked out from the Jail and obtained by the HRLHA, Oromo prisoners are discriminatory subjected to torture in a very harsh jail condition in underground dark rooms.

የብሄር ማንነት ጭቆና ኣበቃም ኣላበቃም የማይለወጥ ማንነት ነው

ምላሽ ለኣርበኞች ግንቦት7ቱ ሊቀመንበር ለዶክተር ብርሃኑ ነጋ

ቦሩ በራቃ

Boruu Barraaqaa

የኣርበኞች ግንቦት7ቱ ሊቀመንበር ዶክተር ብርሃኑ ነጋ ዋሽንግተን ዲሲ ላይ ድርጅታቸው በጠራው ህዝባዊ ስብሰባ ላይ ያደረጉትን ንግግር ዩቲዩብ ላይ ገብቼ በቀጥታ ተከታትየዋለሁ። ሌሎችም በቀጥታ ገብተው እንዲከታተሉት ብዬ ሊንኩን በፌስቡክ ገጼ ላይ ሼር ኣርጌው ነበር። በተለይም ከሁለት ወር ተኩል በላይ ሳይቁዋረጥ እየተካሄደ የሚገኘውን የኦሮሞን ህዝብ የጸረ ጭቆና ኣመፅ በተመለከተ ሊቀመንበሩ በሚናገሩት ላይ ትኩረት መስጠቴ ኣልቀረም። በዚህ ጉዳይ ላይ እንደማናቸውም የኦሮሞ ወገኖቼ የተለየ ትኩረት እንዲሰጥ ያደረገኝ ነገር ግልጽ ነው። በኦሮምያ የተጀመረውን የኣንገዛም ለወያኔ ንቅናቄ ኣርበኞች ግንቦት ሰባት እንደ ድርጅት እንዴት እንደሚመለከተውና ምናልባትም ይህ ታሪካዊ ንቅናቄ ድርጅቱ ቀደም ሲል በሚታወቅባቸው የብሄር ማንነት ኣመለካከቶች ላይ የተሻለ ግንዛቤ ፈጥሮ እንደሆን ለመረዳት ነበር።

ግንቦት 7 ከቀደሙት ድክመቶቹ ትምህርት ይቀስም ይሆናል ብለው ተስፋ የጣሉበት ኣንዳንድ ወገኖች ነበሩ። በተለይም ከኦሮሞ ድርጅቶች ጋር ተቀራርቦ ለመስራት ሳንካ ፈጥሮ የቆየውን የፀረ ብሄር ማንነት ኣቅዋሙን ያለሳልስ ይሆናል ብለው የገመቱ ኣንዳንድ ሰዎችን ኣውቃለሁ። ነገር ግን እኔ እንደ ኣንድ የቀድሞው የኦነግ ኣመራር ኣባል በዶክተር ብርሃኑ ንግግር ውስጥ ያየሁት ለውጥ የለም። ድርጅቱ ዛሬም የብሄር ማንነትን እንደ ኣፍራሽ ፖለቲካ መመልከቱን እንደቀጠለ በሊቀመንበሩ ንግግር በሚገባ ተንጸባርቁዋል። በዚህ ላይ ዶክተር ብርሃኑ ሲናገሩ ‘የዘውግ ማንነት’ ፖለቲካን የወለደው የዴሞክራሲ እጦት ስለሆነ ዴሞክራሲ ከሰፈነ ‘የዘውግ ፖለቲካ’ ተወግዶ ወደ ዜግነት እኩልነት ፖለቲካ መሸጋገር እንደሚቻል ያላቸውን እምነት ገልጠዋል።

ቀጠሉና ደግሞ ትንሽ ይሄንን ኣቅዋም የሚቃረን የሚመስል የዶሮና የኣንቁላል ምሳሌ ኣመጡ። እሳቸው ሁል ጊዜ ‘ዘውግ’ እያሉ የሚጠሩትን የብሄር ማንነትን የፈጠረው ጭቆና መሆኑን ሲያወሱ ቆዩና መልሰው ጭቆናውን የወለደው ደግሞ ራሱ የብሄር ማንነት ፖለቲካ ይመስል ሲሸወዱ ያዝናቸው። ከዶሮና ከእንቁላሉ የትኛው ቀድሞ እንደመጣ የሚያስረዳ ግልፅ መልስ እንደሌለ ሁላችንም እናውቃለን። ስለሆነም ከጭቆናውና ከብሄር ማንነት የትኛው ቀድሞ እንደተከሰተ መግለፅ ላይቻል ነው ማለት ነው። እንዲህ ያለውን ያንድ ትልቅ ድርጅት መሪ ግራ መጋባት ምን ብለን እንደምናልፈው ለጊዜው ኣይገባኝም።