Felix Horne of HRW and Henok Gebissa of OSA talk to South African radio about Oromo Protests January 26, 2016
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Africa, Felix Horne of HRW and Henok Gebissa of OSA talk to South African radio about Oromo Protests, Oromia, Oromia: #OromoProtests: Gabaasa Fincila Xumura Garbummaa (FXG) Oromiyaa 2016, Oromo, OromoProtests2016
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Oromia (#OromoProtests): Bekele Gerba and other Oromo political prisoners on hunger strike in Ma’ekelawi January 26, 2016
Posted by OromianEconomist in #OromoProtests.Tags: Addisu Bulala, Africa, Bekele Gerba, Bekele Gerba and other Oromo political prisoners on hunger strike in Ma’ekelawi, Dejene Tafa, Desta Dinka, Oromia, Oromia: #OromoProtests: Gabaasa Fincila Xumura Garbummaa (FXG) Oromiyaa 2016, Oromo, OromoProtests2016
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( Finfinne Tribune | Gadaa.com): According to media reports, Bekele Gerba, other imprisoned leaders of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), and other Oromo political prisoners are on a hunger strike in Ma’ekelawi, the notorious prison in Addis Ababa. The report said the political prisoners started their strike on Friday, January 22, 2016, and have vowed to continue the strike until their demands are met. Some of their demands, which they have communicated to the prison’s officials, include:
1) access to legal counsels and visitations by family as guaranteed by the Constitution and internationally accepted rights of prisoners;
2) cessation of torture of political prisoners in Ma’ekelawi;
3) access to proper medical care for all political prisoners.
It has not been possible to verify how many political prisoners are taking part in the strike. However, it has been confirmed that the following leaders of OFC are part of it: Bekele Gerba, Dejene Tafa, Desta Dinka, Addisu Bulala and others. Since November 2015, thousands of Oromos have been taken to Ma’ekelawi in connection with the ongoing Oromo Protests against the lack of adequate self-rule for Oromia (of which the Master Plan is an example), and the decades-old marginalization of the Oromo people in the political, economic, social, linguistic and cultural spheres in Ethiopia as a whole. In addition to those thousands arrested in prisons and concentration camps across Oromia and Ethiopia, more than 160 Oromo persons were killed, and thousands of Oromo persons have been wounded by the Ethiopian Federal armed forces – including tens of Oromo children.
It is to be remembered that the Ethiopian government brought Bekele Gerba, Dejene Tafa, Addisu Bulala and others to a federal court in central Addis Ababa on January 22, 2016 (listen to the report in Amharic below) – this date is the same date on which the hunger strike reportedly began; many human rights organizations, such as the Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, accuse the Ethiopian government of using draconian laws to prosecute peaceful and legitimate political dissidents in biased courts to silence voices critical of the government’s violations of human rights and unjust policies.
Oromia: Colleagues eulogize Ob. Bekele Mekonnen Wessenu as a great fighter for Oromo rights January 26, 2016
Posted by OromianEconomist in Oromo.Tags: Africa, Colleagues eulogize Ob. Bekele Mekonnen Wessenu as a great fighter for Oromo rights, Obbo Baqqalaa Mokonnon Wasanuu, Oromia, Oromo
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Long-time activist for Oromo rights and a founding member of the Macha-Tulama Association Ob. Bekele Mekonnen Wessenu (1930-2016) passed away over the weekend in London (Jan. 24, 2016)
Colleagues eulogize Ob. Bekele Mekonnen Wessenu as a great fighter for Oromo rights
Finfinne Tribune, 26 January 2016
From Ob. Ibsaa Guutama (via Gubirmans.com)
Nagaa isa Dhumaa Baqqalaa Makonniniif Dhaamu
Baqqalaa Makonnin qaamaan nama bareedaa fulli ifaa yeroo hunda nama arguu gammaduu, arjaa fi of kennaa ture. Kun nama hin beekneef himuuf malee kan beekaniif kana caalaa tahuu saa waliin beekna. Miirri Baqqalaa, murannoo fi dudhammi kaayyoo saba saatiif qabu akkuma qaama hafee hin qabu. Baqqalaa Makonnin yeroo yaadannu ilama Warra Abbaafardaa tahu saa irra dabarree abba saa gooticha Oromoo, Makonnin Wasanuu fi qabsoo saba Oromoo yaadanna. Baqqalaan dardara haa turu malee abbooliima saa waliin Waldaa Maccaa fi Tuulama (WMT) ijaaruu fi wareegama guddaa baasuutt beekama. Baqqalaan dabaankufoota Oromoo Taddasaa Birruu, Maammoo Mazamirii, Sayifuu Tasammaa, Lammeessaa Boruu fi Abboolii WMT waliin gidiraa qabsoo hadhooftuu nama dhandhamate. Baqqalaan nama qaabannoo gaarii qabu, seenaa fi cunqurfama Oromoos tooraan kan yaadatu ture.
Baqqalaan bara Mootummaa Cehumsaa 1992 ummata ijaaruu fi dammaqsuutt qoodi inni fudhate dabbaloota ABO hundaan beekamaa dha. Akka ijoollee diinaan salphifamuu, kaayyoo ummata saa bakaan gahuuf qabsoo godhame keessatt hanga du’a saatt hin qollifanne. Roorroon diinaa sabboonota Oromoo lakkofsi hin beekamne biyyaa baaseera. Baqqalaan akka gaaf tokko biyya saa jaallatutt deebi’u abdii utuu hin kutatin qabsaawaa ture. Ummati Oromoo fi jaallawwan saa qabsoo, utuu mararfatanii dhukuba humnaa ol tahen raawwachuu saatiif manguddicha qabsoo bilisummaa saanii kana gaggeessaa jiru. Baqqalaan akkuma abbaa saa utuu diina jala hin kurkurin jannummaan obbaafate.
Jaalbiyyaan Oromoo, Baqqalaa Makonnin hardha hirree saa haa boraafatu malee fakkeenyi inni dhaloota ittaanuuf dhiisee darbe barabaraan yaadatama jiraata. Yeroo ijoolleen Oromoo kaatee lafa raasaa jirtu kanatt bakka qabsoon inni eegale geese utuu hin argin dadhabuun saa kan isa beeknu hunda dhukkuba garaa nutt tahee hafa. Haa tahu malee Baqqalaan hin dune ijoollee kana keessaan jiraataa. Baqqalaan kan warra saa qofa mitii, kan Oromiyaa hundaatii. Egaa Obboo Baqqalaa, utuu hin fedhin waldhabne, utuu nagaa walitt hin dhaamin deemtee, hin dhufta jennee karaa ilaaluunis hin hafe. Nagaatt egaa jaala koo. Firoota fi jaallewwan saa hundaan haa jabaannu jenna. Lubbuun saa qabanna haa ciistu.
Ulfinaa fi surraan gootota kufaniif; bilisummaa, walqixxummaa fi balchummaan kan lubbuun jiraniif; nagaa fi araarri sabichaa fi Ayyaana abbooliif haa tahu!
Ibsaa Guutama
Amajjii 2016
From Ob. Tesfaye Kenna
Birilleetu cabe, daadhiitu dhangala’e!
Gomboo kuusaa cuuphataa, yaa nama gaafa qaanii olkeewwata baaltetaa
Biqilaa dirree waajjuu, migira warra Salaalee
Oromticha Tuulamaa, Wasiila waarra Maccaa
Qabeenya isa Booranaaf, abdii dha Bareentummaaf
Hin sarmuu ilma gootaa, falmaa mirga dhalootaa
Bareeddicha akka cirri, mul’ataa tuuta keessaa
Sanyii fiixaa namaa, gooftaa amma maqaa gahu
Baqqalaa ilma Mokee nama waan himaniif qabu
Haftee hundeessota qabsoo, dhikima seenaa himu
Booqaa lammii keessaa, yaa guddicha akka Tulluu
Sibbiila gaafa xiiqii, abdii gaafa rakkinaa
Babal’aa damee odaa, gaaddisa qabsaayotaa
Buqqisaa akka ulee gajjaa, xoolagaa arcummee uulmaa
Guddisa Taaddee Birruu, yaa Wasanuuf akaakoo
Hin bannee akkam taanaree yaa abdii gaafa rakkoo
Warqii ibiddaan bahe, jabaa yaa sibila koo
Siqabaa man Tuulamaa, lakkaawwata lammii koo
Finceessisaa baalagee, jabaa diina hunkuru
Diina hunkuruuf malee, du’aaf jabaan hin jiruu
Baqqalaa nama lafee lammiirraa roorroo, dhoowwuuf, ojjate maaltu itti hafe
Goota roorroon hin moone, Baqqalaa ya qomoo koo
Maal raajii maaltu ta’e, buttuu maaltu sibute?
Kalee dheengadda mitii, miidiyaan keenya guddaan,
Hundeefama bu’uraa, calqaba hundee qabsoo,
Seenaa Maccaa-Tuulamaa, sagalee keetiin baasee,
Kan gurra keenyaan ga’e?
amma naaf galte dubbiin, wannattii qaanii hin beekne,
Kan gootaaf sodaa hin qabne, du’atu addaan nubaasee
Asirraa galli hin jiruu, kanuma dhumni namaa
Fooniin sidhabne malee, seenaan kee lammii boonse,
Tasallee hin dagatamuu, bara baraan himamaa
Fooniin sidhabne malee, seenaan kee lammii boonse,
Tasallee hin dagatamuu, bara barbaraan himamaa
Nagaatti
Tesfaye Kenna
Amajjii 24, 2016
Oromo: UNPO: Civil Society and International Bodies Condemn Violence January 26, 2016
Posted by OromianEconomist in #OromoProtests, Africa, Oromia, Oromo.Tags: 'BECAUSE I AM OROMO’: SWEEPING REPRESSION IN THE OROMIA, Africa, Decolonizing Development, Ethiopia, Human rights, Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa, Oromia, Oromo, Oromo: Civil Society and International Bodies Condemn Violence, OromoProtests2016, UNPO
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Oromo: Civil Society and International Bodies Condemn Violence
UNPO, 25 January 2016
On 22 January 2016, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa issued a statement, emphasising the recent attention accorded by the United States, European Union and United Nations to the human rights situation in Ethiopia. While The European Parliament, through a recent urgent resolution, calls for a credible, transparent and independent investigation into the killings of at least 140 Oromo protesters and into other alleged human rights violations, the HRLHA condemns the state sponsored violence, calling on the Ethiopian government to “immediately withdraw its special force “Agazi” from the Oromia Regional State and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
Below is the statement published by the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa:
The tireless voices for the voiceless spoken by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International (AI), Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) and others- for decades-about the gross human rights violations in Ethiopia have caught the attention of the world and finally the hard truth has been revealed.
The US Government, the EU parliament and UN experts condemn the killings, detentions and kidnappings in the Oromo Nation by Ethiopian Government forces. The Oromo nation demand and that their basic freedoms and fundamental rights be respected in their own country.
The USA Government in its statements of December 18, 2015″The United States, Calls for Meaningful Dialogue About Oromo Community Concerns” and 14 January 2016 ” The United States Concerned By Clashes in Oromia, Ethiopia “condemned the Ethiopian brutality against peaceful protestors and urged the government of Ethiopia to permit peaceful protest and commit to a constructive dialogue to address legitimate grievances.
The European Union in its debate on 21 January 2016 discussed the “Human Rights Situation in Ethiopia”. The EU Parliament strongly condemns the recent use of violence by the security forces and the increased number of cases of human rights violations in Ethiopia. It calls for a credible, transparent and independent investigation into the killings of at least 140 protesters and into other alleged human rights violations in connection with the protest movement after the May 2015 federal elections in the country.
The UN Experts in their release of 21 Jan. 2016: “UN experts urge Ethiopia to halt a violent crackdown on Oromia protesters, ensure accountability for abuses“. They called on the Ethiopian authorities to end the ongoing crackdown on peaceful protests by the country’s security forces, who have reportedly killed more than 140 demonstrators and arrested scores more in the past nine weeks.
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa appreciates the statements coming out from different governmental agencies and governments exposing the ethnic persecutions and crimes against humanity in Oromia Regional State by Ethiopian Government forces in which over 180 Oromo nationals from all walks of life have been brutalized by the special force “Agazi” , over 8, 050 Oromo were arbitrarily detained and where large numbers were kidnapped and taken to an unknown destination.
To stop further human catastrophes in Oromia Regional State, the HRLHA urges the world community to continue putting pressure on the Ethiopian government:
To immediately withdraw its special force “Agazi” from the Oromia Regional State and bring the perpetrators to justice To unconditionally release the detainees To compensate, all casualties have been done by the government-sponsored criminals To abort the state of emergency declared in Oromia Regional State All authorities who were involved in the present political crisis in the Oromia Regional state, including the PMs special advisor AbayTseye and the PM of Ethiopia HailemariamDessalengn, should be stripped of their government responsibilities To allow independent investigators into the country to conduct an investigation into the present and past gross human rights violations in Oromia Regional State.
17 Oromo Children Killed by Authorities in Ethiopia Land Protests January 26, 2016
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: 17 Oromo Children Killed by Authorities in Ethiopia Land Protests, Africa, Ethiopia, Global Voices, Oromia, Oromo, OromoProtests2016
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17 Children Killed by Authorities in Ethiopia Land Protests
By Ellery Roberts Biddle, Global Voices
Ethiopian authorities have killed at least 17 children and injured many more involved in peaceful land rights protests since December 2015.
Demonstrations over a plan to expand the capital into the ethnic region of Oromia began in Ethiopia in late November. Since then, there have been 140 confirmed deaths of protesters at the hands of government authorities. Of the 17 minors killed by authorities, most were between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. Citizen media reports also show that many more school children have been injured in the protest movement.
The protesters are speaking out against the so-called “Master Plan” to expand the capital city, Addis Ababa, into Oromia, fearing that the proposed development will result in direct persecution of the Oromo ethnic group, including mass evictions of Oromo farmers from their land. Oromo people, who represent the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, have experienced systematic marginalization and persecution over the last quarter century. Some estimates put the number of Oromo political prisoners in Ethiopia at 20,000 as of March 2014. The country’s ruling elite, of the EPRDF party, are mostly from the Tigray (only 6% of Ethiopia’s 90 million population ) region, which is located in the northern part of the country.
In parallel with efforts of global organizations such as Human Rights Watch, local activists have worked to document and preserve evidence of these killings since early December. Last week, Ethiopian media scholar Endalk Chala and Oromo activist Abiy Atomssa published a map of confirmed deaths based on a crowdsourced data set comprised of reports from citizens, activists, social media, local media networks and VOA’s Amharic service.
Eighth grader Barihun Shibiru of West Shawa was among a handful of minors who were arrested and executed once in official custody. Shibiru’s funeral was held on December 17.
Citizen videos have also helped document and confirm deaths of minors, including a video that shows students crowding around the body of Lucha Gamachu, a 9th grader at Burqa Wanjo Secondary School. The video was published on Facebook by Jawar Mohammed.
We ask that any person who has evidence of the death or disappearance of protesters please contact us at editor@globalvoicesonline.org.
https://globalvoices.org/2016/01/25/17-children-killed-by-authorities-in-ethiopia-land-protests/
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