Oromia (Finfinnee): Excerpts from Jawar Mohammed’s speech in court 04 Sep 2020 September 5, 2020
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Jawar Mohammed, security forces in Addis Ababa arrested Oromo Federalist Congress leaders Jawar Mohammed and Bekele Gerba, Simannaa Jawar Mohammed
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Excerpts from Jawar Mohammed’s speech in court 04 Sep 2020
What I find alarming even more so than the individual charges levelled against us is the state of the overall justice system in this country. Allow me to address this not just to the bench presiding over this case but also to the second-man in charge of the Attorney General’s Office who is present amongst us in this courtroom today. The justice system is under the total control of the ruling party and has utterly failed due to political interference by those in positions of power. I would like for you to understand this. It is evident from the prosecution’s request for the court to grant anonymity for witnesses so they can testify against us from behind-the-curtain that this is a political trial. And the fact one of the witnesses was dropped today and that four others were dropped the other day further demonstrates that the entire exercise is politically motivated. I am not saying this because I’m terrified of prison. When I made the decision to join politics, it’s with the full knowledge that such eventualities might arise and with the conviction to accept any consequences. Prison is an elementary challenge. I’m ready to die for my people and for the cause I believe in. If I die today, I go with a peace of mind and a smile on my face. I won’t have any regrets. I’m pleading with you not out of the personal desire to get a favourable ruling on this case but because I want the country’s judicial system to improve for the sake of future generations. This reminds me of the ordeals the earliest Oromo nationalist movement leaders had to go through inside the courtrooms of Imperial Ethiopia [and the death penalty they were given] 40 years ago; trailblazers such as Captain Mamo Mezemir who graduated with great honours from the then imperial military academy. What is happening to the current crop of leaders (potentially his grand children) today is no different. This is disgraceful. Political differences are resolved through dialogue, not in a litigation before a court of law. This exercise helps neither our politics nor the country’s judicial system. On the contrary, it will further worsen the political polarisation, courts will lose public trust and this will precipitate the disintegration of the country. All evidences indicate that that is where we’re heading. The current Prime Minister had apologised for putting freedom advocates through a reign of terror for 27 years in contravention of the constitution and the laws of the country, and had admitted that that was a wrong path to follow. However, what we’re witnessing is a continuation of the same old unlawful practice. I maintain that political differences cannot be resolved in a court of law and that no resolution will come out of such futile undertakings. I urge you to stop wasting the resources and energy of everyone involved. You can jail us as you please, free us as you please or hang us if you deem it necessary but I implore you to stop the blatant mockery of justice and the law. I thank you! –Translated from the Afaan Oromo version originally published by Oromo Political Prisoners Defence Team.
Professor Bayyanaa Peexiroos Waayee Jawaar Mohaammad maal jedhu July 15, 2020
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Jawar Mohammed, Simannaa Jawar Mohammed
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Barreeffama Ajaahibaa: Professor Bayyanaa PeexiroosWaayee Jawaar Mohaammad”
Carraa Jawaar Mohaammad Ummata Oromootiif fi humnoota federaalistiitiif du’uuf argate namoonni argatan muraasa. Jawaar qaama jiru kan mootummaa dha ofiin jedhuuf lafee kokkeetti rakkatteedha.
Jawaar Mohaammad du’ees, jiraatees muummicha ministeera biyyattii ta’uu mirkaneessinee jirra.Jawaar hidhamuu fi hidhamuu dhabuun Biltsiginnaaf garaagarummaa hin qabu.
Jawaar Biltsiginnaaf goraadee gama lamaan qarame. Biltsiginnaan yoo isa ajjeefte lafatu adda banamee ishee liqimsa. Yoo gadlakkifte filannoon moo’atee mininsteera muummee ta’a.
Eertiraanis idaa kanarraa ni qoodatti. Bilisummaan Eertiraa dhiigaa fi lubbuu Jawaariitiin ni dhufa. Jawaar Mohaammad nama idil-addunyaati. Muldhataadha. Toophiyaa keessatti Jawaariin kan gahu eennu?
Hidhamuun Jawaar Mohaammad Toophiyaatti injifannoo dachaa dachaa fida.Jawaar kan kaabaa, kan kibbaa, kan bahaa fi kan dhihaattu deeggara. Jawaar akka Koloneel Abiyyii osoo hatuu fi osoo ajjeesu hin dabarsine. Biyya alaa kan jiru ummanni biyya keenyaa fudhatama kenneeraaf. Kana ta’uusaatiin guddinna Jawaar ammumaan asumaa achi argaarra. Woytiin hanga Fulbaanaa jiru dhimmi Jawaar fi dhimmi biyyaa murtii xumuraa ni argata!”
“ጀዋር መሐመድ ለኦሮሞ እና ለፌዴራል ኃይሎች ለመሞት ያገኘው ዕድል የሚያገኙት ጥቂት ሰዎች ናቸው! ጀዋር ላለው መንግስት ነኝ ባይ ጉሮሮ ውስጥ የተሰካ አጥንት ነው ።ጀዋር መሐመድ ኖረ ሞተ የሀገሪቷ ጠቅላይ ሚስትርነቱን አረጋግጠናል::ጀዋር መታሰሩና ባለመታሰሩ ለብልፅግና ልዩነት የለውም !ጀዋር ለብልፅግና በሁለት ጎን የተሳለ ጎራዴ ነው። ብልፅግና ብትገለው መሬት ተከፍቶ ይውጣታል።ብትለቀው በምርጫ አሸንፎ ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር ይሆናል።ኤርትራም ከዚህ ዕዳ ትካፈላለች።የኤርትራ ነፃነት በጀዋር ደምና ህይወት ይመጣል።ጀዋር መሐመድ ዓለም አቀፍ ሰው ነው። ፊገር ነው።በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ ጀዋር የሚያክል ማነው? የጀዋር መሐመድ መታሰር ድርብ ድርብ ድል በኢትዮጵያ ያመጣል።ጀዋርን ሰሜኑ፣ደቡቡ፣ምስራቁና ምዕራቡ ይደግፈዋል። በውጭ ያለው የሀገራችን ህዝብ ተቀብለውታል።ጀዋር እንደ ኮ/ሌ አብይ ሲሰርቅና ሲገል አላደፈም።በመሆኑ የጀዋር ግዝፈት በሀገራችን ከወዲሁ እያየን ነው።እስከ መስከረም ያለው ጊዜ የጀዋር እና የሀገሪቱ ጉዳይ የመጨረሻ ውሳኔ ያገኛል!” በፕ/ር #በየነ#ጴጥሮስ የተፃፈ
Africa News: I did it for Oromo: Jawar Mohammed explains decision to join Ethiopia opposition party January 2, 2020
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Jawar Mohammed, Simannaa Jawar Mohammed
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I did it for Oromo: Jawar Mohammed explains decision to join Ethiopia opposition party

ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia’s prominent activist Jawar Mohammed explained that he joined the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress party (OFC) because of its strong stand on federalism.
Jawar’s membership in OFC comes five months before general elections that will test the popularity of reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in the east African nation of more than 100 million people.
“I have been working with the party as a supporter for a long time,” Jawar told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
I will use my influence, network, and experience to help strengthen the party.
“I am attracted to the party because of their clear and strong stand on federalism.”
Jawar and the party are expected to call for greater autonomy for Ethiopia’s regional states, including Oromia, which is the largest and most populous.
‘‘The Oromo objective is very clear. It boils down to self-rule, which can be translated into cultural, political and economic autonomy, having full ownership over the wealth God has given us…also being able to govern our home region by a government elected by the Oromo people.’‘
Bitter ethnic rivalries resulting in violent clashes are one of the most serious challenges to Abiy’s government. More than 1,200 people were killed and more than 1.2 million others displaced in clashes in the country within the past year, Ethiopia’s Attorney General Office disclosed in September. The clashes, most of which took place along ethnic lines, threaten Abiy’s reforms.
Falling out with Abiy
Until recently, Jawar was seen as an ally of the prime minister. When he was living in the U.S. many say Jawar played a key role on social media in mobilizing widespread protests that led the previous prime minister to resign and saw Abiy rise to power in April, 2018.
Last year, Abiy relaxed restrictions on political activists which allowed Jawar and others to return to Ethiopia without fear of arrest.
But recently frictions emerged between Abiy and Jawar. In October Abiy criticized “media personalities with foreign passports” for causing troubles in Ethiopia, a comment widely seen as criticism of Jawar.
A day later, Jawar alleged there were attempts to remove his government-provided security guards and hundreds of his supporters flocked to his residence to offer him protection. Unrest that followed in some parts of the country, mainly Oromia, resulted in the deaths of several dozen people.
Jawar’s plan for 2020
Jawar, owner of the Oromo Media Network which has a television station, website and magazine, has more than 1.7 million followers on Facebook and a large support base in the Oromia region.
“I will use my influence, network, and experience to help strengthen the party,” he said, adding that the party will decide what office he will run for in the upcoming elections in May, 2020.
One last hurdle remains before he can launch a political career, however. Jawar holds U.S. citizenship, which prevents him from being a candidate for office in Ethiopia. He said he has started the process of relinquishing his U.S. passport and regaining his Ethiopian citizenship. He said “it will be completed soon.”
Jawar is seen by many as a polarizing figure. While many in Oromia consider him a hero who pushed hard for change in Ethiopia, others call him an opportunist who is waiting for the right time to assume power.
“Jawar joining the opposition party’s leadership would convert the party into a major political force, as he is popular among Oromo and has considerable ability to influence and mobilize Oromo voters using his various media platforms,” William Davison, International Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Ethiopia, told the AP.
Oromia: Simannaa Jawar Mohammed: Amboo fi Shashamannee August 12, 2018
Posted by OromianEconomist in Uncategorized.Tags: Ambo, Jawar Mohammed, Oromia, Qeerroo, Shashamanee, Simannaa Jawar Mohammed
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