Statement by the spokesperson on recent clashes in Ethiopia
23/12/2015
The recent unrest in the Oromia and Amhara regions of Ethiopia has caused a considerable number of casualties and only a constructive dialogue among all affected parties can lead to a peaceful and sustainable resolution of such disputes. Working within the framework of Ethiopia’s Constitution, all stakeholders need to continue such a dialogue and refrain from recourse to violence and inflammatory statements.
The EU extends its condolences to the families and friends of the deceased. The reassurance of the consultation with the concerned communities is encouraging.
Jawar argues that Tadesse Birru fell because of jarsumma. Waqo Gutu fell for jarsumma. Maca Tulama fell for jarsumma. No jarsumma with current Ethiopian leadership.
HUBACHIISA: Jaarsummaan ammatti balaa malee fala hin fidu.
The following is a letter written by members of the U.S. Congress: Reps. Keith Ellison (MN), Betty McCollum (MN) and Tom Emmer (MN), to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 24th, 2015
Ellison, McCollum, Emmer Send Letter to Secretary of State Kerry Regarding Protests in Ethiopia
WASHINGTON DC – Reps. Keith Ellison, Betty McCollum, and Tom Emmer sent the following letter to Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the student protests in the Oromia region of Ethiopia calling for stronger action against human rights violations:
December 23, 2015
The Honorable John F. Kerry Secretary of State United States Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520
Dear Secretary Kerry:
We are writing in regards to the recent student protests in the Oromia region of Ethiopia that have erupted in response to the Ethiopian government’s Master Plan to expand Addis Ababa into surrounding farmland. Minnesota is home to the largest Oromo population in the United States and we have been contacted by hundreds of constituents concerned about the violence and intimidation these protesters have faced from government security forces. We would like to commend you for condemning the recent killings and violence against peaceful Oromo protesters. However, our constituents feel that stronger action is required to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the region.
The United States and Ethiopia have shared a long, fruitful relationship and are partners on a number of issues important to the region. This ongoing relationship, coupled with the extensive foreign assistance that the United States provides Ethiopia each year, should be used to leverage the United States’ position that inclusive democracy be practiced in Ethiopia.
Numerous reports from organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Committee on the Protection of Journalists have revealed the growing practice of government security forces using arbitrary arrests and prosecution to silence journalists and Ethiopian citizens who are simply exercising freedom of expression—a fundamental right and the cornerstone of a democratic society. These individuals are often charged under the draconian 2009 anti-terrorism proclamation. The continued mistreatment and displacement of the Oromo ethnic group in the Oromia region is especially troubling. Furthermore, the Charities and Societies Proclamation (CSO law), enacted in 2009, has made it nearly impossible for non-profits to operate in Ethiopia.
Similar protests last year left dozens of Oromos dead and hundreds arrested. This year, there have already been five officially recorded deaths, although constituents close to the issue have informed us the true number of deaths is much higher with a death toll of at least 75. Recently, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said that authorities “will take merciless legitimate action against any force bent on destabilizing the area.” This aggressive approach to peaceful protesters is cause for major concern by the United States and we therefore urge you to engage the Ethiopian leadership in a serious dialogue in order to prevent further loss of life and to ensure that Ethiopia is adhering to democratic principles.
The United States Congress has already sent a strong message regarding Ethiopia’s response to protests. The 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Bill has provisions to ensure that the U.S. funding to Ethiopia cannot be used to support forced evictions in the country. Furthermore, the bill requires U.S. assistance to be used to support local community initiatives aimed at improving livelihoods and be subject to prior consultation with affected populations. The bill also opposes U.S. funding to international financial institutions such as the World Bank for programs that could lead to forced evictions in Ethiopia.
We respectfully ask you to conduct a full, thorough review of this ongoing situation. We cannot look the other way when our allies are violating the human rights of their citizens. If during your investigation you find violations of the Leahy Law, we ask that you respond by taking appropriate action. Thank you for your attention to this important human rights matter.
Sincerely,
Keith Ellison Member of Congress
Betty McCollum Member of Congress
Tom Emmer Member of Congress
Cc: Susan Rice, National Security Advisor, White House Samantha Power, United States Ambassador to United Nations Congressman Ed Royce, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee, United States House of Representatives Congressman Elliot Engel, Ranking member of Foreign Affairs Committee, United States House of Representatives
#OromoProtests As tens of thousands of TPLF soldiers are currently occupying almost every town and village in Oromia, rape of women and girls is widely reported. In villages and small towns men and boys are jailed and soldiers raid house at night terrorizing women and children. Thousands of female students and civil servants in make shift prisons guarded by soldiers. Medical personnel has been sending credible information that is too graphic to share in public and we are compiling and sending it to human rights organizations. This heinous crime must be condemned by every human being. Tigrean elites within or outside the regime must act now before its too late to reverse course. ====================== Yeroo loltoonni Wayyaanee kumatamaan Oromiyaa weeraranii jiran kanatti yakki humnaan gudeeddi dubartootaa bal'inaan ragaa waliin nutti dhufaa jira. Araddaalee baadiyyaafi magaalota xixiqqoo keessatti abboonnifi dargaggoon hidhaa waan jiraniif, halkan waraanni manneen irra deemee durbartootaaf daa'imman shoororkeessaa jira. barattoonnifi hojjattooni dubartootaa kumaatamaan man hidhaa keessatti miidhaan suukaneessaan irra gayaa jira. Ogeeyyonni fayyaa bakka hedduu irraa ragaa yakka kana agarsiisu nuuf ergaa jiran. Ummatatti agarsiisuuf waan hin danda'ameef gara dhaabbilee mirga namoomaa dabarsuuf qindeessaa jirra. Jawhar Mohammed
Blood and terror on the streets as protests grip Ethiopia
Wolenkomi (Ethiopia) (AFP) - Two lifeless bodies lay on the ground as the terrified crowd, armed only with sticks against gun-toting Ethiopian security forces, fled the fierce crackdown on protesters.
Blood seeped through a sheet covering one of the bodies on the road outside Wolenkomi, a town just 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.
"That was my only son," a woman sobbed. "They have killed me."
Back at the family home of 20-year-old Kumsa Tafa, his younger sister Ababetch shook as she spoke. "He was a student. No one was violent. I do not understand why he is dead," she said.
Human Rights Watch says at least 75 people have been killed in a bloody crackdown on protests by the Oromo people, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group.
Bekele Gerba, deputy president of the Oromo Federal Congress, puts the toll at more than 80 while the government says only five have been killed.
The demonstrations have spread to several towns since November, when students spoke out against plans to expand the capital into Oromia territory -- a move the Oromo consider a land grab.
The sight of the protesters on the streets of towns like Wolenkomi -- shouting "Stop the killings! This isn't democracy!" -- is rare in a country with little tolerance for expressions of discontent with the government.
Tree trunks and stones are strewn on the asphalt on the road west from Addis to Shewa zone, in Oromia territory, barricading the route for several kilometres.
Chaos broke out on a bus on the road when it emerged that the police were again clashing with demonstrators in Wolenkomi.
"My husband just called me," said a woman clutching her phone, as others screamed and children burst into tears.
"He's taking refuge in a church. Police shot at the protesters," she said.
The man next to her cried in despair: "They're taking our land, killing our children. Why don't they just kill everyone now?"
The army raided Wolenkomi again the next day, the rattle of gunfire lasting for more than an hour.
"They grabbed me by the face and they told me, 'Go home! If you come back here, we'll kill you'," said Kafani, a shopkeeper.
Rights groups have repeatedly criticised Ethiopia's use of anti-terrorism legislation to stifle peaceful dissent, with the US expressing concern over the recent crackdown and urging the government to employ restraint.
But Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn declared on television that the government would act "without mercy in the fight against forces which are trying to destabilise the region."
- 'Land is everything' -
Oromo leaders have vowed to keep up their resistance against proposals to extend Addis, and Human Rights Watch has warned of "a rapidly rising risk of greater bloodshed".
"The government can continue to send security forces and act with violence -- we will never give up," said Gerba.
Land is at the heart of the problem. Under Ethiopia's constitution, all land belongs to the state, with owners legally considered tenants -- raising fears amongst the Oromo that a wave of dispossession is on its way.
"For farmers in Oromia and elsewhere in the country, their land is everything," said Felix Horne, a researcher at Human Rights Watch.
"It's critical for their food supply, for their identity, for their culture," he said.
"You cannot displace someone from their land with no consultation and then inadequately compensate them and not expect there to be any response," Horne warned.
Some Oromo have already seen their lands confiscated.
Further west, in the town of Ambo, a woman named Turu was expropriated of her two hectares, receiving only 40,000 birr ($1,900, 1,700 euros) in compensation.
"We had a good life before," she said.
Today she struggles to support her four children and her disabled husband with the 30 birr a day ($1.40, 1.30 euros) she earns working in a factory.
With their own language distinct from Ethiopia's official Amharic tongue, the 27 million Oromo make up nearly 30 percent of the country's population.
"The Oromos are seen as more of a threat by the government in part because they are by far the largest ethnic group," said Horne.
The proposed expansion of Addis is part of a 25-year development plan to boost the city's infrastructure and attract new investors.
It sparked demonstrations last year, but on a smaller scale.
The United States Concerned By Clashes in Oromia, Ethiopia
Press Statement
Mark C. Toner Deputy Department Spokesperson
Washington, DC
December 18, 2015
The United States is deeply concerned by the recent clashes in the Oromia region of Ethiopia that reportedly have resulted in the deaths of numerous protestors. We greatly regret the deaths that have occurred and express our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives.
We urge the government of Ethiopia to permit peaceful protest and commit to a constructive dialogue to address legitimate grievances. We also urge those protesting to refrain from violence and to be open to dialogue. The government of Ethiopia has stated publicly that the disputed development plans will not be implemented without further public consultation. We support the government of Ethiopia’s stated commitment to those consultations and urge it to convene stakeholders to engage in dialogue as soon as possible.
