#OromoProtests

NEWSETHIOPIAJUST NOW

Ethiopia protests: Fire and gunshots reported at jail

Media and activists report gunfire and blaze at jail where politicians are held, as anti-government protests continue.

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Demonstrators from the Oromo and Amhara groups are calling for more rights [Reuters/Tiksa Negeri]

A prison in Ethiopia where high-profile political prisoners are held has caught fire and gunshots were later heard there, according to media and opposition activists in a country gripped by a wave of protests.

The jail, Qilinti, is on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa and is used to imprison leaders of the Oromo ethnic group, among others. Members of the Oromo community have been leading demonstrations against the government since November, demanding more political and economic freedoms.

Fortune, a privately-owned newspaper, reported that there had been 20 casualties, but did not specify whether it meant dead or wounded. Itcarried a photograph of a huge plume of smoke billowing over a row of buildings, and said the fire had been brought under control by Saturday evening.

Ethiopia protests: Fast facts - Protests in Oromia started in November last year when the government announced a plan to expand the capital - a city-state - into the surrounding Oromia region. - Many Oromos saw that as a plan to remove them from fertile land. The scheme has since been dropped, but the unrest spread as demonstrators called for the release of prisoners and for wider freedoms. - In the Amhara region, demonstrations began over the status of a district - Wolkait - that was once part of Amhara but was incorporated into the neighbouring Tigrayan region more than 20 years ago. Those demonstrations have also since widened. - The ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front is a multi-ethnic coalition made up of four parties. The opposition and political analysts, though, say it is dominated by the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front.

The paper said that three firefighters had been taken to hospital with breathing difficulties. 

A pro-government radio station reported that one person had been killed, and six injured. Opposition activists put the number of dead at between 20 and more than 30, citing family members of inmates.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the reports.

Fortune, citing sources, reported that the fire had been deliberately started as part of an escape attempt and said that police had now taken control of the facility from prison officers. 

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WATCH: What is triggering Ethiopia's unrest?

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According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch group at least 500 people have been killed by security forces since the protests began in November. Though demonstrations started among the Oromo, Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, they later spread to the Amhara, the second most populous group. 

Both groups say that a ruling coalition is dominated by the Tigray ethnic group, which makes up about six percent of the population.

The government has denied that violence from the security forces is systemic, though a spokesman told Al Jazeera that police officers "sometimes take the law into their own hands", pledging an independent investigation

Authorities have blamed opposition groups inside and outside of the country and what they have called "anti-peace" elements for the chaos.

The governing Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front last month rejected a United Nations request that it send in observers, saying it alone was responsible for the security of its citizens.

The government, a close ally of many Western nations, is accused by rights groups of regularly cracking down on the opposition and jailing journalists. At elections last year, it won every seat in the 547-seat parliament.

Source: Al Jazeera News

#OromoProtests

Ethiopia protests: Opposition wants prisoners freed

As demonstrations continue, opposition tells Al Jazeera that jailed protesters of all backgrounds should be released.

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Addis Ababa - An opposition leader in Ethiopia has demanded that "political prisoners" be freed as anti-government protests continued to rage in one of Africa's most populous countries.

ETHIOPIA PROTESTS

Protests in Oromia started in November last year when the government announced a plan to expand the capital - a city-state - into the surrounding Oromia region.

Many Oromos saw that as a plan to remove them from fertile land. The scheme has since been dropped, but the unrest spread as demonstrators called for the release of prisoners and for wider freedoms.

In the Amhara region, demonstrations began over the status of a district - Wolkait - that was once part of Amhara but was incorporated into the neighbouring Tigrayan region more than 20 years ago. Those demonstrations have also since widened.

The governing Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front last month rejected a United Nations request that it send in observers, saying it alone was responsible for the security of its citizens.

The government, a close security ally of the West, is often accused of silencing dissent, even blocking internet access at times. At elections last year, it won every seat in the 547-seat parliament

The call was made by Tiruneh Gamta, a leader of the Oromo ethnic group, from which the biggest number of protesters come.

According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch, at least 500 people have been killed since unrest began in November. 

Thousands have also been arrested, rights groups say, and many have not been heard from since they were detained.

"We want all political prisoners, regardless of any political stand or religion or creed, released from jail. Together with this, we need democratic rights," Gamta told Al Jazeera.

The government has denied that violence from the security forces is "systemic" and pledged to launch an independent investigation, blaming opposition groups inside and outside of the country and what it called "anti-peace" elements for the chaos.

Al Jazeera interviewed a woman who said she was arrested while on her way to a market. A protest had been taking place close to the market, she said.

After a night in a jail cell, she and 30 other people were ordered onto a bus and told not to look outside, she said. Seven hours later, she said, they arrived at a camp.

"At the camp, they put us in a cell. Then the next day, they ordered us out for what they said was exercise," the woman, who requested anonymity, told Al Jazeera.

"They beat us as they ordered us to exercise, and when we got tired, they continued to beat us. I tried to do what they said, but I couldn't, so they beat me more. Even when I was running, they were beating me all over my body." 

READ MORE: The 'Ethiopia rising' narrative and the Oromo protests

Interrogation was carried out regularly to wear the detained down, the woman said.

"Five or six policemen interrogated each one of us every day. They kept threatening us. They said if you give false testimony, we will kill you." 

Protests that started in November among people from the Oromo ethnic group have spread. Demonstrators from the Amhara region have also started to demand greater political and economic rights.

The Oromo and Amhara are the two biggest ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Both accuse the government of being dominated by members of the Tigrayan ethnic group, which makes up about six percent of the population.

Government promised accountability

Government leaders have said they communicate with opposition groups to listen to their grievances. They also promised that police found guilty of abuse will be held to account.

"We will do whatever it takes to make sure such things do not happen, and if they do happen, the people are not left unaccounted for," Getachew Reda, a government spokesman, told Al Jazeera.

Members of the opposition, though, say they have heard similar reassurances before.

READ MORE: 'Foreign firms attacked' as Ethiopia protests continue

In the latest bout of unrest earlier this week, protesters attacked foreign-owned businesses, according to the owners of a flower firm.

The Dutch company said crowds of people in the Oromia and Amhara regions torched flower farms as they targeted businesses with perceived links to the government. Flowers are one of the country's top exports.

Esmeralda Farms said its 10-million-euro investment ($11.1m) went up in smoke this week in Bahir Dar city and that several other horticulture companies were also affected.

Are Ethiopia's Oromo being violently repressed? - UpFront

Source: Al Jazeera News

#OromoProtests

NEWSETHIOPIA2 HOURS AGO

'Foreign firms attacked' as Ethiopia protests continue

Horn of Africa nation has seen months of protests during which rights groups say security forces have killed hundreds.

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Oromos have long complained of marginalisation by the government [Tiksa Negeri/Reuters]

Protesters in Ethiopia have attacked foreign businesses, according to the owners of a flower firm, as demonstrations in which rights groups say hundreds of people have been killed continued.

The Dutch company said crowds of people in the Oromia and Amhara regions torched flower farms as they targeted businesses with perceived links to the government. Flowers are one of the country's top exports.

The Esmeralda Farms statement came after weeks of escalating protests that started among the Oromo, Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, and later spread to the Amhara, the second most populous group. 

Both groups of protesters are demanding more political and economic rights, and say that a ruling coalition is dominated by the Tigrayan ethnic group, which makes up about 6 percent of the population.

According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch group, security forces have killed at least 500 people since the unrest began in November and thousands of people have been arrested.

The government has denied that violence from the security forces is "systemic" and pledged to launch an independent investigation, blaming opposition groups inside and outside of the country and what it called "anti-peace" elements for the chaos.  

Esmeralda Farms said its 10 million euro ($11.1m) investment went up in smoke this week in Bahir Dar city and that several other horticulture companies were also affected.

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READ MORE: The 'Ethiopia rising' narrative and the Oromo protests 

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Remco Bergkamp, assistant manager at Esmeralda Farms in the Netherlands, told Al Jazeera that the company would probably leave Ethiopia, rather than rebuild the farm.

"The situation is not stable enough to run a business. You just don’t know where the country is headed," Bergkamp told Al Jazeera.

Ethiopia has seen sustained economic growth in recent years and the government has been keen to attract foreign investors, often offering attractive incentives to firms who want to do business there. 

Government opponents, though, say the country's poorest have seen little benefit from the investment.

"The government sent security forces to protect the farm. Eventually the group of protesters grew so large that the soldiers were forced to flee and the property was torched," Bergkamp said. 

"One of our Ethiopian staff members was wounded in the attack."

Protests in Oromia started in November last year when the government announced a plan to expand the capital - a city state - into the surrounding Oromia region.

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WATCH: Prime minister tells Al Jazeera democracy is 'not only an election'

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Many Oromos saw that as a plan to remove them from fertile land. The scheme has since been dropped but the unrest spread as demonstrators called for the release of prisoners and for wider freedoms. 

In the Amhara region, demonstrations began over the status of a district - Wolkait - that was once part of Amhara but was incorporated into the neighbouring Tigrayan region more than 20 years ago. Those demonstrations have also since widened.

The governing Ethiopian People's Revolutonary Democratic Front last month rejected a United Nations request that it send in observers, saying it alone was responsible for the security of its citizens.

The government, a close security ally of the West, is often accused of silencing dissent, even blocking internet access at times. At elections last year, it won every seat in the 547-seat parliament.

Source: Al Jazeera News and agencies

Tafarii Mokonnon Sii Dhume Wayyaanee Oromo Music 2016

On Ethiopia's Charges of Terrorism Against Political Leaders

On Ethiopia's Charges of Terrorism Against Political Leaders

#OromoProtets

I have been regularly insulted and dehumanized by the TPLF's officials and their supporters, even though I advocate for justice, freedom, the respect for human rights, equality and encouraged all our people to love each other and work together for the betterment of all Ethiopian people regardless of their ethnicity.

Please listen to one of the many insulted I have received on my phone and the other against our two brothers.

During the Holocaust, Nazis referred to Jews as rats. Hutus involved in the Rwanda genocide called Tutsis cockroaches. Slave owners throughout history considered slaves subhuman animals.

In Less Than Human, David Livingstone Smith argues that it's important to define and describe dehumanization, because it's what opens the door for cruelty and genocide.

"When people dehumanize others, they actually conceive of them as subhuman creatures," says Smith. Only then can the process "liberate aggression and exclude the target of aggression from the moral community."

There is no excuse to dehumanize other human beings. We are one race, the human race.

I have never tolerated and will never tolerate insulted, dehumanization, injustice and cruelty against the Oromo, Amhara, Tigreans, Anuak, Somali and any ethnic groups. PERIOD

You should never insulted and dehumanize any groups. No one should deserve to be called animal, or retarded because of what few individuals from their ethnic groups has done.

Let us grieve for our losses throughout Ethiopia and never to turn on each other instead let's turn toward one another, joining hands to work together to bring unity, justice, freedom and renewal to all Ethiopian people.

Let's love and respect everyone.Despite the vastness of ethnic hatred policy of the TPLF around us, this is our one and only country we have and we are all one people, the beautiful people of Ethiopia!

May God help these people to see the beauty of humanity in others.

-3:35

25,850 Views

What's behind the protests in Ethiopia?

#OromoProtests

By: Najat Hamza

The Walking Dead

I am a walking dead, when getting a political theory or agenda, 
is more important than our goal for self-determination.
I am a walking dead, when we allow differences of opinion and minor disagreements among ourselves hinder our progress towards freedom.
I am a walking dead, when the struggle entrusted to me from the heroes of yesterday, is nothing more than an ego game.
I am a walking dead, when advancing my individual goals outweighs the collective progress of my people.
I am a walking dead, when I do not realize no freedom was ever rewarded,
Because of good manners.
I am a walking dead, when passive reaction is my mode of struggle
Not consistent active resistance or preemptive strikes.
We are a walking dead if we do not realize being passive under oppression,
Is the same as being part of the oppressive systems.
My people, from East, West, North and South, no matter what views you hold, or which political ideologies you prescribe to, or which faith you practice, we are one!
Because, we live together, we suffer together, we cry together, and we die together.
The enemy does not care what kind of Oromo you are,
They only care that you are one.
It is true, we are diverse people, our colorful diversity is a source of strength
Not of our weakness.
I want us to unite on an idea that Oromia does not have other guardians but us.
We have to safe guard our people, our land and secure our tomorrow
By inconveniencing ourselves today!
Let’s get to work for Oromia, for ourselves against our enemy but not towards each other.
Let’s Wake Up from The Dead Ilmaan Harmee Oromia!!!
Let’s ring in Freedom knocking our door at the 11th hour!!!

#OromoProtests #TogetherWeCan #Oromia

#OromoProtests

WHY NON TIGRAY ARMY MEMBERS CAN'T STAND BY THEIR PEOPLE?
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Actually it is very difficult to call that school children killing staff as National Defense Force. Several human right organizations and activists totally have argued that the EPRDF regime in Ethiopia has been promoting the domination of a minority ethnic elite, i.e., the TPLF, in all spheres of the nation’s life — economy, military, intelligence and security services, foreign affairs, etc. Much has been said and many have commented upon the blatant nature of the drive to ensure the domination of Tigrean elites who claim to represent only 6% of close to 100 million Ethiopians.
The same way, it is obvious that the generals and commanders of the army are TPLE members; however, they are not majority in the total army population.

HOW and WHY the majority of ordinary solders could not stand by their Nation?
There are two assumptions:
1. The Generals and Commanders of TPLF over controlled & dehumanized the army. TPLF has been using divided and rule strategy in every sector. The TPLF intelligence and security has been inciting inter clan clashes b/n neighboring groups, writing derogatory words in classes and toilets in universities to create tensions and haters among students from different ethnic groups, especially Amhara & Oromo. They have been also instigating religious conflicts to destroy the culture of faith tolerance among communities.

The same divisive strategy has been in place in defense force. Fore-instance, they have been using Amhara solders to suppress the demonstrations against TPLF in Oromia and Oromo solders in Amhara region. After 2005 election, they brought solders from Ganbella & Benishagul, to Addis Ababa, who do not understand both Oromo and Amharic languages.
Most of the time, TPLF indoctrinate the danger of Narrowness and Arrogance to the military. When the doctrine is about narrowness, they incite ethnic Amhara solders to comment the magnitude of the danger associate to it, and during arrogance doctrine the same happens to Oromo solders. The very reason is; to create haters, intolerance, lack of trust and sense of enemy, between solders from different ethnic groups. They also assign solders soldiers from different ethnicity in one regiment or battalion, to easy the spying process. Therefore, there is no trust, brotherhoods, open communication and discussions among army staying together for long time.

Most of the army members are not happy, about what is going on in the country currently. However, they can't take any action, including expressing their feelings, because they fear each other than TPLF generals and commanders. Therefore, the divide and rule strategy works out in military than in civilians for TPLF.

2. The second assumption is lack of discipline: The army lacks discipline in terms of distinguishing the state and government. Most of the Ethiopian army members, assume they are recruited by EPRDF, especially by TPLF, and there to protect the ruling party. Therefore, their are in role ambiguity. This is because of two reasons.
- The leaders/ generals are members of TPLF, since their were rebels and still in that mentality.
- The army is deliberately misinformed by TPLF

Therefore, they are more liable to TPLF than state and people

#OromoProtests

August 31, 2016, 04:00 pm

Human rights abuses in Ethiopia require congressional action

By Ali Mohamed

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Last week, Secretary John Kerry met with the foreign ministers of East African nations in Kenya to discuss the fighting in South Sudan and the U.S.-backed African Union battle against al shabaab militant group in Somalia. But absent from Kerry’s agenda were the human rights abuses and repression that are still plaguing in Ethiopia. 

 

This past November, the Ethiopian security forces mowed down more than 400 people, after the Oromo, the country’s largest ethnic group, protested over the government’s plan to expand the zoning of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. According to Leslie Lefkow, Human Rights Watch Deputy Africa Director, “Ethiopian security forces have fired on and killed hundreds of students, farmers, and other peaceful protesters with blatant disregard for human life.” Moreover, 100 protestors were killed in the Amhara and Oromo regions three weeks ago.

 

On Aug. 8, even a crew with PBS Television covering how the government responded to the recent drought, was arrested and their equipment confiscated in the south of the capital by the notorious Ethiopian security services.

 

The Ethiopians are living in systematic fear and repression across the country: Amhara, Oromo, Somali, Gambela and other regions. “’Mass killings, torture, kidnappings, rape, and pillaging”, is the Modus of Operandi of the ruling Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) grip on power in Ethiopia.

 

Despite that, the Obama administration considers Ethiopia as a regional partner for U.S. counter terrorism efforts in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is part of the African Union troops fighting against al-shabab in Somalia.

 

America is complicit in the human rights violations and crimes against humanity in Ethiopia by the TPLF regime. The U.S. provides billions in aid including humanitarian, development, training and supplying weapons to the Ethiopian security forces, and those weapons have been used repeatedly to maim and kill its own people. Without U.S. and EU aid, the stranglehold the TPLF has on Ethiopians would diminish.

 

President Obama is the worst American president Africa had, for the past two decades. Obama has failed to promote human rights, good governance, freedom and the rule of law in Africa. Instead, he sided with African despots in Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti and others, in pursuit of Counterterrorism efforts in Africa. The Obama administration like Communist China has turned a blind eye to rampant corruption and the human rights abuses that beset Africa.

 

For example, last year when Obama visited Ethiopia, the first visit by a sitting U.S. president, he had a chance to address the human rights and crimes against humanity of the TPLF regime. Instead, he chose to praise the regime and even called the repressive government of Ethiopia “democratically elected”, despite the 2015 sham election; in which the TPLF won 98.9% of the parliament. 

 

More troubling, instead of scaling down or even cutting aid to the Ethiopian regime because of abuses, the EU is planning to provide millions of additional aid to the worst human rights abusers in Africa: Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea, in a scheme to stop migrants from reaching Europe. Yet these nations through tyranny are the ones enflaming the African migrant crisis.

 

Time is running out for the merchants of terror and corruption in Addis Ababa and their apologists in the State Department and the EU.

 

Because after a quarter century of power and human rights abuses, and one faction rule, the Ethiopian people are saying enough is enough. The beleaguered Ethiopians are yearning for freedom from fear and oppression and the right to dissent for a peaceful regime change. 

 

But with the repressive TPLF in the helm, a peaceful regime change through the ballot box is impossible. Ethiopia has never had a history of peaceful regime changes. In fact, the TPLF, former Maoist guerilla fighters, came to power through the barrel of the gun, after the overthrow of the Marxist despot Menghistu Haile Mariam in 1992.

 

The minority TPLF regime is also not going  to give up its monopoly on power  or reform itself because it is not democratically elected, and has no consent from the majority of the Ethiopian people. And if a free and fair election is held it would lose in a landslide.

 

So what should we do about the human rights abuses in Ethiopia? America and the EU have tremendous power to end the anguish of the Ethiopian people by holding the vile TPLF regime accountable. We should stop the violence against civilians by the TPLF regime, we should put on travel restrictions and freeze asset of the human rights perpetrators in Ethiopia.

 

Congress has the power of the purse to stop the massive human right abuses in Ethiopia. Congress should send human rights experts to investigate the atrocities in the Amhara, Oromo and Somali regions by the Ethiopian security forces, and to let the media cover those regions. Secondly, Congress must also act now and cut all non humanitarian aid to the Ethiopian regime until the State Department reassesses U.S. foreign policy in light of the prevailing blatant human rights abuses.  

 

Keeping the status quo would deny the 90 million Ethiopians the right to choose freely a government that has the consent of all of Ethiopia’s multi ethnic and religious society.

 

This scenario would sow the seeds of ethnic strife, violence and extremism from spreading into the despotic country and region. 

 

And for the west that would mean more migrants crossing the Mediterranean and heading for Europe. The very disaster America and the EU are expending vast resources trying to eliminate now.

 

Ali Mohamed is the co- founder of the Horn of Africa Freedom Foundation, Lewis Center, Ohio. Contact him at aliadm18@gmail.com