#OromoProtests

Ethiopia unrest fueled by HRW and opposition in diaspora – Foreign Affairs chief

Abdur Rahman Alfa Shaban

  24/10 - 11:00

ETHIOPIA

Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs has officially responded to Human Rights Watch (HRW) over its series of reportage in the country.

According to the top diplomat, HRW through its senior researcher for Ethiopia and Eritrea, Felix Horne, was stoking anti-government protests through its false and negative reportage of the situation in the country.

In an article titled, ‘Human Rights Watch encourages opposition violence in Ethiopia,’ Dr Tedros slammed HRW and opposition groups in the diaspora for misrepresentations that were worsening protests leading to the imposition of a state of emergency.

‘‘The suggestion that there were hundreds killed originally came from members of opposition groups in the Diaspora who even claimed that hundreds were shot by helicopter gunships.

‘‘This was a palpable invention, but Human Rights Watch was quick to claim: “an unknown number of people, possibly hundreds, died during a stampede after security forces used teargas and gunfire.”

‘‘One result of this, and similarly invented claims immediately after the tragedy, was an outburst of further demonstrations and attacks on property as well as a number of deaths in various parts of the Oromo regional state.

‘‘It is very clear this happened because of the statements of Human Rights Watch and of the Diaspora opposition encouraging and feeding rumors,’‘ he said.

He further accused the rights body of ‘‘making considerable efforts to push the European Union to use its role as Ethiopia’s main development cooperation partner to force Ethiopia to accept an international investigation.’‘

Dr Tedros accused the HRW researcher of writing articles on the Ethiopia protests without having the requisite information, giving interviews to Reuters and, last week, addressing the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights with inadequate information.

‘‘In all of these, in order to support his demands, he has deliberately given impressions and made claims he knows to be false about recent events, notably the Ireecha tragedy on October 2,’‘ he stated.

Ethiopia’s top diplomat also deplored the manner in which Human Rights Watch has increasingly failed to disclose the sources of their information in the country. He said the group continued to peddle false information despite proof to the contrary.

He was particularly displeased at reports that the security had fired live ammunition at protesters during the Ireecha festival. He insisted that the cause of the deaths were a result of tragic drowning and crushing of persons during the stampede.

‘‘There is, in fact, no evidence (though there are a multitude of allegations made over social media) of any more deaths than the official figures of 55 who died, all from being tragically drowned or crushed in the stampede.

‘‘None of those who died were killed by gunshots, despite Mr. Horne’s claims, as has been confirmed by reports from the hospitals in Bishoftu,’‘ he added.

The government recently imposed a state of emergency to quell a wave of anti-government protests in the Oromia region.

Opposition groups and western diplomats in the country have decried the the government’s decision to impose the state of emergency. The move has been described as a measure to continue with increased repression of opponents.

The government however blames the violence on “anti-peace forces” and “foreign enemies,” specifically Egypt and Eritrea, even though Egyptian president Al Sisi denied any involvement in the protests.

Ethiopia has since November last year suffered a series of protests in two main regions – Amhara and Oromia. The attendant security clampdown has led to the arrests of over 2000 people and death of hundreds of protesters.

#OromoProtests

Perth Ethiopians protest against government crackdown

By David Weber

Posted yesterday at 1:34am

PHOTO: Ethiopians in Perth want Australia to put pressure on the Ethiopian Government. (ABC News: David Weber)

MAP: Perth 6000

Hundreds of members of Ethiopia's ethnic communities have marched in Perth to raise awareness of a government crackdown leading to the detention of thousands of people.

Authorities in Ethiopia have detained more than 2,000 people in recent weeks, amid large anti-government protests.

President of the Oromo Community in Perth Nuru Said has called on the Australian Government to put pressure on its Ethiopian counterpart.

"What we say is the Australian Government [should] not support this terrorist government who is killing [its] citizens and also to put pressure to abide human rights in Ethiopia," he said.

"Australia is one of the leading democratic countries with respect for human rights.

"And this Government is violating the basic human rights and the constitutional rights of the people.

"So I think the Australian Government can play a major role on this."

State of emergency

Human rights groups say hundreds of people have died over the past year as a result of clashes with authorities.

A state of emergency was declared a week after more than 50 people died on October 2, when an Oromo religious festival in the town of Bishoftu turned into a protest and a stampede ensued.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister said the state of emergency was declared due to the "enormous" damage to property.

An Ethiopian Government statement last week said more than 1,600 people had been detained in the Oromia and Amhara regions, on top of 1,000 arrests near the capital.

PHOTO: Omar Hasan says foreign aid is being misused.(ABC News: David Weber)

Authorities said the arrests near Addis Ababa were made in response to attacks on warehouses and factories, which had been set on fire.

Members of the Oromo, Amhara and Ogaden communities came together for the protest march in Perth.

Chairman of the Ogaden community Omar Hasan said there had been many deaths in detention.

"The Ethiopian Government gained the power and they want to keep the power by gun," he said.

"We're urging the Australian Government to stop financing, and cut off all the democratic relationship.

"Investment should be stopped - foreign aid is misused.

"There's a lot of civilian unrest and it's not appropriate for Australian companies or corporates to try to invest in Ethiopia."

PHOTO: Members of the Oromo, Amhara and Ogaden communities came together for the rally. (ABC News: David Weber)

#OromoRevolution Oromo conference for national consensus London, UK p3

#OromoProtests

“We don’ot care if we get killed” – Protests in Ethiopia continue

October 21, 2016 in Oromia

By David Gilbert on Oct 21, 2016

FILE – In this Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016 file photo, protesters chant slogans against the government during a march in Bishoftu, in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is visiting Ethiopia on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2016, where her meeting with Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn is expected to focus on the country’s newly declared state of emergency after months of protests demanding wider freedoms, and other issues including migration. (AP Photo, File)

(Vice News) — The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency in the country as it intensifies a crackdown on widespread anti-government protests born of frustration that’s been fomenting for decades. In the past two weeks alone, authorities have arrested thousands of protesters, overwhelmingly young people by some accounts.

In the unprecedented anti-government protests sweeping the country, this week alone has seen more than 2,600 people detained in the Oromia and Amhara regions, with 450 arrested in the capital Addis Ababa. Those detained include business owners who closed their shops and teachers who “abandoned their schools.” In June, Human Rights Watch reported that “tens of thousands” of protesters had been arrested since the unrest that began 11 months ago.

However, the number arrested is already likely much higher than the figure quoted by the government, according to Fisseha Tekle, the chief researcher for Amnesty International in Ethiopia. He told VICE News that arrests are ongoing and that the focus is on younger people.

“They must have some list, the security forces, because they are not arresting everyone, but they really target the youths, because it is the youths who have been protesting for the last year,” Tekle said. “They don’t arrest older people; students are the main target.”

The protests began last November, triggered by plans made by the government to extend the capital, Addis Ababa, into Oromia. That plan has since been shelved, but the protests have continued, with decades-old frustration and anger at the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition coming to the surface.

“This coalition has been in power for 25 years now and a lot of people want to see something different,” Clementine de Montjoye, the head of advocacy at Defend Defenders, a group that protects human rights workers in Ethiopia, told VICE News.
Because the Ethiopian government limits the operations of human rights activists in the country, many are wary about speaking on the record. One source within a human rights group operating in Ethiopia, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told VICE News that protesters had told them “we don’t have anything to lose anymore, we don’t care if we get killed.”

An Amnesty International report published this week says that in total 800 protesters have been killed by security forces in Ethiopia since these protests began last November.

The government declared a state of emergency on Oct. 9, giving them sweeping powers to crush any dissenting voices. They have also cut internet connectivity in most of the country — including the capital — for the last three weeks.

This has made it difficult to get accurate details of what is happening, especially outside of Addis. And even if a connection can be made, people are still afraid to talk. “People are suspicious because of online surveillance and also mobile phone surveillance, so people might not be [comfortable] talking over the phone about what is happening,” Tekle said.

VICE News contacted several activists on the ground in Ethiopia to talk about the current situation, but due to a combination of fear and lack of connectivity, we were unable to talk to them.

The declaration of a six-month state of emergency followed a high-profile incident at the beginning of the month when a stampede during Irreecha, an Oromo holiday festival, resulted in 55 people killed. As well as increasing the powers of the security forces in Ethiopia to arbitrarily arrest and detain people, the state of emergency aims to silence criticism of the regime. It is now illegal to contact those termed “outsiders” on social media like Twitter and Facebook. “The military command will take action on those watching and posting on these social media outlets,” Siraj Fegessa, Ethiopia’s minister for defense, said.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has made two calls for access to conduct an international, independent, and impartial investigation into the alleged violations, both of which have been rejected by the Ethiopian government. The regime has also sought to limit the impact of human rights organizations in the country with the Charities and Societies Proclamation, which states that if you receive more than 10 percent of your funding from foreign sources, you can’t work on human rights issues in Ethiopia.

Tekle says that Amnesty is refraining from contacting the human rights workers left in the country to avoid revealing their location.

In a report to be launched late Thursday, Defend Defenders has documented at least 27 cases of journalists who have been charged with terrorism since the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation was enacted in 2009. “They have intimidated, arrested, chased away most of the independent media. So if people want to express their frustrations, the only way they have to do it is [by taking] to the streets,” de Montjoye said.

So why isn’t the West doing more to sanction the Ethiopian government?

One reason is Ethiopia’s strategic importance in Africa, helping stem the tide of migrants entering Europe and stopping the spread of Islamic extremism.

According to the European Union’s foreign affairs head Federica Mogherini, citing a report published this week, Ethiopia is among five key African countries that have achieved “better results” in the past four months as part of the EU’s efforts to better manage migration.

Ethiopia is also viewed as a strategic bulwark against the further spread of violent Islamic extremism in the horn of Africa, and it’s been the main military player in fighting the terrorist group al Shabaab in Somalia for years.

Ethiopia is a close ally of the U.S. and given that the political climate in neighbouring countries like Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan and Egypt is fairly shaky, keeping Ethiopia relatively stable is seen as key to preventing chaos in the region.

One Response to “We don’ot care if we get killed” – Protests in Ethiopia continue

1. Sorsa October 21, 2016 at 1:27 pm # 

   Madaan gara keenya keessaa dhiigaa jiru kun kan fayyu, ibiddi garaa keenya keessaa boba’aa jiru kun kan dhaamu, himimmaan ijaa haadhotii keenyaa kan qooru gaafa bilisoomne otoo hintaane gaafa GUMAAN ijoollee keenya bara 25 ol akka bishaanii dhangala’a jiru kun baye qofa dha.

   Ani akka nama tokkooti otoo duuni filanoon dhufti taatee bilisummaa dura guyyaa tokko GUMAA obbolaa koo argee du’uun filadha! Kanaafan oromoon hundi yaada akkanaa qabaachuu hinoolu jedhee tilmaama.

   Hammanatti gammachuun, kolfaa fi hirribin manaa fi sammuu oromo keessa jiraachuu
   hindanda’ani. Gumaan kun immoo dirree oromia ti otoo hintaane Maqalee, Adwa, Adigraati fi Aksumiti baya. Kun dirqama lammuummaa, kan seenaa fi seera addunyaa maraa ijaa ta’eef oromoon daqiqaa tokkoofileee dagachuu hinqabu. Wayyaaneen kana ijaa beektuuf hamma dandeesu dhaloota dhufu lafa irraa duguugaa jirti. Nuti dafnee yoo qaqabne malee GUMAA diisii bilisummaayyuu hinarginu!

   Kanaaf oromoon halkanii guyyaa “GUMAA ilmaan keenyaa nibaafna” jechuu bira darbee tooftaa/karoora GUMAA ittiin baasu qopheeffachuu qaba. Gumaan kun dhuguma waan bilisummaa booda ta’u dha. Garuu hamma itti yaadamuu qaba. Kana jechuun waan GUMAA dhiiga ilmaan keenya aka hin baafne nudhorku hunda irraa of qusannee, walqoqooduu dhiifnee bilisummaan akka dafee dhufu taasisun dirqama lammummaa oromooti! Kana jechuun saba, qerroo fi WBO hidhachiisuun dirqama keenya isa 1fa dha.

#OromoProtests

So, You Think You are a Democrat?

20th October 2016  By Wondemagne Ejigu

0

The rationale behind the question is challenging. A democrat believes in the rule of people; it is a person who demands democracy, who advocates and protects human rights. Does it sound like someone you consider yourself to be?

My reason to ask this question arises from my curiosity about the paradox we see around us everyday. Why do we have human-made disasters all over the globe, while at the same time at least half of the world population claims to be democratic? How is it even possible that the atrocities we see all over the world exist, when half of us supposedly believe in the rule of law? All these human made catastrophes could be avoided, they are, after all, human made.

Thinking about this reminds me of a scene from the movie Hotel Rwanda. The film shows a glimpse of the horrible genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. One particular scene still lingers in my mind; a conversation between a cameraman and the manager of a hotel. The hotel manager had seen footage of the genocide, and explains that he believes the world would do something if they saw it. But the cameraman replies:

“If people see this footage, they’ll say ‘Oh my God, it is horrible’, and then go on eating their dinner.”

Sadly, the cameraman was right. This was exactly what happened. We lost a very large number of innocent people in Rwanda in the most inhuman way. If we gaze back at recent history and learn from our mistakes, it is possible to avoid the human-made disasters we are witnessing now. Syria could serve as a good example. Unfortunately, the world did not seem to wake up in time, and now, Syria has become a ground for a global proxy war. Why did not the world intervene?

I think that there is a huge misconception about democracy and the rule of law. It is naïve to think that democracy still prevails, while in some parts of the world people are literally killed just for saying their opinion. This delusion is a fallacy that fuels the already deteriorating situation of the globe. It is a grave misconception to think that we have democracy while people are raided, bombarded and shot just for holding a peaceful demonstration.

You see, concepts like democracy and the rule of law cannot be confined by borders. It is not logical anymore to assume that the “western” world is democratic and the rest is “undemocratic”. This is a fallacy that merely rests on vicious dualism thinking. The rule of law or democracy is not a virtue that you can automatically get because you are in a certain geographical location. It is rather an innate virtue we all humans are entitled to enjoy.

There is a nation at a crossroad, at the edge of a cliff. A nation that according to political analysts could be on the verge of disintegration and civil war. This nation is Ethiopia, a country with a population of over 90 million people. It is a nation that has been brutally ruled by a notorious minority dictatorial regime for the last 25 years. We have learned from the mess in Syria how dangerous it is when a diverse country like Ethiopia is ruled by a regime such as the TPLF, the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front. I will give you two scenarios:

• TPLF has already committed numerous acts of genocide in various ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Millions of people from Amhara, Oromo, Gambella, Konso and other ethnic groups have been systematically exterminated. Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, president of Genocide Watch, has repeatedly warned the world about the possibility of a full-scale genocide in Ethiopia. This is not a mere warning from “bad wishers”, but scientific analysis. According to Dr. Stanton, Ethiopia has already surpassed the ten signs of genocide.
• As alarming and dangerous the situation is in Ethiopia, the western world is still babysitting the sinister minority dictatorial regime by pumping billions of dollars to the direct benefits of its elites. This, even though the regime has put the country in a State of Emergency. This is a decision that strips the country of the most basic human rights. As long as the financial help is extended from the west, the regime will continue creating mechanisms like the State of Emergency, and thereby assert its true repressive nature. This is very likely to take the country towards a large scale civil unrest.

Luckily, there are a few initiatives coming from the western world against this dictator. A proposal has been submitted to the senate in the United States for supporting respect for human rights and encouraging inclusive governance in Ethiopia. It is an effort to stop the aid money from the US to the TPLF and to put pressure on TPLF to respect human rights. We all hope it will get passed and put into effect. An addition, in Sweden, a member of the Social Democratic Party of the Swedish Parliament recently questioned why TPLF is supported.

These initiatives are brilliant. But Ethiopia, having enjoyed a long as well as strong diplomatic relationship with Sweden, needs more action from Sweden. Sweden has previously taken significant measures to show Sweden’s unwavering commitment to democracy and the rule of law. When Ethiopia was under attack by the Italian fascist duce in the 1940s, Sweden supported Ethiopia by providing training for the Ethiopian air force. Brave Swedes have fought with Ethiopians. Sweden’s assistance was a huge support in regaining the Ethiopian legacy as a country that has never been colonized. As Ethiopians, this is the Sweden we know, a Sweden that could go exceptionally further for the sake of democracy and the rule of law.

There is a saying that goes “We are not free, until we are all free”. We cannot live in our bubble thinking we are democratic and open, and at the same time ignore when people on the same planet are denied their right to live. Trust me, any injustice, no matter where it is, will affect us. There will definitely be consequences no matter how hard we try to ignore it. Mass migration is just one example. This problem, as you can see, manifests itself through our ignorance. Moreover, as sad as it may sound, we contribute to the atrocities through our defining silence.

I therefore humbly request Swedes to break the silence and act. I wish for the good people of Sweden to question the Swedish government as to why they are supporting the Ethiopian dictatorial regime. Why has the Swedish government failed to denounce this regime?

Finally, I want to ask my question again in light of what I have discussed in this article. Dear reader, do you really think that you are a democrat? If so, you know what to do. But if you are still hesitant about whether or not you should act, I will leave you with this quote from a holocaust survivor:

“ The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference”.

Thank you.

Wondmagne Ejigu
Stockholm, Sweden.

#OromoProtests

Ethiopia's list of banned activities

By Briana Duggan, CNN

Updated 2007 GMT (0407 HKT) October 18, 2016

Now PlayingWhy is Ethiopia in a...

Source: CNN

Why is Ethiopia in a state of emergency? 01:38

Story highlights

• Ethiopia imposes strict measures as part of six-month "state of emergency"
• Human rights activists say regulations are too broad

(CNN)Ethiopia has imposed severe regulations under a new six-month "state of emergency" as it faces unprecedented levels of unrest across the country, a first in the government's 25-year rule.

The government says the state of emergency was put in place to prevent further loss of life and property, but many activists worry the new rules serve as a way to limit criticism and allow the government to use a heavy-handed approach to opposition.

The measures, announced October 16, cut across rights of communication and assembly, and have been criticized by human rights activists. Amnesty International said they "are so broad they threaten basic human rights that must not be curtailed."

In the last month, 1,000 people have been arrested, said a mayor of a town close to Addis Ababa, according to state-affiliated media outlet FBC.

Photos: What's behind the Oromo protests?

Unrest began in Ethiopia as two of the country's largest ethnic groups, the Oromo and Amhara, demonstrated against sustained marginalization.

The tension hit a peak earlier this month, when at least 52 people were killed in a stampede at a religious festival in the Oromo-dominated area of Bishoftu. The government disputed opposition reports that police fired live rounds into the crowd, saying all deaths stemmed from a stampede caused by "troublemakers."

These are some things that are now illegal in Ethiopia:

Posting on social media

The new rules ban the use of social media, mobile devices or any means of communication to send messages the government deems will "create chaos, suspicion or discord among people."

While the Internet and social media have often been blocked across the country throughout the unrest, people within Oromia have used social media during the protests to share videos and coordinate activities, and discuss new information.

Crossing wrists above one's head

In what has become a symbol of solidarity with the Oromo people, crossing wrists above one's head as if in handcuffs is now banned in the country.

The symbol became internationally recognizable after Olympic silver medalist Feyisa Lilesa made the gesture while crossing the finish line at the Rio Olympics.

Diplomatic travel

Diplomats are prohibited from traveling more than 40 kilometers outside the capital Addis Ababa without authorization.

Addis Ababa is home to many international organizations, including the African Union, United Nations offices and embassies.

Curfew

After a series of attacks on foreign-owned firms, including a textile firm and a cement factory, the government has enforced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew around "economic pillars, infrastructural projects and investments."

Ethiopia has touted itself as a site of foreign investment and boasted of double-digit economic growth, growth that advocates say has not spread equally across the population.

Watching 'terrorist media'

Foreign-based television stations, Ethiopia Satellite Television and Oromia Media Network, were forbidden after being defined by the government as "terrorist organizations."

Ethiopia ranks low on the World Press Freedom Index (at 142 out of 180 nations) for "using terrorism charges to silence the media."

"Government continually uses the 'terrorism' narrative to stifle independent voices, as many of the dozens of journalists, opposition politicians, and activists convicted under the anti-terrorism law can attest to," said Felix Horne Ethiopia, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch. "Too often those that are associated with the 'opposition' are labeled as 'terrorists.'"