Updated-1: Amnesty Says Ethiopia Detains 5,000 Oromos Illegally Since 2011

By William Davison

October 27, 2014 (Bloomberg Business Week) –Ethiopia’s government illegally detained at least 5,000 members of the country’s most populous ethnic group, the Oromo, over the past four years as it seeks to crush political dissent, Amnesty International said.

Victims include politicians, students, singers and civil servants, sometimes only for wearing Oromo traditional dress, or for holding influential positions within the community, the London-based advocacy group said in a report today. Most people were detained without charge, some for years, with many tortured and dozens killed, it said.

“The Ethiopian government’s relentless crackdown on real or imagined dissent among the Oromo is sweeping in its scale and often shocking in its brutality,” Claire Beston, the group’s Ethiopia researcher, said in a statement. “This is apparently intended to warn, control or silence all signs of ‘political disobedience’ in the region.”

The Oromo make up 34 percent of Ethiopia’s 96.6 million population, according to the CIA World Factbook. Most of the ethnic group lives in the central Oromia Regional State, which surrounds Addis Ababa, the capital. Thousands of Oromo have been arrested at protests, including demonstrations this year against what was seen as a plan to annex Oromo land by expanding Addis Ababa’s city limits.

Muslims demonstrating about alleged government interference in religious affairs were also detained in 2012 and 2013, Amnesty said in the report, titled: ‘Because I am Oromo’ – Sweeping Repression in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia.

Government Denial

The state-run Oromia Justice Bureau said the findings were “far from the truth” in a reply to Amnesty included in the report. “No single individual has been and would not be subjected to any form of harassment, arrest or detention, torture for exercising the freedom of expression or opinion.”

The majority of detainees are accused of supporting the Oromo Liberation Front, which was formed in 1973 to fight for self-determination, according to Amnesty.

Senior Oromo politicians Bekele Gerba and Olbana Lelisa were jailed in 2012 for working with the group, which was classified as a terrorist organization by lawmakers in 2011.

“The accusation of OLF support has often been used as a pretext to silence individuals openly exercising dissenting behavior,” Amnesty said.

The bulk of Amnesty’s information came from interviews with 176 refugees in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda in July this year and July 2013. More than 40 telephone and e-mail conversations were also conducted with people in Ethiopia, it said.

Some interviewees said they fled the country because of conditions placed on them when released, such as being told to avoid activism, meeting in small groups, or associating with relatives who were political dissenters, the report said.

Amnesty has been banned from Ethiopia since 2011 when its staff was deported.

Source: Bloomberg Business Week

OMN: Oduu Onkololeessa 28, 2014

Amnesty: Ethiopia Systematically Repressing Oromo

FILE – Ethiopian migrants, all members of the Oromo community of Ethiopia living in Malta, protest against the Ethiopian regime.

October 28, 2014, ADDIS ABABA(VOA News) — Amnesty International has issued anew report claiming that the Ethiopian government is systematically repressing the country’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo.

Amnesty says the Oromo are subject to arbitrary arrest, detentions without access to lawyers, repeated torture and even targeted killings as part of the state’s efforts to crush dissident.

Claire Beston, the Ethiopia researcher for Amnesty International, said the East African country is hostile to any kind of dissent but particularly fears the Oromo for a number of reasons.

“[Reasons include] the numerical size of the Oromo because they’re the largest ethnic group; a strong sense of national identity amongst the Oromo; and also kind of [a] history of perceived anti-government sentiment,” said Beston.

Oromia is the largest state within Ethiopia. About 35% of the population is considered to be ethnically Oromo.

Oromo students protested in April and May against the capital city’s restructuring plan – which they said would dilute Oromo culture through annexing traditional Oromo land surrounding Addis Ababa. The rare protests led to violence. Several dozen people were killed and hundreds arrested. Peaceful Oromo Muslim protests in 2012 and 2013 were also crushed with force and mass arrests.

Beston said Oromo students and protestors are not the only ones who are at risk in Ethiopia.

“We’re talking about hundreds of people from ordinary people from all walks of life including teachers and mid-wives, and even government employees, singers and a range of other professions who’re all arrested just on the suspicion that they don’t support the government,” said Beston.

Amnesty International has not been allowed into Ethiopia since 2011. Researchers based the report’s findings on several hundred interviews with Oromo refugees outside Ethiopia and telephone and email conversations with Oromo inside the country. Many of the respondents said they had been detained in prisons, police stations, military camps or unofficial detention centers where they were subjected to repeated torture.

Amnesty has concluded at least 5,000 Oromo have been arrested and detained since 2011, many for weeks or months without being charged. The report said they are usually accused of supporting or being members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), an outlawed armed group. The OLF has been fighting for self-determination for more than 40 years. The report claims this is just a pretext for silencing dissent.

In response to Amnesty, the government – through the state-run Oromia Justice Bureau – said there is no clear evidence of violations as claimed by Amnesty and called the allegations “untrue and far from the reality.”

Beston said repression throughout the country, and particularly against the Oromo, is likely to increase as the May 2015 elections approach.

Source: VOA News

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Ethiopia ‘ruthlessly targeting’ and torturing Oromo people, says Amnesty

Damning report says thousands of people from country’s largest ethnic group are subjected to abuse including rape and killings

Oromo demonstrators protest in London earlier this year following the killing of student protesters in Oromia state by Ethiopian security forces. Photograph: Peter Marshall/Demotix/Corbis

October 28, 2014 (The Guardian) — Ethiopia has “ruthlessly targeted” and tortured its largest ethnic group owing to a perceived opposition to the government, Amnesty International has said.

Thousands of people from the Oromo ethnic group have been “regularly subjected to arbitrary arrest, prolonged detention without charge, enforced disappearance, repeated torture and unlawful state killings,” according to a damning report based on more than 200 testimonies. “Dozens of actual or suspected dissenters have been killed.”

At least 5,000 Oromos have been arrested since 2011 often for the “most tenuous of reasons”, for their opposition – real or simply assumed – to the government, the report added.

Many are accused of supporting the rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).

Former detainees who have fled the country and were interviewed by Amnesty in neighbouring Kenya, Somaliland and Uganda described torture “including beatings, electric shocks, mock execution, burning with heated metal or molten plastic and rape, including gang-rape”, the report added.

One young girl said hot coals had been dropped on her stomach because her father was suspected of supporting the OLF, while a teacher described how he was stabbed in the eye with a bayonet after he refused to teach “propaganda about the ruling party” to students.

There was no immediate response from the government, which has previously dismissed such reports and denied any accusation of torture or arbitrary arrests.

“The Ethiopian government’s relentless crackdown on real or imagined dissent among the Oromo is sweeping in its scale and often shocking in its brutality,” the Amnesty researcher Claire Beston said.

“This is apparently intended to warn, control or silence all signs of ‘political disobedience’ in the region,” she added, describing how those she interviewed bore the signs of torture, including scars and burns, as well as missing fingers, ears and teeth.

With nearly 27 million people, Oromia is the most populated of the country’s federal states and has its own language, Oromo, which is distinct from Ethiopia’s official Amharic language.

Some of those who spoke to Amnesty said people had been arrested for organising a student cultural group. Another said she was arrested because she delivered the baby of the wife of a suspected OLF member.

“Frequently, it’s because they refused to join the ruling party,” Beston added, warning that many were fearful attacks would increase before general elections slated for May 2015.

In April and May, security forces shot dead student protesters in Oromia. At the time, the government said eight had been killed, but groups including Human Rights Watch said the toll was believed to be far higher. Amnesty said “dozens” had been killed in the protests.

Source: The Guardian

Hiriira mormii hawaasa Oromo osloon qopha'ee october 16 2014

OMN: Oduu Onkololeessa 17, 2014

Manneen Murtii Mootummaa Wayyaanee Federaalaa fi Manneen Mutii Oromiyaa Sadarkaa Garagaraa ilaalchisuun Ibsa  Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo

Ibsa Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo
Onkoloolessa 04,2014

Finfinnee

Manneen Murtii Mootummaa Wayyaanee Federaalaa fi Manneen Mutii
Oromiyaa Sadarkaa Garagaraa ilaalchisuun Ibsa Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo



Mootummaan abbaa irree Wayyaanee manneen murtii Oromiyaa sadarkaa olaanoo irraa hanga
gadaanaatti jiran harka isaa keessa galchuun mirgaa fi haqaa ummataa awwaaluu itti fufee jira. Ilmaan
Oromoo gaaffii mirgaa fi dimookiraasii karaa nagaa gaafatanitti humna waraana isaa bobbaasuun qe'ee
fi mooraa barnootaa keessatti jumlaan ajjeeseera. Kaan immoo qe'ee fi barnoota isaanii irra ukkamsee
jumlaan hidhee jira. Mootummaan wayyaanee ilmaan Oromoo bal’eessaa tokko malee hidhee dararaa
jiru ofumaaf himatee karaa dabballoota isaanis dharaan ragaa itti bahuun murtii sobaa irratti muraa
jira. Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo gochaa diinummaa wayyaanee kana gadi jabeessee balaaleffata.
1.Ummatni Oromoo gaaffii mirgaa fi dimookiraasii karaa nagaa mirga isaa kabachiisuuf waan gaafateef
humni waraana wayyaanee Agaazii fi poolisiin federaala itti bobbaafamee yakka waraanaa uummata
Oromoo irratti raawwatan. Kanaanis daa'ima ganna 7 hanga manguddoo ganna 80tti jiran utuu bira hin
darbiin garaa laafina tokko malee jumlaan ajjeesanii yakka duguuggii sanyii (Genocide) uummata
Oromoo irratti raawwataniiru. Yakka kanaafis hanga ammaatti itti gaafatamummaa hin fudhatin jira.
Kana malees ummataa fi barattoota dargaggoota Oromoo umriin isaanii ganna 16 gadi ta'an dabalatee
kumootaan mana hidhaatti ugguree itti roorrisaa jira. Mirga uumamaan qaban irraa mulqee murtii
haqaa dhorkachuun gidirsuu irratti argama. Kan himatu, kan ragaa sobaa bahu, kan murtii dabaa
ummata nagaa irratti dabarsaa jiru dabballootaa fi ergamtoota wayyaanee ta’uun mirkanaa’ee jira.
Yakka hojjetamaa jiru, murtii dabaa fi diinummaa ummataa fi dargaggoota/barattoota Oromoo nagaa
irratti kennamaa jiruuf abbootiin seeraa Oromiyaa fi Federaalaa dabballoota wayyaanee ta’an itti
gaafatama jalaa miliquu akka hin dandeenye hubachuusna.
2.Abbootiin seeraa, Abbootiin alangaa, poolisiin qorataa Yakkaa, fi wajjiraalee haqaa Oromiyaa fi
godinaalee Oromiyaa garaagaraa keessa jirtan hundi harka mirgaa mootummaa wayyaanee ta'uun
murtii jallinaa, ragaa fi himata sobaa bu'uura godhachuun ilmaan Oromoo irratti yakka diinummaa www.Qeerroo.org qeerroo2011@gmail.com
fudhachaa jirtaniif gaafatama jalaa hin baatan. Ilmaan Oromoo yakka kana keessatti beekaas ta’e osoo
hin beekin qooda fudhachaa jirtan yakka diinumaa kana keessa of baasuun ummata keessan cina akka
hiriirtan waamicha lammummaa isiniif dabarsina.
3.Waajjirri haqaa Oromiyaa akkasumas kanneen godinaalee keessaa, waajjirrii poolisii kutaan qorannoo
yakka Oromiyaa fi godinaalee fi Onoota Oromiyaa garaagaraa keessatti argamtan ilmaan Oromoo nagaa
badii tokko malee qe'ee isaanii fi dhaabbilee barnoota irraa humna waraanaan qabaman irratti ragaa
kijibaa qindeessaa, ragaa sobaa irratti ba'aa jirtan. Kun haqa awwaaluu fi olaantummaa seeraa darbuun
mirga dhala namummaa sarbuu waan ta'eef, itti gaafatama seeraa fi seenaa jalaa ba'uu kan hin
dandeenye ta'uu ni hubachiifna.
4.Caasaan mootummaa abbaa irree wayyaanee EPRDF qajeelfama abbaa irree hojii irra olchuuf
manneen murtii Oromiyaa keessa diriiree jiru yakka uummata irratti rawwachaa, ragaa sobaa qaanii
tokko malee ilmaan Oromoo hidhaa jiran irratti ba’aa jira. Waan ta’eef, ummatni Oromoo caasaa
wayyaanee Habashoota gabrummaa leellisan, dabballoota sirnichaa ta’anii fi garaaf bultootaan ijaarame
irraa waan eeggatu waan hin qabneef, dura dhaabbachuun mirga keenyaaf falmii wal irraa hin citne haa
gaggeessinu.
5.Mootummaan Wayyaanee EPRDF/TPLF yakka sadarkaa mana murtii idil addunyaa ICC irratti isa
himachiisu waraana isaan ummata nagaa meeshaa of harkaa hin qabne daa'imman umrii 7 fi
manguddootni ganna 80 kan keessatti argaman jumlaan ajjeesuu isaaf ragaan vedio fi suuraan
deeggarame har'a fuula addunyaatti dhiyaachaa jira. Ragaan qabatamaan kun osoo jiruu abbootiin
seeraa fi alangaa wayyaanee, himataa fi ragaa sobaan ummata hidha keessatti gidirsaa jiran. Gochi
cubbamaa wayyaanee kun, himannaa seeraa addunyaa jalaa isa baasuu hin danda’u. Kanaaf, manni
murtii Oromiyaa ilmaan Oromoo nagaa humna waraanaan qabamanii hidhaa jiran gaaffii tokko malee
akka hiiksisu gaafanna.
6.Ilmaan Oromoo abbootii seeraa, alangee fi poolisii taatanii sababii sabboonummaa
keessaniif mootummaa wayyaaneen doorsifamaa jirtan hundi yakka diinummaa ummata keessan
irratti dalagamaa jiru dura akka dhaabbattan, olaatummaa seeraa fi mirga ummata keessanii
kabachiisuuf akka hojjettan waamicha keenya isiniif dabarsina.
7.Mootummaan wayyaanee karaa manneen murtii Federaalaa fi Oromiyaan murtiin jallaan Oromoota
irratti dabarsuu fi dararaan mana hidhaa Maai’kalaawwii keessatti ilmaan Oromoo irraan gahaa jiru
ummata Oromoo daran kan qabsoo bilisummaaf onnachiisu malee, mirga isaa falmachuu irraa duubatti
kan isa hin deebisne ta’uu Hoggansi Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo ni hubachiisa.
8.Uummatni Oromoo, dargaggootni, barattootni, qonnaan bulaan, hojjettootni, poolisootni fi
hawwaasni Oromoo biyya keessa fi biyyoota alaa garagaraa keessatti argamtan yakka mootummaan www.Qeerroo.org qeerroo2011@gmail.com
Wayyaanee ummata keenya jumlaan ajjeesee, kaan hidhee, ragaa sobaa irratti ba'uun murtii jallaa irratti
murteessaa jiru kana dura gamtaan dhaabbannee mormii keenya haa dhageessisnu. Mirga waloon
sarbamne deeffachuuf tokkummaa keenya tikfachuun qabsoo FDG, warraaqsa karaa nagaa fi
dimokiraasii gaggeeffamaa jiru keessatti hirmachuun wareegama barbaachisu baasnee
bilisummaa keenya haa gonfannu jechuun Hoggansii Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo ummataa Oromoo
hundaaf waamicha dabarsa.
Injifannoo Ummata Oromoof!
Gadaan Gadaa Bilisummaa ti!
Qeerroo Bilisummaa Oromoo
Onkoloolessa 03/2014

South Sudan To Support Ethiopian Rebels, Insider!

South Sudan to support Ethiopian rebels, an Insider alleged (Photo: image by latestnewslink.com)

Oct 4, 2014(Nyamilepedia) — An insider, from within the inner circle of South Sudan security organ, alleged that he, in a team supervised by Akol Koor, the Director of Internal Security Bureau, met Gen. Thokwaath Pal,the leader of the rebel group, Ethiopian Unity Patriotic Front (EUPF) in mid September 2014.

The insider alleged that the main objective of the meeting was to seal a new deal that would strengthen the Ethiopian rebels groups to destabilize the SPLA rebels’ main military training centers in Maiwut and Pagak at the eastern corridor of South Sudan – Ethiopia border.

According to the insider, Gen.Thokwaath has been tasked to establish links with other rebel groups within Ethiopia to form a coalition that will fight for a regime change and destabilize South Sudan Peace Process in Bahir Dar.

According to the insider, director Akol Koor has issued One Million ($1,000,000) US Dollar to the Ethiopian Rebel groups to equip and set up their operation centers at South Sudan-Ethiopian border.

The intelligence alleged that Juba has promised Gen. Thokwaath a sufficient financial and military supports. He said that military garrisons will be set up at the border to detach any military support from Ethiopian government to South Sudan rebels.

Gen. Thokwaath is also expected to cut off any supply routs and recruitment from Gambela Refugees camps in Ethiopia to South Sudan. This would allegedly benefits the regime as it is expected to lure the Eastern Jikany to support South Sudan government.

South Sudan government delegation, according to Michael Makuei Lueth’s interview on BBC focus on Africa, has lost truth in TROIKA, Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Ambassador, Seyoum Mesfin, who leads South Sudan Peace Talks. Hon Makuei recently calls on IGAD to relocate the peace process to Kenya and change the chief mediator.

According to Michael Makuei Lueth, Ethiopia and TROIKA partners support regime change in South Sudan. Mr. Lueth fears that unless the mediation is relocated to Kenya and led by the Kenyan Envoy, General Lazarus Sumbeiyo, the peace process may never yield an agreement.

Salva Kiir government allied with Ugandan and Sudanese rebels against the insurgents in Greater Upper Nile region. Four rebels’ factions that are fighting for regime change in Sudan joined South Sudan civil war in December 2013.

The Government of South Sudan signed military cooperation with Egypt amid allegations that Ethiopia support SPLA rebels, under the former vice president, Dr. Riek Machar Teny.

The agreement has allegedly given Egypt a green light to set up a military base in South Sudan, a move that is expected to throw off Ethiopia’s mega project, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Source: Nyamilepedia