A Call for Demonstration Against TPLF Dictatorial & Minority Regime in Ethiopia

The Oromo Community Organization (OCO), the Oromo Youth Self-help Association (OYSA) of the Washington Metropolitan area, the International Oromo Women’s Organization (IOWO) and the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) have jointly planned to hold a protest rally in front of the White House and State Department on May 9, 2014 starting 9:00am to 1:00pm against the TPLF led minority regime in Ethiopia.

The purpose of this protest rally is to strongly protest against the ongoing widespread human rights violations and extrajudicial killings of Oromos in general and Oromo University, High school, and Elementary students in particular by the TPLF minority regime in Ethiopia. The latest massacre is a continuation of what has become customary for the minority junta to shoot indiscriminately against peaceful Oromo students and protesters, some as young as 14 years, with snipers and other forces equipped with heavy machinery.  

Also, the protest rally will request the U.S administration to exert utmost pressure on the Ethiopian dictatorial regime so that the latter can stop the arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, tortures and killings of innocent Oromo students for simply exercising their God-given basic human rights; freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of peaceful demonstration. We request because the regime is the ally of the United States. In particular, the rally will demand a halt to the killings of Oromo students who are peacefully protesting against the so-called “Integrated Development Master Plan” whose sole purpose is to illegally expand the capital city, Addis Ababa/Finfinnee towards Oromia State, thereby systematically evicting Oromo farmers from their ancestral lands as well as dispossessing them of their properties, identity, culture, language, freedom, way of life…etc.

It is to be noted that the master plan is against the principles of the constitution of Ethiopia itself. According to the constitution, Oromia is a geopolitical nation defined geographically and jurisdictionally with its boundaries. The constitution further states that the special interest/integrity/ of Oromia will be maintained in Addis Ababa, because Addis Ababa itself is the heartland of Oromia. Contrary to this, machination of the so-called Addis Ababa-Oromia state integrated development master plan is bent on destroying Oromos’ identity as well as boundaries of Oromia. In general, the plan has a hidden motive to destroy Oromia and the Oromo people.

The principles of integrated development does not infringe on the geopolitical entity of the beneficiaries of the development. For example, integrated development of the District of Colombia-Maryland-Virginia does not, in any way, encroach on the entities of the States of District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. What make the minority led government in Ethiopia unique is its dictatorial and fascistic characteristics.

All Oromos, democratic nations and friends of Oromo should stand against the heinous acts being perpetrated towards Oromo students by the minority led Ethiopian government as well as against the so-called Addis Ababa-Oromia state integrated master plan.

We also demand that the authorities ordering and executing this massacre against Oromo students and Oromo people be held accountable for their crimes at an international court.

OCO, OYSA, IOWO and HRLHA are calling upon all Oromos and friends of Oromo to demonstrate against this killer and cunning minority led regime in Ethiopia.

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 OCO, OYSA, IOWO and HRLHA Joint Board of Director