Nairobi Diaries 3: Oromo in Kenya

*Back to my Kenya trip.

As you may recall from the summary of the trip that I outlined a while back [here], I was able to carve out some time from the official itinerary — so rigorously planned by one of my colleagues — to visit with some representatives of the Oromo community in Kenya. If you’ve been reading my blog much at all, you know from my previous posts [here], [here], and [here] that I’ve been working with the Oromo community in the United States and Canada for about two years. What you may NOT know is that there is a large Oromo population in Kenya. So, there are two questions that I want to raise for this blog. The first question is one that any Oromo reader would know the answer to already: why are there so many Oromo in Kenya? And the second is more theoretical: why would I be so brazen as to think I could promote Oromo arts in Kenya, and what’s the use of doing so? (The answer to my brazenality question, as well as to the use-value question, may be already obvious to anyone who read my earlier Nairobi Diary post on how to write about ethnic violence in Africa.)

So, to answer the first question, there are basically three categories of Oromo living in Kenya: indigenous, refugee, and immigrant. It may surprise you to learn that there is a large indigenous population of Oromo living in Kenya, but in fact there are many ethnic groups living there, and as we all know, the British Empire drew its colonial boundaries to suit its interests without the least bit of deference to the people already living there. The indigenous Oromo in Kenya are called the Borana, and they moved to the rather arid regions of north and northeast Kenya about two hundred years ago as the European powers began colonizing the neighboring areas and as the Abyssinian kings began conquering the rest of Ethiopia. I started reading this book about them a few days before I left for Kenya but haven’t finished it yet. Through the global Oromo network on FaceBook, I got the opportunity to meet with a young man who is a Muslim Borana trying to create an NGO to help develop the communities where he grew up.

Here is some of the backstory. The Kenyan government discriminates against the Borana because it sees them as outsiders and also because it confuses them with the Somali. This confusion is not surprising since the Oromo and Somali languages are both Cushitic and since many of the Borana have mixed with the Somali there for the past century. (And of course, there is a large Somali population indigenous to northern Kenya as well, so it’s not surprising that when Kenya gained independence in 1963, the majority of people living in the northeast area voted to join with Somalia which had already gained its independence a few years earlier. And of course the British — being British — ignored that vote.) Although more than half the Borana are Muslim, a large percentage are Christian, and a few practice the more ancient Waaqeffannaa. The Kenyan government also believes that the Borana towns provide support and refuge for the Oromo Liberation Front who cross the border to escape the Ethiopian military. So, today the Kenyan government makes little effort to develop that region and inside Nairobi the police sometimes harrass the Borana and Somali. So, the work of this young man whom I met is quite important from a humanitarian perspective because his goal is to promote development by encouraging grassroots civil society in the region.

The refugee population is a bit diferent. They tend to come from other areas inside of Ethiopia. All of the refugees whom I met came in 2002. In 2001, the Ethiopian government brutally suppressed student groups who protested a corrupt election process. Then in January of 2002 the government tried to exterminate all dissent along with the remaining Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). In its attempt to chase down not just the OLF but all forms of it dissent, the government burned down some of the Bale forest where they OLF was supposedly hiding – an environmental tragedy whose real cause was not reported in the Western media as you can see from this BBC report. These refugees fled to neighboring Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, and Kenya, and when the U.S. president George W. Bush asked the Ethiopian government to invade Somalia in December of 2006, presumably to go after al Qaeda terrorists, the Ethiopian government used that opportunity to kill Oromo refugees there. In Kenya, many of the refugees have lived in limbo for the past eight years. Or rather, they have lived in something like a purgatory. It is illegal for them to work in Kenya, but they can’t leave either, so they can do nothing. Many live in refugee camps on the border, but some live in Nairobi, where they wait year after year for something to change.

Through the Oromo Lutheran church network in the United States, I was able to meet with a woman who works with refugees (not just the Oromo, but all refugees) and tries to help them with their legal problems and find them asylum in the U.S., Canada, etc. Her job is difficult because of course the United Nations refuses to recognize that the Oromo are political refugees and the United States considers the OLF to be a terrorist organization. (This is a curious contradiction — at the same time that the UN understates the political reality, the US overstates it. A whole essay could be written about that contradiction, I think.)

After talking with her, she arranged for me to go to one of training sessions for the refugees organized through the church in one of the slums of Nairobi. One of the members of the church picked me and two of my colleagues up in his taxi and took us there, where we talked with about four of the refugees, and then I gave a short presentation to the group of about 100 people about my work encouraging ”Oromo arts in diaspora.”

The third group is a relatively small group — the legal immigrants living and working in Kenya, such as the person I met who works on behalf of the refugees. Many of them actually came to Kenya not directly from Ethiopia but through other countries like the United States or Germany. They are often middle class, doing business or working for international organizations.

So, the question is, why arts? Most of the Oromo I meet give me a quizical, confused look when I start talking about art and literature. I get the distinct impression that in their minds such artistic endeavors are not so important compared to direct political action, the work of religious institutions, or scholarly efforts to correct the historical record. In fact, when I say I work with literature, almost everyone seems to assume I mean history — something I noticed before in the United States [see here], and noticed again in Kenya.

I think this question can be answered easily. Immediately after I gave my presentation, a young man in the audience came forward and showed me a painting he made shortly after the student uprising and subsequent repression in 2001. As I suggested to my audience that day, art has the ability to help people work through the trauma of history and to develop their cultural identity in response to a changing world. Art also has the ability to communicate across ethnic and political divisions, and therefore it has the ability to tell the human side of Oromo experience to a global audience, to gain recognition for their political struggle.

There is a lot of work to be done. Oromo culture has been largely an oral one, not a written one, and it has been this way not because of some essential Oromo-ness that privileges oral culture, but because publishing in their own language was outlawed by the Ethiopian government for most of the twentieth century. In actuality, one of the Oromo heroes is Onesimus Nesib who first translated the Bible into Oromo and thus not only created an Oromo written language but also gave the Oromo a tool for fighting colonization and political oppression. I suppose one could criticize me and suggest that I am imposing Western, middle-class art forms such as the short story and the novel onto their culture, and that as a white guy I have no right to be giving out such advice. But I have little patience for that position. That position assumes an intact, pure Oromo culture, but historically that obviously has not been the case for centuries (if it was ever the case, which I doubt.) It also reaffirms a racialist position that only a member of the ethnic group can understand and speak for that ethnic group. Personally, I agree with the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah’s critique of that position.

So, onward and upward we go, fostering the kinds of dialogue that I hope will foster art and literature — not art for art’s sake, but art for our sake.

Source:*Theory Teacher’s Blog

Thinking big (By Ibsaa Guutamaa)

Thinking big

By Ibsaa Guutama*

After occupation, the world around the Oromo was sealed. They were the few who were able to see through narrow holes created by wear and tear. They were those few who kept on moving until they founded the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and set in motion a concerted political movement for liberation. The OLF was able to break the seal wide-open and effect the renaissance of Oromummaa, the moving force of Oromo spirit for survival and liberty. Oromummaa, as an outlook, is greater than its disciples for it reflects aspirations of a great people: their past, their present and their future. That is what many narrow-minded, self-serving individuals and groups fail to understand. That is what the enemy and its agents try to distort. Oromo difficulties are big; and their solution requires big thinking.

The OLF, as a great organization in the history of the Oromo liberation movement, as it is, is not as great as the outcome that Oromummaa envisions. Oromummaa is the guiding principle for all Oromo in their efforts towards liberation and the life of happiness for all citizens of Oromiyaa, irrespective of race, tribe, nationality or creed. It is the manifestation of Oromo aspiration for humanity, in general, and its African neighbors, in particular, to lead a harmonious and tranquil life.

The Oromo Liberation Front is the leading instrument for the renaissance of Oromo culture and pride. The youth that rose then in unison had advanced Oromummaa to a level never-seen-before in the colonial past. They were productive because they were united and committed to break the sealed environment once and for all. But, for evil minded infiltrators entrenched within its ranks and file, no body could have stopped them short of their goal.

It is unfortunate that they have failed to resist forces of disunity and reaction to an extent of being dismembered into pieces. They became analogous to broken clay utensils or shard (qiraacii) back in the countryside. The pieces cannot perform the job the whole is supposed to perform. To be of use, the broken pieces may be repaired by a handypersons or crushed into fine pieces and remolded by mixing with fresh clay. Only then can they be made into use once again.

To mend and reuse them, as a unit, is the fastest solution. Some cracks need more plastering to go into them to avoid leakage. If they are left as pieces, the owner will throw them out. But, others may use them for different purposes. Some may be used by anybody to fetch fire from the neighborhood or to burn incense on them or used as containers to feed dogs, cats, etc. The fate of OLF factions will not be different unless they change, change for betterment of the national cause.

Oromo nationalists, and even the factions that broke apart, have started to show concern about the deteriorating situation of the liberation movement. As long as it could create pressure on all actors, such concern is never too late. It is a national disgrace to break apart and be seen as pieces that anybody can manipulate at will. The Oromo cause is greater than all its wholesome organizations - let alone the pieces. It cannot be served by pieces scattered all over the place. The pieces must be brought together and repatriated to their own country. There is no shame greater than subordinating the cause of this great people to petty idiosyncrasies. There is still time to correct past mistakes and start anew.

It is now a public secret that all those that went apart are talking about coming together. Past efforts have failed because everyone was at each others’ throat. But now, most have realized that no one is capable of severing the others’ head. Rather, they are more weakened and rendered impotent than ever. That is why - it seems the right time to create national reconciliation has come. That is why - Oromo of good intentions have started to air their wishes for the coming together of all liberation forces of Oromiyaa. The unity of OLF factions will make it easier for all other forces to form a formidable union. That is what their nation is longing for. It will give the nation the advantage of facing the enemy or in executing public relation duty from one front. But, showing intention alone is not enough by itself, everyone has to start to act towards the intended goal, and act fast. Otherwise, evil wishers who lie in ambush could sabotage this blessed intention. The burden of mending this schism lies with nobody except the groups involved.

The task ahead is overwhelming. All Oromo liberation forces must be brought together. Because of them, repression is growing in folds back home. Allegations of being a member of OLF are herding people to prison in amass. Many are killed, tortured, kidnapped and disappeared, still several are exiled. That has to be stopped and stopped fast. There is no use to call oneself a freedom fighter unless one serves as a shield for one’s people. The circumstance calls for sacrifice, not to find ways and means of hobbling and outsmarting each other. The enemy is out there shaming and dehumanizing their people. They are also facing ignominious experiences in alien hands by their own making.

So, the solution is to get together, patch up the differences, cement the broken parts and act as a united front. OLF is a front formed by people who had difference in outlook, but had a common goal. It is not a party. It was by subordinating all other interests and beliefs to a higher cause, the national kaayyoo, that they created this organization. The time to run on a different platform is yet to come. Until then, the common program of liberation has to be upheld if OLF has to present a united struggle that encompass all Oromo irrespective of region, religion or political ideology. Otherwise, they will remain potsherds and so irrelevant for the cause. Oromummaa and the Oromoo cause are greater than organizations and individuals that run them. The frailer to understand this will finally lead the actors to disgrace. All black tongues will curse them for being indifferent and try to advance a hidden divisive agenda when Oromiyaa is burning.

As far as the great cause, the kaayyoo, is concerned noone can stop it. It will find its way as it did when creating the OLF. Oromummaa is now mature enough to rally all Oromoo from north to south and east to west. No primitive thinking tribalist can hinder that. Enemy machinations and conspiracy may slow its pace with the help of the galtuu, quislings, but that will be only for the time being. Those who started the movement may not live longer to see the final result. But, to watch the movement taking the right direction gives no less joy than participating in the final victory parade. The message to all “manguddoo” (elders) in and out of liberation organizations is that this is the moment they are expected to play their national age role.

There are those who hate the movement taking the right steps. The colonizers, the hidebound, the misfits, the intriguers, and hatemongers are among these. It needs determination and real commitment to the cause to overcome it. Only the courageous can transcend individual and group interest, and make peace for the sake of the nation’s well-being. The temptation to changing tracks by influences of external forces and own ignoramus could be an obstacle. Any change has to come according to set policies and programs, not group or individual whim. There is nothing permanent in the universe - let alone tactics and strategies. It only demands mutual understanding of the process to be followed and the basic national interest. That may help avoid mistakes similar to the past.

Much is being fanned about regionalism and other societal subdivisions. Are they factors to worry about? Yes, for the time being, they are. Politicians, whose aim is not long-term interest of the nation, but the satisfaction of their ego-driven greed, may try to appeal to people’s irrational primary feelings. When they fail to get followers with platforms based on outlook, they could revert to such primary feelings to galvanize support. They may succeed until the people realize they were being manipulated to break traditional bonds, which are humiliating to gosa (the tribe). Given the traditional Oromo wisdom, there will be no doubt that it will boomerang and dishonor the initiators. The Oromo have the mechanism and skill of keeping their differences in their proper place. This is not the time to ask for a seat for a separate constituency, but the time to sacrifice for national liberation. Leadership positions must be earned with outstanding performance as periodically evaluated by peers.

The basis of Oromummaa is democracy and respect for the right of all beings. That is part of Oromo politico-social DNA. An Oromo cannot be a dictator unless under spell of aliens. A member of ruling class of the colonizing nation cannot be democratic unless denied the chance to be a dictator. We can see those in power appearing as all-knowing and perfect in their administration. There is no country in the world that is more fair and smarter than them. For them, democracy, human and individual rights exist only as words, and so fake. They cannot appreciate them as an ideal that the world aspires to achieve. They are not comfortable even with the concept.

That is the nature of all dictators or dictators-to-be. They trample or plan to trample on people’s rights, and they claim it is for their good. That is why - they cannot create stable society. That is why - we say all that have faith in Oromummaa will outlive these butchers and form a better world for all. Those aspiring for power are not different from power holders. Name one who is not against Oromo’s right to national self-determination. Name one who has not abused the Oromo directly or as a tool of others. Whether through our faith or experience, it is clear for us that justice will prevail.

Oromo are greater than their organization in thought and deeds. They will not accept humiliations brought to them through those who claim to represent their cause. The pieces must soon become a whole if they wish to serve the nation. There is no reason that struggle of over forty millions be held hostage by a handful. The message is, think big, as big as your nation, and then only you will deserve the honor of being a liberation foot soldier and the leader. Do not listen to detractors for they are in service of the enemy or are mentally grafted.

Why do people insist for these groups to unite when they have already proved their incompatibility to operate together? The Oromoo is a nation of consensus. They will not give up to majority dictation ignoring the feelings of disgruntled minority. The Oromo liberation movement has several difficulties. The major among them is the divided leadership. Three groups move under the same name, but separate leadership. It is crippling for the movement and confusing to the nation and third parties. Therefore, these groups have to come together, identify the causes for their division, remove the obstacles and agree on the best way to call Kora Sabaa, the National Congress. The Kora can take their findings into consideration and map out strategies that could lead to the national goal, the Kaayyoo. From then, there will only be one ‘body’ under the name “OLF”. Oromummaa does not allow us to give up on each other.

The causes that brought to the schism could be several. Some may remain confidential for ever. Leaving that aside for history to dig out, those that meet must be willing to bring forward the rest of the causes for the dissention and address them with sincerity. Together, they must face the public openly and explain their findings as to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Little minds may try to inject poison to create a backlash. But, those who think big are required to tackle even more exacting problems. To overcome, they have to approach the problem in good faith. They have to give their compatriots the benefit of the doubt with all genuineness. Building trust has priority over all others. They have to put aside what they have done to each other in the past. Otherwise, it will amount to going back and splash in a quagmire from which it would be impossible to extract oneself. Those that pretend to change cannot hide for long without exposing themselves. Then, the nation will recognize who the culprit is.

Those who cannot surmount petty manipulations and smears cannot be expected to lead such a great nation to freedom. They remain good-for-nothing bunches-of-simpletons. It will then be time for the nation to look for alternatives. Those who are worthy of national respect are those who think big; small problems will fall in place. So think big. Be selfless; otherwise, you cannot THINK BIG.

Blessed are those who open their hearts for nagaa and araaraa.

Unite! You have a world and honor to gain!

Honor and glory for the fallen heroines and heroes; liberty equality and freedom for the living and nagaa and araaraa for the Ayyaanaa of our forefathers!

* Ibsaa Guutama is a member of the generation that drew up the first Political program of the OLF.

Gubirmans Publishing - July 2009

Former Olympic Medalist Fiixaa Baayyisaa Caught after Wife shot

Bayisa caught after wife shot

ADDIS ABABA - POLICE in Ethiopia confirmed on Saturday they have arrested former Olympic bronze medallist Fita Bayisa after he allegedly shot his wife in a row over property.

The 36-year-old athlete, who won bronze in the 5,000m at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, was caught on Monday hours after the incident took place in Alem Gena - six kilometres west of the capital.

Police declined to give further details when contacted by AFP, but a local newspaper said the couple, who have five children, were embroiled in a legal battle over the ownership of a kindergarten school.

The paper said the un-named wife remained in a stable condition in a hospital in Addis Ababa.

Bayisa also won silver at the 1991 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

He finished fourth in his last competition, the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. -- AFP

"We don't want our country to become a police state" Obboo Bulchaa Dammqsaa

"We don't want our country to become a police state"

Bulcha Demeksa, OFDM, chairman

Bulcha Demeksa, chairman of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), is one of the fiercest critics of the anti-terrorism bill floated in parliament a few week ago.

His party, like other opposition parties, has also come under severe criticism from the Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), itself an opposition party. Bulcha spoke to Bruck Shewareged about next year's election, the anti-terrorism bill and the "real" and "not real" opposition parties. Excerpts:

Donor countries through the EU delegation office have held consultations with you and other opposition parties. What topics did you discuss?

They have told us not to talk about it in the media. A few days ago, somebody talked about it. They called us and asked who had leaked the information. They said that since the discussion is at a very elementary stage, we can't make any official statement about it.

According to them, only the chairman, the Norwegian delegate or the co-chair, the German delegate, can make official statements.

Opposition parties and the ruling party had held a TV debate this week although it is not yet aired. What did you discuss?

It was a free debate. Nowadays, many diplomats, journalists and opinion makers speak of the ever-shrinking political space in Ethiopia. We basically discussed this issue.

Among the participants were the so-called parliamentary group, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) led by Ayele Chamiso, the EDP and the government on one side.

From the opposition group, I mean the real opposition parties, the OFDM and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) were present.

The former ones are often angry that we don't consider them as real opposition. They say that they are real opposition parties. But the truth speaks for itself.

Why don't you classify them as real opposition parties?

Well, if you see their track record, their stand is to support both sides, i.e., the opposition and the ruling party. Their formula is to support any idea raised by either the government or the opposition.

Or, they may say that both the government and the opposition parties make mistakes. They don't even explain the reasons why the opposition parties are wrong on certain issues. They just say both sides are wrong or both are right.

They sometimes say that it is not only due to government pressure that the political space is getting narrower but also due to the actions of the opposition parties. They don't take a firm stand and point out which side was wrong. They try to reconcile the two sides as if they consider themselves to be elders who want to establish peace between two parties.

But we say that if they are real opposition parties, they should demonstrate that with action. If not, we label them as pro-government parties.

Senator Fangol, chairman of the US senate sub-committee for African Affairs, once held discussions with opposition parties at the US embassy. We listed out our grievances. But the EDP delegate finally came out and said that we in the opposition camp are also to blame for the problems in the country, and contradicted what we had been saying for more than an hour.

The way the Americas think is that politics in Ethiopia is ethnic-based. So the accusation coming from the opposition could be due to ethnic hatred rather than government suppression.

How do you define real opposition?

We tell Lidetu Ayalew, EDP chairman, that if he is to head real opposition party, he has to tell the public all the mistakes made by the government.

He has to be able to say that his programme is good, and it is better than that of the government. That's what you do in politics. You have to have the desire to replace the incumbent as a political party. If an opposition party lacks the desire to replace the incumbent, then I say that party is not a real opposition party. This is the point where we differ from them.

During the by-elections last year, you complained of increased number of harassments. Now that the election is over, have the intimidations stopped?

The next election is 10 months away. We don't know what the government is going to do. We have both hope and fear. The previous Tuesday, we held a TV debate at Ghion Hotel with the government, which is a good sign. We hoped it would have been televised. If such a trend continued, we would have been engaged in the election. But if the government changed its course of action, I don't know what we are going to do.

Unfortunately, the debate about the narrowing political space was not televised live. What we had said was edited. Moreover, the order of our speech was changed when presented on TV. All the focus was on government people. They were given much more coverage. This is totally unfair. It should have been aired live on TV so that the people could hear what we said without any editing.

For instance, I said that because the government has withheld the money which parties should receive, we couldn't hold political activities as we had desired. This is one of the factors that have caused the shrinking of the political space. The other is that our offices were closed. Local officials threaten those who want to rent their houses to us for office use. All these things that I said were edited out.

In addition, the ruling party had practically started campaigning a year and half ago by using government facilities like cars and meeting places. But we are barred from campaigning because the official time for campaigning has not come. So it is totally unfair, and really disappointing.

Well, my question was whether the harassments that you had been complaining about have abated or not, now that it is not an election time?

The harassments are there. There is not let up. Any person in Oromia region who openly speaks of his support to our party, OFDM, will be arrested.

Are there recent cases?

Yes, there were in Wollega, Illubabur, Arsi and other districts. Our offices have been closed.

How many of your offices have been closed?

Since 2005, we are left with only two offices in Addis Ababa and Dembi Dollo out of the originally 35 offices. The ruling party claims that we closed down our offices for lack of funding.

We may lack funds but we could have managed to raise money to run the branch offices. But local officials prevent us from opening our offices. They try to isolate our members from the community.

Couldn't the electoral board intervene and order local officials to let you open your offices?

According to the law, yes, they can. But the police are not keen on responding to such requests. They will simply claim that this is a criminal case and the electoral board doesn't have a say in this.

You're left with only 10 months before the next election. Are you recruiting candidates?

We are practically barred from recruiting candidates. Holding a meeting is difficult. If three or four people sit together and discuss anything, the police will come and ask what they are talking about. And they will be accused of subversive action and most likely would be arrested. Maybe in some cases, they will let them go with verbal warning.

Aren't you afraid that the anti-terrorism bill, if enacted, could be abused and used for suppressing political dissent?

We are really afraid that it could be abused. The police can apprehend anyone, any time if they claim that that person is a terrorist. If any individual tells the police that he thinks somebody else is a terrorist, the police will arrest him. Mind you, there could be animosity between the two individuals and one of them can accuse the other, and the accused could really be in trouble.

Somebody can be accused of having a link with OLF, ONLF, Ginbot 7 (all of them accused of trying to topple the government) by anyone. The law gives plenty of power to the police.

This is our concern. We don't want our country to become a police state.

The Americans had passed laws which suspend civil liberties following the 9/11 attack. But now they are revising those laws. President Obama is restoring those liberties. He is dismantling Guantanamo Bay prison, for instance.

But our leaders are enacting laws which the Americans are abandoning.

One of the basic rights in human history is the Magna Carta which prevents law enforcers from arresting any person who is peacefully walking by. He could have committed a crime 10 minutes ago without anyone seeing him. But as long as he is peacefully walking on the street, the police cannot automatically stop him without any cause. The anti-terrorism bill breaches that right.

If the bill is enacted, local bosses or heavyweights will surface everywhere. Local officials could become dictators overnight.

Asmelash Gebre-Egsiabeher, chairman of the House legal committee, argues that Ethiopia doesn't have the necessary legal framework to try terrorists in a court of law while you are saying otherwise.

We have thoroughly reviewed the law. We have hired lawyers to look into the matter. I also have studied law. I can tell you, Ethiopia has laws for every possible criminal offences. Can you imagine that a country with a long history had existed without having a law for crimes.

We have a law addressing hijacking. There is almost no crime which is not addressed by Ethiopian law.

Why do we have to panic because the 9/11 incident took place in America? Conditions here are very much different. It is not right to grant such a big power to the police.

One of the scenarios that we fear might happen is that the police can round up members of an opposition party who are holding a meeting. They can simply claim that the police had caught them red-handed while they were conspiring to topple the government.

The Government can label anyone as a member of the Ginbot 7 group and arrest him. Historically, leaders of the major ethnic groups like the Amharas, Oromos or Tigrians vie for supremacy. This law gives people the power to take vengeful acts against members of other ethnic groups. Ethiopia's problem must be solved through democratic dialogue, not suppression.

Source

US will urge Ethiopia to stay out of Somalia

Sun Jul 5, 2009 8:36am GMT

By David Clarke

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The United States will encourage Ethiopia not to return to Somalia as it would be against the interests of both Horn of African nations, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson said on Saturday.

Ethiopia invaded Somalia in late 2006 to topple an Islamist movement in the capital Mogadishu. The intervention sparked an Islamist insurgency which is still raging despite the fact Ethiopian troops pulled out in January.

"The Ethiopian government continues to look very closely at developments in Somalia," Carson told Reuters in Kenya ahead of a visit to Ethiopia on Monday.

"Given the long-standing enmity between Somalis and Ethiopians I will encourage the Ethiopians not to re-engage in Somalia. It is not their interest to so and their efforts might in fact prove counterproductive to the government," he said in an interview.

Neighbours and Western governments fear that if the Somali administration is overthrown, the lawless nation will become a safe haven for al Qaeda to train militants to destabilise the region and attack developed nations.

Residents in several regions of Somalia have reported seeing Ethiopian soldiers in the past two months. Addis Ababa initially denied this but later acknowledged it had made "reconnaissance" missions. It still insists no combat troops are in Somalia.

"Ethiopia has a right to defend its borders, should do so vigorously if individuals cross into their territory, and their efforts should be directed at defence of their territory and not necessarily involvement inside of Somalia," Carson said.

NO DECISION ON TOUGHER MANDATE

Carson held talks with senior officials from all Horn of Africa countries, including the Eritrean foreign minister, during an African Union summit in Libya this week.

Washington has accused Eritrea of supporting the hardline al Shabaab insurgents who are fighting to oust Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed. It says Eritrea has aided the movement of weapons and foreign fighters into Somalia.

Carson said Eritrea strongly denied the accusations.

The rebels, who have links to al Qaeda and want to impose their own harsh version of sharia law throughout the country, control much of southern Somalia and parts of the capital Mogadishu close to the president's palace.

A 4,300-strong African Union peacekeeping force (AMISOM) from Uganda and Burundi is protecting key sites in Mogadishu but appeals for more troops and a stronger mandate allowing them to go on the offensive have yet to bear fruit.

Carson said a battalion of soldiers from Burundi, about 800 troops, was ready to deploy as soon as an airlift is provided and that Djibouti had pledged to help with military force.

"They are a small country with a small military but they have indicated that they believe the situation is serious enough to warrant their support," Carson told Reuters.

"They believe that it is important to support Sheikh Sharif and to prevent his government from falling and they are prepared to provide more support than they have in the past, including manpower," he said.

Carson said Washington had yet to decide whether the AMISOM mandate should be beefed up. There had been hopes African leaders would agree to this in Libya but wording to that effect in a draft resolution was dropped.

"We will study it closely in Washington and make a determination as to whether it is in our interests to encourage an expanded mandate as this goes forward," he said.

Washington helps fund the AMISOM force and has sent weapons to the Somali government to support its fight against the rebels. Carson told reporters it would send more.

"The United States will continue to look for ways to provide support," he said. "This will include military support in terms of arms and munitions and material resources, but not manpower."

Reuters

ONLF Response to TPLF Claims of Victory against the Liberation Fronts

"A New Don Quixote in Ethiopia Repeating the Same old Lies of His Masters"

The declaration of the chief butcher of The South East Command of the TPLF regime of Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia Abreha Woldemariam on 26/06/09 that his troops had defeated all fighters of both Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is a phantasmagorical and surreal projection of Don quixotic mind that is baseless and a cheap rehash of what his masters in Addis Ababa used to spew out shamelessly every time the world learned about their inept attempts at suppressing the active rebellion of the Ogaden And Oromo people.

What is more laughable is his assertion that the Ethiopian Army is defending the rights of the Ogaden people enshrined in the constitution. If Woldemariam really believes that the War Crimes his Army is committing in the Ogaden and the reprehensible acts of raping women and teenage girls, while hanging their fathers and brothers and burning their villages is protecting the rights of nations and nationalities, then the world needs to put such Psychos behind bars.

The only thing of significance from Woldemariam’s fascistic utterances is that he and his masters are planning a new round of Genocide and War Crimes in the Ogaden. Furthermore this another attempt to mislead foreign gullible oil companies that keep financing Ethiopia’s war efforts in the Ogaden and the Greater Horn either unwittingly or deliberately.

All we shall say to you and the likes of you is that- rest assured that ONLF of the Ogaden, OLF and other progressive and democratic forces in Ethiopia are gaining the upper hand against TPLF led forces and will soon defeat you and bring freedom , peace and democracy to the Whole of Horn of Africa.

Victory to the Oppressed masses!

ONLF

Severe Acute Malnutrition in Hararghe zones, Oromia, Ethiopia

Severe Acute Malnutrition in Hararghe zones, Oromia, Ethiopia

These SAM children pictures are all from Malka Balo district (Jaja Health Centre at Jaja Town where three death cases: one in the facility and the other two at homes- are reported) of East Haraghe zones in June 2009. Similar situation is prevailing also in most woredas of West Haraghe zone.

The SAM was caused due to poverty and critical food shortage, partly due to failure of crop production both last year and this year's Arfassa/Badhessa (Belg) season production and depletion of livestock assets and their prodcuts following critical shortage of feed and water which led to massive death cases and lack of milk production.

Source: SBO

Related story:

A NEW FORM OF GENOCIDE: The TPLF regime blocks food supply as millions go hungry.

Wednesday 17 June 2009

WFP concerned about the move.

The government of Ethiopia has put a restriction on trucks with food supplies and prioritized trucks of fertilizers into the country as nine million Ethiopians face hunger and three months of starvation.

The Ethiopian authorities claim to be ensuring better harvest by September, but the United Nations has warned that by the end of June, it would have run out of food supply for the dependent millions in Ethiopian.

There will be no further deliveries until September or October, claims the UN World Food Program (WFP). Children, refugees and breast-feeding mothers will be among those worst hit during the hunger season in Ethiopia.

The hunger season is expected to last until September when harvest begins.

The Ethiopian government has prioritized the delivery of fertilizer, to try to increase the next harvest rather than allow more trucks of food and grains to the country.

According to WFP, there is an acute shortage of trucks, yet the Ethiopian authorities have prevented them (the agency) from bringing in its own fleet from Sudan.

UN World Food Program says it has no option but to cut back on the food they provide, which has already been cut by a third since July 2008.

Currently there is little prospect of food supplies arriving at the port of Djibouti for the next five months. "We have a small refugee population here and their ration is being cut by half beginning this month. We run out of food and people will be very hungry," claims Barry Came of the World Food Program.

The UN can only supply food through the port of Djibouti because Eritrea denied land-locked Ethiopia access to its ports, following a border war.

Source: Afrik.com

Photo: SBO

New blood for Ethiopia?

28 June 2009

By Daniel Howden

On the surface of it, the announcement by the leader of Africa's second most populous nation that he wanted to stand down before the next election ought to be a cause for celebration.

Photo: The TPLF Dynasty. Ready to step down?

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he had "had enough" after 18 years in power and called on the rest of his generation of leaders to follow him. The continent is blighted by leaders who forget to leave - as the passing away of Gabon's Omar Bongo after 42 years in office reminded everyone this month. And Zenawi, the former guerrilla leader who emerged from the armed struggle against the Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam, had appeared to be following the familiar path from revolutionary to entrenched autocrat.

Once hailed among a bright new generation of "renaissance" African leaders, Zenawi's time in office has become increasingly associated with repression. His fellow leaders, Yoweri Museveni and Niger's Mamadou Tandja, are busy rewriting constitutions to prolong their stays. And the Ethiopian's closest contemporary, Isaias Afewerki, has turned next-door Eritrea into a quasi-prison state.

However, the former medical student has hinted that he would not stand again. His most solid statement to date appeared to acknowledge some of the uncomfortable truths facing his Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Led almost entirely by Zenawi's ethnic group, the Tigray, who make up only six percent of the population, without some move to broaden support, the party would face an even worse electoral shock than it suffered in 2005. Then a brutal response that included the killing of more than 150 demonstrators and the arrest of thousands of protesters sufficed for the EPRDF to hold on to power.

Zenawi said it was "very likely" a new leader would not be Tigrayan. "The party needs new leadership that does not have the experience of the armed struggle," he said.

Ethiopia's premier, however, said there was "zero" chance that opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa would be released to contest the election. - Foreign Service

Source: Sunday Independent

Deebiin gaafii keenya darbbee "Geerar Jaarsoo, Muloo fi Sulultaa and Warra Jaarssoo are located in ..."

"Oromiyaa Beektaa?"

Question: Geerar Jaarsoo, Muloo fi Sululta and Warra Jaarsoo are located in:

Answer times selected answer distribution (%)
1. Arsii Zone (Oromia) 3 20%
2. Northern Shawaa Zone (Oromia) 7 47%
3. Western Harargee Zone (Oromia) 1 7%
4. Western Shawaa Zone (Oromia) 2 13%
5. Iluu Abbaa Booraa Zone (Oromia) 2 13%
Summary: 15 votes
http://www.oromiatimes.multiply.com

Thanks for participating, and check our next question. Ulfaa dhaa!

TPLF Regime blames OLF Rebels for "Beating Up Chinese Technician in Raid on Neshie Dam"

Ethiopian rebels arrested for dam raid

* Three rebels arrested, accused of dam attack

* Opposition says government version not trustworthy

(adds opposition)

ADDIS ABABA, June 26 (Reuters) - Ethiopia said on Friday it arrested three Oromo Liberation Front rebels who beat up Chinese technicians in a raid on a dam construction site in the west.

State TV said three Chinese were in hospital after being badly beaten by the OLF gang during the attack this week at the Neshie Dam. The statement said they were planning "terrorist activities" there, and were later caught by security forces.

"The culprits beat Chinese technicians working at the site, robbed laptops, printers, digital surveying machines and other equipment at the site," it said.

The three were paraded on TV, together with guns, communications equipment and bomb-making materials.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government blames the OLF, which has fought for autonomy for its southern homeland since 1993, for various explosions in the capital Addis Ababa.

Addis Ababa accuses arch-enemy Eritrea of training and funding the OLF and other small rebel groups in Ethiopia's remote, outlying areas. Asmara says that is an excuse to mask popular unrest with Meles' government.

An opposition figure said the government's version on the arrests was not credible.

"Unless there is ample evidence that the three persons apprehended as terrorists were attempting to carry out terrorist activities along the dam site, we cannot trust what the government is alleging," said Gebru Gebremariam, chief whip in parliament for United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF).

"The government always carries out massive arrests of the Oromo people under the pretext of terrorism." (Reporting by Tsegaye Tadesse, Writing by Andrew Cawthorne)

King of Pop Michae Jackson Dies at 50

1958 - 2009

Photo source

Sony Comments on the Passing of Michael Jackson

NEW YORK, NY – June 25, 2009 – Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture.

Read more at Michael Jackson's official website


*******************

Michael,
may your soul rest in peace!
OromiaTimes web

Waamicha qabsoo Gumii Paarlaamaa Oromoo Irraa Ummataa fi Dhaabbiilee Siyaasaa Oromoo Maraaf Dhihaate

Jaalewaan Oganootaa qabsoo Oromoo, Oganoota Hawassa Oromoo fi Hayyuu Oromoo hundaaf.

Bakka jiran hundati!!!

Dhaabbilee Oromoo Haala ummati keenya keessa jiru kana hubatan murtee tokko irra ga’uun dirqama lamumma ta’ee argamera.

Ummaani keenya yeroo amma kana kara hunda diina isaa garbonfatuuf irrati wal nyaatuu kara itti of irra itissu walale haali jiru kara hunda itti dukana’ee jira. Nafixaanyan Tigree isaa nyachaa jiru utuu irra hin deemin Nafxaanyan kaleessa immo Oromoo lamafaa garboonfachuuf waan dandayee hunda gochaa jira.

Yeroo kana immo Ilmaan Oromoo bakka hundatti wal qoodani diina dhisaan wal irratti booba’aa turan. Haali kun Ummtaa keessatti sodaa, yaadoo ummu irra darbee ummtati Salphina gudda itti ta’ee jira. Kun immo Ummata keenya Hamilee caabse abdi kutachisa jira. Sodaa, yaadoo fi salphin ummtaa keenyatti dhaga’amee kanaaf bori utuu hin tanee hara’aa deebi keenuu qabna.

Kanaafu Dhaabbilee Oromoo rakko ummtachaaf dursa keenudhan wari bilisummaa oromooti amanan fi kayyoo ummtaa Oromoo haqa irratti kan wal galan haala dure tokko malee tokkuman Bilisummaa Oromoof akka hojeetan murteefatan Uummtaa Oromoof ibsuu qabu. Haawwasi Oromoo bakka hunda jiru ilee tokkummaa Oromoo jalati hirire lammi isaa biyya jiru cinna dhaabachuu qaba. Dhaabbilee kayyoo haqa fi Bilisummaa Oromooti amanan hundi adda addumma xixiqa dhisani Uummtaa diinan marfamee kana tokkumman cinna hiriru qabu. Ogantoon dhaabbilee Oromoo ykn bakka bu’oon isaan fi Ogannon Hawwasa USA Atlanta marii godhachuun walga’ii ummta kana itti fayyadamun walgaltee tokko labsachuu qabu. Ogantoon Haawwasa Oromoo fi Dhaabbilee Oromoo (NGO) akka OSA Ogannotaa dhaabbilee Oromoo fi Ogannoota Hawwasa Oromoo walti fidudhan Oromoo gidutti tokkummaa fi jaalala akka jajabesinuu hunda keessan kabajaan gaafana.

Tokkummaan Oromoon Bilisummaan Oromoo ni mirikana!

Getachew Jiji Demekssa, Dr.

Dura ta’aa Gummi Paarlamaa Oromoo

_____________________________________________________________

Gumii Paarlaamaa Oromoo (GPO), Oromo Parliamentarians Council (OPC)
Sint-Jobstraat 43, 2060 Antwerpen, Belgium,
Tel 0032488 47 93 60, Email: infogpo@Yahoo.com
website: http://www.oromoparliamentarians.org

Ethiopian Defense Engineering in Trouble: One Expert Went Into Exile

Ethiopian Defense Engineering in Trouble: One Expert Went Into Exile

Published by Girma Degefa Geda
June 24, 2009

In Ethiopian army, it is difficult to raise a question of national issue, or to contribute an idea that could help the country. Currently, there are a dozen of military engineers who are suffering physically and physiologically due to a direct result of harsh punishments.

Engineer Dawit Hailu Desta, a software engineer and a graduate of the Ethiopian Defense Engineering College, has managed to escape the brutal government of Ethiopia while he was on training in Czech Republic. He has applied a political asylum in an undisclosed country in Europe following the foot-steps of two engineers, Animut Demeke Tsegaye and Negussie Girma Tulu who were defected in February 2009.

Engineer Dawit worked as chief expert, maintenance, and training manager under the Ministry of Defense at the Simulator Project. The project was one of the high-tech killer visions of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces which takes the map (in 2D and 3D) of Eritrea and Somalia as an input. Using the map of those countries indicates how a war addicted Tribal Junta regime of Ethiopia plans to involve in another round of war to divert the attention of Ethiopians from the 2010 national election.

According to our sources, the Ministry of Defense has been serving the blood thirsty prime minister, his bunch of looser gangs, and illiterate military generals since it has established on the death of the Derg regime. Member of the death squads and deeply corrupted officials of the Defense Ministry owns high rise buildings and foreign accounts in the expense of the majority poor and innocent Ethiopian bloods. They became hero from zero by converting the people’s military organization into their own private business corporation.

In Ethiopian army, it is difficult to raise a question of national issue, or to contribute an idea that could help the country. Currently, there are a dozen of military engineers who are suffering physically and physiologically due to a direct result of harsh punishments. Some of them are under twenty four hours surveillance since the coup that was organized by active duty high ranking military officers was abolished in May 2009. They are also searching for a route to escape the regime.

Furthermore, high ranking officers in the Ethiopian military don’t totally like well educated new generations. However, when they faced series things like computers and other sophisticated weapon issues, they relied on the brains of those youngsters. They had no one who knows simulation system, and who can test the simulator weapons functionality.

Based on Ethio-Freedom information, Engineer Dawit Hailu Desta was under a military police cell for asking why he was signing a promissory note that states the engineers must serve the ministry for unlimited period of time without their knowledge and willingness. Everyone in the Ministry of Defense is supposed to be part of the Ruling Gagsters Party, and members who have elected other political parties in the 2007 national election have suffered a lot, including Engineer Dawit. He always had a liberal attitude and opposed the suffering of people by their own government. He believes Ethiopians should not be judged by their ethnicity, religious beliefs, or political point of views.

Meanwhile, close family members of Engineer Animut and Engineer Negussei had been under security interrogation for a couple of times. The plain-clothed security agents have been asking those family members of the two engineers where the engineers are.

Ethiopian rebels leave South Sudan as peace initiative fails

By James Gatdet Dak

June 23, 2009 (JUBA) – Southern Sudan government announced the failure of a peace initiative to reconcile an opposition group with the Ethiopian government which played down the seriousness of the rebel leaders.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (AP)

The Acting Spokesperson and Minister of the Government of Southern Sudan, Madut Biar, told the press that President Salva Kiir Mayardit briefed the Council of Ministers about his discussion with the Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on a request by Ethiopian dissidents to make peace with their government.

Thok-wath Pal Chai the leader of the rebel Ethiopian Unity Patriotic Front (EUPF) came to Juba last week asking the Government of Southern Sudan to mediate peace talks between them and the government.

However, The Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said his government was not ready to talk to the rebel leader, saying he was not sincere or serious to rejoin his government.

Pal, a Nuer by ethnicity, is the former governor of Gambella region as well as the region’s Secretary for the Ethiopian former ruling party, the Workers Party of Ethiopia (WPE), from 1985 to 1987.

Hundreds of thousands of Gambella region’s inhabitants from Nuer and Anyuak ethnic groups were officially annexed to Ethiopia after the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972 during late Jaafer Nimieri and late King Haile Sellassie’s regimes in Sudan and Ethiopia, respectively.

Before he was appointed governor by the former Ethiopian President, Mengistu Haile Mariam, Pal was the region’s Chief Security between 1981 and 1985 during the time the SPLM/A was formed in Itang and Bilpam.

Itang and Bilpam were the biggest Sudanese refugee camp and the SPLA GHQrs, respectively, under the jurisdiction of the Gambella’s regional government.

Pal was also responsible for the security of the SPLM/A in his host region, Gambella.

He fled from Ethiopia during the fall of regime of the former Ethiopian President, Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1991.

Before he fled the country Pal was the ruling party’s First Secretary for Western Ethiopia, member of National Security Defense Council as well as member of National Assembly in Addis Ababa.

Pal, who formed a rebellion movement and became its chairman in 1990s to overthrow the present Ethiopian regime, has been living in exile mostly in Kenya for the last 18 years.

The Ethiopian Unity Patriotic Front (EUPF) in some instances carried out military attacks against government towns and forces in the region.

His forces were suspected in local media reports to be supported by the Eritrean government and sometimes tried to forge alliance with another rebel group, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) which also operates in the western part of Ethiopia.

His former boss, Mengistu Haile Mariam, is accused of committing atrocities in the country by the present Ethiopian regime of Meles Zenawi.

Pal left Juba for another country on Monday as the Government of Southern Sudan told him to leave the country after the peace initiative failed.

The Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit was in Addis Ababa last week where he held talks with the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi about the bilateral relations and joitn development projects.

(ST)

Berhane Adere added to Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon

Ethiopia's Berhane Adere added to Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon

Two-time Chicago Marathon winner adds speed to women's half-marathon field.

By Danny O'Neil

Seattle Times staff reporter

The inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon just got a little faster.

Actually, quite a bit faster as Berhane Adere of Ethiopia was announced as an entrant in the women's 13.1-mile half-marathon that will take place Saturday.

Adere has won the Chicago Marathon twice as well as the prestigious Dubai Marathon. She is a former world champion in the 10,000 meters, and her personal-best time in the half-marathon is 1 hour, 8 minutes, 17 seconds. The Washington state record at that distance is 1:10:08.

Paul Tergat, a former world-record holder and two-time Olympic silver medalist, was already announced as part of the men's field in the half-marathon. He ran a half-marathon in 59:17 in 1998, one of the 20 fastest times ever recorded at that distance. The men's state record in the half-marathon is 1:05:43.

Adere and Tergat are two very prominent international runners among the field of 25,000 runners taking part in the event, about 17,500 of whom will run the half-marathon. Some of the world-class distance runners are competing in the half-marathon and not the full marathon because of where this event falls in their training schedule.

Saturday's 26.2-mile marathon will begin in Tukwila and finish at Qwest Field.

There's a chance that the full marathon will be won in state-record time. But the addition of Adere makes a record in the both half-marathons likely.

Americans Mark Batres and Andy Martin lead the marathon field, but they will be pushed by three Kenyans — David Kiprop Yego, Jynocel Basweti and Zach Nymbaso.

Another American, Leah Thorvilson of Little Rock, Ark., has won two marathons this year and is considered the women's favorite.

Source: Seattle Times

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com