Human Rights Watch World Report 2009: Ethiopia

Title	World Report 2009 - Ethiopia
Publisher	Human Rights Watch
Country	Ethiopia
Publication Date	14 January 2009
Cite as	Human Rights Watch, World Report 2009 - Ethiopia, 14 January 2009. Online. UNHCR Refworld, available at: http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/docid/49705fa32.html [accessed 30 April 2009]

World Report 2009 - Ethiopia

Events of 2008

The Ethiopian government's human rights record remains poor, marked by an ever-hardening intolerance towards meaningful political dissent or independent criticism. Ethiopian military forces have continued to commit war crimes and other serious abuses with impunity in the course of counterinsurgency campaigns in Ethiopia's eastern Somali Region and in neighboring Somalia.

Local-level elections in April 2008 provided a stark illustration of the extent to which the government has successfully crippled organized opposition of any kind – the ruling party and its affiliates won more than 99 percent of all constituencies, and the vast majority of seats were uncontested. In 2008 the government launched a direct assault on civil society by introducing legislation that would criminalize most independent human rights work and subject NGOs to pervasive interference and control.

Political Repression

The limited opening of political space that preceded Ethiopia's 2005 elections has been entirely reversed. Government opponents and ordinary citizens alike face repression that discourages and punishes free expression and political activity. Ethiopian government officials regularly subject government critics or perceived opponents to harassment, arrest, and even torture, often reflexively accusing them of membership in "anti-peace" or "anti-people" organizations. Farmers who criticize local leaders face threats of losing vital agricultural inputs such as fertilizer or the selective enforcement of debts owed to the state. The net result is that in most of Ethiopia, and especially in the rural areas where the overwhelming majority of the population lives, there is no organized opposition to the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).

The local-level elections in April 2008 were for kebele and wereda administrations, which provide essential government services and humanitarian assistance, and are often the institutions used to directly implement repressive government policies. In the vast majority of constituencies there were no opposition candidates at all, and candidates aligned with the EPRDF won more than 99 percent of all available seats.

Where opposition candidates did contest they faced abuse and improper procedural obstacles to registration. Candidates in Ethiopia's Oromia region were detained, threatened with violence by local officials, and accused of affiliation to the rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Oromia, Ethiopia's most populous region, has long suffered from heavy-handed government repression, with students, activists, or critics of rural administrations regularly accused of being OLF operatives. Such allegations often lead to arbitrary imprisonment and torture.

War Crimes and Other Abuses by Ethiopian Military Forces

Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) personnel stationed in Mogadishu continued in 2008 to use mortars, artillery, and "Katyusha" rockets indiscriminately in response to insurgent attacks, devastating entire neighborhoods of the city. Insurgent attacks often originate in populated areas, prompting Ethiopian bombardment of civilian homes and public spaces, sometimes wiping out entire families. Many of these attacks constitute war crimes. In July ENDF forces bombarded part of the strategic town of Beletweyne after coming under attack by insurgent forces based there, displacing as many as 75,000 people.

2008 was also marked by the proliferation of other violations of the laws of war by ENDF personnel in Somalia. Until late 2007, Ethiopian forces were reportedly reasonably disciplined and restrained in their day-to-day interactions with Somali civilians in Mogadishu. However, throughout 2008 ENDF forces in Mogadishu participated in widespread acts of murder, rape, assault, and looting targeting ordinary residents of the city, often alongside forces allied to the Somali Transitional Federal Government. In an April raid on a Mogadishu mosque ENDF soldiers reportedly killed 21 people; seven of the dead had their throats cut.

ENDF forces have also increasingly fired indiscriminately on crowds of civilians when they come under attack. In August ENDF soldiers were hit by a roadside bomb near the town of Afgooye and responded by firing wildly; in the resulting bloodbath as many as 60 civilians were shot and killed, including the passengers of two crowded minibuses.

In Ethiopia itself, the ENDF continues to wage a counterinsurgency campaign against the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in the country's restive Somali region. The scale and intensity of military operations seems to have declined from a peak in mid-2007, but arbitrary detentions, torture, and other abuses continue. Credible reports indicate that vital food aid to the drought-affected region has been diverted and misused as a weapon to starve out rebel-held areas. The military continues to severely restrict access to conflict-affected regions and the Ethiopian government has not reversed its decision to evict the International Committee of the Red Cross from the region in July 2007.

The Ethiopian government denies all allegations of abuses by its military and refuses to facilitate independent investigations. There have been no serious efforts to investigate or ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Somali Region and in neighboring Somalia in 2007 and 2008. Nor have ENDF officers or civilian officials been held accountable for crimes against humanity that ENDF forces carried out against ethnic Anuak communities during a counterinsurgency campaign in Gambella region in late 2003 and 2004.

Regional Renditions

In early 2007 at least 90 men, women, and children from 18 different countries fleeing conflict in Somalia were arrested in Kenya and subsequently deported to Somalia and then Ethiopia, where many were interrogated by US intelligence agents. An unknown number of people arrested by Ethiopian forces in Somalia were also directly transferred to Ethiopia. Many of the victims of these "regional renditions" were released in mid-2007 and early 2008, but at least two men, including a Kenyan and a Canadian national, remain in Ethiopian detention almost two years after their deportation from Kenya. The whereabouts and fate of at least 22 others rendered to Ethiopia, including Eritreans, Somalis, and Ethiopian Ogadeni and Oromo, is unknown.

Civil Society and Free Expression

The environment for civil society continues to deteriorate. In 2008 the government announced new legislation – the Charities and Societies Proclamation – which purports to provide greater oversight and transparency on civil society activities. In fact, the law would undermine the independence of civil society and criminalizes the work of many human rights organizations. At this writing, the law looked set to be introduced to parliament.

Alongside a complex and onerous system of government surveillance and control, the law would place sharp restrictions on the kinds of work permissible to foreign organizations and Ethiopian civil society groups that receive some foreign funding – barring such organizations from any kind of work touching on human rights issues. Individuals who fail to comply with the law's Byzantine provisions could face criminal prosecution.

A new media law passed in July promises to reform some of the most repressive aspects of the previous legal framework. Most notably, the law eliminates the practice of pretrial detention for journalists – although in August, the prominent editor of the Addis Ababa-based Reporter newspaper was imprisoned without charge for several days in connection with a story printed in the paper. In spite of its positive aspects, the law remains flawed – it grants the government significant leeway to restrain free speech, including by summarily impounding publications on grounds of national security or public order. The law also retains criminal penalties including prison terms for journalists found guilty of libel or defamation.

In March 2008 civil society activists Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie were released from more than two years of incarceration, but only after the Ethiopian Federal High Court convicted them of "incitement" related to the 2005 elections.

Key International Actors

The United States and European donor states provide the Ethiopian government with large sums of bilateral assistance, including direct budgetary support from the United Kingdom and military assistance from the US. The US is Ethiopia's largest bilateral donor and has also provided logistical and political support for Ethiopia's protracted intervention in Somalia, and provides bilateral assistance to the Ethiopian military. Donor governments view Ethiopia as an important ally in an unstable region and, in the case of the US, in the "global war on terror."

The US, UK, and other key donors and political allies have consistently refused to publicly criticize widespread abuses or to demand meaningful improvements in Ethiopia's human rights record. The sole exception in 2008 lay in donor government efforts to lobby against the repressive civil society legislation introduced by the government. No major donor made any significant effort to raise serious concerns about or demand a concrete response to war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ethiopia or ENDF atrocities in Somalia.

Ethiopia remains deadlocked over a boundary dispute with Eritrea dating from the two countries' 1998-2000 war. The war in Somalia is another source of tension between the two countries, with Eritrea backing and hosting one faction of the insurgency Ethiopian troops are fighting against in Somalia. Eritrea also plays host to other Ethiopian rebel movements, notably the OLF and ONLF, with the aim of destabilizing the Ethiopian government.

China's importance as a trading partner to Ethiopia grows year by year. According to official figures Chinese investment in Ethiopia totals more than US$350 million annually, up from just $10 million in 2003.

Ethiopia is due to be reviewed under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism of the UN Human Rights Council in December 2009.

Source: UNHCR Website

(Keniyan) Govt Investigate Militia Claims

Govt Investigate Militia Claims

Written By:KNA , Posted: Tue, Apr 28, 2009

The government has launched investigations into reports that heavily armed militias believed to be from a neighbouring country have been sighted in Merti division of Isiolo district.

Area DC Waweru Kimani confirmed claims that some 60 members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) militia from Ethiopia had pitched tent within Nyachise strategic grazing reserve for the last two days.

Kimani however assured residents that there was cause for alarm because appropriate measures have been taken to ensure their safety.

Kimani who is also the chairman of the district security and intelligence committee said a security team had been dispatched to the area to join another one headed by Merti District Officer.

The presence of the suspected militias has created tension among hundreds of herders who now want the government to intervene and have the heavily armed OLF militias removed.

Residents say the militias comprising of 10 women and 50 men who are in their late twenties accessed the remote Merti area after sneaking into the country through Moyale district.

Herders are reportedly leaving Nyachise grazing fields in droves with their livestock for fear of an attack.

Local OCPD Marius Tum said investigations were on into the motive of the militias, how they made their way into the country and also arrest them and confiscate their weapons.

Last week militias from Somalia threatened to invade the country and annex the North Eastern Province, putting security personnel along the borders of Kenya and her neighbours on high alert.

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oromo call for Justice in Ethiopia and the Bringing To Account of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Oromo call for Justice in Ethiopia and the Bringing To Account of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi

Brussels, 27 April 2009 – Democracy, justice and pluralism remained illusory in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Government, led by the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) continues to intimidate opposition parties and civil society whilst muzzling a mass media that as a result is neither free nor fair. Heavy-handed state responses to legitimate protests have left scores dead and many more injured – and their families have no recourse to adequate justice.

To bring these abuses to the attention of the European public and decision makers, the Oromos residing in Europe will hold a demonstration on Friday 22 May 2009 beginning at the Schuman station from 10.00am moving to the European Commission (Berlaymont Building), European Parliament (Place Jean Rey), UK Embassy and final stop will be at USA Embassy where activists will stay until 13:00pm.

The demonstration will urge the European Union and advocates of justice around the world to take note of, and act against, the atrocities being committed against the Oromo people and other nationalities of Ethiopia.

Activists will also call on all nations and nationalities in Ethiopia to stand in unity on behalf of the country’s innocent and voiceless peoples whose lives and livelihoods are being constrained by an unrepresentative and minority government.

Note: There will be media opportunities during the demonstration and activists with first-hand experience of the situation in Ethiopia will be available for comment.

EVENT SUMMARY 22 MAY 2009

10:00am - 10:30am

European Commission

(Berlaymont Building)

Brussels

10:30am - 13:00pm

European Parliament (Place Jean Rey), UK

Embassy (Rue d’Arlon 85), USA Embassy

(Regentlaan 27)

Brussels

For media enquiries, contact

Andrew Swan (UNPO Project Coordinator)

+32 (0) 472 577 518 / unpo.brussels@unpo.org

Or

Mr. D. Gabissa +32 485597255 / hgabissa@yahoo.com

THIS EVENT IS ORGANIZED BY:

Union of Oromo Students in Europe

(Tel/Fax: +32 (0)32972427 ; E-mail: tboabb@yahoo.com

Dambruggestraat 109, 2060 Antwerpen, Belgium)

&

Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization

(P.O. Box 85878, 2508 CN, 2060 Antwerpen, Belgium. The Hague, The Netherlands.

Tel: +31 (0)70 3646504 ; Fax: +31 (0)70 3646608 )

Gootonni Oromoo Yuuniversiitii Wallagaa Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo Haala O’aan Kabajatani!

Poster: www.oromoliberationfront.org

Gootonni Oromoo Yuuniversiitii Wallagaa Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo Haala O’aan Kabajatani!


Oduun Yuuniversiitii Wallagaa irraa nuqaqqabe akka hubachiisutti Guyyaan Gootota Oromoo haala hedduu nama gammachiisuun Ebla 15 2009 kabajamee ooleera.
Baratoonni Oromoo kan Universiitii Wallagaa shama diimaa, magariisa, diimaa qabsiisuun doormii keessatti bakka garaa garaatti ayyaaneffatanii oolaniiru.

Guyyaa uummata oromoo keessatti bakka guddaa qabu kan gootonni oromoo lubbuu saanii bilisummaa uummata oromo fi biyya Oromiyaa jedhanii wareegaman itti yaadataman kana ayyaaneffatanii ibsa ejjennoo hanga tokko kanaa gadi gabaabsamee barreeffame dabarsataniiru:

1. Kaayyoo Keenyi WBO alati waanti biraan hinjiru
2. Qabsoo jalqaabne kana WBO wajjin taanee finiinsuu qabna
3. Adeemssi keenya hanga bilisummaatti ta’uu qaba
4. Gibiraa fi qaraxaa seeran ala uummataa irraa fudhaani sammun nurraa dhabbaatu
5. Hanga hiree ofii keenya arganutti itti fufuu qabnna
6. Hidhamuu fi dhiitamu dhala Oromoo irraa haa dhaabbatu
7. Sharaan oromoos qabsoo keenya haalan jabbeessu qabna
8. Fakkaatani bulu hin barbaadnu
9. Mana kudhaani nyaachun ilmaan oromoo oromummaaf isaani sammun isaani hiphaatu irraa hin barbaachisu
10. Tokkummaan kanne WBO galchuu qabna
11. Duuti fi reebamuun hanga yoomiitti, kunis nurraa dhaabachuu qaba
12. Qotee bulaa keenya doorsisuun haa hafu

fi kan biraa hanga qabxii baay’ee qabu waliin irratti mari’atanii kaa’aniiru.Akkasumaas illee
kaseetakan sanyii mootu maqaan isaa haa caalu kan jedhu jalqaaba hanga humaatti dhageeffacha oolanirru.
Walaalo mataa dureen isaa SAGALEE DUBBAARA kan jedhu shamaaran tokko dhiyyaaterraa. Guyyaa seena qabeessa kana gammachuun calqabanii gammachuun xumurataniiru. Mandh’een isaan jala jiran kan haaraa uummataan “Gootota Holqa Daalloo” kan jedhu ture.

IUOf!

GGBti!

Oduu kan nuqaqqabsiise: F.D. (Oromiyaa irraa)

Yaamicha Kora wagga Kutaa ABO Austraaliaa

Yaamicha
Kora wagga Kutaa ABO Austraaliaa
Konferensii Hawasa Oromoo Australia fi
Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo

Konferensiin Hawaasa Oromoo Australia Sanbat-duraa (Saturday), Caamsaa (May) 02, 2009 magaalaa Melbourne keessatti gaggeessama. Itti aansees guyyuma kana Guyyaan Gootota Oromoo kabajama. Akkuma beekamu, Guyyaan Gootota Oromoo, hawaasa Oromoo Australia jiraatan maraan tokkummaa fi gamtaadhaan kabajama. Kanaaf guyyaa fi sa’a armaa gadiitti akka argamtan kabajaan isin gaafatna.

Konferensii kun:

* Haala qabsoo bilisummaa Oromoo har’a keessa jirtuu fi egeree
* Dhimma addunyummaa fi Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo
* Dhimmoota Oromoo, Oromummaa fi Oromiyaa laalchisee marii guddaatu gaggeessamuuf eegama.

Qophii Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo fi Galgala buhaarsaa:

* Gartuun Aartistoota Oromoos hirmaatuudhaan wallisoota qabsoo fi aadaa Oromootiin guyyaa seena qabessaa dhaadhessu

* J/ Gaashuu Lammeessaa MGS fi BBA AB
* J/ Dr. Bayyaan Asoobaa MGS fi Afaan-yaa’ii ABO
* J/ Gammachuu Fayyeeraa I.A. D.T. WMT

Guyyaa: Caamsaa/May 2, 2009
Sa’a: 1:00 wb(pm) – 6:00 gl(pm)
Bakka: Victoria University, Ballarat Rd, Footscray
Guyyaa: Caammsaa/ May 2, 2009
Sa’a: 6:30 gl(pm)-11:00wr(pm)

Gootonni Oromoo Universiitii Haromaayaa Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo Haala O’aan Kabajatani

Poster: www.oromoliberationfront.org

Gootonni Oromoo Universiitii Haromaayaa Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo Haala O’aan Kabajatani!

Oduun Universiitii Haromaayaa irraa nuqaqqabe akka hubachiisutti Guyyaan Gootota Oromoo haala hedduu nama gammachiisuun Ebla 15 2009 kabajamee ooleera. Baratoonni Oromoo kan Universiitii Haromaayaa shama diimaa, magariisa, diimaa qabsiisuun doormii keessatti bakka garaa garaatti ayyaaneffatanii oolaniiru. Akkasumas manni barumssa sadarkkaa 2ffa fi qopha’ina Haramaayaa mooraan alatti ijoollee moora keessaa wajjin ayyaaneffatanii ooluunsaanii oduun nuqaqqabbe beeksiseera. Guyyaa uummata oromoo keessatti bakka guddaa qabu kan gootonni oromoo lubbuu saanii bilisummaa uummata oromo fi biyya Oromiyaa jedhanii wareegaman itti yaadataman kana ayyaaneffatanii ibssa ejjennoo hanga tokko kanaa gadi gabaabsamee barreeffame dabarsataniiru:

1. Kaayyoo Keenyi WBO alati waanti biraan hinjiru
2. Qabsoo jalqaabne kana WBO wajjin taanee finiinsuu qabnna
3. Adeemssi keenya hanga bilisummaatti ta’uu qaba
4. Gargaarsi nuyi goonu gama qarshiinis illee ta’uu qaba
5. Hanga hiree ofii keenya arganutti itti fufuu qabnna
6. Hidhamuu fi dhiitamu dhala Oromoo irraa haa dhaabbatu
7. Duuti fi reebamuun hanga yoomiitti, kunis nurraa dhaabachuu qaba
8. Qotee bulaa keenya doorsisuun haa hafu

fi kan biraa hanga qabxii baay’ee qabu waliin irratti mari’atanii kaa’aniiru. Guyyaa seena qabeessa kana gammachuun calqabanii gammachuun xumurataniiru. Mandh’een isaan jala jiran kan haaraa uummataan “Gootota Gumaa Baastu Laggasaa Wagii 39” kan jedhu ture. Ibssi ejjennoo guutuun akkuma OromiaTimes qaqqabeen baldhinaan baha.

Injifannoo Uummata Oromoof!

Gadaan Gadaa Bilisummaati!

F.D. irraa

"Ethiopia was supposed to help America in the war on terror. But it's only made matters worse." Newsweek

"Ethiopia was supposed to help America in the war on terror. But it's only made matters worse." Newsweek
for everyone
AFRICA
With a Friend Like This

Ethiopia was supposed to help America in the war on terror. But it's only made matters worse.
By Jonathan Tepperman | NEWSWEEK
Published Apr 11, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Apr 20, 2009

Few people outside Ethiopia have ever heard of Birtukan Mideksa. And that's just how the government wants it. Since December, Birtukan has been kept in solitary confinement, one of hundreds of political prisoners there. Her apparent crime? Organizing a democratic challenge to the increasingly iron-fisted rule of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

In the past year alone, Meles's ruling party has rigged elections, effectively banned independent human-rights groups, passed a draconian press law and shrugged off calls for an investigation into alleged atrocities in the restive Ogaden region. Yet in the same period, his country has become one of the largest recipients of U.S. aid in sub-Saharan Africa, getting a cool $1 billion in 2008. The Bush administration claimed that Ethiopia was the linch-pin of its regional counterterrorism strategy and a vital beacon of stability. But the evidence increasingly suggests Washington isn't getting what it pays for, and is supporting a brutal dictator in the process. Candidate Obama pledged to strengthen democracy in Africa; if he's serious, this is a good place to start.

America's warm relations with Ethiopia date to the days after 9/11, when the country's Christian-dominated government came to be seen as a natural U.S. ally in a region targeted by Islamic extremists. After disputed elections in 2005, however, Meles—once hailed by President Bill Clinton as part of a promising "new generation" of African leaders—began clamping down on dissent.Yet Washington tolerated his lapses because it needed his help fighting Qaeda-linked Islamists in next-door Somalia. In December 2006, Ethiopia's U.S.-trained Army duly invaded its neighbor, ousting the radical Islamic Courts Union government there. But the adventure hasn't worked out as planned. No sooner had the ICU been toppled than an even more radical group, Al-Shabab, sprang up to fight the invaders. And although Seyoum Mesfin, Ethiopia's foreign minister, recently told NEWSWEEK that the Islamists have been militarily "shattered," they now control much of the country's south and have tightened links with Al Qaeda. Meanwhile, the Ethiopian troops have pulled out, and the country they left behind has been thoroughly devastated. Two years of fighting forced about 3.4 million Somalis, some 40 percent of the population, from their homes. Yet only a few high-ranking terrorists were eliminated, and Russell Howard, a retired general and senior fellow at the Pentagon's Joint Special Operations University, says the occupation only "empowered" the radicals.

Such failures—and Ethiopia's growing repression—suggest Washington should rethink the relationship. Just what Ethiopia offers the United States today is unclear. Addis Ababa has contributed troops to U.N. peacekeeping forces in Darfur and Burundi and plays a large role in shaping the policies of the African Union. But this shouldn't earn it unquestioning U.S. support.

To reset ties, the United States should push Ethiopia to democratize. And it must urge it to reconcile with its archnemesis, Eritrea. Resolving the conflict between the two states is key to addressing a whole range of threats to U.S. interests. Tiny Eritrea won independence from Addis Ababa in 1993, but the two countries fought a 1998–2000 border war and relations have remained hostile ever since, in part because Ethiopia, with tacit U.S. support, has ignored an international ruling that redrew their border. Too weak to challenge Ethiopia directly, Eritrea has funneled support to its enemy's enemies—including Al-Shabab and its America-hating foreign fighters. Eritrea also recently instigated a border conflict with Djibouti, home to an important U.S. military base.

Washington should thus push Ethiopia and Eritrea to make amends; better relations would mean an end to their proxy war in Somalia, which has helped turn that state into a Qaeda haven. Should it choose to use it, the United States has plenty of leverage. Most U.S. spending on Ethiopia goes for health and food aid, which aren't easy to cut. But the Obama administration could make military aid and weapons sales contingent on Meles's improving his behavior. The House of Representatives passed a bill in 2007 to do just that, but the measure died in the Senate without White House support.

Much will now depend on the man Obama has nominated for the State Department's top Africa job, Johnnie Carson. Carson's record is promising: while ambassador to Kenya from 1999 to 2003, he helped persuade longtime President Daniel Arap Moi to step down, clearing the way for multiparty elections. Should he bring similar pressure to bear on Washington's new African ally, Birtukan, Ethiopia's other political prisoners, Africans throughout the Horn and America itself would all benefit.

With Jason Mclure in Addis Ababa

"The western countries should no longer act as a haven for such criminals" says GENOCIDE WATCH

GENOCIDE WATCH
THE INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END GENOCIDE


March 23, 2009

An Open Letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Justice Navanathem Pillay

Petitions Team
Office of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights
UNOG-OHCHR
1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Dear Madame High Commissioner,

Advocates of justice around the world are thrilled at the strong action the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has taken in issuing a warrant for the arrest of Omar al-Bashir of the Sudan, resulting in finally holding him accountable for the atrocities being committed in Darfur over the last six years. Under al-Bashir’s leadership, millions of Sudanese from Darfur, as well as from Southern Sudan, have suffered inconceivable harm, injustice and hardship.

The action that the International Criminal Court has taken in this situation has restored hope to peace and justice loving people, affirming that international human rights law not only exists on paper, but in reality. It also sends an important message to perpetrators throughout the world that impunity for their crimes is not
assured forever; which may be a primary reason that one of the first leaders to defend Omar al-Bashir and condemn the warrant was Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, whose government has also been implicated in a pattern of widespread perpetration of serious human rights atrocities in Ethiopia and in Somalia. He and those within his government may be keenly aware of their own vulnerability to similar actions by the ICC in the future that could upend a deeply entrenched system of government-supported impunity that has protected perpetrators from any accountability.

I first became knowledgeable regarding the abhorrent human rights situation in Ethiopia when Genocide Watch and Survivors Rights International were called by the head of the Anuak Justice Council, Obang Metho, (now the leader of the newly formed Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia) to investigate the brutal massacre of 424 Anuak carried out in Gambella, Ethiopia in December of 2003. The Anuak are a
tiny, dark-skinned ethnic group who live in a remote section of southeastern Ethiopia.

Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) and civilian militia groups from another ethnic group utilized a prepared list to target Anuak leaders, many of whom were opposed to the government’s plan to exclude them from any involvement in the drilling for oil on their indigenous land. As militia groups chanted, “Today is the day for killing Anuak,” both the military and militias used machetes, axes and guns to kill the unarmed victims, frequently raping the women while chanting, “Now there will be no more Anuak children.”

Extra-judicial killings, rape, disappearances, destruction of livelihood and the displacement of thousands of Anuak continued into late 2005 before finally subsiding when the same Ethiopian National Defense Forces were moved to the Ogaden area of southeastern Ethiopia and into Somalia where similar atrocities were and still are being committed. A subsequent investigation of the Anuak massacre by Genocide Watch and Survivors Rights International to determine who was behind the human rights crimes, documented the existence of a plan called “Operation Sunny Mountain,” that could be traced to originating at the highest levels within the central government of Ethiopia.*

As a result of our investigation and based on our experience in international law and genocide, we concluded that the killing of the Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia, fit the definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch also conducted two investigations of their own and determined that the crimes against the Anuak meet the stringent definition of crimes against humanity.

Most of the perpetrators in their report and in ours have never been brought to justice under the Ethiopian justice system due to the failings and corruption of that system. Despite the violation of international law, not only has no one has been held accountable for these crimes which occurred over five years ago, but
worse than that, such crimes continue in other places in the country.

Only some of these cases have been investigated by respected international human rights organizations, but where they have, findings consistently point to the involvement of the Ethiopian government in the inciting, the empowerment or the perpetration of crimes against humanity, war crimes and even genocide, often
justified by them as “counter-insurgency.”

In light of these facts, I would strongly urge you to initiate an investigation of the situation in Ethiopia based on your proprio motu powers as the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights.

We believe that your investigation is justified due to the culture of impunity that exists within Ethiopia. Extensive documentation is available to examine the violations, most of which has been compiled in independent investigative reports completed by international human rights organizations. We also believe
that the Ethiopian people have been waiting long enough for genuine justice and relief from the harsh oppression and brutal tactics committed by a government that purports to be a partner in the War on Terror, while terrorizing their own people. Addressing the EPRDF regime, friendly to Omar al-Bashir, may bring greater stability to the entire Horn of Africa.

We are willing to provide assistance to you in carrying out this task because we, in Genocide Watch, and other human rights organizations are determined to pursue justice, even long after violations have occurred, as part of our mission. Investigative reports, contacts and other information can be provided should you
need them.

I thank you for the excellent work you are doing in combating impunity, the enemy of justice. Perpetrators of crimes against humanity must not be allowed to walk free. Genocide Watch will continue to do its part, collaborating with others, in pursuing additional ways to make such crimes carry a heavy penalty. One way is to work with domestic governments to make sure that those Ethiopians who have committed these crimes do not gain access to entry into western countries, something that is now supported through new legislation in many of the western countries. Additionally, in Canada, Europe and in the US, there are now laws giving authority to these governments to prosecute human rights perpetrators found within their new countries of residence should admissible evidence be found to charge them. The western countries should no longer act as a haven for such criminals.

Thank you for your consideration of this request for the initiation of an investigation of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Ethiopia. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely yours,

GHStanton

Dr. Gregory Stanton,
President of Genocide Watch

Genocide Watch is the Chair of the International Campaign to End Genocide
P.O. Box 809, Washington, D.C., USA 20044. Phone: 703-448-0222
E-mail:genocidewatch@aol.com Website: www.genocidewatch.org

* See: http://genocidewatch.org/Today%20is%20the%20Day%20of%20Killing%20Anuaks.htm ;
http://genocidewatch.org/EthiopiaAnuakOperationSunnyMountainGWSRIReport13December2004.htm
and updates at www.genocidewatch.org/alerts/anuak.htm ; and
www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cerd/docs/ngos/IHRLC.pdf .

Genocide Watch's Open Letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning crimes against humanity committed by the Ethiopian go

Genocide Watch's Open Letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning crimes against humanity committed by the Ethiopian government 23 March 2009

Ethiopia

Genocide Watch's Open Letter to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights concerning crimes against humanity committed by the Ethiopian government
23 March 2009 (click to read)

Genocide Warning

In September 2008, Genocide Watch declared a Genocide Warning regarding the war that was being waged against small ethnic minority called Burji in a town of Hagre Mariam by an ethnic Oromo group called Guji. Since then the Guji Oromo have continued to wage protracted war against Burji in various localities, especially in towns and villages surrounding the city of Soyama, which is 60 Km west of the city of Hagremariam. Over the course of the last several months there have been heavy loss of lives and damage to Guji properties including destruction of crops and farm equipment.

Photo: OromiaTimes Courtsey

In January 2009, there were reports of heavy fighting on three different fronts, namely Nadale/ Chuluse front and Gara and Tisho vicinities. News from Hagremariam stated that Guji Oromo warriers were advancing towards Soyama in great numbers. According to Genocide Watch sources, Guji/Oromo attacks on Buji began on January 22, 2009. The situation is and continues to be dire, and urgent action must be taken to avert further attacks.

Updates

1 October 2008 “Account for Missing Rendition Victims,” by Human Rights Watch

1 July 2008 “Government Prepares Assault on Civil Society,” by Human Rights Watch

17 June 2008 “Beyond the Fragile Peace Between Ethiopia and Eritrea: Averting New War,” by International Crisis Group

17 June 2008 “History Can Be Cruel for Eritrea, Ethiopia,” by Mark L. Schneider, allAfrica.com

13 June 2008 “Group Says Satellite Images Prove Rights Abuses in Ethiopia,” by Andrew C. Revkin, The New York Times

12 June 2008 “Army Commits Executions, Torture, and Rape in Ogaden,” by Human Rights Watch

7 June 2008 “Unelected Governor of Gambella, Accused of Deep Involvement inCrimes Against Humanity, has been Denied a Visa to Enter Canada,” by Anuak Justice Council

5 June 2008 “Gambellan Governor’s Visit Brings International Publicity to Genocide Despite Attempts to Evict Press,” by Anuak Justice Council

30 May 2008 “Un-elected Gambella Governor: The Choice is Yours--Exploitation or Apology?,” Anuak Justice Council

27 May 2008 “Ex-Dictator Sentenced to Death,” by Reuters

6 May 2008 “Ethiopian Troops Reportedly Commit War Crimes in Somalia,” by M. Brandon Maggiore, Impunity Watch

5 May 2008 “EPRDF Attempt to use Ethnic Isolation With “Incentives” to Silence Gambellans Fails,” by Anuak Justice Council

15 April 2008 “The Movement for New Ethiopia Begins with a Worldwide Peaceful March for Freedom and Justice on May 15, 2008!” by Anuak Justice Council

24 March 2008 “The Ogaden: a forgotten war draining a forgotten people,” by Simon Tisdall, The Guardian

17 March 2008 “ONLF, the African Fighters for Ogaden´s Liberation and Democracy,” by Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis, American Chronicle

14 January 2007 “Why Mugabe Rejects an Appeal for Extradition of Mengistu,” by Fred Bridgland

12 March 2008 “Mr. Obang Metho Addresses Law Students and Faculty at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan,” by Obang Metho, Anuak Justice Council

11 March 2008 “Centering Human Rights in U.S. Policy on Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea,” by Lynn Fredriksson, Amnesty International

11 January 2007 Speech by Obang Metho, Director of International Advocacy, for the Anuak Justice Council (AJC). Martin Luther King, Jr. 4th Annual Human Rights Symposium

1 January 2007 “Somali, Ethiopian Troops Take Islamist Stronghold,” by The Associated Press

1 January 2007 “Somali Islamic Force Flees Last Stronghold,” by Stephanie McCrummen

31 December 2006 “Somalia Says Islamists Protecting al Qaeda Suspects,” by The Associated Press

31 December 2006 “Further Combat Looms in Somalia,” by Stephanie McCrummen

30 December 2006 “Somali Prime Minister Promises Peace Soon,” by Stephanie McCrummen

29 December 2006 “Somali Prime Minister Arrives to Cheers in Mogadishu,” by The Associated Press

28 December 2006 “Somalia OKs Humanitarian Flights,” by The Associated Press

28 December 2006 “Ethiopian Troops Take Key Town In Somalia,” by Stephanie McCrummen

28 December 2006 “Mogadishu Falls to Ethiopian-Backed Government Troops,” by Reuters

28 December 2006 “Islamic Movement Troops Abandon Mogadishu,” by Craig Timberg

27 December 2006 “Somali Clan Leaders May Help Fight Islamists,” by The Associated Press

26 December 2006 “Islamic Forces Retreat in Somalia,” by The Associated Press

27 December 2006 “Ethiopians Closing In On Capital of Somalia: Islamic Militias Vow Stiff Defense As War Intensifies,” by Stephanie McCrummen

26 December 2006 “Ethiopia Steps Up Attacks on Somalia: Planes Strike Airport; Refugees Flee to Kenya,” by Stephanie McCrummen and William Branigin

25 December 2006 “Ethiopia Attacks Somalian Airports,” by Reuters

24 December 2006 “Ethiopian Jets Bomb Somalia Areas,” by Reuters

22 December 2006 “Ethiopia Warns It’s Losing Patience as Somalis Clash,” by Hassan Yare

20 December 2006 “Many in Ethiopia See Premier's Talk of War As Ploy to Tighten Grip,” by Stephanie McCrummen

19 December 2006 “Gambella, Ethiopia Update,” by Genocide Watch

14 December 2006 “Regional War May Loom in Africa: Strife Between Ethiopia, Islamic Group in Somalia Intensifies,” by Stephanie McCrummen

12 December 2006 “Ethiopian Ex-Dictator Mengistu Convicted of Genocide,” by Alexander Joe

6 December 2006 “Verdict Due Next Week in Marathon Genocide Trial of Ethiopian Ex-Dictator,” by Agence France-Press

4 August 2006 “Ethiopia Attacking Ogaden Rebels,” by BBC News

July 2006 “Massacres in Southern Ethiopia,” by Genocide Watch

1 July 2006 “Ethiopia’s Anywaa Say Regular Army, Militias Commit Massacre,” by Anywaa Survival Organisation

21 June 2006 “Ethiopian Army Steps-Up Operations Against Anuak Civilians,” by Genocide Watch

7 June 2006 “Ethiopian Government Plans Forced Repatriation of Anuak Refugees,” by Genocide Watch

26 April 2006 “Ethiopia's Human Rights Conditions Remain Harsh, says UN,” by Reuters

12 April 2006 “Ethiopian army moving against Anuak in South Sudan,” by Sudan Tribune

27 March 2006 Testimony of Mr. Obang Metho. Anuak Justice Council to the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations, Washington, D.C.

24 March 2006 “Almost Two Million Need Assistance in Drought-Stricken Region,” by UN News Service

23 March 2006 “Court Drops Charges Against Five Voice of America Journalists,” by the Committee to Protect Journalists


22 March 2006 “Ethiopia Drops Treason, Genocide Charges Against VOA Journalists, 13 Others,” by VOA News

February 2006 "Livelihoods and Vulnerabilities Study, Gambella Region of Ethiopia," by UNICEF

18 December 2005 “A Dream Defiled: The Betrayal of Ethiopia's Democracy,” by Micha Odenheimer

13 December 2005 "Anniversary of the Genocide of teh Anuak: Two Years Later and Still No Justice," by the Anuak Justice Council

14 November 2005 “Ethiopia's Capital, Once Promising, Finds Itself in Crisis,” by Marc Lacey

4 November 2005 "Armed Group Attacks Gambella Town Police Station," Anuak Justice Council Press Release

3 November 2005 “Ethiopian Protesters Killed as East African Clashes Spread,” by Marc Lacey

2 November 2005 “Ethiopia Clashes Kill 23, Special Forces in Capital,” by Reuters

4 October 2005 "Master Planner of the Anuak Genocide is the New Governor of Gambella: Omot Obang Olom Is Rewarded for His Loyalty to the EPRDF," Anuak Justice Council

13 June 2005 “Complaint of Crimes against Humanity Committed by the Ethiopian Government against the Anuak people,” by Obang Metho Letter to ICC



29 April 2005 "Ethiopia: Human Rights should be on the Election Agenda," An Amnesty International Report.


April 2005 "Ethiopia Elections," An Amnesty International Report

24 March 2005 “Minnesota Churches Rally Behind Anuak Victims in Ethiopia -- and Here,” by Doug McGill on the McGill Report


24 March 2005 "Ethiopia - Crimes Against Humanity in Gambella," a Human Rights Watch Report

26 January 2005 “Chief Government Collaborator in Anuak Massacre Nominated for Governor of Gambella State,” by Genocide Watch


29 October 2004 “Ethiopians Go to Congress to Fight Autocratic Regime,” by Donal Brown

17 December 2004 "Amnesty International Appeal: Omot Ojullu Abella, Gambella, Ethiopia," by Amnesty International


16 December 2004 “Anuak to Sue Ethiopia for Human Rights Crimes,” by Doug McGill

13 December 2004 "Operation Sunny Mountain: State Terror Against Anuak," by Genocide Watch / Survivors Rights International report

2 August 2004 “Anuak in Minnesota fear for homeland,” By Doug McGill on the McGill Report


4 July 2004 “U.S. Pledges More Food Aid,” by Reuters


1 July 2004 “NPR Story on Anuak people & Gambella, Ethiopia,” by Keith Harmon Snow


15 June 2004 “A River Washes Away Ethiopia's Tensions, for a Moment,” by Marc Lacey


20 March 2004 “Parliament Votes for Independent Probe Into Violence in Gambella,” by UN Integrated Regional Information Networks


3 March 2004 “Ethiopia to Shift a Million People from Drought-hit Areas,” by Jeevan Vasagar

28 February 2004 “Immediate Steps to Stop Massacres in Southwestern Ethiopia,” by Genocide Watch and Survivors Rights International

25 February 2004 “Today is the Day of Killing Anuaks: Crimes against Humanity, Acts of Genocide and Ongoing Atrocities Against the Anuak People of Southwestern Ethiopia,” by Genocide Watch and Survivors’ Rights International


23 February 2004 “US Government Wants Gambella Violence Investigated,” by UN Integrated Regional Information Networks


18 February 2004 “Survivor’s Rights International & Genocide Watch Call for Immediate Steps to Stop Massacres in Southwestern Ethiopia,” by Genocide Watch & Survivor’s Rights International

18 February 2004 “Call for Immediate Steps to Stop Massacres in Southwestern Ethiopia,” by Survivors Rights International and Genocide Watch


12 February 2004 “Nearly 200 Killed In Clashes,” by Reuters

28 January 2004 “How an African Genocide First Came to Light in Minnesota,” by Doug McGill in The McGill Report


23 January 2004 “The Anuak of Ethiopia,” by Genocide Watch

8 January 2004 “GENOCIDE WATCH: THE ANUAK OF ETHIOPIA,” by Genocide Watch

5 January 2004 "A Ferocious Attack Committed In Gambella Region," a Report by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council

1 January 2004 “On a Bloody Saturday, Ethiopia Chose Genocide,” by Doug McGill in The McGill Report


22 December 2003 “U.S. Anuak Refugees Fear 400 Dead in Ethiopian Massacre,” by Doug McGill in The McGill Report


16 June 2003 “U.N. Officials Draw Attention to Starvation in Ethiopia,” by Reuters

6 May 2003 “Ethiopia's Genocide of the Anuak Tribe Broadens After December 13 Massacre,” by Doug McGill

14 January 2003 “A Lost African Tribe of the Midwest,” by Douglas McGill

1 January 2003 “On Bloody Saturday, Ethiopia Chose Genocide,” by Doug McGill

31 October 2001 “Oil Development In Ethiopia: A Threat to the Anuak of Gambela,” by Nyikaw Ochalla

31 December 1988 “Anuak Displacement and Ethiopian Resettlement,” by Cultural Survival Quarterly

31 December 1987 “Resettlement and Villagization - Tools of Militarization in SW Ethiopia,” by Steingraber, Sandra

30 September 1986 “Ethiopia's Policy of Genocide Against the Anuak of Gambella,” by Sandra Steingraber

30 June 1984 “The Anuak - A Threatened Culture,” by Cultural Survival Quarterly

31 July 1981 “Anuak Decimated by Ethiopian Government,” by Cultural Survival Quarterly

Other Resources

Draft Charities and Societies Proclamation

Source

WAAMICHA YAADAANNOO GUYYAA GOOTOTAA KOREE ABO-KONYA KIBBA KALIFORNIA

WAAMICHA YAADAANNOO GUYYAA GOOTOTAA KOREE

ABO-KONYA KIBBA KALIFORNIA

Konyaan ABO-Kibba Kalifornia (Los Angeles) Ayyaana Yaadannoo Guyyaa Gootootaa Sababeeffachuu dhaan Hawaasaa Oromoo Kibba Kalifornia jiraatan maraaf waamicha godha.

Guyyaan Gootota Oromoo baatii kana keessa bakka Konyaaleen Adda Bilisumma Oromoo jiran hundatti Adduunya maratti Kabajamuuf qophiileen wal duraa duubaan beeksifamaa jiru. Konyaan ABO-Kibba Kalifornias akkasumma haawaasa Oromoo, deggertootaa fi Miseesnsota Addaa bilisummaa oromoo waliin ta'uu dhaan qophii yaaddannoo Guyyaa Goototaa kana Xumuraa jira.

Kanaaf Ummatni Oromoo hundi kan naannawa Kibba Kalifornia (Los Angeles) qubattan Ayyaana kana irratti argamuu dhaan Guyyaa Yaadannoo Jaallan kufani akka kabajjaniif Koreen Hoji Geggeessituu ABO-Konya Kibba Kalifornia waamicha Lammummaa isniif dabarsiti.

Sirna kana irratti bakka bu'ooti ABO sadarka addaa adda kan argaman yeroo ta'u Hoogganootaa olaanoo keessa kan argaman Miseensa GS-ABO fi Dubbataa Dhaaba kan ta'an J/Bayaan Asooba dha. Itti dabalees bakka bu'ooti Koree Kutaa ABO-USA sirna kana irratti argamuu dhaan sochii Konyaalee ABO-USA miseensotaa fi Deggertoota ABOf ibsu.

Guyaa: Ebla 25, 2009 (April 25, 2009)


Bakka: Rogers Park
400 W Beach Ave
Inglewood, CA 90302

Sa'aa: 6:00 Wb (6:00 Pm Pacific Time)


Saganta kana Caalatti miidhagsuu dhaf Qophiin Bashannanaa Galgala Kana qophaa'e jira. Artistooti Oromoo bebbeekamoon kan irratti argaman qophiin bashannaa kun Hawaasni Oromoo galgala kana akka waliin dabasuuf kan qophaa'e dha.Kanaaf jecha Galgala Oromoo kana haala miidhaga ta'en akka waliin dabarsitaniif Koreen Qindeesssituu kabajaan isin afeertee jirti.


Dabalata odeeffatnoo wa'ee qophii kana kannen barbaaddan bilbila asiin gadii bilbiluudhaan addeeffachuu ni dandeessu.

310-462-7523.

Injifatnoo Ummata Oromoof!

Gadaan Gadaa Bilisummaati!

Waamicha Ayyaana Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo Kutaa New Zealand

Waamicha Ayyaana Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo Kutaa New Zealand

Addi Bilisummaa Oromoo guyyaa seenaa Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo keessati bakka guddaa qabu.Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo, akka waliin yaadannee oolluuf koreen kutaa ABO NZ waamicha isiniif godha.Guyyaan kun, guyyaa yaadannoo qofa osoo hin taane,guyyaa kaayyoo ilmaan Oromoo qaqqaaliin itti wareegamani qabsoo keenya har’aan ga’an bakkaan ga’uuf guyyaa itti murteeffannu fi kakuu fi irbuu keenya haaromsinee bilisummaa ummata Oromoof walqabannee kaanu dha.kanaafu ummatni Oromoo adunyaa kanarraa jirtaan kara sararaa paltalk room OGQBO jedhuun akka irraa qoda fudhataan kabajaan waamicha Lammummaa isniif dabarsina.

Guyyaa: Ebla 14 2009 (April 14, 2009, akka sa’aa Washington Dc 5;00 pm

Qabsaa’aan Ni kufaa Qabsoon itti Fuffaa.
Injifatnoo Ummata Oromoof!!!!

Gadaan Gadaa Bilisummaati!!!

Oromo Protest Against TPLF's Prime Minister At G-20 Summit in London (Pictorial Report)

Photo by abbeydesta

Photo by abbeydesta

Photo by abbeydesta

Photo by abbeydesta

The Oromo and the Ogaden protested during the G20 summit in London against the attendance of Ethiopian Genocide Minister Meles Zenawi on Thursday, 2 April 2009. They demanded the G-20 countries to stop financing the brutal dictatorship in Ethiopia. The Oromo and the Ogaden peaceful protesters got large media coverage by all Western media outlets such as the BBC, CNN, ABC, CBC and many other European and Arab medias. (Watch the Video) (News: MOA)

by willbremridge

Mass graves found in ex-Ethiopian bases

Mon, 06 Apr 2009

Somalis have discovered the remains of dead bodies from former Ethiopian army bases and at a soccer stadium in the Somali capital, Mogadishu.

At least 7 mass graves were exhumed on Monday at the vacated Mogadishu soccer stadium. The remains were allegedly of individuals who had gone missing a year ago and apparently later shot by Ethiopian troops during their occupation of Somalia, a Press TV correspondent reported.

Meanwhile, Somali men recovered dead bodies from 4 others graves in the Tawfiq district of northern Mogadishu. Witnesses said the graves contained between 20 and 31 corpses.

In another disclosure, local residents dug up dead bodies from 9 graves at former Ethiopian army bases in Mogadishu's northern Gupta and Yaaqshid districts.

Conflicts in Somalia intensified and unlawful killings of civilians increased after Ethiopian troops entered Somalia at the end of 2006 to help the 'Transitional Federal Government' fight armed opposition groups, some of whom issued from the Union of Islamic Courts, which was controlling the capital Mogadishu and other parts of the country in 2006.

Ethiopian troops withdrew at the end of 2008 and Abdullah Yusuf resigned as President of the TFG, and was replaced by Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, then leader of the opposition Alliance for the Re-Liberation of Somalia- Djibouti (ARS-Djibouti).

MP/MMA

Oromo Journalist Nuhamiin Biqila Yadataa exiled to UK

Nuhamiin Biqila Yadataa exiled to UK

Nuhamiin Biqila Yadataa Known VOA journalist exiled to UK after suffering under Ethiopian security forces. Nuhamiin Biqilaa was targeted by Ethiopia Government because of her fact based report which was exposing the dictator government human rights abuses. She had saved so many innocent peoples life in Ethiopia by her active journalist investigations and fast reporting for world community. In return we believe she got today the world community and all countries support.

First I got an opportunity to work with the Ethiopian Television in1999 after working as a reporter for five years; I was fired for starting class in my free time with out getting permission from ETV officials. I had an ambition to upgrade my diploma level education.

The ETV officials can send their workers depending on race and member of the ruling political parties for further education including abroad. But I’m not the member of the ruling party but I’m an Oromo tribe which is in fight for its freedom for more than 35 years!

After three months become jobless, I joined the VOA (voice of America Radio) as a freelance correspondent for Afaan Oromo and Amharic service in October 2005. I got

the chance to join VOA when the East and Horn of Africa director of VOA Mr. Timothy Spence come to Ethiopia, and speak with other journalists to hire more journalists for VOA. And other journalists give my name to Mr. Timothy and he asked me to send my CV, and after looking at my work experience, he interviewed me and ask me to prepare reports on three different issues (political, social and Economical situations of the country) and after that they call me from America and told me how to call the studio peoples and after I do that they gave me Voice exam and finally they assure me that I passed the Exam successfully!

VOA created an opportunity to satisfy my passion.

I had opportunities to cover various human right abuses and conflicts. Among others is the 2005 Post Election when more than 192 protesters were shot dead by the government army in Addis Ababa , and other hundreds in Oromia regional state including member of parliament. Moreover I have reported Oromo –Somali conflict which is created by TPLF when more than 300 people were murdered by the government –supported Somali militants.

One way or another, the Ethiopian government was not happy with my reporting and snatched my VOA license and refused to renew it.

I became jobless again, VOA tries to intervene the ministry of information of Ethiopia but unsuccessful. They didn’t respond on it,

And I asked three times the ministry of information to renew my job license, but remained unsuccessful. And I reported my case to Amnesty international, frontline defenders, and East and Horn of Africa human right defenders Project.

East and horn of Africa Human Right defender Project and Frontline defenders granted me money when I was pregnant and after delivered a baby.

Then, on night of 21 June 2007, three armed federal police men entered to my house and at that time my younger brother who is 16 years old was living with me.

They took him to one class and locked inside. And turned back to me, I was sitting on the chair by holding my three month baby. They ordered me to live the baby on the bed and I did what they ordered me. Then they said” we will burn you including your baby if you don’t respond what we will ask you! One of them approached me and hit me until my ears changed brown! The other solder opens his bag and takes one sharp metal and can you see this object? I will put it inside you (calling my reproductive organ) now tell us the truth! And I stared crying .The third solider asked me do you know Yonatan Debisa, I replied don’t know him. The first solider said don’t cheat as we know that you are working for OLF with him. He ordered you to Shout for the Oromo, and the second continues “tell us the truth; what is your objective to wards the government? Who orders you to cover the conflict issues? We as solders didn’t try to go to the place you go in most cases the place which is occupied by the OLF groups, so by any means you are not an independent journalist, you are working for OLF. We know that they will help you after you stop job? You will give them information!”. I denied for their questions

One of them slaped me continuesly and the other show me that sharp metal! The third solider only said, “tell us the truth if you want relief!” And I started crying and I asked them, “Please leave me by the name of God! I’m not the member of any political party, I’m a journalist but I’m Oromo as I can’t choose my race by will.” and tried to hold my baby. Then the first solider said if you need we can kill your baby in front of you! And I kneiled on their feet and tried to beg them!

And they continued their question, “if you are not the member of OLF why are you shouting by opposing the government activities and you are a single woman why don’t you kept quite by respecting the rule and regulation of the government?”

And I replied I didn’t oppose the rule and regulation of my country but it is my responsibility to report on facts, as a journalist it is not you that evaluates my job. You may interfere wrong activities but can’t evaluate reporting contents, I replied and the first solider hits me by his foot on my belly. And they said “don’t speak to us like this!” And the second continued, “She is filled by OLF ideology! She dreams to see free oromiya! And they chat to each other and continued their question!

We know that you bought house from government? Where did you get that much money?” I replied “as you know I was working for VOA and during that time I paid for the cost of the house!” They said “you want to live in a government house on the other hand you are opposing its activities! What does this mean?” They said! “I’m not opposing the government but I’m opposing any human right abuses” I said. “by the way who are you to speak beyond your capacity, it is this government that gives you to speak in front of people, but you move beyond your capacity, now on wards, we would like if you shut your mouth and stops your activities with the OLF members, for now give us some dollars from that you collect from your OLF and the white peoples!”. And I replied “I have no money in my house for a time being”. they searched every document and took away and they ordered me, “by any means you have money and you will give us money”, and I gave them one 300 ET birr that I kept for my baby and family food, and they ordered me not to tell this to any body and if i do that they will be not far from me! And they will urinate in your mouth. Finally they left me and went away!

Then I left jobless, I became so desperate, and I tried to move away to Uganda but finally got a serious mental problem and joined a rehabilitation center for people with mental problem .I left the center after one year and stayed with my 68 year old mother for some time with my baby.

I applied for scholarship by the help of opposition political party called OFDM (Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement) and got a chance to come to UK. And my life is in danger I have no right to live in my country. They can kill me! I know that UK is a democratic country where freedom for human right emerged before 1000 years, so I need your support for my self and for my oppressed Oromo peoples!

Source: GPO/OPC

Bitootessa 28, 2009 Guyyaa Yaadannoo Gootota /GYG/ Canada Edmontonitti haala howwaan kabajame

(Madda Oduu ABO/MOA/Ebla 2,2009)

Edmonton Canada irraa MOA akka gabaasetti Sirna kabaajaa kanaa irratti Hogganni dhaabaa olaanaan I/G Dhimma alaa ABO MSHG GS ABO J/Tamaam Yusuuf, Qondaalotni ABO fi MABO kutaa kanaadaa, akkasumas Deggertootni ABO Hayyootni Oromoo Professor Kuwwee Kumsaa, fi Professor Mohaammad Hasan irraatti argamuun hawaasa Oromoof barnoota bal`aa kennaniiru.

Akksumas Caayaan Eelemoo Qilxuu tumsaa fi deggersa QBOf kennaa turan ammas gara fuula duraatti jabinaa fi ciminaan itti fufanii gumaata QBOf godhani QBO ABO durfamtu hanga bilisummaan fiixa baatutti cimsanii akka itti fufan irbuu isaani irra deebiyanii haaromsaniiru.

MABO fi Deggertootni ABO, hawaasni Oromoo, caayaan Elemoo Qilxuus Dinagdee guddaa qabsoo bilisumaa Oromoof gumaachaniiru.

J/Tamaam Yusuuf Guyyaa Yaadannoo Goototaa ilaalachisee kabajaa ayyana goototaa QBSO-f wareegaman kana akeekaa fi kaayyoo isaan irratti kufan bakkaan ga`uu fi gumaa isaanii baasuuf qabsoo bilisumaatti cimnee akka hojjennuu fi qabsoo finiinsuun Oromoo fi Oromiyaa gabrummaa jalaa baasuun abbaa biyyummaa keenya gonfannu waamichaa dabarsaniiru.Hawaasaa Oromoofis Ibsa bal`aa erga kennaniinduubagaaffii fideebi mana keessa ka`eef deebii ga`aa fi quubsaa kennaniiru.

Proofeeser Kuwwee Kumsaa Dhimmaa Jaarmiyaa dubartootaa irraatti barnoota bal`aa kennaniiru.Seenaa QBO keessaatti ga`ee fi qoondi shammarranii fi dubartoota Oromoo qooda olaanaa fi mul`ataa kennaa turan ibsuun gara fuula duraattis Jabinaa fi ciminaan gamtaa Hawaasa Oromoo tiksuun Tokkummaan QBOf tumsa barabachisu kennuun Misaan QBO irraa utuu hin dangeffamiin ga`ee fi qooda Oromummaa fi lammummaa keenaya akka baanuu jechuun waamicha qaboo dabarsaniiru.

Peroofeeser Mohaammade Gochaa fi shira mootummaan Wayyaanee/Dhaabni ABUT/TPLF/ dhabbile siyaasaa Kan isheen morman toftaa adda addaan diigaa turtee fi dadhabsiisuun akka isaan jabatanii dura hin dhabbanne ragaa qabatamaan ibsuun Wayyaaneen ABO diiguuf keessa fi alaan shiraa fi okkara hin yaaliin hin qabdu. Garuu itti milkaa`uu hindandeenye. ABO jabinaa fi cimina jaarmiyaa fi Miseensota isan waan kana hunda irra aanee hanga ammatti dhaabaa fi Jaarmiyaa isaa cimsee WBO ijaaruun hojii siyaasaa fi jaarmiyaa hojjetaa irraa aanee sadarkaa kana irraa ga`eera Kanaaf jabinaa fi cimina jaarmiyaa ABO gamtaa hogganootaa ABO dinqisiifatamuu qaba. yoomiyyuu taanaan Jabinaa fi cimina kanaan Jaarmiyaa keessan cimsuun Akeekaa fi kaayyoo ABO jalatti iriiruun QBO finiinsitanii saba keenya gabrummaa jalaa baasuun abba biyyaa akka taanu Dhaamsaa hayyuumma isanii dabarsaniiru.

MABO Konyaa Gadaa Bilisummaa ga`ee fi dirqama keenya ammaan dura ba`aa turre har`as ta`e boris akkuma ammaan duraa dirqama dhabni keenya nutti kennu mara haal durummaa tokko mal`ee ba`uuf qophi ta`uu keenyaa irra deebinee irbuu keenya haaromsineerra!

Guyyuma kana galgalaa wallisa Oromoo beekama afi jaallatamaan Obbo Abbabbaa Abbashuu fi Obbo Elemoo Aliis hawasa Oromoo guutu galgala bashannansiissaa bulaniiru.

*****.(*).*****

Gumaa Gootota kenya wareegamanii qabsoon ni baafna!

Akeekaa fi kaayyoo Jaallan keenya irratati kufan ni tiksina!

Galiin ga`uufis Ni qabsoofna!

Oromo Protest against Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi at the G20 Summit

Oromo Protest against Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi at the G20 Summit

(April 2, 2009) The BBC reported that demonstrators have gathered near the G20 Summit venue in London’s Docklands for a second day of protests. Among them were members of Oromo Community in the UK in support of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and against human rights violations by the regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The Oromo community in UK opposes the invitation of dictator Meles Zenawi to the G20 summit, atrocities caused by his leadership to the Oromo and other people of the Ethiopian empire.(Watch the Video). Full Report

Source

G20 Closes With $1Trillion Pledge

HENRY GOMBYA
Reports for The Black Star News From G20 In LONDON

APRIL 2----The G20 summit of leaders of industrialized and industrializing countries ended late Thursday evening here with a pledge of a $1 trillion dollars thrown in the financial markets to help ease the global economic crisis.

In a communiqué issued at the end of the summit, the leaders pledged to restore confidence and growth in global finances and also pledged to create more jobs.

In what was seen as an attempt to deal with the causes of the current global financial crisis, the G20 leaders agreed to expand the Financial Stability Forum and re-established it with a stronger institutional basis and enhanced capacity as the Financial Stability Board (FSB).

It will therefore assess the vulnerabilities affecting the financial system, identify and oversee action needed to address them. The FSB will from now on "promote co-ordination and information exchange among authorities responsible for financial stability."

"The challenge is clear," U.S. president Barack Obama, said. "The global economy is contracting. Trade is shrinking. Unemployment is rising. The international financial system is nearly frozen."

Addressing the press at the end of the summit, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the G20 had also pledged to fund and reform international financial institutions, act decisively to kick-start international trade, and build an inclusive, green and sustainable recovery.

Brown said: "We will not hesitate as long as people are losing their jobs and their homes to make the difference that we can by improving their prosperity. Today’s actions of course will not immediately solve the crisis. But we have begun the process by which they will be solved."

He added that this was not just a single collection of actions. "It is a collective action – people working together at their best," Brown said.

World leaders who have abused their country’s financial systems by robbing their central banks and banking the proceeds in private numbered Swiss accounts are in for a shock. Germany’s powerful Chancellor, Angela Merkel told journalists, "The days of secret banking are now over."

From now on, banks will be required to let the FSB look into questionable accounts held in a bank. Many dictators especially in developing countries have used the loophole of secret bank account to amass great wealth. Most of the money banked in such a way often end up being lost when those dictators are either killed or dies from natural causes without anyone knowing what they held in numbered Swiss accounts.

South African President Kgalema Motlanthe said he was happy with the outcome of the summit. He was also happy that for the first time, the G20 members invited the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) the summit, he said.

"South Africa was invited on its own merit of being an emerging economy," he said, deflecting a question as to whether he represented the entire African continent. Answering a question put to him by The Black Star News as to whether the US$ 250 billion promised by the G20 to go towards helping Africa deal with the present global financial crisis would not end up buying private planes, palaces and limousines for some of Africa’s corrupt leaders, Motlanthe said this money would not go directly to African leaders but would be used by non-government bodies that would pay for services needed by the people of Africa.

Although Meles Zenawi the Ethiopian Prime Minister and also current NEPAD chair was here, he abruptly cancelled a press conference he was about to give. His people gave no reasons for this. But insiders in the press centre said Zenawi was worried about the kind of questions that were going to be put to him concerning human rights violations within Ethiopia and his dealing with his opponents and Ethiopia’s neighbours.(*)

In terms of who benefitted and who lost through the outcome of this summit, it is clear that while the West was seen as trying its best to clean up its house after the global financial crisis that has claimed many jobs and foreclosures.

The $1 trillion poured into the Western world’s global finances is likely to go a long way in helping stem the crisis. The African continent really wasn’t heard; Motlanthe said he didn’t speak for the continent and Prime Minister Zenawi cowered in the shadows. On the other hand, Germany’s Merkel found time for journalists and spent a good hour explaining why she was here and what they had achieved.

Indeed, it was rather absurd that no representative of the African continent was at hand to put their case to the world media at such a major global setting.

At a press conference at the end of the summit, President Obama added that while the United States was his priority, every one of the world leaders ought to do what it takes to bring to an end the current global financial crisis.

For the British Prime Minister the summit could not have come at a better time. His ratings in polls have of late been falling badly due to accusations that as one who presided over Britain’s economy for a decade during Tony Blair’s premiership, he should have seen this meltdown coming.

Source: The Black Star News

(*) Coloured by OromiaTimes