Saturday, August 30, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
ETHIOPIA: Relentless government violence on Oromo students and nationals continues, says human rights organization
The following is a press release from the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA).————————-
August 27, 2014
While fresh arrests and detentions, kidnappings and disappearances of Oromo nationals have continued in different parts of the regional state of Oromia following the April-May crackdown of peaceful demonstrators, court rulings over the cases of some of the earlier detainees by courts of the regional state are being rejected by political agents of the governing TPLF/EPRDF Party. The renewed violence by government forces against Oromo nationals started particularly following what was termed as “Lenjii Siyaasaa” (literally meaning “political training”) that has targeted Oromo Students of higher educational institutions and has been going on in the past two weeks in different parts of Oromia.
Although the agendum for the “Political Training” was said to be “the unity of the country,” it instead has become an opportunity of carrying out further screenings and arrests of students, as around 100 more students have so far been arrested from Ambo University campuses alone and sent to a remote, isolated military camp called Sanqalle, leaving families and friends in fear in regards to the safety and well-being of the students in particular, not to mention the disruption of their studies. The arrests were made following the students’ protest of their confinement into the campuses during this so call “Political Trianing,” and the demand that the killers of their fellow students be brought to justice prior to discussing “unity.” Also, five students of Wallaga University, from among those who were gathered for the same purpose of “Political Training,” were kidnapped on the 22nd of August 2014, and taken away in a vehicle with plate number 4866 ET; and their whereabouts are not known since then. HRLHA correspondents have also traced another fresh arrests and detentions of around 100 Oromo nationals in a small town called Elemo, Doranni District in the Illu Abba Borra Zone. It took place on the 14th of August 2014; and Waqtole Garbe, Sisay Amana, Tiiqii Supha, Ittana Daggafa, Badiru Basha, Kamal Zaalii, Rashiid Abdu, Zetuna Waaqoo, Daggafa Tolee, Adam Ligdii, Indush Mangistu, Dibbeessa Libaan, and Ofete Jifar were a few among those detainees in Elemo Prison.
More worrisome and frustrating is agents of the federal government’s interference with regional and local judicial systems. More than one hundred students and other Oromo nationals, from among the thousands who were detained following the April-May nationwide protest, have been granted bails in local courts of the regional government of Oromia. These include 64 detainees in Dembi Dollo/Qellem, 10 in Ambo, 40 in Sibu-Sire and Digga District. But, all the court decisions were overruled by political officials representing the federal government. The Dembi Dollo/Qellem detainees in particular were granted bails four times, only to be turned down by political officials all the four rounds. On the other hand, there have been some cases in which prison terms ranging from six months to a year-and-half were imposed on the Oromo detainees, not in courts, but by those representatives of the federal government. Also, some independent lawyers complain that they were threatened by officials from the ruling party; and, as a result, refraining from representing the Oromo detainees. Usual as it has been in the past fifteen or so years, this case of interfering with and disobeying court rulings indicates that the case of these most recent Oromo detainees is purely political.
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) calls upon the Ethiopian Government to refrain from harassing and intimidating students through such extra-judicial means as killings, arrests and detentions, and denials of justice after detention; and instead, facilitate conducive teaching-learning environments. HRLHA also calls upon the Ethiopian Government to unconditionally release the detained Oromo students and other nationals; and, as requested by their fellow students, bring to justice the killers of innocent and peaceful protestors during the April-May crackdown.
BACKGROUNDS:
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) has reported (May 1st and 13th, 2014, urgent actions, HumanRightsLeague.com) on the heavy-handed crackdown of the Ethiopian Federal Government’s Agazi Special Squad and the resultant extra-judicial killings of 34 (thirty-four) Oromo nationals; and the arrests and detentions of hundreds of others.
Although the brutalities of the armed squad and the resultant fatalities happened to be very high in Ambo Town, the peaceful protests by Oromo students of different universities and faculties have been taking place in April and May in various towns and cities of Oromia, including Diredawa and Adama in eastern Oromia, as well as Jimma, Mettu, Naqamte, Gimbi, and Dambidollo in western Oromia.
The Oromo students of universities and colleges in different parts of the regional state of Oromia took to the streets for peaceful demonstrations in protest to the decision passed by the Federal EPRDF/TPLF-led Government to expand the city of Finfinnee/Addis Ababa by uprooting and displacing hundreds of thousands of Oromos from all sorts of livelihoods, and annexing about 36 surrounding towns of Oromia, the ultimate goal of which is claimed to be redrawing the map of the Oromia Region. The federal annexation plan, which was termed as “The Integrated Development Master Plan,” is said to be covering the towns of Dukem, Gelan, Legetafo, Sendafa, Sululta, Burayu, Holeta, Sebeta, and others, stretching the boundary of Finfinne/Addis Ababa to about 1.1-million hectares – an area of 20 times its current size.
- HumanRightsLeague.com
ETHIOPIA: Arrests and Detentions of Oromo Students Continued
HRLHA – Press Release
August 27, 2014
While fresh arrests and detentions, kidnappings and disappearances of
Oromo nationals have continued in different parts of the regional state
of Oromo following the April-May crackdown of peaceful demonstrators, court rulings
over the cases of some of the earlier detainees by courts of the
regional state are being rejected by political agents of the governing
TPLF/EPRDF Party. The renewed violence by government forces against
Oromo nationals started particularly following what was termed as
“Lenjii Siyaasaa” (literally meaning “political training) that has
targeted Oromo Students of higher educational institutions and has been
going on in the past two weeks in different parts of Oromia.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Breaking News:- AMBO Waraanni Agaazii Barattoota Oromoo 53 Irratti Miidhaa Guddaa Geessisuun Isaa Daran FDG Jabeesse
Gabaasa Qeerroo Amboo Hagayya 25,2014 Goototni
barattootni Oromoo Yuuniversiitii Amboo karaa nagaa mirgaa fi kan
dimokraasiikaasuun gaaffii mirga abbaa biyyummaa sababa gaafataniif
jecha mootummaan faashistii Wayyaanee(Itiyoophiyaa) Waraanaa
Agazii Wayyaaneetiin ukkanfamani barattoota 230 mana hidhaa Wayyaanee
galma mootummaa magaalaa Amboo keessatti argamutti hidhaman.
Sabboontootni barattootni Oromoo fedhii isaanii malee waraanaa
Wayyaaneetiin dirqamanii akka walga’ii afaan faajjii mootummaa Wayyaanee
ta’aan kan ta’ee kana irraatti barattootni Oromoo uummatni keenya
Oromoon utuu jumlaan hidhamuu, qee’eef qabeenyaa irraa buqqifamuu ,
Ajjeefamuu, gara dabarfamuu, barnoota irraa Arii’amuu waraanaan
doorsifamnee walga’ii Wayyaanee taa’uun hirmii nyaachuudha jechuun FDG
guyyaa hanga guyyaa har’atti utuu wal irraa hin kutiin mormii guddaan
sirna mootummaa Wayyaanee jala dhaabbachaa jiru.
Sabboontoti barattooti Oromoo 230 hidhaman keessaa waraana Wayyaaneen
gara malee reebamuu fi miidhaan guddaa irra gahee hidhaa keessatti
dararamaa jira keessaa gadiiti:-
Waliin Waliif – Together for Each Other
Background
Since 1991 the TPLF have predominantly controlled government power in
the country resulting in over 40,000 Oromo’s being unjustly detained and
their lives destroyed. Retired Oromo elders, mothers, teenagers and
children with their families are among the thousands of innocent Oromo
civilians unlawfully imprisoned for long periods,
with many losing their lives in prison as the result of a lack of
adequate treatment and torture. Other Oromo civilians, counted in
thousands, including farmers,
business people, teachers, students and professionals have had their
properties confiscated, lost their jobs and risked uncertain life in
their homeland. On top of all these atrocious situations, the systematic
complication of due legal process- such as high lawyer costs, prevent
the Oromo detainees from accessing lawyers and bringing their case to
hearing in the court system. Thousands of Oromo released from years of
prison have fled to different countries and suffer in various refugee
camps. By taking all these factors into account, and to support these
victims as much as possible this “Waliin-Waliif” – literally ‘ Together for Each Other’ project has been established.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Breaking News : Hagayyaa 20/2014 FDG Marsaa 2ffaan Godina Lixa Shawaa Yuunibarsiitii Amboo Keessatti Goototata dargaggoota Oromoon Qabsiifame
Hagayya 21, 2014 (Qeerroo) — Goototni barattootni Oromoo Lixa Shawaa
Yuunibarsiitoota biyyatti garaagaraa irraa baracha turanii boqonnaaf
maatii isaani bira utuu jiranii Wayyaaneen maqaa walgaii farra uummata
Oromoo ta’ee fi farra qabsoo bilisummaa Oromoo ta’een gaggeessuuf akkuma
Yuunibarsiitii Ambootti walitti qabdeen guyyaa haraa saaatii 10:30
irratti akkuma wayyaaneen walitti qabdee Orientation kennuufii eegalteen
goototni batattootni Oromoo gaaffii irratti roobsuun Iyyaannoo isaanii
kan qabxii 10 of irraa qabu itti kennachuun gaaffii keenyaaf deebiin
hanga nuuf kennamutti walgaii wayyaanee waliin hin teenyu, wayyaaneen
diina keenya, hirimii keenya kaleessa daaima umrii waggaa 7 hanga
manguddoo waggaa 80tti ajjeesa turtan dhiignii ilmaan Oromoo lafa hin
qoorree akkamitti walgaii biyyooleessa qopheessuun walitti nu qabuu
dandeessan, waraannii haga kana baayatu magaalaa Amboo fi Unibarsiitii
Amboo keessa qubsiifamee jiru kun maal nurraa eega.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Melbournians Hold a Concert for Oromo Human Rights
(Advocacy for Oromia, 12 August 2014) — The Human Rights
Concert for Oromia was held in Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, on August 9, 2014.
Concert for Oromia was held in Ascot Vale, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, on August 9, 2014.
Bonsen Dhabasa, 10 years old boy who was six months old when his father was arrested; five years old when his mother was imprisoned presented his memoir of persecution account on this Human Rights for Oromia concert in Melbourne.
was imprisoned presented his memoir of persecution account on this
This is our Human Rights Concert. The people coming together as one and uniting against a common enemy! Corrupt power. We are the voice
of the people! This is dedicated to those suffering under suppression
and Human Rights Abuses. The people on the ground who are treated like
collateral damage by those who have vested interests and no concern for
human values or human rights!
of the people! This is dedicated to those suffering under suppression
and Human Rights Abuses. The people on the ground who are treated like
collateral damage by those who have vested interests and no concern for
human values or human rights!
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