Submission from the HRLHA 26th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (10 – 27 June 2014)

May 27, 2014
Submission from the HRLHA 26th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (10 – 27 June 2014)

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Item 3:Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development

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(Country- Ethiopia)
HRLHA is a non-political organization which attempts to challenge human rights abuses suffered by the peoples of various nations and nationalities in the Horn of Africa. HRLHA is aimed at defending fundamental human rights including freedoms of thought, expression, movement and organization. It is also aimed at raising the awareness of individuals about their own basic human rights and that of others. It focuses on the observances as well as the due processes of law. It promotes the growth and development of free and vigorous civil societies.
Executive Summary
This report covers mainly the gross human right violations in Ethiopia that have happened in the past twenty- three years in general, and the current human rights crisis in the Regional State of Oromia in Ethiopia in particular.
The EPRDF/TPLF Government has committed gross human rights violations against the people of Ethiopia since it came to power in 1991 after toppling the dictatorial Dergue regime,   contrary to the constitution of Ethiopia (1995) and international human rights treaties it has signed and rectified. It has continued to suppress the freedom expression, political and civil rights and, as a result, has sent dozen of journalists, bloggers, and hundreds of leaders and members of opposition political parties to jail. In violations of the right to protest and demonstrations, peaceful demonstrators have been shot at and killed, kidnapped and disappeared; hundreds have been arrested in mass and detained. A good case in point is the most recent very violent attack against unarmed and peaceful protestors of Oromo students of universities, colleges, and high schools in the regional state of Oromia.
Methodology
The information in this report is mainly based on HRLHA’s reports on human rights violations in Ethiopia as well as reports from other sources such as various international human rights organizations and civil society groups, and the US State Department annual country report of 2013.
Violations of Fundamental Rights
The current EPRDF government claims that the basic and fundamental rights of the citizens are respected in Ethiopia, and that the country is heading towards democracy. However, on the contrary, the basic  and fundamental rights  of citizens   enshrined in  the Ethiopian Constitution of 1995, under Chapter three  (fundamental rights and freedoms,  articles 13-28 and democratic rights ,articles 29-44)^[1]  which  guarantees civil liberty  and  life in peace and harmony has been extremely violated.  In the above articles are included individuals and common rights, such as equality before the law, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, freedom to practice religion. All are highlighted on paper only for the political consumption. In other words they are used as a cover-up for the gross violations of human rights..
Democratic Rights
After the first global expression of rights, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which all human beings are inherently entitled, has been adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The international, regional  and national  documents were created to enforce  the promotion of the rights enshrined in the declaration.  Peaceful assembly (Article 20(1)) in the UDHR, while often characterized by marches, rallies and mass demonstration, which obviously involves the presence of a number of individuals in the public places, has been echoed in international law, regional standards, and national constitutions throughout the world.
It becomes customary that in different parts of the world people are expressing their grievances/ dissatisfactions and complaints against their governments by peaceful demonstrations and assemblies.  When such nonviolent and peaceful civil rallies are taking, place it should always be the state’s responsibility to respect and guard their citizens’ freedom of peaceful assembly and demonstration. These responsibilities also should apply even during times of political protest, when a state’s power is questioned, challenged, or perhaps undermined by assemblies of citizens practicing in nonviolent resistance.
The 1995 Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, articles 29 and 30 also grant these democratic rights to the Ethiopian citizens without distinction[2].  The Right of Thought, Opinion and Expression, The Right of Assembly, Demonstration and Petition are the rights of Ethiopian citizens through which they can express their opinions and dissatisfactions with the performances and activities of their government
However, in the past two decades the current Ethiopian government proved that peaceful assemblies and demonstrations, expression of thoughts are not tolerated. Since the current government came to power in 1991, thousands of citizens who held political agenda different from the ruling party’s were systematically jailed, abducted or killed. Those who criticized the government of Ethiopia including journalists, bloggers, universities and high school students and teachers who took to streets to demand their rights peacefully were beaten, arrested and detained or killed. The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa has been reporting in different ways on the systematic human rights violations by the Ethiopian government and its security agents against peaceful demonstrators. These include the recent case of Oromo students from different universities and colleges. The Oromo students were discriminately targeted particularly in the past six years[3].  The current political crises in Oromia regional state of Ethiopia is the continuation of the above facts.  Peaceful protests against the so called the Master plan of  Addis Ababa, which is likely to cause the estimated eviction of around 6 million Oromo  peasants around the area and planed to be sold to the wealthy non-Oromos, should not be considered as  a criminal activity. Instead it should be tolerated and be considered as one of the ways that the citizens can express their thoughts and concerns on the development plan of the government in which they were not consulted and did not give their consent.
The Addis Ababa Expansion-related protests quickly spread around universities, colleges and high schools all over Oromia. And in response, contrary to the provisions in the constitution of the land and international basic and fundamental rights of the citizens, the Ethiopian government launched a brutal crackdown against peacefully demonstrating Oromo students in order to freeze the peaceful demand of the protestors. As a result of this brutal crackdown by special squads, more than 36 students were killed, hundreds wounded and thousands of others arrested and thrown into detentions. The protest against the expansion of Addis Ababa was not limited to students only, but also involved city dwellers, farmers and workers in Oromia. The most affected area was the Ambo Town and its surroundings where 16 University and high school students were killed, including the eight (8) year old boy.
The Ethiopian Government’s atrocities that targeted  the Oromo nation during the nationwide protest from April 24 to May 24, 2014 have been condemned by worldwide human rights organizations, public media, and other civic organizations..
The Human Rights Watch[4], Amnesty International[5], Oromia Suport Group[6], Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa[7], The guardian[8], BBC[9] , CNN[10] and  The Create Trust[11]   are among the organizations which  condemn and reported  the crime against humanity taken against the Oromo nation by Ethiopian armed force.
The Ethiopian Government has repeatedly implemented various excessive forces to dissolve peaceful protests in violations of international treaties it has signed and ratified. The responses to legal, constitutional and peaceful protests should not include actions that violate human rights, such as arbitrary arrests and detentions, even guns or other violence.  HRLH believes many atrocities, that were not reported on due to the tight controls, restrictions, and censorships on all local and international media, are taking place. The Ethiopian Government does not have any justification for the illegality of the protests for taking such brutal action against peaceful and unarmed students and other protestors.   An illegal protest may happen if the protest becomes violent or is in violation of the state’s laws of public order and civility.
Even if some peaceful protests include deliberate acts of civil disobedience, in which case it is permissible for states to make individual arrests of law offenders. However, as recognized by an HRC panel discussion on the matter (A/HRC 19/40)[12], the increasing use of criminal law against protest participants may ultimately contradict the states’ responsibility to uphold the right to peaceful assembly.  In this situation the Ethiopian Government clearly violated the right to legal peaceful protest.
Recommendation:

1. The Ethiopian Government first of all must respect and implement the rights of citizens enshrined in the constitution of the country (1995) and enforce the Ethiopian penal code of 2004
2. Ethiopia must avoid an excessive force in response to Oromo protests
3. The Ethiopian Government must abide by all international human rights instruments to which the country is a signatory
4. The Ethiopian Government must allow a fully independent, civilian-led investigation into the death of Oromo students and civilians including gross human rights violation in Oromia.

Oduu Tarkaanfii WBO Kibbaa

                          

(Madda Oduu ABO/MOA/ Caamsaa 26, 2014) Gumaan barattoota Oromoo fi sabboontota Oromoo FDG fi Falmaa Mirga Abbaa Biyyummaa irratti humnoota faashistii wayyaaneen ajjeefamanii fi qaamaa hir’atanii lafatti hin hafu, ni baafama jechuun Tarkaanfii Haleellaa kan jalqabe Gootichi WBO Godina Kibbaa, dhaadannoo isaa itti fufuun Caamsaa 25, 2014 guyyaa kaleessaa mooraalee poolisoota wayyaanee ummata hiraarsan irratti tarkaanfii fudhatuun hidhattoota diinaa 18 ol hojiin ala gochuu Ajaji WBO Godina Kibbaa beeksise.
Abdii fi Gaachanni ummata Oromoo WBOn Godina Kibbaa Caamsaa 25, 2014 guyyaa kaleessaa halkan keessaa sa’aa 2:00 irratti magaalaa Mooyyalee ganda 02 keessatti kan argamu qubsuma poolisoota Federaalaa sirna wayyaanee irratti tarkaanfii boonsaa fudhateen kasaaraa guddaa diina irraan gahuu Ajaji WBO Godina Kibbaa beeksiseera.
Waraanni Bilisummaa Oromoo Godina Kibbaa tarkaanfii isaa itti fufuun guyyuma kaleessaa jechuun Caamsaa 25,2014 halkan keessaa sa’aa 2:00 irratti Ona Mi’oo magaalaa Iddii Lolaa keessatti kan argamu maadhee poolisoota Oromiyaa irratti tarkaanfii haleellaa geggeesseen kasaaraa du’uu fi madaa’uu diina irraan gahuu Ajaji WBO Godina Kibbaa hubachiiseera.
Walumaa galatti WBOn Godina Kibbaa tarkaanfilee bakkoota lamaanitti buufataalee poolisoota sirna wayyaanee irratti guyyaa kaleessaa fudhateen hidhattoota/poolisoota sirna wayyaanee 18 ol du’aa fi madoo gochuu fi meeshaalee adda addaa diina irraa buufachuu isaa Ajaji WBO Godina Kibbaa oduu tarkaanfii waraanaa SBOf ergeen beeksisee jira.
Mootummaan wayyaanee poolisoota/hidhattoota isaa tarkaanfii WBOn du’anii fi madaa’an ija ummataa jalaa dhoksuuf osoo hin bari’in halkanuma sana kan kaase oggaa ta’u, kanneen madaa’an waldhaansaaf gara Finfinneetti akka dabarses beekuun danda’ameera.
Poolisootni/hidhattootni Wayyaanee tarkaanfiin irratti fudhatame kun ummataa fi barattootaan FDG qabsiisuuf deemtu jechuun sochii isaanii kan hordofan, kara deemaa cufa mirga sarbuun kan hiraarsan akka ta’an, kana malees maqaa deggertoota ABO ti; WBO isintu nu rukuchiisa jedhuun lammiilee nagaa kan hiraarsan akka ta’an oduun SBO dhaqqabe ifa gochuun, ummatni tarkaanfii fudhatame kanatti haalaan gammaduun, WBO galateeffatee eebbisuu hubachiisa.
Barattootaa fi ummata meesha maleeyyii karaa nagaan ba’anii mirga gaafatan irratti rasaasa roobsuun gocha duguuggii sanyii ummata Oromoo irratti kan raawwate wayyaanee fi ergamtootni isaa martuu gatii kan kaffalan ta’uu WBO Godina Kibbaa dhaadatee, tarkaanfiin bifa fedheetuu bakkaa fi yeroo barbaachise keessatti fudhatamuun kan itti fufu ta’uu diinaafis firaafis ifa godheera.
Dhuma irratti WBOn Godina Kibbaa, ummatni keenya, barattootni/dargaggootni/Qeerroon Oromiyaa tarkaanfii gara jabinaa diinni fudhatuun osoo hin rifanne, olola afanfajjessaa fi kan sochii jalqabame irraa duuba deebisuu irratti akeekkate diinni oofuuf osoo bakka hin laatne, falmaa jalqaban cimsanii fi babal’isanii akka itti fufan jechuun yaamicha dabarsee jira.
may 28,2014 gadaa.com

Ambo Protests: A Personal Account

By Jennifer Prestholdt, Human rights lawyer, Wife and Mother of three.
May 26, 2014 | The Advocates Post

Jennifer Prestholdt.

Please read and share this eyewitness account! The government has control over media and telecommunications in Ethiopia and has been largely successful so far in keeping the story of the student protests quiet. Two brave Peace Corps volunteers who were stationed for 1 1/2 years in Ambo but left this week because of the violence have asked for our help in spreading the truth about what is happening.
This account of events in the Oromia town of Ambo–events which began exactly one month ago, on April 25–was originally posted on the blog Jen & Josh in Ethiopia: A Chronicle of Our Peace Corps Experience.
Disclaimer:  We are no longer Peace Corps Volunteers, and the following is a personal story, not a news report, and does not reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, the Ethiopian Government, or the people of Ambo.

Large truck overturned during the protests

Friday, April 25th, the protests began in Ambo. We heard the sounds of a big crowd gathering at the university, walking east, yelling and chanting. The single paved road in town was barricaded, and traffic was diverted around the outskirts of town.
“What is going on?” we asked a group of high school boys.
“Oh, the students are angry. They have some problem,” they responded.
We called some friends at the university, who were able to explain further. Apparently, there are expansion plans for Addis Ababa, which would displace poor Oromo farmers and considerably shrink the size of the Oromia region. Justifiably, many Oromo people were upset. The Ethiopian Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of speech, press, and assembly, so demonstrations started across Oromia, mainly in towns with universities. Some of the protests turned violent.

Barricade on main road in Ambo

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday were quiet, somewhat normal days in the town of Ambo. However, in other parts of Ethiopia, journalists and bloggers were arrested and thrown in jail.
Tuesday morning, the protests resumed. Friends in town called us to warn us not to go into work and not to leave our compound. Apparently there were protests at the preparatory school and the federal police were in town. We stayed home all day, listening to the sounds of the protests, denying to ourselves that the ‘pop, pop, pop’ we heard in the afternoon was gunfire. That night, the government-run news station reported that there was a misunderstanding between Oromo university students and the government. Other online reports said that the protestors were defending the Oromo’s right to their land.
Wednesday morning, the protests resumed, and our friends emphasized NOT to leave the house and NOT to answer our front gate. This time, we heard sirens. Ambo only has one ambulance – no police cars or fire trucks – and it wasn’t the normal noise. Again, we heard the ‘pop, pop, pop,’ every few minutes. We poked our heads out of the compound gate and talked to our neighbor, who confirmed that they were, in fact, gun shots. Neighbors said the federal police had already shot and killed demonstrators who were participating in the protest. As we were finishing our conversation, a group of at least 30 adults ran past, glancing nervously behind themselves as they ran.

Main road in Ambo, cars & buildings being burned

“Maalif fiigtu? (Why are you running?)” I shouted.
“Poliisii as dhufu! (The police are coming here!)” a man responded, ducking behind a corner.
An hour later, we headed to the nearest store to stock up on phone cards so we could put minutes on our cell phones and data on our internet device. The storekeeper is a tough older lady who doesn’t tolerate any nonsense.
“Maal taate? (What happened?)” we asked.
She paused, looking down at her hands, her eyes welling with tears.
“Hara’aa….sirrii miti, (Today…..is not right)” she said, fighting back tears.
Ironically, as we sat at home, listening to gunshots all day long, John Kerry was visiting Ethiopia, a mere 2 hours away in Addis Ababa, to encourage democratic development.
Around 3pm, while the sounds of the protests were far on the east side of town, we heard gunshots so close to our house that we both ducked reflexively. An hour later, we talked to a young man who said, numbly, “I carried their bodies from their compound to the clinic.” Our two young neighbors – university students – had been hunted down by the federal police and killed in their home while the protest was on the opposite side of town.

One of several vehicles burned during the protests

Other friends told us other violent stories of what was going on in town, including an incident at a bank. Apparently, students attempted to enter the bank, and one was shot by the police. Not being armed with weapons, protesters retaliated against the shooter by hanging him.
Another friend told us about 2 students who were shot and killed by the federal police in front of a primary school…again, far away from the protest.

Our favorite restaurant/gym, damaged

Wednesday night, we slept fitfully, listening to the sounds of the federal police coming around our neighborhood. They were yelling over a bullhorn in Amharic, which we didn’t understand, but was later translated for us: “Stay inside your compound tonight and tomorrow.”
Thursday, the bus station was closed and there weren’t any cars on the roads. That morning, a Peace Corps driver finally came to get us, looking terrified as he pulled up quickly to our house. We had to stop at the police station to get permission to leave town. While waiting at the station, we saw at least 50 people brought into the station at gunpoint, some from the backs of military trucks and many from a bus. Inside the police compound, there were hundreds of demonstrators overflowing the capacity of the prison, many of them visibly beaten and injured. After the U.S. Embassy requested our release, we headed out of town. The entire east side of town, starting from the bus station, was damaged. A bank, hotel, café, and many cars were damaged or burned. Our driver swerved to avoid the charred remains of vehicles sitting in the middle of the street.
We couldn’t help but shed tears at the sight of our beloved, damaged town.
To read more from the authors, visit their blog, Jen & Josh in Ethiopia: A Chronicle of Our Peace Corps Experience.
More posts about the crisis in Ethiopia:
Oromo Diaspora Mobilizes to Shine Spotlight on Student Protests in Ethiopia
Ethiopian Government Faces Grilling at UN
“Little Oromia” Unites to Advocate for Justice and Human Rights in Ethiopia
Diaspora Speaks for Deliberately Silenced Oromos; Ethiopian Government Responds to UN Review

Source: The Advocates Post

Why the Oromo Will Stop the AAMP by any Means, at any Cost The Struggle over Finfinnee is the Struggle for Oromia

May 25, 2014
Part One
By Mekuria Bulcha
The so-called Addis Ababa Master Plan (AAMP[1]) has ignited an Oromia-wide protest involving university and high school students. The TPLF-led Ethiopian regime has responded to the peaceful protests staged by Oromo students against the plan with tanks and live ammunition, killing dozens in the crowds. The protest, which started on April 24, 2014 at Jimma University, is joined not only by tens of thousands of the students of all the universities in Oromia but also tens of thousands of high school students and members of the local population in many cities, towns and villages. The voice of this massive Oromo rally against the AAMP cannot be silenced by bullets and tanks as in the past. It concerns not only the cause of the Oromo farmers in Central Oromia, whose livelihoods will be affected by the AAMP, but also that of all the Oromo farmers and pastoralists throughout Oromia whose farms and pasturelands have already been sold and are targeted to be sold to land grabbers by the present Ethiopian regime. In short, it concerns the survival of the Oromo as a nation.
 It is important to note that the conflict over the AAMP is an extension of the conflict which was ignited by the 2003 decision of the TPLF regime to evict Oromo institutions from Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) city and relocate them to Adama, a town about 100km to the southeast.Then the Oromo attempted to stop the eviction with peaceful protest but were met with atrocities by the TPLF regime. Leaders of the Maccaa Tuulama Association (MTA) and university students who organized that protest were arrested and jailed. The property of the MTA, a self-help organization which was established in 1963, was confiscated outright by the government. More than 300 students were expelled from the Addis Ababa University alone. Regrettably the struggle over Finfinnee which started 11 years ago is not over. The impunity of the TPLF regime, as reflected in the killings of many students who opposed the so-called Addis Ababa Master Plan, has continued.
In this article, I will attempt to explain why the present regime is consistently refusing to pay attention to Oromo grievances, such as the present student protest, even when expressed through peaceful means in keeping with the current constitution. I will also point out why the opposition started by the students of Jimma University on April 24 against the AAMP has turned into an Oromia-wide movement within a very short time. I will discuss how the uprising will reinvigorate the Oromo struggle for independence. In a speech he made at a demonstration staged to oppose the removal of Oromia’s capital from Finfinnee in 2003, the late Secretary General of the Maccaa Tuulamaa Association, Obbo Bekele Nadhi said that
The decision that Finfinnee [the Oromo name for Addis Ababa] is no more the Oromo capital is wrong. Oromo claim over Finfinnee is historical and legal. Therefore, we demand that the decision be revoked. Until the decision is revoked we will continue with our protest. If our protests will not change the situation, we will continue with the next phase of our struggle (Gadaa.com. April, 2014; translated from Afaan Oromoo by the author)

The TPLF regime was forced to halt the eviction of Oromo institutions from the city in 2005 under pressure from both Oromo and non-Oromo opposition. That did not mean that Finfinnee was made to serve the Oromo people. In reality, the regime did not withdraw its decision, and the struggle over Finfinnee was not concluded. For unknown reasons, the Oromia Regional State did not build Oromo institutions in the city during the last two decades. Finfinnee (Addis Ababa), which is constitutionally the capital city of Oromia, is without a single public school that uses the Oromo language as a medium of instruction or a single newspaper which is printed in Afaan Oromoo. All of the newspapers which were started in the early 1990s were banned and their journalists were in jail or in exile by the end of the decade. To paraphrase what the young Oromo artist Jaafar Yuusuf has expressed with poetic eloquence and for which he was detained and tortured, Finfinnee is the capital city of Oromia and of over 35 million Oromos only in name. Thus, despite their historical and “special constitutional interests,” the Oromo who number between half a million and eight hundred thousand (or 20% of 4 million inhabitants of the city, UN Habitat, 2007) are marginalized and denied the use of their language. Finfinnee remains an Oromo city under a foreign occupation.

Ethiopia: Worrisome Situations in Detention Centres

HRLHA – Urgent Action

May 24, 2014
For Immediate Release
While kidnappings and/or extra-judicial arrests and detentions have continued particularly around academic institutions in different parts of the regional state of Oromia in Ethiopia, disturbing and worrisome reports are coming out of detention centres where the Oromo students arrested in the past two weeks are being held.
According to HRLHA correspondents in Nakamte, Wollega Province in western Oromia, there have been cases of tortures of varying levels as well as detainees being taken away in the middle of the night to unknown destinations for unknown reasons. Fifty (50) detainees, including thirteen females, were taken away at one time alone; and their whereabouts were not known. In relation to tortures, the reports indicate that some of the detainees are isolated from others and held in separate rooms handcuffed and legs tied together with their hands on the their backs. There were ten students subjected to this particular situation, among whom were Std. Tesfaye Tuffa (male) and Std. Bontu Hailu (female). Although not confirmed at this point, there were also eight students who were screened out in order to be transferred to a detention or investigation office at the federal level; and these include:
1. Chalaa Fekaduu Gashe (high school student),
2. Chalaa Fekaduu Raajoo (high school student),
3. Nimoonaa Kebede (Wollega University 5th year law student),
4. Moi Bon Misganuu (Wollega University, student),
5. Abdii Gaddisaa (high school student),
6. Abel Dagim (high school student),
7. Qalbessa Getachew (high school student),
8. Mulgeta Gemechu (high school student),
9. Edosa Namara Dheressa, Civil Engineering, Wallaga University
In the meantime, reports indicate that kidnappings and/or extra-judicial arrests and detentions have continued in different parts of the regional state of Oromia, particularly in Hararge/Haromaya, West Showa, and West Wollega, all in relation to the protests that have been going on in the Regional State of Oromia in opposition to the newly introduced master plan to expand the Capital City of Addis Ababa/Finfinne in all directions by displacing the local Oromo residents. The following are among the hundreds of the most recent cases of kidnappings, arrests and detentions:
1) Edosa Namara Deressa – Wollega University (Civil Engineering)
2) Walabuma Dabale -Adama University, West Showa,
3) Ebisa Dale -Adama University
4) Ganamo Kurke -Adama University
5) Liban Taressa – Adama University
6) Adam Godana -Adama University
7) Bodana (last name not obtained) – Adama University
Name of other detainees arrested May 15-17, 2014,

	Partial Detainees in Wallagga, May 16, 2014
No		Name	Gender		Occupation/Grade		Place /Town
1		Robel Qanno		M	Worker	Mandii
2		Gammachis Hambisaa		M	Employee	Mandii,
3		Bokaa Hundeessaa		M		Mandii
4		Bacaa Kebede		M		Mandi
5		Fiqiru Wadajo		M	Businessman	Mandi
6		Eyob Kumara		M	Businessman	Mandi
7		Raji Abbaya		M	10	Mandi
8		Dabaloo Tolosaa		M	10	Mandi
9		Surra Chali		M	12	Mandi
10		Ebisaa Saqqata			12	Mandi
Haromaya University
1		Nimona Chali		M	Oromo language	Haromaya
2		Magarsaa Baqqalaa		M	Oromo language	Haromaya
3		Firayad		M	Teacher	Haromaya
4		Girmaa		M		Haromaya
West Shawa, Ambo
1		Getachew Qajela		M		Ambo Town
2		Alemu Megerssa		M	8	Ambo Town
3		Debisa Birru		M	-	Ambo
4		Getacho Birruu		M	Previous  Kaliti detainee	Ambo
5		Tamire Chala		M	office worker	Ambo
Arrested on May 16, 2014					Wallagga University
1		Abbabu Tafa		M	student	Nekemt
2		Galata Kumerra		M	student	Nekemt
3		Gammachuu Butuna		M	student	Nekemt
4		Gammachuu Fikadu		M	student	Nekemt
5		Getachew Fikadu		M	student	Nekemt
6		Gutaaa Galana		M	student	Nekemt
7		Lammessa Balay		M	student	Nekemt
8		Mokonoon Abarra		M	student	Nekemt
9		Mokonon Asaffaa		M	student	Nekemt
10		Mul’isaa Tafarra		M	student	Nekemt
11		Nazib Jibril		M	student	Nekemt
12		Shimalis Chaffe		M	student	Nekemt
13		Sofia Kadir		M	student	Nekemt
Arrested on May 16, 2014, West Wallaga Gulisso District
1		Abdii Mokonon		M	10th grade	Gullisoo
2		Chalaa Raggasa		M	Bussinessman	Ayiraa
3		Damee Daddafa		M	Bussinessman	Ayiraa
4		Daawit Tola		M	Bussinessman	Gullisoo
5		Dirriba Gaja’a		M	student	Ayiraa
6		Dirriba Tasfa		M	7th grade	Gullisoo
7		Ebba Kaniiba		M	8th grade	Gullisoo
8		Efirem Qana’a		M	student	Ayiraa
9		Fikadu Gari		M	Farmer	Gullisoo
10		Gammachu Tasisa		M	Businessman	Gullisoo
11		Gammaachuu Wakjira		M	Government employee	Gullisoo
12		Getane Adaba		M	Farmer	Ayiraa
13		Getacho Oljira		M	Farmer	Ayiraa
14		Girma Mulatu		M	10th grade	Gullisoo
13		Hunduma Awetu		M	Teacher	Ayiraa
16		Jifara Busuna		M	student	Gullisoo
17		Lalisa Indale		M	9th grade	Gullisoo
18		Lijalem Immana		M	Adminstrator	Gullisoo
19		Malaku Aaga		M	Teacher	Ayiraa
20		Milkessa Samu’el		M	student	Ayiraa
21		Mulatu Cawaqa		M	Farmer	Gullisoo
22		Obsa Getane		M	10th grade	Gullisoo
23		Obsa Raggasa		M	9th grade	Gullisoo
24		Qabana Hika		M	Teacher	Ayiraa
25		Qanani Daniel		M	7th grade	Gullisoo
26		Toleraa Wakuma		M	student	Ayiraa
27		Wande Nagasa		M	Businessman	Gullisoo
28		Yaaed Dheressa		M	Teacher	Ayiraa

The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) is highly concerned about the life-threatening situations in the detention centres where those young Oromos were held, and the safety and wellbeing of those who were taken to unknown destinations. Therefore, HRLHA calls upon the Ethiopian Government to abide by all international human rights instruments that it has signed, and refrain from subjecting the young detainees to such harsh situations. It also calls upon all local, regional, and international human rights organizations including UN Human Rights Council, humanitarian, and diplomatic agencies to put pressure on the Ethiopian Government so that it

1. Unconditionally releases the Oromo students who were detained in the past two and three weeks simply because the attempted to exercise some of their fundamental rights in a peaceful and absolutely non-violent manner.
2. Stop killing,  arresting and abducting Oromo nationals
3. To form an independent committee from civilians for investigation and Prosecution of the killing and torturing crimes.

Hiriira Mormii Magaalaa Finfinnee Har’a Caamsaa 24 Gaggeeffame Nagaan Milkaa’e!

                             
Caamsaa 24 akkuma waamicha uummata Oromoo hundaaf yeroodhaa yerootti gufannaan jiraatullee dhiyaataa tureetti har’a hiriirri mormii Kongiresii Biyyooleessaan karaa nagaatiin xumuratee jira.Gabaasa walii galaatti osoo hin seenin dura akkuma beekamu mootumaan wayyaanee mormitoota qabaachu isaatu isa aarsa,gaaffimti maalif narratti ka’a kan jedhutu itti dhagayama of-tuulummaa fi abba irree tahuu isaa mirkaneefachuuf yoomiyyuu callise hin beeku. Mormiin dhimma Oromoo ilaallatu kun Finfinnee keessatti akka hin raawwannee gufuu ta’aa ture kan darbe dhiisnee kan kaleessaa irraa yoo kaane qindeessitootni kongiresii biyyooleessaa kun adeemsii hiriira kanaa fi uummata Oromoo guutummaan irratti hirmaachisuuf waamicha bakkoota hedduudhaan gahamaa tureera,keessattuu jiraattootni godinaalee addaa naannawaa Finfinnee hiriira mormii kana irratti akka argaman gama Qeerrootiinis waamichi darbaa tureera.Kaleessa Caamsaa 23 dhimma kanaaf waamicha godhame kan Godina addaa Laga Xaafoo,Buraayyuu fi Sulultaa irratti waamichi hiriira mormii kun uummata hunda akka hirmaachisuuf ta’e namoota gara godina kanaatti ergaman hedduun tikoota wayyaaneen qabamanii toohannaa jala oolanii jiru,kaan reebamanii waan seeraan deemamu xumurachuu qabnaadhaan hin dandeessan kan godina addaa isin hin galchu jechuudhaanis poolisoonni wayyaanee namoota dhimma kanaaf deeman rukutaa fi yeroodhaaf hidhaa turaniiru,garuu hin hafneef guyyaa har’aa hamma yaadame tahu baatus uummanni magaalattii keessa jiraatu hunduu irratti hirmaatee gaaffii isaa dhiyeeffachaa ooleera.Adeemsi hiriira mormii kuni kan gaggeeffame. -Akkuma waamicha godhameetti sa’a 3:00 irraa ka’uudhaan hanga sa’a 7:00tti gaggeeffamee ooleera.Bakki ka’umsa hiriira kanaas Kiiloo 4 irraa ka’uudhaan daandii riqicha Ginfillee qabatee hanga kutaa magaalaa Finfinnee Magganaanyaa keessa kutuudhaa baayina uummataa 10,000 ol tahuun dhaadannoo wal tahaa kan barattoota Oromoo yuuniversitii irraan Ebla 25 irraa kaasee itti fufe qabatanii jiru,dhaadannowaan ykn gaaffiwwan dhiyaatan wal duraa duubaan:
1.Lafti Oromoo ciramee gurguramaa jiru amma irraa kaasee akka dhaabbatuudha,
2.Naannowwan Finfinnee maree uummataan alatti xuqamuu hin qabu,tahus yoomiyyuu raawwatee federaala jala galuu hin qaban,
3.Namootni siyaasaan hidhamanii jiran yeroo utuu itti hin kennin haa gadhiifaman
4.Ajjechaan ilmaan oromoo irra jiru haa dhaabbatu
5.Hidhamuun barattootaa haa dhaabbatu
6.Lafi keenya saamamuun haa dhaabbatu
7.Mirgi keenya nuuf haa eegamu
8.Bilisummaa barbaanna!
9.Poolisiin uummataaf dhaabbate uummata hin ajjeesin
Kan jedhuun uummanni hammi argame gaaffii barattootni duraan kaasan mirkaneessuudhaan oolan.Namootni hedduun akka irratti hin argamne shirootni hedduun xaxamaniiru keessattuu barattootni yuuniversitii Finfinnee akka hin argamne waan godhame keessaa guyyaa har’aa guyyaa barumsi hin jirre Qormaata irra gochuudhaan barattootni hedduun irratti hin argamin turan barattootni muraasni kan argaman gaaffiin keenya dhaga’amuun isaayyuu qormaata caala carraa kana argannee dhimma itti bahuu qabna jedhanii qormaata wayyaanee akka jiraatu goote kana dhiisanii hiriira kana irratti argamanii jiru.Namootni hedduun sa’a wal buusaadhaan kan ka’e bakka hiriirri kun itti gaggeeffamu wal’aalanii kan deebi’an walakkaa namoota hiriira kana irratti argamanii ni taha,namoota booda irraan ka’an poolisoonni wayyaanee daandii gubbaa dhaabbatan sobanii uummatni daandii kana bobbahe jechuudhaan daandii namoota harkaa balleessaa turaniiru mudanno kana kan dubbatan hedduudha.Uummanni hammi yaadame bakka argamuu baatullee uummata hiriira kana irratti bobbahan habashoota mufachiisee akka jiru odeeffannaan dhaga’ama jira.Akkasuma sochii barattootni eegalan kana kan deggeru jiraachuu isaas mootummaan wayyaanees akka rifate odeessii garagaraa ibsa.Namootni dhoksaatti osoo namootni hin argin hiriira kana dhaqqabuuf qopha qophaa kaachaa turan tikoota wayyaaneen qabamanii dhokfamanis akka jiru odeessi himaa jira,namoota kana Qeerroon hordoffii godhamu taasisaa jira.Mootummaan wayyaane hedduu rifatee kanneen mootimmicha deggersan ilmaan habashootaas yaada yaddeessaa keessa akka galan ifatti mul’ate,waraabbii qabnu rakkoo dhiyeeffachuu dhabnus suurawwan kaafamaa turan asii gaditti kan argamaniidha.Gaaffiin mirgaa dhiyaachuun qixaa fi oromiyaa guutuudhaan itti haa fufu jenna.

Worldwide Protests Ongoing in Support of Oromo People in Ethiopia

(Free Speech Radio News (FSRN)) – In Ethiopia, student-led protests related to a land dispute in the Oromia Region state are in their fourth week. The ethnic Tigrayan-­led Ethiopian government has violently cracked down on peaceful protests, killing dozens of ethnic Oromo students and injuring or imprisoning hundreds more. The unrest prompted an unprecedented response from the Oromo diaspora and human rights organizations around the world.


Demonstrators have rallied in cities in Australia, the U.S, Europe, Egypt, Uganda and Israel, calling for their respective governments to condemn the violence and raising awareness about the human rights situation for the Oromos in Ethiopia. Rachael Bongiorno reports from one such rally in Melbourne, Australia.
On a crisp Friday morning, a sea of green, red and yellow Oromo flags lines the streets of Melbourne. The city’s Oromo community is demonstrating to draw attention to human rights abuses facing Oromos back in Ethiopia. The protesters halt trams and cars, chanting and handing out fresh roses with tags quoting Martin Luther King JR’s famous words “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
The Oromo people are the largest indigenous ethnic Ethiopia but they’ve historically been marginalized and suffered discrimination by successive Ethiopian governments. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have long documented widespread discrimination, violence, and arbitrary arrests against the Oromo people. One young girl, who asks not to be identified, explains why she’s come out to protest.
“I feel like I’m standing in solidarity with the Oromo people in Melbourne and many other cities around the world,” she says, adding “We want to tell the word that people are being killed for peacefully protesting for their constitutional rights, being killed for speaking up and standing for their rights.”
The Oromo students in Ethiopia are calling for full implementation of the country’s constitution, which includes un human rights principles as well as provisions for self-determination. These guarantees extend to both Oromia state and the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. But while the capital is located in the state, it falls under the central government’s administration. And the government wants to expand its boundaries into Oromo lands.
Soreti Kadir is one the organizer’s of the on-going world-wide protests. She says, “We’re here today because the Ethiopian government has announced this plan that it’s going to be displacing up to 2 million Oromo people.” Kadir continues, “This means not only do the identities of these towns that are no longer going to exist because they will be dissolved which are predominantly Oromo. But Oromo people and farmers become displaced and don’t have a way to actually earn a proper income.”
The government’s planned expansion of Addis Ababa – known as the Master Plan – is just one of many such plans that have affected the Oromo region and forced the indigenous people from their lands. Under the Abyssinian colonial rule during the 20th Century, the Oromo language was banned and the Amharic culture was imposed. The ban was only lifted in 1991, as Toltu Tuffa explains. “This is not the first Master Plan, there have been a number of other ones, and this is the 10th installment of the master plan.”
“Even though there is recognition of Oromo provinces and regions, the fact that these areas will be transitioned away under the federal district of the Ethiopian government is essentially another form of re-colonisation,” says Tuffa, explaining the implications for language, culture, lifestyle and economic and social well being.”
According to the Minnesota Oromo Association, the Oromo diaspora has mobilized like never before. In a country where press freedom is in decline, social media has been a major tool to get information out. For 19-year-old organizer and blogger Soreti Kadir, the recent arrests of 3 journalists and 6 Oromo bloggers known as Zone 9 is just more evidence of the Ethiopian government’s suppressing dissent.
“It’s been people who are blogging, people who are using twitter, Instagram, Facebook who have really pioneered this entire movement,” says Kadir. “The Ethiopian bloggers have been arrested because the Ethiopian government’s major tactic in making sure these things don’t spread… is a suppression of freedom of speech.”
The Ethiopian Government argues the Master Plan will be a step forward for the Ethiopian people and the economy and dismisses the recent unrest, saying the protesters are being manipulated by the media inside and outside the country.
One of the largest protests in the diaspora was in Minnesota, which boasts an Oromo population of about 40,000 people.sen Hussien, Executive director of the Minnesota Oromo Association says the Ethiopian government often seeks to discredit protests in this way.
“Every time there is a protest in the country be it in the Oromia region or elsewhere in the country, the government points it’s fingers at external forces,” according to Hussien. He continues, “This has been the tradition of this regime since it came to power. Rather than looking at itself and wondering if its policies have anything to do with why people go on protests.”

Hussien says the situation is getting worse, with more crackdowns on the protests this week. “The last 5 days alone there are reports in one city there were 152 people who were wounded in the city of Najjo and also in Nekemte and another small town in Gori.,” he says, adding “And according to a report I received this morning in the town of Nekemte alone there are 600 students that are detained.”
 Caamsaa/May 24, 2014

Maadhee Iftuu Barii,Sulultaa Caamsaa 22,2014 Waamicha FDG Dabarse

Guyyaan Caamsaa 22/2014

Qabsoon FDG Hanga Sirna Wayyaanee Hundeen Buqisu Hin Dhaabbatu!

Kan dhageettii miti kan ijaan arginu kan dhugaan iyyatee addunyaa waammattu yeroo sabni balaan saamamuu lafa isaatii fi dhumaatii ijoollee isaaf gaaffii ol kaafatu maatii salphoo keessatti kan dhalatee guddate kan safuu hin beekne mootummaan wayyaanee uummata guddaa maanguddoo fi ijoollee hin jedhu rasaasaan reebee ajjeesa. Nuti maadhee Iftuu Bariiti,karaan danqaraa qofa tahe kan wajjin maadditti dhiyaatan lama keessaa tokko gurgurataadha,abbaa isaa kan garaaf dabarsee dhala dhalee fi dhalche dabarsee kennaa jira. Nuti uummata keenya waliin,uummata jiraattoota aana Sulultaa,Qote Bulaa aanaa kanaa fi barattoota manneen barnootaa sadarkaa garagaraa jalatti argaman waliin wal taanee hojii mootummaa wayyaanee ni balaaleffanna.

Mootummaan Wayyaanee aangoo isaa irra guyyaa tokko hin turu kan irra bubbulchee achirratti qallabaa jiru dhaaba OPDO kan saba isaaf ilaalcha sabummaa herregee hin beekneedha.Hara mootichi hojii isaatti qaanaaa hin jiru saba biraa keessaa kan dhalate gara dhaaba kanaatti harkisee ogganummaa olaanaa kenneefii diddaa uummata oromoo kan danqaru tolfatee jira,uummanni keenya kan beekuu qabu mootummaan kun mootummaa waltawaatti biyya dimokiratooftuu jedhee addunyaa sobuudhaan keessaan ammoo kaayyoo duguuginsa sanyii oromoo irratti gaggeeffachaa raawwachaa jira, harI bor miti bor waa hedduutu jijjiirama OPDOn hara saba oromoo gurgurataa ilmaan oromoo ficcisiisaa jiru gaafa oromiyaan bilisoomte uummata isaa kana waliin jiraachuun hin hafu bor garuu yaada maalii dhiyeessaa maal jedha kan jedhuuf bortu beeka! Kanaaf nuti akka maadhee Iftuu Bariitti gocha mootummaa wayyaanee balaaleffachuuf ammas uummata keenya waliin hiriiruuf barataan oromoo waa hundaanuu sila miidhame FDG qixa kamiinuu barumsa isaa dhaabee itti fufuu qaba,uummanni keenya bakka hara kauun miidhaa boruu isn irra gahu hambisuudha, hara falmachuun carraa ijoollee keessanii kan boruu mirkaneessuudha. Dhaabni OPDO uummata Oromoo bakka buuu akka hin dandeenye beekuu qabna,isaan kun gariin isaanii buaa dhuunfaatiif akka jiraataa jiran hubachaa:-

1. FDG torbeewwan sadii dura oromiyaa keessatti dhoe bifa haaraadhaan itti fufsiisuuf yeroo fi guyyaa tokkichatti wal beellamnee kauu.
2. Hanga guyyaan beellamaa gahutti miseensota OPDO keessaa kan diddaa fi gaaffii keenya deggeran irraan waan boru danqaraa nutty tahu isaan irraan hubannee hara keessaa ciruudha,
3. Rakkoon saba Oromoo dhaabbilee amantaa fi jaarmayaa Oromoo garagaraa quuquu hin didne,kun eenyuttiyyuu kan dhagaamuudha isa dhageettii miti ijaan utuu arginuu gaafa ni ciru gaafa nu ajjeesu kun bor saba biraallee nu tuffachiisa,FDG kun as dhiyootti bifa haaraadhaan itti fufuuf waamicha keenya maqaa maadhee keenyaa fi saba balaatiin dabarsina.!

Injifannon Uummata Oromoof!

Miseensa Parlamaa Sirna Fashisitii Wayyaanee EPRDF fi Paresedantii Yuuniversitoota Oromiyaa Kanneen Ta’an Lammiileen Oromoo Gochaa Sukkanneessaa Wayyaaneen Oromoo Irratti Raawwatu Keessaa Akka Harka Isaanii Fudhaniif Qeerroon Bilisummaa Oromoo Kallattiin Dhaamsa Dabarse.

Caamsaa 22,2014 Finfinnee

Paarlaamaan EPRDF (Etoophiyaa) Angoo kan hin qabane,Uummata Oromoo fi lammiilee biyyatti bakka bu’uu kan hin dandeenye ta’uu Qeerroon Ibsa gababaa haala paarlaamaa sirna EPRDF  fi gaaffii karaa nagaa FDG Uummata Oromoo gaafachaa jiruuf deebii kennama jiru irratti hundaa’uun mirkaneessee jira.

Dargaggootni barattootni Oromoo dhaabbilee barnoota olaanoo Yuunivarsiitoota, Kolleejjotaa fi manneen barnoota sadarkaa 2ffaa fi 1ffaa keessatti uummata waliin gamtaan hiriiruun gaaffii mirgaa fi dimookiraasii karaa nagaa gaafataniif Mootummaan waraanaa fi qawween reebuun deebii kennee jira. Oromiyaa keessatti Presidenttootni dhaabbilee barnoota ol-aanoo Yuunivarsiitii miseensa Paarlaamaa sirna EPRDF ta’uun  abbaa irrummaa fi Faashistummaa uumata irratti deemsisaa jiru. Miseensotni kun itti gaafatama seenaa fi seeraa jala ba’uu hin danda’an.

Haala Yeroo ammaa  sochii warraaqsa dargaggoota barattoota Oromoo dhaabbilee barnoota  olaanoo Yuunibarsiitii  keessatti qabateef  miseensotni Parlaamaa presidentooni Oromoo mooraa Yuunivarsiisii, dhaabbilee barnoota irraa gaaffii Uummataa karaa nagaa fi dimookiraasii  dhiyaateef   deebisuu irra Uummata nagaa gaaffii mirgaa gaafate irratti humna waraanaa bobbaasuun yeroo ammaa kanatti mooraan Yuunivarsiitota akka Jimmaa, Wallaggaa, Amboo, Mattuu, Adaamaa, Finfinnee, Harammayyaa, fi   Maddaa Walaabuu fa’aa  keessatti barattootni Oromoo Jumlaan hidhatti guuraman, humna Waraanaan reebaman, humna waraanaa fi tikaa Wayyaaneen ajjeefaman, humnoota Mootumma kanaan gara dabarfaman.

Yeroo gochaan suukkaneessa fi gara jabinaa kun barattoota Oromoo  dabtaraa fi isrsaasa(pencil)  malee meeshaa tokko of harkaa hin qabne irratti rawwatamaa jirutti  maqaa Presideentota Yuunivarsiitii Oromiyaa fi bakka bu’ummaa miseensa Parlamaa EPRDF qabatanii barattoota lammii isaanii ta’an Oromoota irratti daba kana fakkaatu warri raawwattan martinuu gaafatama seenaa bara baraa jalaa akka hin bane Qeerroon Bilisummaa bakka jiranitti xalayaa Waajjira Parezedantoota armaa gadiitti kenneen beeksisee jira.

1. President Yuunibarsiitii Wallaggaa fi miseensa paarlaamaa sirna EPRDF
2. President Yuunibarsiitii Amboo fi Miseensa Paarlaamaa sirna EPRDF.
3. Presidenti Yuunibarsiitii Jimmaa fi miseensa Paarlaamaa fi Detaa Ministera Barnoota,
4. President Yuunibarsiitii Mattuu fi miseensa Paarlaamaa sirna EPRDF.
5. President Yuunibarsiitii Maddaa Walaabuu fi miseensa Paarlaamaa sirna EPRDF.
6. President Yuunibarsiitii Harommayyaa fi miseensa Prarlaamaa sirna EPRDF.

Kanneen kunis ta’e warri hafan kaan aangoo fi sadaqaa mootummaan Wayyaanee itti kennuun dabarsanii ilmaan Oromoo akka hin kenninee fi daba gita hin qabne uumata Oromoo irratti raawachuu akka dhaaban Qeerroon Bilisummaa ifatti isaan beeksisee jira.

Ethiopia crackdown on student protests taints higher education success

May 22,2014

Western backers of the Ethiopian education system should not ignore reports of violent clashes on university campuses

Oromia, Ethiopia, where at least three dozen people were reportedly shot dead by security forces during student protests

Over the past 15 years, Ethiopia has become home to one of the world’s fastest-growing higher education systems. Increasing the number of graduates in the country is a key component of the government’s industrialisation strategy and part of its ambitious plan to become a middle-income country by 2025. Since the 1990s, when there were just two public universities, almost 30 new institutions have sprung up.

On the face of it, this is good news for ordinary Ethiopians. But dig a little deeper and tales abound of students required to join one of the three government parties, with reports of restricted curricula, classroom spies and crackdowns on student protests commonplace at universities.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in Ambo in Oromia state. On 25 April, protests against government plans to bring parts the town under the administrative jurisdiction of the capital, Addis Ababa, began at Ambo University. By the following Tuesday, as protests spread to the town and other areas of Oromia, dozens of demonstrators had been killed in clashes with government forces, according to witnesses.

As Ethiopia experiences rapid economic expansion, its government plans to grow the capital out rather than up, and this involves annexing parts of the surrounding Oromia state. An official communique from the government absolved it of all responsibility for the clashes, claiming that just eight people had been killed and alleging that the violence had been coordinated by a few rogue anti-peace forces. The government maintains that it is attempting to extend Addis Ababa’s services to Oromia through its expansion of the city limits.

However, Oromia opposition figures tell a different story. On 2 May, the nationalist organisation the Oromo Liberation Front OLF issued a press release that condemned the “barbaric and egregious killing of innocent Oromo university students who have peacefully demanded the regime to halt the displacement of Oromo farmers from their ancestral land, and the inclusion of Oromo cities and surrounding localities under Finfinnee [Addis Ababa] administration under the pretext of development”. The Addis Ababa regime dismisses the OLA as a terrorist organisation.

While news of the killing of unarmed protesters has caused great concern among many Ethiopians, there has been little coverage overseas. The government maintains strict control over the domestic media; indeed, it frequently ranks as one of the world’s chief jailers of journalists, and it is not easy to come by independent reporting of events in the country.

Nevertheless, the government’s communique does run contrary to reports by the few international media that did cover the attacks in Ambo, which placed the blame firmly on government forces.

The BBC reported that a witness in Ambo saw more than 20 bodies on the street, while voice of america voa reported  that at least 17 protesters were killed by “elite security forces” on three campuses in Oromia. Local residents maintain that the figure [of those killed] was much higher.

These reports, while difficult to corroborate, have been backed up by Human Rights Watch, which issued a statement  saying that “security forces have responded [to the protests] by shooting at and beating peaceful protesters in Ambo, Nekemte, Jimma, and other towns with unconfirmed reports from witnesses of dozens of casualties”. One university lecturer said he had been “rescued from the live ammunition”, and that it was the “vampires – the so-called federal police” who fired on the crowds.

The Ethiopian government likes to trumpet its higher education system to its western aid backers as a crowning success of its development policy. As billions in foreign aid are spent annually on Ethiopia, the west must be more cognisant of the fact that this money helps reinforce a government which cuts down those who dare to speak out against it.

Inevitably, continued support for such an oppressive regime justifies its brutal silencing of dissent. Yes, the higher education system has grown exponentially over the past 15 years but the oppression and killing of innocent students cannot be considered an achievement. Any system which crushes its brightest should not be considered a success.

Paul O’Keeffe is a doctoral fellow at La Sapienza University of Rome, where he focuses on the higher education system in Ethiopia.

Source: The Guardian.

JAFER ALI: FINFINNEEN HANDHURA OROMIYAA TAATULLEE ADDIIS ABABA AMMOO GODAANNISA GABRUMMAATI

Qabeenya uumaa hunda keeysaa bu’urri guddaanii fii fiinxeen lafa hoggaa tahu oromooniis qabeenya uumaan badhaafame keeysaa guddichi lafuma isaati. Lafti oromoo bal’ina isii caalaa gabbatuu fii ameeytii tahuu isiitiin beekkamti. Magariisa tahuu daran tan qabeenya bishaaniitiin badhaate tahuu isiitiin jaalatamti. Gubbaa isii qofa osoo hintahin keeysi isiitiis albuda garagaraatiin kan duroome akka tahe niamanama. Dur irraa jalqabee masaanuun ollaa weeraraaf ittiduuluuniis kanumaafi.

Bar dhibbee 19ffa keeysa eega biiyti oromoo kiyyoo Miniliik 2fa jala kufte irraa eegalee, lafti namaa wajjiin weerartoota habashaatiif hiramtee, abbaan biyyaa lafuma isaa irratti sirna gabbaar ja’amee beekkamuun ciisanyaa ykn hojjataa qonnaa tahuun yaadannoo jaarraa dabreeti.

Warraaqsa ummatoota Ethiopia kan bara 1974 irratti lafti tan qotee bulaa akka taatu labsamuun abbootii lafaa hiddaan buqqaasullee mootummaan dargii ifumaafuu abbaa lafaa haaraya itti tahuudhaan qoteebulaan ciisanyaa mootummaa malee abbaa lafaa akka hintahin shalaguun nama hindhibu. Oromoo laalchiseetiis dhugaadhaa dargiin ummata oromoo qilleensa irrattillee tahu, akka sabaati beekuudhaaf dirqamullee lafa isaa (oromiyaa) beekuudhaaf ammoo osoo hudhamuuti kufa ka’insa hinqabne kufuu mudate.

Seenaa empaayera kanaa keeysatti juuzni biraa guddaan jijjiirama mootummaa kan bara 1991 hoggaa tahu hunda dura ammoo geeddarama mootummaa malee geeddarama sirna siyaasaa akka hintahin jala muramuudha qaba. Haatahu malee sabni oromoo kan gaafa dargii qilleensa irratti beekkamuu ture mootumma kana jalatti lafti isaatiis OROMIYAA ja’amtee seeraan beekkamuu dandeeyseeti jirti. Kuniis gumaata mootummaan kun oromoof arjoome osoo hintahin bu’aa dhiiga gootota orommoti.

Lafti oromiyaa akka waliigalaatti seeraan beekkamtee daangawuun waan tokko tahee, mootummaan mooteeqorkeen kun rakkoollee tokko tokko uumuuf ykn habaqaaluuf tattaafachuun isaa ammoo hinoolamne. Fakkeenyaaf daangaa sabaa fii sablammootaa kanneen oromiyaa daandeysan hunda irratti jechuun nidandayamaa, bakka takka takkatti ona (aanaa) tokko tokko, baka gariitti ammaas araddaalee hedduu abboommee laguudhaan akka oromiyaa waliin gaafii daangaa keeysa galan taasisaati as afe. Kanneen keeysaahiif magaalota akka Dirree Dhawaa, Harar, Jijjiga, Moyyaaleefii Awaash faa maqaa dhahuun nidandayama. Bifa kanaan naannoo hundaan lafa oromyaa kottoonfachiisuun shira mootummaa kanaa kan fuulduraas oromoo fii sabaa sablammoota walgalaafachiisuuf karoorfamee bal’inaan itti hojjatamaa jiru hoggaa tahu tooftaan biraa ammaas tan magaalaa finfinnee irratti xiyyeefatte tana tahuu isiiti.

Maggaalaan Finfinnee hundeeyfamuma isii irraa kaaftee kan bu’uramte akkuma magaalota biraa kanneen oromiyaa keeysatti arkaman hundaatti qubsuma weerartootaa hoggaa taatu barreeysitoota seenaa birattiis magaalota batalaa ykn mishigii ja’amaniiti beekkaman. Kana jechuuniis bara weerara miniliik keeysa lafa nafxanyootni ummata naannawaa humnaan buqqaasanii qubatan hoggaa tahan lakkuma qubsumti tun babal’achaa deemtuuniis magaalawaa deemuu isaanii caalaa ummata oromoo daran madditti dhiibaa akka dhufan qabeentaa ummata magaalotaa kanaa kan ammallee calaqqisu irraa hubachuun nidandayama.

Magaalaan finfinneetiis qubsuma miniliikii fii ashkaroota isaa taatee eega bu’uramtee as bara baraan babal’achaa dhufuun isii hangam takka ummata oromoo madditti dhiibaa akka dhufte shalaguun nama hindhibu. Kana jechuun magaalaan takka eega hundooyte hinguddtin jechuu akka hintahin osoo hindagatamin wayta bal’attu kana ammoo ummata naannawaa buqqaasuudha balaan isii. babal’atinsa magaalaa keeysattiis qubsumti naannawaa akka dhunfatamtu kanuma eeggamu tahullee, warra buqqa’u san kafaltii gayaa kennuudhaan osoo raaw’atamee dandamata ture. Mootummaan wayyaanee jalqabuma irraahuu lafti kan mootummaati je’ee seeruun isaa saamichuma lafaa kanaaf ifqopheeysuu isaa akka tahe hubachuun nidandayama. Wayta magaalaan finfinnee babal’attu qotee bulaa naannawaa hiyyummaaf saaxiluu daran abbootiin qabeenyaa kanneen lafa tana horataniis galtuu alagaa tahuu isaaniiti balaan lamadaa. Akkaataa kanaan wayta magaalaan tun lafa dabalachaa babal’attu hunda oromoo qofa osoo hintahin oromummaaniis waliin haxaawamtee akka madditti bahaa deemtuus dagatamuu hinqabu. Fakkeenyaaf magaalaa finfinnee tan handhura oromiyaa tiifii maqaafillee tahu galma mootummaa oromiyaa taate tana keeysatii afaan hujii afaan amaaraa hoggaa tahu magaalota amma ammatamuuf deeman kanneen akka laga xaafoo keeysattiis guyyaa bulchiinsa finfinnee jala kufan irraa jalqabee afaan oromoo afaan hujii fii barnootaa tahuun akka hafu irra daddeebinee sodaachuutu nurraa eeggama. Magaalaan finfinnee duriis tahe arraa fii boruus handhura oromiyaa tahuun isii hafuu baattullee, hamma dhunfata oromiyaa jala ooltee oromo oromoo shurufkooytutti ammoo addis ababaan godaannisa gabrummaati wanni jennuufiis tanaafi.

Guddinni finfinnee kan oromoo madditti dhiibaa adeemsifamu kun galmi isaa lakkuma deemuun gama kaabaatiin naannoo amaaraatiin fii gama kibbaatiin ammaas naannoo ummatoota kibbaatiin waliin tuquudhaan oromiyaa amma jirtu tana baka lamatti fottoysuu irratti kan xiyyeefate taachaa shalaguuniis gamnummaadha. Gaafas kutaa walloo kan amma naannoo amaaraa jalatti buluu wajjiin oromiyaa guddittii takka tahuun hafee oromiyaa xixiqqoo sadihiifii sanii ol uumuuf akka yaaddamaa jiruus hubachuun nidandayama. Kuniis bulchiinsa qofa osoohintahin ilaalcha sammuu tiifii sabboonummaa oromootiis qoqqooduu fii darachiisuuf akka tahe shalaguun nama hindhibu.

Walumaagalatti shira mootummaan habashaa dhufaa fii dabraan saganteeyfatee saba kanaan oggolchuuf tattaafatuuf oromoon yoomiyyuu taanaan duuyda shiireysee bitamee hinbeeku. Lolli walloo, kan arsiitii fii calanqootiis kanuma mirkaneeysa. Fincilli barattoota oromoo kan amma masrer planii wayyaannee kana mormuudhaan qabsiifamees ittifufa diddaa gabrummaa kan oromoon bara baraan gaggeeysaa ture hoggaa tahu wareegamtootni fincila kanaatiis gootota yoomiyyuu seenaan faarsuu akka taham ragaa bahuun barbaada.

oromootv may 21,2014

“በኦሮሚያ ለተቃውሞ የወጡ ሠላማዊ ሰዎች ሲገደሉ ይህ የመጀመሪያ አይደለም” ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ጊዳዳ

                                                        
 

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ ጊዳዳ የቀድሞ የኢፌዲሪ ፕሬዚዳንት እንዲሁም የኦህዴድ ሥራ አስፈፃሚ አባል ነበሩ። ከመንግሥታዊ ሥልጣናቸው ከለቀቁ በኋላም በግል ተወዳድረው ለሕዝብ ተወካዮች ም/ቤት ተመርጠዋል። በግል የተቃውሞ እንቅስቃሴም ተሳትፈዋል። የአንድነት ለዲሞክራሲና ለፍትህ ፓርቲን በሊቀመንበርነት መርተዋል። ከአራት ወራት በፊት ግን ከፖለቲካ አባልነታቸው በገዛ ፈቃዳቸው ለቅቀዋል። ሰሞኑን ከአዲስ አበባ እና ኦሮሚያ ልዩ ዞን ማስተር ፕላን ጋር ተያይዞ የተነሱ ተቃውሞዎችን አስመልክቶ አነጋግረናቸዋል።

ሰንደቅ፡- ከአዲስ አበባና ኦሮሚያ የተቀናጀ ማስተር ፕላን ጋር ተያይዞ በኦሮሚያ ክልል በሚገኙ አንዳንድ ዩኒቨርስቲዎች በተነሳ ሰሞኑን ተቃውሞ ሰዎች ለሞት እና ለጉዳት ተዳርገዋል፤ ንብረቶች ወድመዋል ይህን ጉዳይ እንዴት ተከታተሉት?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- ይህ ክስተት በጣም ያዘንኩበትና የደነገጥኩበት ነው። ምክንያቱም ተማሪዎችና ሌሎች ዜጎች የሞትና የአካል ጉዳት መድረሱ ብቻ አይደለም፣ በዚህ ጊዜ ከተከሰቱ ጉዳዮች አንዳንዶቹ በጣም መጥፎና አሰቃቂ መሆናቸው ነው። ሰብዓዊ ፍጡር አያያዝ በተመለከተ መጥፎ ሁኔታዎችን እስማ ነበር። ጭካኔዎች የታዩበት ክስተት ነው። አልፎ ተርፎም ጉዳዩ ወደአልተፈለገ የብሄር ጥላቻ የወረደበትን ሁኔታ በአንዳንድ ቦታዎች ተፈጥሮ ነበር። በተለይ በአምቦ የተከሰተው ተቃውሞ ሰዎች ሲጎዱ አሁን ለሁለተኛ ጊዜ ነው። ከዚህ በፊት አቶ ጁነዲን በነበረ ጊዜ በአዲስ አበባ (ፊንፊኔ) (1995 ወይም በ1996 ዓ.ም ይመስለኛል) ረብሻ ተነስቶ በጥይት ሰዎች ሞተዋል። ያን ጊዜ በጣም የተቸነውና የገመገምነው እንዴት ለሰላማዊ ተቃውሞ ጥይት ትጠቀማላችሁ በሚል ነበር። በወቅቱ ለዚህ ጥያቄ የተሰጠው መልስ እኛ ለልማቱ በቂ ገንዘብ የለንም፣ ስለዚህ ረብሻ ሲነሳ የምናቆምበት ሌላ መንገድ የለም የሚል ነበር። አሁንም ያንኑ ነው የደገሙት። ያ ጊዜ ካለፈ 10 ዓመት ይሆነዋል፣ ከዚያ ወዲህ ፖሊስን አስታጥቀው፣ አሰልጥነው፣ ሰላማዊ ሰልፍን በሠላማዊ መንገድ የመቆጣጠሪያ መንገዶች ተግባራዊ ማድረግ ይቻል ነበር። ነገር ግን አሁንም ችግሩን ለማርገብ ጥይት መመረጡ አሁንም ገና ኋላቀር ነን ወይ የሚል ነገር በውስጤ ፈጥሯል። ባለፈው ሳምንት ደምቢዶሎ አካባቢ ተማሪዎች ረብሸው ነበር። ለመጀመሪያ ጊዜ የሰማሁት ፖሊስ አስለቃሽ ጢስ ተጠቅሞ ተቃውሞውን መቆጣጠር ችሏል። አንዳንድ ቦታ የዚህ ዓይነት የመሰልጠን ምልክቶች መታየታቸው ጥሩ ነው። ግን በአጠቃላይ ሁከትን በሠላማዊ መንገድ የመቆጣጠር ጉዳይ ገና ኋላቀር ደረጃ ላይ ነን የሚል ስሜት ነው የተሰማኝ።

በሌላ በኩል በጉዳዩ ላይ ሰዎች ስሜታዊ እና ግብታዊ የመሆን ጉዳይም መኖሩን ታዝቤአለሁ። አንድ ነገር ሲከሰት ተናድዶ ወደተቃውሞ የመሄድ ነገር አለ። በተቃውሞ ጊዜ ሳትዘጋጅ፣ ሳትደራጅ፣ ተቃውሞ ሲወጣ ምንድነው መፈክር ይዘን የምንወጣው፣ እነማን ይሳተፋሉ፣ በመካከል ችግር ቢፈጠር እንዴት እንቆጣጠረዋለን ተብሎ መታሰብ ነበረበት። ምክንያቱም በተፈጠረው አጋጣሚ ሰልፈኛውን የሚጎዳ ድርጊት ሊፈፀም ይችላልና። ወይንም በሰልፈኞች መካከል ሆነው በንብረት እና በሰዎች ላይ ጉዳት የሚያደርሱ ሰዎች ሊኖሩ ይችላሉና አስቀድሞ እነዚህ ጉዳዮች ሊታሰብባቸው ይገባ ነበር።

ሰንደቅ፡- ምን ተሰማዎት ሁኔታውን ሲሰሙ?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- እጅግ በጣም ነው ያዘንኩት። የማስተርፕላኑ ጉዳይ ሲመጣ የሚያናድዱ ጉዳዮች ሊኖሩ ይችላሉ። ተናደህ በምትወጣበት ጊዜ እንደዚህ አይነት ችግሮች ሊፈጠሩ ይችላሉ። በዚህ መልኩ በስሜት ሰዎች አደባባይ ሲወጡ እንዴት ነው የምንቆጣጠረው የሚለው በመንግስት በኩል ዝግጅት ያለመኖር ነገር አይቼበታለሁ።

ሰንደቅ፡- ማስተር ፕላኑን በሚመለከት በተደጋጋሚ ከመንግስት የተሰጠው መግለጫ ሁለቱንም ክልሎች የሚጠቅም እንጂ የአንዱን መሬት ቆርሶ ወደሌላ የሚያስተላልፍ አይደለም የሚል ነው፣ የእርስዎ አስተያየት ምንድነው?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- የአዲስ አበባ አስተዳደር ይህን ቢልም፣ ባይልም ያለነው 21ኛው ክፍለ ዘመን ውስጥ ነው። እድገት፣ ልማት ይመጣል እና ዘመናዊ የመሆን ሁኔታ ይከሰታል፣ ይሄ የማይካድ ነው።

ሰንደቅ፡- ማስተር ፕላኑ ቢኖርም፣ ባይኖርም ማለትዎ ነው?
ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- አዎ! ይከሰታል። አብዛኛው ሕዝብ በአርሶአደርነት መተዳደሩን ትቶ ወደከተማ ይወጣል። ጥቂት አርሶአደሮች ይቀሩና በዘመናዊ አስተራረስ ብዙ ያመርታሉ። ትንሽ አርሶ አደሮች ብዙ አምርተው ከተማውን ይመግባሉ። አሁን አሜሪካ የእርዳታ እህል የሚሰጡን ጥቂት አርሶአደሮች ትርፍ እህል ጭምር ማምረት በመቻላቸው ነው። ይሄ የማይቀር ነው። ለምሳሌ እስከአዳማ ድረስ ይሄ ፈጣን የባቡር ትራንስፖርት አገልግሎት ቢዘረጋ ጥሩ ነበር። ሠራተኛ ከዚያ ወደዚህ ተመላልሶ መስራት ይችላል። ወደአምቦ ባቡር ቢገባ በጥቂት ደቂቃዎች አገልግሎት መስጠት ይቻላል። ይሄ ዓይነት የልማት መቀናጀት ይጠቅማል እንጂ አይጎዳም። በሒደት በትራንስፖትና በሌሎች መሠረተ ልማቶች ትስስሩ መጥበቁ አይቀርም። ለምሳሌ የኤሌክትሪክ ኃይል ከኦሮሚያ አካባቢዎች ይገኛል። ቆቃ፣ ግልገልጊቤ፣ መልካሳ፣ ባሌ ከመሳሰሉት ከወንዞች የሚገኝ ኃይል ወደሌሎች ክፍሎች ይሰራጫል። ህዝቡ ግን አያገኝም፣ የተወሰኑ ከተሞች ብቻ ናቸው እየተጠቀሙ ያሉት። እናም ከልማት አኳያ ከሆነ ነገሩ ጥሩነው። ይህንን የሚጠላ ሰው ያለ አይመስለኝም።

ሰንደቅ፡- ለተቃውሞው መነሻ ታዲያ ምንድነው ይላሉ? መንግስት እንደሚለው ሁኔታውን አለመረዳት ወይንም የውጪ ኃይሎች ጣልቃ ገብነት ነው?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- የውጪ ኃይሎች በሁኔታው ሊጠቀሙ ይችሉ ይሆናል። በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥም ቢሆን ወደድንም፣ ጠላንም ገና ያልተፈታ ጥያቄ አለ። የብሔርተኝነት ጥያቄ አለ። አንዳንዱ የኢትዮጵያ አንድነት ይላል፣ ሌላው የለም፣ በተቃራኒው የአንድ ብሄር ጉዳይ ማቀንቀን ብቻ ሳይሆን ከኢትዮጵያ መነጠል አለብን የሚሉ ኃይሎች አሉ። ሁለቱም ብሄርተኞች ናቸው። ለምሳሌ አንድ ጃዋር መሀመድ የሚባል ሰው በአልጀዚራ ቴሌቭዥን ቀርቦ ሲጠየቅ መጀመሪያ ኦሮሞ ነኝ ከዚያ ነው ኢትዮጵያዊነቴ የሚመጣው ብሎ ተናግሮ ነበረ። እነኚህ የኢትዮጵያ ብሔርተኛ ደግሞ እንዴት ኦሮሞ ነኝ ይላል ብለው በጣም ተቃወሙት። ሁለተኛ የሚኒሊክ መሞት 100ኛ ዓመት መጣ። በዚያ ላይ ኢትዮጵያዊነት የሚያቀነቅኑ ቡድኖች ኢትዮጵያን አንድ ያደረጉ፣ ዘመናዊነትን ያመጡ እያሉ ያሞግሱ ነበር። በሌላ በኩል በሚኒሊክ ወረራ ጊዜ ግን የተፈፀሙ ችግሮች ግን ነበሩ። ፈለግንም፣ አልፈለግንም፤ አመንም፣ አላመንም የዛሬዋ ኢትዮጵያ የተመሰረተችው በአፄ ሚኒሊክ ጊዜ ነው። ያ የሆነው በወረራ ነው። አዲስአበባ የተቆረቆረችው በ1879 ዓ.ም ነው። በወረራ ስለሆነ ያንን የሚያስታውሱ ደግሞ በብሔር እና በማንነት ላይ የተመሰረተ ፖለቲካ የሚያራምዱ ሰዎች ደግሞ የአፄ ሚኒልክ ሐውልት ከአዲስ አበባ መነቀል አለበት የሚለውን አስተሳሰብ ያራምዳሉ። ቴዲ አፍሮ የተባለው ድምፃዊ የሚኒሊክ ጦርነት ቅዱስ ጦርነት ነው ብሏል በሚል እነዚህ በብሔር ላይ የተመሰረተ ፖለቲካ የሚያራምዱ ኃይሎች በመቃወማቸው ልጁ በበደሌ ቢራ ስፖንሰርነት ሊያካሂድ የነበረው ኮንሰርት እስከመሰረዝ መደረሱን እናስታውሳለን። ይህ ከሆነ በኋላ የኦኖሌ ሃውልት ጉዳይ መጣ። ብዙ ብሔር ብሔረሰቦች በፅሁፍ የሠፈረ ታሪክ የላቸውም። የሚያስታውሱት ከአባት፣ ከአያት የተላለፈ አፈ ታሪክ ነው። ከትውልድ ወደ ትውልድ የሚያልፉ ታሪኮች አሉ። ሚኒሊክ በ1874 እስከ 1879 ድረስ ሌሎች የኦሮሞ አካባቢዎችን ከወረሩ በኋላ አርሲን መውረር አልቻሉም ነበር። እንዲያውም አርሲዎች በጦርነት ገጥመዋቸው በማሸነፍ አፄ ሚኒልክን አባረዋል። በመጨረሻ ብዙ ኃይል ካከማቹ በኋላ ነው ከአራት ዓመት በኋላ ተንቀሳቅሰው አርሲን ማስገበር የቻሉት። በወቅቱ በ1879 መስከረም ወር በተካሄደው ጦርነት በአጎታቸው ራስ ዳምጠው መሪነት ወደ 12ሺ ሰዎች መጨፍጨፋቸው ይነገራል። በዚያን ጊዜ ወታደሮቹ መጥፎ ነገሮች ማለትም ጡት መቁረጥ፣ እጅ መቁረጥ የመሳሰሉ ግፎችን ፈፅመው ነበር ይባላል። ያንን ለማስታወስ ሐውልት ቢያቆሙ እንዴት የዚህ አይነት ሐውልት ያቆማሉ፣ ይሄ ቂምና በቀልን ማስፋፋት ነው ተብሎ ተተችቷል። ይሄ ከሆነ በኋላ በቅርቡ በባህርዳር ላይ በተካሄደ ስፖርታዊ ውድድር ላይ የታየው ዘረኝነት በጣም መጥፎ እንደነበር ነው የሰማሁት። ፕሬዚዳንቱ ወደስታዲየሙ ሲገቡ የተቃውሞ ጩኸት ሁሉ ነበር ነው የተባለው። እዚያ የተነገረውን መጥፎ ነገር ሌሎች የኦሮሚያ አካባቢዎች ሰምተዋል። ይህ ቁጣ ቀስቅሷል። ይሄ ሁሉ እያለ የአዲስ አበባ ማስተር ፕላን ጉዳይ ይመጣል። ይህ ማስተር ፕላን በቅርቡ አዳማ ላይ ውይይት ተካሂዶበታል አሉ። የተሳተፉት የአዲስአበባና የኦሮሚያ ሰዎች ናቸው። ያን ጊዜ ተቃውሞ ነበር። ኤክስፐርቶቹ ተቃውሞውን በማውገዝ ይሄ ጠባብነት ነው፣ ብትፈልጉም፣ ባትፈልጉም ማስተር ፕላኑ ተግባራዊ ይሆናል የሚል አስተያየት ሰጡ መባሉንም ሰምተናል።

ሰንደቅ፡- ከማስተር ፕላኑ ትግበራ በፊት ግን ኦሮሚያ ከአዲስአበባ ማግኘት ያለባት ጥቅም ጉዳይ መመለስ አልነበረበትም?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- በሕገ መንግስቱ አንቀፅ 49 ንዑስ አንቀፅ 5 ላይ ኦሮሚያ ከአዲስ አበባ ማግኘት የሚገባትን ጥቅም በተመለከተ ሰፍሯል፣ ለዚህም ሕግ ይወጣል ይላል። እንግዲህ ተመልከት፤ ሕገመንግስቱ ከወጣበት ከ1987 ዓ.ም ጀምሮ ሲቆጠር 19 ዓመት ነው። 19 ዓመት ሙሉ ይሄ ሕግ አልወጣም። እንዲያውም በ1998 ዓ.ም የኦሮሚያ ክልላዊ መንግስት ለፌዴሬሽን ም/ቤት ስለዚህ ጉዳይ በደብዳቤ ጠይቆ ፅፎ ነበር። በሕገመንግስቱ ላይ የኦሮሚያ ጥቅምን በሚመለከት ሕግ ይወጣል የሚለው ምን ማለት እንደሆነ እንዲተረጎምና ሕጉ እንዲወጣ ብሎ ጠይቆ ነበር። ያውም ይህ ጥያቄ የቀረበው ሕገመንግሥቱ ከወጣ ከ10 ዓመት በኋላ ነው። መልስ ግን አልተሰጠውም።

ሰንደቅ፡- ሕገመንግሥቱን ካረቀቁ ኢትዮጵያዊያንም አንዱ እንደመሆንዎ መጠን በሕገመንግሥቱ አንቀፅ 49 ንዑስ አንቀፅ 5 ላይ ኦሮሚያ በአዲስአበባ የሚኖረውን አስተዳደራዊ ጉዳዮች በተመለከተ ልዩ ጥቅም እንደሚጠበቅለትና ዝርዝሩም በሕግ እንደሚወሰን ደንግጓል። በወቅቱ ሕገ መንግሥቱ ሲረቀቅ ታሳቢ ያደረገው ምንድነው?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- ይህንን በተመለከተ ነገሩን እንደገና ለማስታወስ፣ የሕገመንግሥቱ ቃለጉባኤ አንብቤአለሁ። ልዩ ጥቅም ሲባል የኦሮሚያ ክልል በአዲስ አበባ ቢሮዎችን ለመስራት ቢፈልግ መሬት በነፃ የማግኘት ጉዳይ፣ ህንጻዎች ካሉ በነፃ የማግኘት ጉዳይ ይመለከታል።

ሰንደቅ፡- ግብርን ይመለከታል?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- ግብርን አይመለከትም። ያን ጊዜም ይሄ ጉዳይ ተነስቶ በግልፅ ግብርን እንደማይመለከት መልስ ተሰጥቶበታል።

ሰንደቅ፡- የኦህዴድ ከፍተኛ አመራር ሆነው በአንድ ወቅት እንደመስራትዎ፣ በተለይ ኦሮሚያ በአዲስ አበባ ላይ ያላትን ልዩ ጥቅም በሚመለከት ከፍተኛ አመራሩ በግልፅ የሚወያይበት፣ ጥቅሙን ለማስከበር የሚሞክርበት እድል ነበረው?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- የአገሪቱ ፕሬዚዳንት በነበርኩበት ወቅት የኦህዴድ የሥራ አስፈፃሚ አባል ነበርኩ። በዚያ ላይ በአዲስ አበባ ጉዳይ ይሄ ሕግ እንዲወጣ ጠይቀናል። ጉዳዩም ያስጨንቀን ነበር። በወቅቱ እኔ የካቢኔ አባል ስላልነበርኩኝ፣ በመንግሥት ጉዳይ ስለማልገባ በምሳተፍባቸው የኦህዴድ እና የኢህአዴግ መድረኮች ላይ ጉዳዩ በተደጋጋሚ ተነስቷል። ይሄ ብቻ አይደለም፤ አቶ ዓሊ አብዶ የአዲስ አበባ ከንቲባ ነበሩ። ያን ጊዜም የአዲስ አበባ እና የኦሮሚያ ድንበር መካለል አለበት፣ አሁን ካልተካለለ ኋላ ችግር ያመጣል ብለን እንሞግት ነበር። በዚህ ጉዳይ ላይ አቶ ዓሊ አብዶ እና አቶ ሐሰን ዓሊ ቶሎ ብለው ኮሚቴ አቋቁመው እንዲያስፈፅሙ በኦህዴድ ደረጃ ተወስኖ ነበር።

የደርግ ማስተር ፕላን የትናየት ይደርስ ነበር። አሰላ፣ አምቦ፣ ፍቼ፣ ደብረብርሃን ይደርስ ነበር። በሽግግር ጊዜ የማስተር ፕላን ክለሳ ጉዳይ መጣ። በአፄ ኃይለስላሴ ጊዜ አዲስ አበባ በጣም ትንሽ ነበረች። ይህም አይሆንም ቢያንስ እስከ ለገጣፎ፣ በዚህኛው እስከአቃቂ፣ በሌላ በኩል እስከ ቡራዩ እንዲወሰን አስተዋፅኦ አድርገናል።

ሰንደቅ፡- ሕገመንግሥቱ ላይ የተቀመጠው ድንጋጌ አለመከበር ወይንም ዝም መባሉ አሁን ለተፈጠረው ችግር እንደአንድ መንስኤ መውሰድ ይቻላል?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- በትክክል። 19 ዓመት ሙሉ አንተ ባለቤቱ ካላስታወሰ ማነው የሚያስታውሰው? የኦሮሚያ ክልል ሕገመንግሥቱ ከወጣ ከ10 ዓመት በኋላ በደብዳቤ ጠይቆ ምላሽ አላገኘም። ከዚያ ወዲህ በተግባር ያየነው ነገር የለም።

ሰንደቅ፡- ለዚህ ችግር ኃላፊነት የሚወስደው ማነው?

ዶ/ር ነጋሶ፡- ክልሉን የሚመራው ኢህዴድ ራሱ ነው። የልዩ ጥቅም ማግኘት ብቻ አይደለም። ጉዳዩ በሕገመንግሥቱ ውይይት ጊዜ ተነስቷል። አዲስ አበባ የኦሮሚያም ዋና ከተማ ናት ሲባል የተቃወመ ሰው አልነበረም። ይሄ በኦሮሚያ ሕገመንግሥት ውስጥ ሰፍሯል። እና ባልሳሳት በ1995 ወይም በ1996 ዓ.ም ይመስለኛል የኦሮሚያ ዋና ከተማ ወደአዳማ እንዲዛወር ተደረገ። ያኔ እነአቶ ቡልቻ ሁሉ መስቀል አደባባይ ለተቃውሞ ወጥተው ተደብድበዋል። በወቅቱ ዩኒቨርስቲ ውስጥ ተቃውሞ ተነስቶ ጉዳት ደርሷል። ወደ 300 የሚሆኑ ተማሪዎች ለአንድ ዓመት ከትምህርት ገበታቸው ተባረዋል፣ አንዱ የወንድሜ ልጅ ነበር። ያንን ካደረጉ በኋላ ቅንጅት ሲያሸንፍ ኦሮሚያን ህዝብ ለማጓጓት ተብሎ መቀመጫው ወደአዲስ አበባ እንዲመለስ ተደረገ። ይህ ብቻ አይደለም፤ የተገቡ ቃሎችም ነበሩ። በአዲስ አበባ ለኦሮሞዎች የባህል ማዕከል እንዲሰራ፣ (አሁን ስታዲያም አካባቢ እየተሰራ ያለው ነው)፣ በተመሳሳይ በየክፍለ ከተማው የባህል ማዕከል እንደሚሰራ፣ ለሥራ ወደ አዲስ አበባ የሚመጡና ሌሎችም ልጆቻቸው በኦሮምኛ ቋንቋ ማስተማር ለሚፈልጉ በየአስሩ ክ/ከተሞች አንድ፣ አንድ ት/ቤቶች ይሠራሉ ተብሎ ተወስኖ ነበር። ያ እስከአሁን አልተደረገም። የባህል ማዕከሉም ዘንድሮ ዘጠነኛ ዓመቱ ነው፣ አልተጠናቀቀም። በየክፍለከተማው ይሠራሉ የተባሉትም አልተሠሩም። ይህንን ተከታትሎ የኦሮሚያ ጥቅም እንዲከበር አለመደረጉን በተመለከተ ክልሉን የሚመራው ኦህዴድ ኃላፊነቱን መውሰድ ይኖርበታል።

may 22,2014