Rakkinni ummata Oromoo, Mootummaa Walaba Oromiyaa ijaaruudhaan furmaata argata malee, umurii cunqursaa fi saamichaa Oromoo irratti dheereffatuuf filannoo dharaa Wayyaaneen geggeessituun miti

Saartuu Magarsaa irraa | Bitootessa 27, 2015

Sirna dimookraasii jechuun, sirna mootummaan ummataa, ummataan, ummataaf ittiin ijaaramu jechuu dha. Sirni dimookraasii kun, mootummaa ummataa, ummataan ijaaramee ummataaf hojjetu argamsiisuu kan danda’u, mirgi yaada ofii bilisa ta’anii ibsachuu,  mirgi bilisa ta’anii socho’anii ummata dammaqsuu, mirgi ijaaramuu fi ijaaruu, mirgi siyaasaa kan dhaaba siyaasaa fedhan deggeruu fi mormuu, mirgi siyaasaa kan filuu fi filamuu, mirgi hiriira nagaa bahuun imaammata mootummaa ykn dhaaba siyaasaa  deggeruu ykn mormuu, mirgi sabquunnamtiitti walqixa dhimma bahuu, mirgi seeraan tikfamuu fi kkf yoo kabajame fi hojii irra oolfamee dha.

Sirni dimookraasii, mootummaa: ummataa, ummataan ijaaramee ummataaf hojjetu ijaaruu kan danda’u, seerri hundaa ol ta’ee hundi seera duratti walqixummaan yoo ilaalame fi qaammi filannoo hoogganu, qindeessuu fi murtii sagalee ummataan darbe labsu, ummata bal’aa fi dhaabota siyaasaa filannoo irraa hirmaatan hunda biratti fudhatama yoo qabaatee dha. Sirni dimookraasii, mootummaa ummataa, ummataan, ummataaf argamsiisuu kan danda’u, dhaaboti filannoo keessatti dorgommii siyaasaa godhan, dhaaba isaanii keessatti kan sirna dimookraasiitti amanan fi ittiin bulan yoo ta’e ,imaammata ummata bal’aa biratti deggersa qabu qabaatanii ummatatti kan dhiyaatan yoo ta’e fi ummati akka isaan filu abdii irraa qabaatanii ummati bilisa ta’ee fuulduree isaa akka murteeffatu yoo itti amanan qofa.

Sirni dimookraasii, mootummaa ummataa, ummataan, ummataaf ijaaruu kan danda’u, murtii filannoodhaan godhame irratti falammii dhalatu qaammi murtii irratti kennu, kan ummataa fi dhaabota siyaasaa filannoo irraa hirmaatan fi filannoo irraa komee qaban biratti fudhatama qabu ta’uu qaba. Sirni dimookraasii: mootummaa ummataa, ummataan, ummataaf ijaaruu ykn oomishuu kan danda’u, dirreen siyaasaa, dhaabota siyaasaa filannoo irraa hirmaatan hundaaf walqixa yoo ta’ee fi qaammi dhaabota siyaasaa galmeessuu fi dorgommii filannoo keessatti akka hirmaatuuf hayyama kannu kan dhaaba siyaasaa kamiifuu hin baabsine yoo ta’e qofa. Sirna dimookraasii keessatti, filannoon gochaa ykn hojii guyyaa tokkoo ykn lamaa osoo hin taane, gochaa ykn hojii adeemsa hedduu fi dheeraa of-keessaa qabuu dha. Sirna dimookraasii dhugaa keessatti, kan ilaalamuu fi faarfamuu qabu, filannoon geggeeffamuu isaa qofa osoo hin taane, jalqabaa irraa hanga dhumaatti adeemsa filannoon ittiin geggeefamu dimookraatawaa fi kan seera filannoo kabaje ta’uu isaatiini.

Sirni dimookraasii, mootummaa ummataa, ummataan, ummataaf argamsiisuu kan danda’u, adeemsi filannoon ittiin geggeeffamu jalqaba irraa hanga dhumaatti dimookraatawaa ta’uu isaa dhaaboti siyaasaa filannoo irraa hirmaatan kan itti quufan yoo ta’e, adeemsi kun kan sirna dimookraatawaa hordofe fi daangaa tokko malee ummata hirmaachisu ta’uu qaba. Ummata lakkaawuu, naannoo bakka bu’ooti ummataa irraa filaman murteessuu, filannoof galmeeffamuu, nagummaa ummata filannoo irraa hirmaatuu tiksuu, meeshaalee filannoo gahaa yeroodhaan buufata filannoo dhaqabsiisuu, hanga sagaleen ummataa lakkaawamutti seerri filannoo dimookraatawaa ta’ee fi dhaaboti filannoo irraa hirmaatan itti quufan yoo hordofame qofa. Sirni dimookraasii, mootummaa: ummataa, ummataan, ummataaf ijaarame argamsiisuu kan danda’u, dhimmi murtii ykn filannoo ummataaf dhiyaatu, dhimma mootummaan ummataaf murteessee ummatatti dhiyeessu osoo hin taane, dhimma ummati sagalee irratti kennachuu barbaadu kan of keessatti haammate yoo ta’e qofa.

Sirna dimookraasii seerota armaan olii guutatee filannoo geggeeffameen: hoogganoota filaman, mootummaa ijaaramu, qoondaalota waajjira mootummaatti ramadaman, murtii qondaalota kanneeniin darbu, imaammata murtaahu, heera tumamu , seera bahu, ajaja fi qajeelfama darbu qofatu ummata biratti  fudhatama qabaatee seerawaa ta’a. Hoogganoota, mootummaa, fi qondaalota sirna dimookraatawaa seerota armaan olii guutateen filaman irraa ummati ajaja fudhachuuf dirqama. Mootummaa sirna dimookraasiitiin filameen imaammata tolfamu qofa kan ummati hojii irra oochuuf dirqamu. Mootummaa sirna dimookraasiitiin ijaarame qofaaf kan ummati katoo (tax) kaffaluuf  dirqamu. Heera fi seera, mootummaan sirna dimookraatawaan ijaarame tumu qofa kan ummati ittiin buluuf dirqamu. Hoogganoota, mootummaa, fi qondaalota adeemsa dimookraatawaan waajjira mootummaa hin seenne, heera, seera fi imaammata sirna dimookraatwaan hin tolfamne irratti fincilee of irraa kaasuuf ummati mirga seera addunyaan kabajame qaba. Mootummaan, hoogganni, heerri, seerri fi imaammati ummati ittiin buluu qabu, kan fedhii isaatiin murtaahe yoo ta’e qofa.

Sirna dimookraasii keessatti, kan sagalee guddaa argatutu filamee mootummaa ijaara; heera fi seera tolcha; ummati hiree isaa akka murteeffatuuf hayyama waan ta’eef, mootummaan gabroomfataa Impaayera Ixoophiyaa Wayyaaneedhaan hoogganamu baay’ina ummata Oromoo irraa sodaa guddaa qaba. Sodaa qabuuf jecha, ummata Oromoof waltajjii bilisa kan dorgommiin siyaasaa bilisa ta’e keessatti geggeeffamu hayyamee hin beeku. Bara 1991-1992tti, bara mootummaa cehumsaa keessatti hirmaate, ABO’n ummata Oromoo harka 90 akeeka walabummaa Oromiyaa fudhachiisuudhaan of-jala hiriirsuu danda’ee ture. Kun humna filannootti jijjiiramee ummati Oromoo hiree isaa salphaatti akka murteeffatu kan godhuu danda’u ta’uu  fi kun ammoo, akeeka sirna: gabrummaa, cunqursaa, saamichaa, ajjeechaa, hidhaa fi kkf Oromoo irratti diriirsuuf  Wayyaaneen qabdu fashalsuuf irree cimaa akka qabu  oggaa hubatu, mootummaan Wayyaanee, ABO dhiibee mootummaa cehumsaa keessaa baasuudhaan dorgommii siyaasaa dharaa impaayera Ixoophiyaa keessatti qindeessuun qofaa isaa fiigee qofuma isaa mohuun haga har’aa jiraate.

Mootummaan gabroomfataa Impaayera Ixoophiyaa, kan  Wayyaaneedhaan hoogganamu, haga ammaatti, filannoo afur haa geggeessu malee, filannoon isaa kun hundi, adeemsa dimookraatawaa, kan ummati walaba ta’ee, dhaaba walaba kan mataa isaa ijaarratee keessatti hirmaataa ture waan hin taaneef: hoogganoota, mootummaa, qondaalota, heera, seera, imaammata, murtii fi qajeelfama fedhii ummataa irraa madde argamsiisee hin beeku. Mootummaan gabroomfataa Impaayera Ixoophiyaa, dhimma ummati Oromoo sagalee irratti kennachuu barbaadu osoo hin taane,  umurii sirna gabrummaa, cunqursaa fi saamichaa  ittiin ummata Oromoo fi biro irratti  dheereffachuuf kan isa gargaaru qofa murteessee ummati sagalee akka irratti kennatu kan dirqaa ture waan te’ef,: mootummaa, heera, seera, hooggana, imaammata fi qajeelfama dantaa ummata Oromoo kabachiise argamsiisee hin beeku. Ummati Oromoo fi Oromiyaan, dhuma jaarraa 19ffatti, afaan qawweetiin , kiyyoo gabrummaa Impaayera Ixoophiyaa jalatti  waan kufeef,  mirgi hiree murteeffannaa isaa kabajameefii mootummaa walaba Oromiyaa ijaarratee : bilisummaa, nagaa, badhaadhina fi gammachuun jiraachuuf  jaarraa tokko oliif gaafataa jira malee filannoo dharaatiin mootummaa gabroomfataa of irratti jijijjiruuf waan hin taaneef, filannoon Wayyaanee, filannoo ummati Oromoo hiree isaa irratti murteeffachuu danda’u ta’ee hin beeku. Dhugaatti, sirna dimookraasiitti amanuun yoo jiraate, filannoo dhugaan, ummati Oromoo Mootummaa Walaba Oromiyaa ykn tokkummaa Ixoophiyaa keessaa akka filatuuf hayyamuu dha.

Mootummaan Impaayera Ixoophiyaa kan Wayyaaneedhaan hoogganamu fi haga ammaatti filannoo dharaatiin ijaarame, kan ilmaan Oromoo: ajjeesee karaa irra harkisaa jiru, ajjeesee irbaata allaattii fi warabessaa taasisaa jiru, kan ilmaan Oromoo gabaa keessatti fannisaa jiru, kan ummata Oromoo ajjeesee lafeen isaanii bosona keessatti akka dhukkaahu godhe, egeree Oromiyaa kan  ta’an qeerroo Oromiyaa mana barnootaatii hari’aa kan   jiru,  kan ummata Oromoo kuma dhibba tokkoo  ol mana hidhaa keessatti guraarsaa jiru, kan ummata Oromoo kuma hedduu lafa isaa irraa buqqisee bakkeetti facaase, kan ummata Orooo kuma hedduu kooluu galche, kan ummata Oromoo: beela, hiyyummaa fi dhukkubaan fixaa jiru, kan lafa Oromoo saamee gurgurataa jiru, kan ijoollee: haadhaa fi abbaa malee hambise, kan haadha manaa, abbaa manaa malee hambise,  kan abbaa fi haadha jalaa ijoollee facaasee gargaarsa malee hambise, kan bosona Oromiyaa dhabamsiisee Oromiyaa gammoojjummaaf saaxile fi bineensa bosona Oromiyaa biyyoota ollaatti baqachiise, kan nagaa fi mirga ummattoota cunqurfamoo Impaayera Ixoophiyaa fi Gaanfa Afriikaa jeeqaa jiru, kan humna  fi qabeenyaa ummata Oromoo saamaa jiru, kan mirga: filuu, filamuu, ijaaramuu, yaada ofii ibsachuu, dhaaba fedhan deggeruu ykn mormuu, seera duratti walqixxummaa qabaachuu ummata Oromoo fi ummattoota cunqurfamoo hunda dhiitee irraa deemaa jiru, qabsaawota walabummaa Oromiyaa qabsoo irratti wareegaman fi hidhaman “hattuu” ittiin jechuun walabummaa Oromiyaaf qabsoo ummati Oromoo geggeessu tuffachaa jiru,   qabeenyaa fi lubbuun isaa akka tikfamuuf mirga ummati Oromoo qabaachuu malee dhiitaa kan jiru, kan gochaa shanyii duguuginsaa ummata Oromoo, Gambeelaa, Beenishaangul, Sidaamaa, Walaayitaa, Kafichoo, Ogaaden, Affaar fi kkf irratti raawwachaa jiru waan ta’eef, filannoon Wayyaaneedhaan hoogganamu, mootummaa ummata Oromoo fi ummattoota cunqurfamoo  Impaayera Ixoophiyaa argamsiisee hin beeku; filannoon isaa kunis, waltajjii  ummatni Oromoo fi ummattooti Impaayera Ixoophiyaa irratti hiree isaanii murteeffatan ta’uu hin dandeenye.

Mootummaan Wayyaanee, uumaa fi  imaammataan, akeeka jibbansa fi tuffii ummata Oromoo, akkasumas,  saamicha Oromiyaa irratti kan ijaarame waan ta’eef, filannoon qaama kanaan geggeeffamuuf deemu, akkuma arma duraa: hooggana, mootummaa, qondaalota, heera, seera, imaammata, qajeelfama fi caasaa ittiin ummata Oromoo fi saboota cunqurfamoo Impaayera Ixoophiyaa biroo : cunqursu, saamu, salphisu, ajjeesu, mana hidhaatti guru, qeyee isaa irraa buqqisee lafa isaa gurguratu, barattoota egeree biyyaa ta’an mana barnootaa keessaa hari’u, ummattoota hiyyoomsu, dhukkubaan fixu, nagaa ummattootaa ittiin jeequ, akkasumas, ummattoota: gosa, amantii fi naannoon kan  wal-lolchiisu oomishachuu irratti kan qiyyaafatee dha.

ummati Oromoo fi ummattooti cunqurfamoo Impaayera Ixoophiyaa hundi, gaaffiin isaanii, qabsoon walabummaa   yoo galma gahe qofa deebii kan  argatu malee filannoo Wayyaaneetiin deebii argachuu akka hin dandeenye beekuu qabu. Walabummaan: biyyaa, nageenni, badhaadhinni fi gammachuun ummata Oromoo fi kan saboota cunqurfamoo Impaayera Ixoophiyaa, keessattuu, injifatnoo qabsoo walabummaa Oromiyaa irratti kan irkatu ta’uu beekee, ummati Oromoo, filannoo Wayyaanee irraa hirmaatuun, billaa ykn haaduu ummati Oromoo fi sabooti cunqurfamoon hundi ittiin qalaman of-irratti qaratuu hin qabu. Ummati Oromoo fi sabooti cunqurfamoon Impaayera Ixoophiyaa hundi,  filannoo wayyaanee irraa hirmaatuudhaan, waraabessa quufe fi waraabessa beela’aa keessaa filatuu hin qabu. Ummati Oromoo fi sabooti cunqurfamoon Impaayera Ixoophiyaa, filannoo dharaa wayyaaneen qindeessaa jirtu irraa hirmaatuudhaan gabroomfattoota keessa filatuu hin qabu. Filannoo wayyaanee irraa hirmaachuun, cunqursitoota paarlaamaa Impaayera Ixoophiyaa  keessa taa’anii seera cunaqursaa fi saamichaa ummata irratti tuman keessaa filachuu dha.  Ummati Oromoo, filannoo Wayyaanee kan itti bahi isaa ykn bu’aan isaa ummata Oromoof: salphina, hiyyummaa, deega. tuffii, ajjeechaa, hidhaa, baqattummaa, qeyee irraa har’atamuu fi kkf ta’e kana irraa hirmaatuun haada ittiin fannifamu Oromoof bituu hin malle. Gaaffiin ummata Oromoo, gaaffii  abbaa biyyummaa, kan walabummaa Oromiyaa qofaan deebii argatu waan ta’eef, mootummaa fi hooggana farra qabsoo walabummaa Oromiyaa of-irratti filuudhaan qabsoo walabummaa Oromiyaa dura dhaabbachuu hin qabu. Filannoo wayyaanee irraa hirmaatuun, ummati Oromoo fi sabooti cunqurfamoon Impaayera Ixoophiyaa biroon akka : ajjeeffaman,hidhaman, biyya har’aman, ijoolleen durbaa gudeedaman, jaarsaa fi jaartiin ilmaan isaanii duratti salphifaman, qotee bulaan Oromoo qeyee isaa irraa buqqifamu, humni dafqaan bulaa Oromoo akka saamamu, oomishi qotee bulaa Oromoo akka saamamu, beekaan Oromoo akka salphifamu, Oromoon hiyyummaa, wal’alummaa fi dhukkubaan Oromiyaa irraa akka dhabamsiifamuuf mootummaa  Wayyaaneef   hayyama kennuu waan ta’eef, ummati Oromoo fi sabooti cunqurfamoon Impaayera Ixoophiyaa filannoo wayyaanee kana: lagatuu, dura dhaabbachuu, gufachiisuu, jeequun  fashalsuu qaba.

Filannoo wayyaaneen qindeessaa jirtuun, mootummaan fashistii fi nama nyaataa, akkasumas, mootummaan warabessaa fi bulguu ijaaramu, gochaa fashistummaa fi bineensummaa  ummattoota irratti akka hin raawwanneef: garaagarummaa akeekaan osoo hin daangeffamin, dhaaboti siyaasaa Oromoo fi kan  saboota cunqurfamoo Impaayera Ixoophiyaa hundi  filannoon Wayyaanee akka bakka hin geenyeef duula wal irraa hin citne godhanii ummatooti cunqurfamoon filannoo dharaa kana irraa akka hin hirmaanne godhuu irratti gahee seenaan irraa eegu taphatuu qabu. Matootiin: amantii, hawaasaa, miti mootummaa, firoottan Oromoo, ogeessoti fi beektonni Oromoo, jaaroleen Oromoo, dubartooti Oromoo, qotee bulaan, dafqaan bulaan, daldalataan, barsiisaan, barataan,  shammarranii fi dardarri Oromoo fi kan  saboota cunqurfamoo hundi, filannoo wayyaanee, mootummaa: gabroomsaa, cunqursaa fi saamichaa itti fufee oomishuuf deemu fashalsiisuu qaban. Ummatni Oromoo fi sabooti cunqurfamoon Impaayera Ixoophiyaa hundi, filannoo dharaa  hirmaannaa ummattootaa malee, yakka Ixoophiyaan ummattoota irratti hojjechuuf karoorfatte namoota bakkaan gahan mootummaan gabroomfataa Ixoophiyaa  ittiin filatuuf deemu kana dura dhaabbachuun qabsoo walabummaa ummattoota Impaayeera Ixoophiyaa shaffisiisuu fi   guyyaa itti mootummaa walaba mataa isaanii ijaarratan gabaabsuu qabu. Yeroo, humna, qabeenyaa, yaada, beekumsa fi ogummaa isaanii hunda, daandii walabummaa biyyaa irra qajeelchuun guyyaa itti bilisa ta’ee hiree isaa murteeffatu gabaabsuun, ummattooti cunqurfamoon  Impaayera Ixoophiyaa, ba’aa gabrummaa Impaayera Ixoophiyaa kan jaarraa tokkoo olii  irraa  boqotanii:  nagaa, kabajaa, badhaadhinaa fi gammachuu akka argataniif yoomuu caalaa amma Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo jala hiriiruun qabsoo walabummaa  finiinsuu qabu.

Saartuu Magarsaa

Transparency and Accountability Should Be The Hallmark of Any Oromo Nonprofits Organizations: Has MWMF Surpassed Such Threshold?

BY THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF OromoTV.com | March 25, 2015

Here is a challenge, stop for a second and think about how many times Oromo organizations irrelevant of their goal have asked for funding through donations. Whether we reside in Minneapolis, Washington DC, Seattle, Atlanta, Toronto, Melbourne, London or Oslo, wherever a concentrated Oromo community exists the need to raise money has always been a part of the Diaspora community. While some causes are noble and worthy of every penny we donate, others have been less than stellar at best and downright fraudulent at worst.

For example, consider how many times you have been asked to donate to an organization without really knowing how much money the organization has raised or what their overhead costs are?

So with transparency in mind, we were grateful to have had an incredible opportunity to wittiness on 22nd of March, one of the leading Media, Madda Walaabuu Media Foundation annual summery report posted on Social Media. Not great but good enough for its first start to disclose how much money they raised in the year of 2014 and an itemized description of MWMF broadcasting programs. Their new program includes an, “Oromia Insight English Program”, which was begun to air since January of this year.

To further understand we went on to dig deeper into the MWMF and reached out Mr. Aliye Geleto Anota, one of the founders of MWMF and the Executive Director of MWMF. A resident of Melbourne Australia, an IT lecturer, Mr. Geleto, was very polite and gracious enough to speak to OromoTV.com Editorial Member on social media. Perhaps, he spoke openly and willing to share their powerpoint presentation that helped us to examine pertinent details of MWMF’s annual repost.

According to their website, MWMF is a non-governmental, non-partisan and non-profit organization, co-opted their vision in Washington, D. C. and founded in 2013 (across Australia and USA) by a broad based coalition of human rights advocates, civic society leaders, journalists and community members who are committed to the principles of democracy, human rights, freedom and justice.

Their three times a week radio broadcasting program known as “Oromo Voice Radio”, airs to Oromia on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Mondays at 7:00 PM local time has been gaining attraction.

Their recent disclosure of yearly summery report, since its inception roughly a year ago, should be regarded as — noteworthy — for setting the standard to all Oromo nonprofits organizations, particularly nonprofits media based institutions.

Ironically, for people stripped of their established — a just and genuinely democratic order of lifestyle known as “Gada System” more than a century ago, nonprofits organizations have always been the way to sustain Oromos’ movement for generations. Whether media based — small and big — or — any communal institutions set-out to be a voice to the voiceless in any community setting — transparency and accountably should be the moral set toward communal progression. In fact, MWMF’s recent annual summery report may raise a ringing indictment of other Oromo nonprofits organizations that has shown little to no financial transparency.

Now this bring us to the question — Why transparency and accountably is imperative?

It is a no-brainer that transparency means telling the truth about your organization, and your mission. It also means disclosing how every aspects of your work, and precisely how and when funds are being raised and disbursed accordingly.

According to America’s Nonprofits advocates — the National Council of Nonprofits — all nonprofit community must earn the public’s trust every day not only by complying with the law but also by modeling and promoting integrity, transparency, and accountability. In fact, it is considered as, “A BADGE OF HONOR” — for those nonprofits organizations make disclosure and openness their core principle.

Ever so often, a common complaint that too many nonprofits fail to address among Oromo society is ignoring constituent feedback. Just like any other sectors of world society, Oromos are not immune to common ethical problems involving gray areas of activities such as fraud and misconduct. No matter how difficult to disclose every parts of fundraised resources — all Oromo nonprofits organizations must continue to pursue aggressively in promoting ethical conduct and financial transparency.

After all, the public deserve to know how their money is being spent. More importantly, the Oromo people should demand such disclosure all the time. This is very important for people to know their rights — to insist an organization of full disclosure. Because, this in-turn would propel an organization to succeed, once trust cultivated through transparency and accountability, the crucial component of equal partnership develops between public and such organization. Whenever the due-payers are not asking for transparency and accountability the chances of an organization to succumb to a failure is enormous.

Let’s back to MWMF…

The little step they set out after a year in business means a lot to make their donors comfortable enough to pledge more in the future. When contributors feel like they are part of a campaign it is important that the campaign or organization openly share all aspects of the operation, from how much has been raised to how much support they will need in the future. This allows the contributors to be part of the decision making process not just give their money and feel like they are being kicked to the curb.

As a result, MWMF open and transparent policy is not only setting an example for future campaigns and organizations, it is the future for our community. Up to this point we have not had an open nonprofits organization that is based for media purpose like that of MWMF. However, we would like to congratulate their attempt to be open and transparent to their donors. No matter what this is a baby step, we encourage their leadership to do more on their next year report. They have made tremendous progress and it is certainly no easy task to have come as far as they have within a year. But what makes their organization unique is making their institution as transparent as possible. Let us leave you with their organizational philosophy we found on their powerpoint presentation, “Our institutional wisdom is to reflect, connect, build confidence, model a willingness to improve, manage our performance & resources well and model transparency, accountability.”

National interest, conflicts of identity politics and conflict resolution

Prof. Hamdesa Tuso , Seminar in Oslo, Norway  | March 25, 2015

Dr. Hamdesa Tuso teaches at Department of Peace and Conflict Studies Faculty of Graduate Studies, The University of Manitoba 252C-70 Dysart Rd. Winnipeg, Canada R3T 2M6

INTRODUCTION

Teaching and celebrating Oromummaa is an on gong and continuous process in order to develop Oromian national interest in the predominantly Oromoo country , Oromia and elsewhere the oromoo people live in the world. Discourses on identity politics as well as the socio economic and political conditions of Oromo society emanates partly from reinforcing Oromomummaa at home land and in diaspora with a special weight and focus on uplifting of Oromians national consciousness of their identity both at a community and national level. By virtue of exercising these very natural rights the contemporary Oromo society is facing many conflicts. According to Dr. Tusoo commencing with regime king Sehile Sillassie of Showa, the Abyssinian elite deployed strategies to conquer and control the Oromo country. Strategies and schemes backed by the European technical advisors were intensively executed and implemented to destroy the Oromo identity from the globe. Hence Oromo’s has been exposed to both external and internal conflicts since the Abyssinian’s domination of the Oromo country.

Why Conflicts and how to handle it?

On March 14.03.2015 the energetic leaders of the Oromo Community in Oslo and its adjacent area organized a very timely seminar where three outstanding oromoo scholars among others Drs. Hamdeassaa Tusoo, Makuria Bulchaa and Girma G/ sambet made their ways to Oslo & held this long awaited pubic seminar . The seminar was aimed at pinpointing the concept of a conflict, conflicts resolutions and management in order to restore harmony between individuals, family members, neighborhood communities , and political entities at local, regional or interregional levels.

Dr. Tusoo the main presenter of the seminar embarked up on the topic under discussion by starting form his own life experiences – referring to his own journey of resistance against the Abyssinian domination of Oromoo identity & culture to stigmatize and demolish anything reflecting the indigenous oromoo culture or Oromomumma. He emphasized that up on the, assertions and views about conflicts by stressing that theoretically conflicts is the relational process where there is a power in balance between the complicating parties. The unmet needs of human beings pave ways for a conflict to erupt at all social levels and at any time. However, Dr. Tusoo Maintain that under the right leadership and right circumstances conflicts can be prevented and resolved.

Dr. Tusoo’s esearch based knowledge about the politics of power relations between different parties and further career specialty in peace and conflict studies focusing on an Oromoo indigenous based knowledge of conflicts management ( Jaarsummaa) made his presentation very attractive to participants . He held the seminar in an easy and understandable manner so that the participants could easily comprehend the subject under discussion. He gave a two part long and elaborative presentations using bilingual in both Afaan oromo and English and this made his presentations more alluring with a high degree of quality, generosity and bigheartedness.
Departing from the contemporary definitions of conflict and Theories of conflicts he went on linking it to the characteristics of conflicts manifesting itself in a colonized people and society. The case in point is conflicts that have been erupting with in the Oromo National Liberation movements and other scenarios pertaining to cause and effects of conflicts and its implication for any conflict escalating parties.

According to Dr. Tusoo the mainstream Oromo worldview which is built on the notion of peace for every living body ( Nagaa waaqaa waan hundumaaf ) is the underlying and core element that a modern oromo society need to nurture and develop by scrutinizing those environmental changes that make and shape the new world order. Oromoos have an ancient and indigenous civilization of governance- the Gadaa social and political system that should be studied and adopted in a way it could contribute to the ongoing human and social developments of the International community .

Following Dr. Tusoo´s informative and educative presentation the panel discussants Drs. Girma and Bulchaa gave their comments by acknowledging the main speaker.

Dr. Girma generously supplied on the ABC of conflicts that were elaborated by Dr . Tusoo and went on recommending that such scholarly forum is very important to build confidence among the oromo public and political parties both at home and in diaspoa. He went on underlying that the rest of Oromo communities across the globe need to follow the Oslo suits.

Dr Bulcha also complemented the presentation by saying that it is an informative and educative seminar which can uplift the moral dignity of all Oromoos who are lingering under the total subjugation of a tiny minority that get legitimacy to dominate the political climate of the Ethiopian Empire that on verge of collapsing. The debutants commented that the development of Oromo identity can pave a way for the emancipation of not only the Oromoo nation but also other oppressed nations and nationalities that are being overlooked by the international community.

Any conflicting parties has to adopt a constructive and the accommodative approaches of conflicts resolving mechanisms as it deem to apply them and work on to get down and minimize the scale of conflicting views in a community, region or country. The harmony in the Oromo Community base on the god will of national interest is important to halt an erupting and escalating conflicts by disrupting it in the camps of Oromo national movements.

CONCLUSION

After the Abyssinian power demise in 1991, the current ruling elite from Tigray accepted and accommodated the diversity and identity of nations and nationalities in the Ethiopian Empire. The Oromo took this advantage and emerged as a regional political force post the Communist regime in Ethiopia. The Ruling party the TPLF imposed conflict and has been in hostile with not only the Oromoos but also the other nations and nationalities that they consider are a threat to their political power position they assumed after the collapse of the communist regime. History attest that all the successive Abyssinian rulers including the current ones or the old ones obtain Lethal weapons from the West to conquer and control the Oromo’s on their home land. Where there is no democracy and control is in play to govern society conflicts are in evitable. The Oromo world view which is based on the notion of nagaa Waaqaa and Araara Waaqaa fi Lafaa is built on optimism and principles that conflicts can be handled, managed and resolved between the conflicting parties.

The participants attended the seminar with interest and passionate thereby suggesting such forum must be adopted & explored on issues that are of paramount importance to minimize conflicting views and interests among the Oromo public whose wish and dream is a restoration of peace , freedom and justice rather than conflicts that erupt at the cost of peace and stability between community members , and different parties within the Oromo society at both local , regional and national levels.

By Buttaa Duuloo

High Ranking Woyane Agent killed in Ambo today

The candlelight, the Ambo youth lit up with their blood, will never quench

March 23, 2015

As of 8:00 PM local evening time (or 1:00 PM EC) today, March 23, 2015, the town of Amo, Central Oromia, is under curfew, after a High Ranking Tigrean military agent was assassinated. The light in the city, has been turned off and the telephone lines were under strict surveillance, says Eyob Bayisa of Seife Nebelbal Radio who spoke with some residents. Unknown assailant killed, the Woyane agent in Qabale 2 and walked away a little bit before 8 PM. The residents of the city, who did not know what is going on, were stopped and searched, and their personal properties were seized, as usual, by security agents.

Only eleven months ago, at a mass demonstration in which over 27,000 people participated from Ambo and its surrounding  areas against the Addis Ababa Master Plan, TPLF’s Agazi elite military division killed 30  unarmed students and members of the general public. The mass massacre included distraught families arriving at the scene to collect the dead bodies of their sons and daughters including a child of nine.

More news to come.

Ethiopian jets attack Canadian gold mine in Eritrea

March 22, 2015 (Mining) — Ethiopian jets have bombed the Bisha gold mine in Eritrea, that is majority-owned by Vancouver-based mining company Nevsun Resources (NYSE:NSU, TSX:NSU), according to media reports from the East African region on Saturday.

Tigrai Online, an Ethiopian daily news site, confirmed an earlier report from a Sudanese newspaper, Al-Sahafa, that the Ethiopian air force dropped bombs on the Bisha gold mine, located 150 kilometres west of Asmara, along with the Eritrean military depot at Mai Edaga. The bombing campaigns reportedly took place on Friday in two separate attacks.

“The Bisha gold mine … is on fire and a huge fire and smoke can be seen from far away,” according to Tigrai Online.

Another media outlet, Salinna.com, said “the attack is believed to have been carried out either by missile or sabotage by opponents of the regime.” Eritrea is widely considered to be a state sponsor of terrorism, including planned attacks on its neighbours. The tiny Red Sea State won independence from Ethiopia in 1993 but has frequently skirmished with Somalia and Ethiopia since then. In 2012 the U.S. Treasury Department placed sanctions on several Eritrean government officials and frozen their assets for supporting al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda’s branch in Somalia.

The Bisha mine is 60-percent owned by Nevsun and 40 percent by the government of Eritrea. Bisha is a high-grade VMS deposit configured in three distinct zones – a gold-silver oxide zone, a copper-enriched zone, and a sulphide zone containing zinc and copper, Nevsun describes on its website.

The extent of the damage to the mine could not be confirmed at the time of writing. The most recent operational update details a temporary shutdown at the processing plant due to a mechanical issue with the ball mill. The problem was expected to take two weeks to resolve but was not expected to impact 2015 production guidance.

Source: Mining

Alemu Hurissa:- Integrated Master Plan or Intended Marginalization Plan against Oromos?

By Alemu Hurissa*

“My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel – it is, above all, to make you see. That – and no more, and it is everything.” Joseph Conrad

We have been told many times over by the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) aboutdevelopment in Ethiopia without understanding its meaning and significant impacts on democracy, economy, and social and human rights. As we know, there are many different definitions of development, understanding the term “development” is crucial since it has changed throughout history. The easiest way to define development, in our case, is to describe it in terms of the improvement of the life of the society – which is not happening as TPLF, Inc., wants us to believe. Development is not just only about economic growth, but about the elevation of the living standards of the whole society, and it should aim to create economic, social and political improvements so that all people can live dignified lives. It is good to have development for poverty alleviation, without excluding other social aspects – such as human rights, good governance and treatments of citizens fairly and equally without favouring one group or any group over the other for any reason.

The question is, when the development that TPLF, Inc. often trumpets is accompanied by violent processes causing immeasurable sufferings to citizens, including losses of lives, and immense destruction to their economic base, how would one have the moral standing to call it development? If the development, as the government claims, is in favor of the local people, why does the government not consult Oromo farmers, who are victims of this false development – before implementing its Plan? The fact is that the Plan is not in the interest of the Oromo people as it is aimed to rob them of their land, and make them mere bystanders as members of the ruling junta use the land to enrich themselves at the expense of the dispossessed Oromo mass.

The Plan, which TPLF has called the “Integrated Master Plan/IMP” – which was the cause for the losses of the lives of many Oromo university students and the massive evictions of Oromo farmers from their farm and home lands, is aimed to reduce Oromos to poor day-laborers and street beggars as witnessed over the last two decades. As one of the Oromo activists, who was among those who protested the Master Plan around Finfinne said, “the development programs of the EPRDF are simply means of marginalizing the Oromo people to consolidate the political power within the circle of the ruling junta.” The development, that has been claimed by TPLF, is not sustainable because only very few members of the society have got richer as the vast majority has got poorer by day.

If what we have been told about the development is the truth, why is Ethiopia ranked among the poorest countries in the world and only better than just one country, namely Niger? Why is poverty scale for Ethiopia the highest on the global poverty scale in 2014? Why is nearly ninety percent of the total population of the country struggling for their daily basic needs? The answer is simple; there is no meaningful development as it is one of the usual TPLF’s fabricated lies. In the same way the TPLF/EPRDF is used to fabricating false documents whenever they want to punish whoever has disagreed with their repressive rule, they also seem to be doing the same in the case of the development they claim; even as their development has not at all reflected in the lives of the larger society, they have continued to lie anyways.

In spite of the country’s immense potential in manpower and natural resources, the marginalization of the majority from the development process, coupled with corruption that has become recklessly rampant at every level of the government structure, leaves any hope for meaningful development a pipe dream. Today, lack of food, poor health care, poor living standards and low quality education remain common problems in the country while the world stands shocked by the level and amount of capital flight out of the country, as often reported by the International Financial Integrity. I strongly believe that there is no positive thing to be expected for the Oromo people from TPLF and their lobby-boy outfits called OPDO. If anything, the recent moronic outburst by Abay Tsehaye threatening a rule by terror against the Oromo people, if the so called Oromo leadership fails to implement the Integrated Master Plan (or Intended Marginalization Plan of the Oromo people), is indicative of the best laid plan of uprooting and dispossessing the Oromo people from their ancestral lands; all with the intention and aim of making way for the expansion of TPLF cronies and family oligarchs at the expense of the Oromo people.

Abay Tsehaye was attributing the failure of the first-round attempt of the implementation of the evil Plan against the Oromo people about a year ago to failures by the OPDO leadership to be aggressive enough in its pursuit. By that, he was effectively mocking the blood of the Oromo martyrs who lost their lives, and those who have survived with physical disabilities and mental traumas sustained in the hands of the brutal TPLF-controlled Federal Police – for resisting the evil Plan.

Hawassa Burning
Immediately following the outburst of Abay Tsehaye came the footage of a section of the Hawassa city burning to ashes as did parts of Finfinne, Harar and Dire Dawa over the last five years, and that of the city of Bahir Dar just a few months back. The Hawassa fire came out as the most shocking due to the news of children perishing in it.

There is no magic fire that arises out of the blue to reduce parts of city after city to ashes without a human hand being behind it. And that devilish hand of arson belongs to none other than the agents of doom – the TPLF, Inc. – that much – all the peoples in Ethiopia know, and that the wider world has also learned enough about TPLF to know more than that this day. If anyone has doubts about that, it is self-evident when considering how the fire brigade turns up at the fire scenes after more than half the job of destruction was done by the fire; and in fact, that the fencing squad converges on the razed ground – almost before daybreak the next morning – to secure the land for TPLF members and cronies. The fact that all the fires, that broke out in the mentioned cities, had happened during nights also tells tales. TPLF, Inc. must be the only humanity in the world that happily self-aggrandizes and quenches greed by burning fellow citizens like insects as well as razing their livelihoods to ashes with impunity.

The Inglorious Abay Tsehaye
One can surely state that a single Oromo person can hardly be found to reside in any part of Tigry region as a layman, leave alone go there with authority to dictate what to do, or where or how to do anything in Mekele or any part of the Tigray region. But, here are Abay Tsehaye and gang – armed to the teeth and riding on the barrel of gun – wreaking havoc in Oromia region for nearly a quarter of century – seemingly unstoppable. Now, time has come to put a concerted and united front, with all oppressed peoples, to put these bigoted merchants of doom in their right place before it is too late as they seem to stop at nothing in their act of state terrorism and threat of committing genocide by irresponsibly mobilizing state power against the unarmed poor Oromos.

In conclusion, TPLF is fast self-defeating as they are busy killing their own image in the watching eyes of the world every time they kill and maim unarmed innocent poor people. By that, they have long promoted themselves to terrorist status even long before they have assumed state power. As they stand more recognised for their evil works and isolated than ever before, ours is to get our acts together and give them a little push to ensure that they will be consigned to the dust bin of history, and to be relieved of their sinister jobs against our country and its people.

Oromia shall be free!

Freedom House Report: Ethiopia in 2015

Discarding Democracy: Return to the Iron Fist

Overview: 

Ethiopia’s scores

March 12, 2015 (Freedom House) — In 2014 the Ethiopian government continued to suppress free speech and associational rights, shattering hopes for meaningful reform under Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Government harassment and arrest of prominent opposition and media members continued, including the April arrest of nine journalists who were charged under Ethiopia’s controversial antiterrorism law. In April and May, massive protests in Oromia Regional State broke out following the announcement of the planned expansion of Addis Ababa into Oromia. At least 17 people died after the military fired on unarmed protesters.

Despite nascent signs of an opening with Eritrea, formal dialogues remain frozen between the two countries. The Ethiopian-Eritrean border remains highly militarized, though no major border clashes were reported in 2014.

Sporadic violence resumed in Ethiopia’s Ogaden region after talks failed in 2013 between the government and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a separatist group that has fought for independence since 1991. In January 2014, two ONLF negotiators dispatched to Nairobi for a third round of talks were abducted and allegedly turned over to Ethiopian authorities by Kenyan police. The kidnappings effectively ended the talks.

Ethiopia ranked 32 out of 52 countries surveyed in the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, below the continental average and among the bottom in East Africa. The country’s modest gains in the index are due to its improvement in human development indicators, but its ranking is held back by low scores in the “Participation and Human Rights” category.

Political Rights and Civil Liberties:

Political Rights: 7 / 40 [Key]

A. Electoral Process: 1 / 12

Ethiopia’s bicameral parliament is made up of a 108-seat upper house, the House of Federation, and a 547-seat lower house, the House of People’s Representatives. The lower house is filled through popular elections, while the upper chamber is selected by the state legislatures; members of both houses serve five-year terms. The lower house selects the prime minister, who holds most executive power, and the president, a largely ceremonial figure who serves up to two six-year terms. Hailemariam has served as prime minister since September 2012, and Mulatu Teshome as president since October 2013.

The 2010 parliamentary and regional elections were tightly controlled by the ruling coalition party Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), with reports of voters being threatened with losing their jobs, homes, or government services if they failed to turn out for the EPRDF. Opposition party meetings were broken up, and candidates were threatened and detained. Opposition-aligned parties saw their 160-seat presence in parliament virtually disappear, with the EPRDF and its allies taking all but 2 of the 547 seats in the lower house. The next elections are scheduled for 2015.

B. Political Pluralism and Participation: 2 / 16

Shorn of their representation in parliament and under pressure by the authorities, opponents of the EPRDF find it difficult to operate. In July 2014, opposition members—two from Unity for Democracy Party, one from the Arena Tigray Party, and one from the Blue Party—were arrested without charges and held without access to legal representation. The Ethiopian government denies the arrests were related to 2015 elections, but the detainments follow the government’s pattern of suppressing political dissent prior to popular votes.

A series of December 2014 rallies by a coalition of opposition parties saw nearly 100 people arrested, including the chairman of the Semayawi Party. Witnesses report that police beat protesters, though nearly all those arrested were released on bail within a week.

Political parties in Ethiopia are often ethnically based. The EPRDF coalition is comprised of four political parties and represents several ethnic groups. The government tends to favor Tigrayan ethnic interests in economic and political matters, and the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front dominates the EPRDF. While the 1995 constitution grants the right of secession to ethnically based states, the government acquired powers in 2003 to intervene in states’ affairs on issues of public security. Secessionist movements in Oromia and the Ogaden have largely failed after being put down by the military.

C. Functioning of Government: 4 / 12

Ethiopia’s governance institutions are dominated by the EPRDF, which controlled the succession process following the death of longtime Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in 2012.

Corruption remains a significant problem in Ethiopia. EPRDF officials reportedly receive preferential access to credit, land leases, and jobs. Petty corruption extends to lower-level officials, who solicit bribes in return for processing documents. In 2013, the government attempted to demonstrate its commitment to fighting corruption after the release of a World Bank study that detailed corruption in the country. As part of the effort, the Federal Ethics & Anti-Corruption Commission made a string of high-profile arrests of prominent government officials and businessmen throughout 2013 and 2014. The Federal High Court sentenced many corrupt officials in 2014, including in one case a $2,500 fine and 16 years in prison. Despite cursory legislative improvements, however, enforcement of corruption-related laws remains lax in practice and Ethiopia is still considered “highly corrupt,” ranked 110 out of 175 countries and territories by Transparency International’s 2014 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Civil Liberties: 11 / 40

D. Freedom of Expression and Belief: 3 / 16

Ethiopia’s media are dominated by state-owned broadcasters and government-oriented newspapers. Privately owned papers tend to steer clear of political issues and have low circulation. A 2008 media law criminalizes defamation and allows prosecutors to seize material before publication in the name of national security.

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Ethiopia holds at least 17 journalists behind bars—the second-highest number of jailed journalists in Africa as of December 2014, after Eritrea. Restrictions are particularly tight on journalists perceived to be sympathetic to protests by the Muslim community, and journalists attempting to cover them are routinely detained or arrested. Those reporting on opposition activities also face harassment and the threat of prosecution under Ethiopia’s sweeping 2009 Antiterrorism Proclamation. At least 14 journalists have been convicted under Ethiopia’s antiterror law since 2011, and none convicted have been released.

In April 2014, police arrested nine journalists—six associated with the Zone9 blogging collective and three freelancers—and charged them with terror-related offenses. Their trial has been postponed 13 times and was closed to the public until recently; their defense lawyer claims the defendants were forced to sign false confessions while in prison.

In June, the government fired 18 people from a state-run, Oromia-based broadcaster, silencing the outlet’s reporting on Oromo protests. In August, the government charged six Addis Ababa–based publications with terrorism offenses, effectively shuttering some of the last independent news outlets inside Ethiopia. In October, three publication owners were convicted in absentia after they fled the country. The same month, Temesgen Desalegn, former editor of the weekly Feteh, was convicted under Ethiopia’s criminal code on defamation and incitement charges and sentenced to three years in prison.

Due to the risks of operating inside the country, many Ethiopian journalists work in exile. CPJ says Ethiopia drove 30 journalists into exile in 2014, a sharp increase over both 2012 and 2013. Authorities use high-tech jamming equipment to filter and block news websites seen as pro-opposition. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), since 2010 the Ethiopian government has developed a robust and sophisticated internet and mobile framework to monitor journalists and opposition groups, block access to unwanted websites or critical television and radio programs, and collect evidence for prosecutions in politically motivated trials.

The constitution guarantees religious freedom, but the government has increasingly harassed the Muslim community, which has grown to rival the Ethiopian Orthodox Church as the country’s largest religious group. Muslim groups accuse the government of trying to impose the beliefs of an obscure Islamic sect, Al-Ahbash, at the expense of the dominant Sufi-influenced strain of Islam. A series of protests against perceived government interference in religious affairs since 2012 have ended in a number of deaths and more than 1,000 arrests.

Academic freedom is often restricted in Ethiopia. The government has accused universities of being pro-opposition and prohibits political activities on campuses. There are reports of students being pressured into joining the EPRDF in order to secure employment or places at universities; professors are similarly pressured in order to ensure favorable positions or promotions. The Ministry of Education closely monitors and regulates official curricula, and the research, speech, and assembly of both professors and students are frequently restricted. In 2014, the Scholars at Risk network catalogued three incidents in academia, including the jailing or firing of professors who expressed antigovernment opinions.

The presence of the EPRDF at all levels of society—directly and, increasingly, electronically—inhibits free private discussion. Many people are wary of speaking against the government. The EPRDF maintains a network of paid informants, and opposition politicians have accused the government of tapping their phones.

E. Associational and Organizational Rights: 0 / 12

Freedoms of assembly and association are guaranteed by the constitution but limited in practice. Organizers of large public meetings must request permission from the authorities 48 hours in advance. Applications by opposition groups are routinely denied and, in cases when approved, organizers are subject to government meddling to move dates or locations. Since 2011, ongoing peaceful demonstrations held by members of the Muslim community have been met with violent responses from security forces. Protesters allege government interference in religious affairs and politically motivated selection of members of the Ethiopian Islamic Affairs Supreme Council. Though momentum has slowed, protests continue.

After the government announced an expansion of Addis Ababa’s city limits into the Oromia Regional State in April 2014, thousands of Ethiopians took to the streets. Witnesses reported that police fired on peaceful protesters, killing at least 17—most of whom were students in nearby universities—and detained hundreds.

The 2009 Charities and Societies Proclamation restricts the activities of foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) by prohibiting work on political and human rights issues. Foreign NGOs are defined as groups receiving more than 10 percent of their funding from abroad, a classification that includes most domestic organizations as well. The law also limits the amount of money any NGO can spend on “administration,” a controversial category that the government has declared includes activities such as teacher or health worker training, further restricting NGO operations even on strictly development projects. NGOs have struggled to maintain operations as a result of the law.

Trade union rights are tightly restricted. Neither civil servants nor teachers have collective bargaining rights. All unions must be registered, and the government retains the authority to cancel registration. Two-thirds of union members belong to organizations affiliated with the Confederation of Ethiopian Trade Unions, which is under government influence. Independent unions face harassment, and trade union leaders are regularly imprisoned. There has not been a legal strike since 1993.

F. Rule of Law: 3 / 16

The judiciary is officially independent, but its judgments rarely deviate from government policy. The 2009 antiterrorism law gives great discretion to security forces, allowing the detention of suspects for up to four months without charge. After August 2013 demonstrations to protest the government’s crackdown on Muslims, 29 demonstration leaders were charged under the antiterrorism law with conspiracy and attempting to establish an Islamic state; their trial remains ongoing. Trial proceedings have been closed to the public, media, and the individuals’ families. According to HRW, some defendants claimed that their access to legal counsel has been restricted.

Conditions in Ethiopia’s prisons are harsh, and detainees frequently report abuse. A 2013 HRW report documented human rights violations in Addis Ababa’s Maekelawi police station, including verbal and physical abuse, denial of basic needs, and torture.

Yemen’s June 2014 arrest and extradition of British citizen Andargachew Tsige to Ethiopia at the government’s request has sparked outrage from human rights groups. Andargachew is the secretary-general of banned opposition group Ginbot 7 and was sentenced to death in absentia in 2009 and again in 2012 for allegedly plotting to kill government officials. Reports suggest that police have denied the British Embassy consular access.

Domestic NGOs say that Ethiopia held as many as 400 political prisoners in 2012, though estimates vary significantly. Nuredine “Aslan” Hasan, a student belonging to the Oromo ethnic group, died in prison in 2014; conflicting reports about the cause of his death—including torture—have not been verified.

The federal government generally has strong control and direction over the military, though forces such as the Liyu Police in the Ogaden territory sometimes operate independently.

Repression of the Oromo and ethnic Somalis, and government attempts to coopt their parties into subsidiaries of the EPRDF, have fueled nationalism in both the Oromia and Ogaden regions. Persistent claims that government troops in the Ogaden area have committed war crimes are difficult to verify, as independent media are barred from the region. The government’s announcement of its intention to expand Addis Ababa’s city limits into the Oromia Regional State exacerbates tensions over historical marginalization of Oromia; according to activists, the expansion will displace two million Oromo farmers.

Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited by law and punishable by up to 15 years’ imprisonment.

G. Personal Autonomy and Individual Rights: 5 / 16

While Ethiopia’s constitution establishes freedom of movement, insecurity—particularly in eastern Ethiopia—prevents unrestricted movement into affected sites.

Private business opportunities are limited by rigid state control of economic life and the prevalence of state-owned enterprises. All land must be leased from the state. The government has evicted indigenous groups from various areas to make way for projects such as hydroelectric dams. It has also leased large tracts of land to foreign governments and investors for agricultural development in opaque deals that have displaced thousands of Ethiopians. Up to 70,000 people have been forced to move from the western Gambella region, although the government denies the resettlement plans are connected to land investments. Similar evictions have taken place in Lower Omo Valley, where government-run sugar plantations have put thousands of pastoralists at risk by diverting their water supplies. Journalists and international organizations have persistently alleged that the government withholds development assistance from villages perceived as being unfriendly to the ruling party.

Women are relatively well represented in parliament, holding 28 percent of seats and three ministerial posts. Legislation protects women’s rights, but these rights are routinely violated in practice. Enforcement of the law against rape and domestic abuse is patchy, and cases routinely stall in the courts. Female genital mutilation and forced child marriage are technically illegal, though there has been little effort to prosecute perpetrators. In December 2012, the government made progress against forced child labor, passing a National Action Plan to Eliminate the Worst Forms of Child Labor and updating its list of problematic occupations for children.

Source: Freedom House

Strengthening Initial Goal Beautifies The end.

Firehiwot Guluma Tezera

March 11,2015

I don’t think that there exists anyone who doesn’t know the intent Oromos started struggle.The intent is to liberate Oromia.This aspiration of over hundred years of age in 1992 brought together Oromos who have been disorganized by lie and propaganda of their enemies and resulted in the raising of Oromo flag for the first time in the largest city of Oromia, Finfinne.It is this initial goal that made Oromos nation coming from eleven provinces to realize that they have the same intention.The previous derogatory names of “gaallaa’’ and “qottuu” for the Oromo was replaced by the correct name Oromo.Afaan Oromo, language which was a target of smear campaign by irresponsible habeshas who claimed that the language is not suitable for the media and struggled for over hundred years to make it extinct and make it illegal for the Oromos to use their own language, became a language of instruction and work.Oromos who according to their enemies do not have land and came from ocean, became recognized with a map that they live and own the land in eleven provinces within Ethiopia. Many Oromos realized that they were Oromo and the name Ethiopia was forced on them.If our initial aim of Oromos was to democratize Ethiopia, may be today most of us will call ourselves with the name forced on us “Ethiopiyawi”, and we may never enjoy the benefits, mentioned above, that our initial goal partly achieved.

Even if the struggle takes long time and has a slow pace, it is only when stick to the initial goal and struggle  that we can be successful and gain respect of the Oromo people.In the history of liberation struggle, it is common that the struggle of the people proceeds slowly at times but eventually end up in succession not particular to the struggle of Oromo people only. Sometimes this slow down happens in the struggle of Oromo people. When such weakness and disagreements occur, a strong leadership should come out of it. But in the struggle of the Oromos, when we come out of such disagreements and slowdowns, it results in a weaker leadership with policies that weaken the struggle, which is shocking and questionable.

 The Oromo people should be aware of this new weakened leadership with failed policies, policies which failed to liberate Oromos from slavery of over hundred years and the slavery imposed on it through Gobana Daace and make sure that such mistakes do not happen again. I don’t think that the Oromo people will benefit from the struggle of those people who claim that they are struggling to democratize Ethiopia. It will be an act that the Oromos will disapprove and they will regret in it. It is clear that their struggle will result in us loosing the benefits listed above that we got by blood of sons and daughters of Oromo. Those habeshas who work with the Oromos who say they are struggling to democratize Ethiopia think like their forefathers, a nation with one language, one religion, one culture and everybody assimilates to be an amhara. These habeshas claim on their media that such name as Oromia doesn’t exist.

So Oromo people say that we must be vigilant. Oromo has not given up and consented to the idea of Habeshas even though they think so. We oromos resist with the idea of democratize Ethiopia first. Before Ethiopia democratizes Oromia shall be liberated. As long as we have a gun and people who wish to liberate Oromia we will not give in to Habeshas.

FIGHTERS MAY PASS, BUT THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES!

Oromian Parties Terminate their participation in May Elections

In Oromia regional state up to six political parties have terminated their participation in the coming election because Ethiopian Election Board’s refusal to address their concerns. Whereas, the OPDO, the sitting organization rebuffs any concerns.

For the full Amharic program listen below:

http://amharic.voanews.com/audio/2673556.html

Source: Siitube

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Sole opponent in Ethiopian parliament says won’t run in May vote

March 11, 2015 (Reuters) – Ethiopia’s sole opposition member of parliament said on Wednesday he would not run in the May election and his party would not field candidates because of state meddling in the party’s leadership, casting a new shadow over the vote.

Rights groups have criticised the government for stifling dissent in the media and detaining opponents in the run-up to the election. They have also accused the authorities of abuses in previous polls. The government has denied all the charges.

In 2005, 174 opposition politicians won seats in the 547-seat parliament but many did not take them up after pronouncing the vote rigged. In 2010, Girma Seifu, deputy president of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), was the sole opponent to win.

“I will not run for the upcoming election. It is because the government forced us not to run,” Girma, 48, told Reuters. “All of the UDJ nominees are not running for this election.”

The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of four regional parties, has been in power in the Horn of Africa country for about a quarter of a century since communist rulers were overthrown. Analysts do not expect that to change in the May vote.

Analysts said the UDJ was one of only two parties that have been vocal opponents of the government. The other is the Blue party, which is also expected to field candidates.

Girma said a handful of people in the UDJ had challenged the choice of party president last year but that the election commission exaggerated the dispute so it could step in to put “an individual who was not part of the party” into the top job.

Government spokesman Shimeles Kemal denied this, saying the panel had acted to resolve a row and ruled in favour of a rival camp to Girma’s. He said Girma could challenge this in court.

“The electoral board is entitled to settle such disputes,” the spokesman said. “Girma’s group is aggrieved by this decision and they have started to demonise and incriminate the board by coming up with this conspiracy theory.”

Ethiopia has many registered parties, but Girma said they did not represent a genuine challenge to the government. “Most of them are established in the name of opposition, but they are not real opposition,” he said.

He said he had filed a case seeking to reclaim the UDJ name.

The EPRDF, previously led by the late rebel commander and premier Meles Zenawi and now by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, has been widely credited for rebuilding Ethiopia’s shattered economy after years of famine and conflict.

But critics accuse the government of using authoritarian tactics, such as detaining bloggers and silencing opponents.

The government says it guarantees free speech, only detains those who break the law and runs fair elections in which opponents are free to stand.