Tokkummaa Bineensonni Beeke Akkamitti Oromoon Wallaaltee Diina Yartuu Jalaatti Hidhamtee Teysi

Ibsaa Barento

Tokkummaan humna, tokkummaan jabina, tokkummaan mirga fida, tokkummaan walqixxummaa arkamsiisa, tokkummaan mirga namaa kabajjisiisa, tokkummaan tuffii  jalaa nama baasa, tokkummaan daho fi dahannoo, tokkummaan gurmuu fi  waan hundaa fu bu’aa guddaa akka qabu, fakkeenyaaf jireenya bineesota maqaan isaanii asii gaditti tuqamu kana irraa tarii Oromoon  xiqqo waa barachuu danda’aa waan jedhu irrattiin ibsa gabaabaa kana kennuu barbaada.

Yayyii: Yayyiin bineesa laafaa humnaaniis dadhabaa dha. Yayyiin jireenya isii kan ittiin geggeeffattu tokkummaan, wal-jala deemuun, ajaja fudhachuun waliif dhaga’uun fi walii wajjiin hojjechuun cinaacha dadhabaa isaanii akka cinaacha jabatti jijjiiramu godhuun waan isaan barbaachisu ta’uu haalaan waan itti amananiifi. Tokkummaa kana irraa kan ka’e, bineensa bineesota hunda keessaa jabaa ta’e Leenca kan bineensi biraa jajjabaan hundi yeroo isa arke fincaan bubuusu,  Yayyiin sodaa tokko malee ariitee qabdee nyaatti. Kana irraa kan ka’e abboonni keenya yeroo makmaakan, wanti jibrii irra laaftuu hin jirtu, garuu qajjiisni jibrii hedduun yo walitti qabame Leenca hidha  jedhanii ilmaan fi gorsaa turan.

Fakkeeny biraa, nama maqaan isaa Oromoo jedhamu tokkootu ilmaan kudha tokko qaba. Ilmaan isaa kun yaadaaniis, hujiiniis akkasuma iddoon olmaya isaaniilleen garagara. Kana irraa kan ka’e guyyaa hunda joollee ollaa tan isaan irra jajjabduutiin tumamanii bo’aa galgalaa ganama abbaa isaanitti himachaa turan. Abbaan isaanii kun guyyuu tumamuu ilmaan isaa garaan dadhabee  waan takka isaan barsiisuuf dirqame, kuniis  tokkummaan akka hojjetanii fi tokkummaan bu’aa akkam akka qabu.  Kana irraa kan ka’e isaan hundaanuu deemaa ulee takka takka fidadhaa jedheen. Isaaniis akkuma itti himametti ulee takka takka fidatan. Isaan hundaanuu ulee teysan cabsaa jedheen. Rakkoo tokko male cabsan. Ammaas abbaan isaanii taraa lammadaa tiif akka ulee takka takka fidatan ajaje. Akkuma ajajaman godhuun isaan hundi ulee takka takka fidatan. Abbaan isaanii ulee kudha tokko isaan hunda harkaa guuree walitti hidhee isa irra jabaatiin ho cabsi jedheen, gurbaan jabaan ol-jedhee, gad-jedhee, jilbatti qabatee, karaa hundatti laalee cabsuu dadhabe jedhee abbaa isaatti deebise. Abbaan isaanii maal jedheen silaa akka ulee tanaatti isin tokkummaan deemtanii guyyaa hunda joollee gandaa ta isin hin geenyeen tumamtanii bo’aa natti hin galtan jedhen.

Kanniinsa: Kanniisi uumaa bineensaa keessa hedduu xiqqaa fi dadhabaa, ammoo hujii humna isaa tii olii hojjeta. Bifaan ykn zaataan Kanniisaan kan wal-fakkaatu Tiiticha, garuu hujiin isaanii Dibaalaa fi Daabbaa. Dibaalaa fi Daabbaa jechuun kiyya  waan wal-hinfakkaanne jechuu dha. Kanniisi bineensa xiqqaa tokkummaan hujii guddoo hojjatu kan ofbira darbee bu’aa isaatiin namallee gargaaru. Tiitichi tokkummaa hin qabu, wal-jala hin deemu, bakkuma itti dhiite bula, humna hin qabu, bu’aa isaa irra miidhaa isaa irra guddoo. Tiitichi heddomina isaatiin humaa godhuu hin danda’u. Habashaan yeroo hedduu Oromoo Tiitichaa waliin wa-fakkeysiti. Kanniinsi beneensa qooda hujii adda addaa baafatee jireenya isaa geggeyfatu dha.  Kanniisi humna waraanaa/defense  tan gaagura eydu tan diina karaa kamiinu dhufu  hagam jabaa fi humnaan isaanii ol-ta’uus lubbuu isaanii dabarsanii warra eegu qaba. Kanniisi hojjetoota ykn workers warra lafa fagoo fi dhiho, baddaa fi gammoojii, gannaa fi bona deeme daraaraa ykn abaaboon gosa gosaa lafa jiruu funaanee fidu qaba. Warra bishaan fiduus kopha qaba. Kanniisni akkasuma dhaltuu ta dhaltu akka shanyiin isaanii heddomaattu ta gootuus kopha qaba. Kanniisni mootii/king tan isaan hunda ajajju if keessa qaba. Mootiin/king  gaagura keessaa baanaan hundi isaani jala bahan malee jalaa hin hafan. Kanniisni haala kanaan tokkummaan hojjechuun damma mi’aawaa san hojjetee nama fayyada.

Rirma: Rirmi bineesa xiqqaa tokkummaan hojjetu. Abalu Rirma yo jedhan, otoo ati hin beekne qoqoree si fixa jechuu dha. Rirmi muka gurguddaa namni nu yo itti baayyatee qottoon tumaa oole malee jegsuu hin dandenye jala qoqoree jiigsa/jiysa. Rirmi niis akkuma bineesota lamaan olitti ibsine wal-dhaga’uun, wal-jala deemuun, wal-kabajuu fi qooda hujii , dirqama hujii isaanii fudhachuun raawwachuuni fi haga du’a lubbuu walii isaanii tiif dabarsuun bineensota beekkaman. Bineensonni tokkummaan haala kanaan waliin hojjetan kanneen hafan hedduu jira garuu gabaabatti akka fakkeenyaaf ta’u jedheen sadeenuma kana arraaf fudhadhe.

Rabbiin/Waaqni yeroo nama uume uumama lafaa hunda irratti waan lubbuu qabuu fi kan lubbuu hin qabne hunda irratti mootii godhe/irra caalchisee uume. Kuniis jechuun nama sammuu yaaddu tan uumama bineensa alaa tii fii kan mana hunda irraa ol isa gootu waliin uume. Eega bineesi sammuu haga ilma namaa hin geenye qabu hagana yaaduu danda’e, nuti Oromoon uumama sammuu tiin bineensota kanaa gadi mo, sammuun Rabbiin/Waaqni Oromoof kenne kan namoota gara biraatiin ykn saba biraatiin adda mo maali? Tigreen saba biyya Ethiopia jedhamtu san keessa jiru keessaa saba bicu dha. Garuu xiqqeenya isii beektee humna isii bakka takkatti wal-itti kuustee, tokkummaa uummatte hujii humna isii tii olii hojjechuun saboota gurguddaa akka Oromoo gabroomsaa jirti. Oromoon maalif kana irraa waan takka barachuu dadhabe? Wal-diddaa tytaa/aangoo tan jidduu jirtu kan qabaachuun malle yeroo biyya dhunfanne. Amma aangoo eenyulleen ittiin mindaa nyaachaa hin jiru.

Please, please, please/yaaboo, maalo, mee isin kadhanaa warri kaayoon teysan Orimia bilisoomsuu taate tokkummaa nuuf uumaa ummanni Oromoo hundi isin jalatti hiriira, irree fi humni keenyaas ni jabaataa, diinni keenyaas waliigaluu keenya yo dhaga’e otoo nuti hin dhofne naasuunuu ni baqaa maalo mee Rabbii /Waaqa isin uume sodaa dha. Laffeen abbootii , tan aayyootii, tan gootota Oromoo tan Calanqoo lolaa, tan Calanqoo calii, tan Aanoolee isinitti haa mul’attu, tan lafa Oromoon itti wal-itti lallabate waliif tumsaa ture mul-iftu tan akka Odaa bultum, tan akka Odaa nabee hirriiba isin haa dhowwitu.  Harmi murame, dhalli murame, harki murame fi mormi murame akka isin if yaadattan isin haa godhu. Walii galuu dhaba keessaniin gabrummaa Oromoo irratti akk hiitanii teysan hin dagatinaa.

>bilisummaa

The Unlimited Human Rights Violations In Ethiopia.

by Mekonenn Elalla

In Ethiopia , EPRDF has set unconstituional legislation to protect its own crime against the people
and to prolong its life span on power. The new Press Law and the Controversial Anti – Terrorism laws are some of the mechanical devices the dictatorial government muzzles opposition voices and fundamental human rights. Those who dare to ask their right are left behind bars. These days two-third of the population is left to a complete destitution; and more than ever, a great deal of citizens are forced to leave the country as their security or livelihood is drastically under risk. The consistent prejudice and the day to day injustice committed against those who cry for impartiality are clear indications that authorities running the judicial system are not qualified rather hand picked to implement the interest of the governing party without questioning the judgment is unfair or just.

The outcry and misery of Ethiopians are not limited only for those who are living inside the country, under the iron grip of EPRDF. Unprecedented number of refugees and immigrants living on foregin land all over the world, who are not partakers of the oppression , are also crying. The cry longing for the end of tribalism, despotism, racial segregation, and fascism that reigns in the country; and this cry is not merely out of their mouth but flaming out from their gut out of desperation.

As the gruesome human right violations are getting worse, many Ethiopians are left with no other option than leaving the country, crossing borders in tears. In the process of this forced migration, many Ethiopians cry for being victims of illegal and inhuman organ trade (trafficking) in sinai and other dessert s. Quite many cry falling in the fierce Jaw of beasts while crossing jungles. Others risk their life crossing dangerous sea and ocean waves on worn out boats under the shadow of death; and many of them cry while capsizing to be buried under sea bed or becoming live preys for sharks.

Our sisters living in Middle East and Arab countries are crying under the shackle of modern slavery; being denied their wage for the harsh labor work they are subjected for. Some become victim of boiled oil by their employers and cry bearing life threatening burns and scars on their face and bodies. As if these are not enough to bear on their weak shoulder, many of young girls are being raped without their consent and become hopeless to get any legal protection or justice. Some have lost their life being thrown off high building and those who are lucky to survive are crying being disabled. Still a lot are crying as they are being chased for having no residential permit or paper, locked in prison where they sustain inhuman corporal punishments.

Currently , in Ethiopia the Anuak nation is crying as they become victims of genocide. The Amharas are also crying as they are being displaced from place to place and treated as unwanted citizens in their own country. The same fate is hunting Oromo people and they cry in solitary and mass confinement in shaggy prisons scattered all over the country. Scholars are crying as they are being sentenced to death for writing or telling the truth. Religious and sacred places have become war zones. Monks and nuns cry as they are being flogged and persecuted in Waldiba monastery. Who is not crying ? The whole nation is crying; crying by the same cause: unlimited injustice and human right violations of EPRDF.

Through different means of incarceration and even by systematic killing of oppositions, EPRDF has become the sole governing party of the country for the last two decades; yet it couldn’t win the heart and mind of the people. There are times the party applies a fear-appeal management to make people submissive for its power; terrorizing people on racial and religious grounds. Sometimes,it threatens citizens to lose their work or other benefits unless they stay loyal to the party and keep silent to ask their right. At first, the party was playing racism as a winning card to stay in power and to win pubilc trust ; but that couldn`t yield any fruit. Knowing its failure, now, it has been a few years since EPRDF has started to play advocacy for some sentimental and nationally honored concepts which the party doesn`t really committed to or belive on. For instance, recently, the party invested a lot resource to celebrate The Ethiopia Millennium with the people as if it didn`t deny that and said the country has only a history of one century. Again , as if EPRDF didn`t degrade the honor of the country `s flag and called it ” a piece of rug, ” now it has started to celebrate flag and culture days nationally.

Not only these, EPRDF is currently using the Nile dam, Hidase as a hot cake to lure the appetite of the nation to get his back. However, the people are well aware of its motives and understood these acts of the party have no real essence to cheer beyond being instrumental to stay in power. If there is one thing the party doesn`t understand or still not will to admit is that EPRDF was not, is not and will not be able to earn public trust and support.

>bilisummaa

The Oromo Liberation Movement AND the Line that Must not be Crossed

Bakalcho Barii | August 4, 2013

In his official comment as a president of the United States, in regard to the not guilty verdict by a Florida Jury on the case of  George Zimmerman murdering a black teenager, Trayvon Martin and the feelings of anguish and anger  among the Afro-American communities,  Barack Obama said”

“There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.” 

By quoting President Obama and the feelings of race-relations in the United States, I am describing the feelings of millions of Oromo’s and Southern nations, including myself, who have suffered verbal and physical abuse, bullying and in-humane treatments in the hands of Abyssinians’ since colonization. There is no single derogatory term the Abyssinians’ haven not used to break the Oromo’s physically, socially, economically. What is so sad about the over 130 years episodes of Abyssinian colonialism in Oromia was that, even those Oromo’s and other nations, who denied their nations and their identities and took on the alien Abyssinian identities or “Ethiopiaew” , they never ever all  escaped the mistreatment, denigration , mistrust, abuse and all the derogatory name calling  by their Abyssinian masters.

Much has been said or written about how and when the Oromo and the Southern Ethiopian empire people’s and their country fell prey to the archaic , but brutal and savagery of the Abyssinian colonialism. Also, much has been said and written why Abyssinian colonialism with such inferior advancement  in any sphere of human development  compared with  the superior and democratic culture of the Oromo’s and the Southern nations have managed to invade and conquer them .

Although, there are those the likes of Richard Pankhurst and many pro-Abyssinian Europeans and American writers, who assert that the Abyssinian colonial expansion towards the Oromo and the Southern nations territories was an expansion by a better and civilized group to justify the Abyssinians claim of “ Menelik II conquered Oromo’s and Southern nations countries to enlighten the unenlightened and to teach them modern culture, and introduce religion to the pagans.”

On the other hand, there are those ,(the second groups) including  the Oromo’s and Southern nations scholars, who agree and argue that Abyssinians managed to invade and conquer their countries, not for their superior (actually the Abyssinians were and are less developed, uncivilized, savage, rudimentary compared to their new subjects), but because of the support, particularly the modern guns given to them by the then European colonial powers, who failed to agree on who should colonize the then Abyssinia itself.

The third groups of scholars argue that ,although the introduction and supply of modern guns by Europeans to the Abyssinians played a great deal in enabling the invading Abyssinian army, they point to the evidence  that an internal traitor(s), who sided with the Abyssinians against their own people for short material gain and fame. According to these observers, had the internal traitors were not there in siding with the enemy in crashing the indigenous resistance, the introduction and supply of modern weapons to the Menelik II army could have failed miserably . These groups point their fingers to the likes of the OPDO’s, who led the current wayyane army into Oromo areas and Gobena Dachi, who helped Menelik II army.

The main focus of this article is to expose and argue against the damage modern traitors in the Oromo liberation movement have inflicted so far and are committed to inflict more by siding with the enemy. These internal traitors  will use anything and all means to discredit the genuine and humble anti-Abyssinian colonial struggle  of the Oromo’s and the Southern nations to appease their  colonial masters for any short term individual and material gains. Here, it has to be noted that in the history of anti-colonial struggle in Africa, Asia, Latin America, there were those internal traitors who sided with the enemy until the last minute to delay or even defeat the inevitable anti-colonial war by the indigenous people. Therefore, the rise and fall of internal traitors in Oromo struggle is not new or exceptional to Oromo’s alone. Here, we can mention some few examples where the internal traitors fought to the end with the colonial army. In Algerian war of independence from the French and the East Timorese independent struggle, the internal traitors sided with the invading army until the last minute to bleed their own people.

Who are the internal traitors of the Oromo Liberation Struggle??

Before I embark on who are these internal traitors, who are bent on aborting the Oromo liberation struggle to ascertain their lost independence, I would like to quote what President Barack Obama  recently commented on the not guilty verdict by a Florida jury on George Zimmerman, who murdered a black teenager named Trayovan Martin. In his official comment as a president of the United States, Barack Obama described the feelings of Afro-Americans in the following way, quote “There are very few African American men in this country who haven’t had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me. There are very few African American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars. That happens to me — at least before I was a senator. There are very few African Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she had a chance to get off. That happens often.^”

By quoting President Obama and the feelings of race-relations in the United States, I am describing the feelings of millions of Oromo’s and Southern nations, including myself, who have suffered verbal and physical abuse, bullying and in-humane treatments in the hands of Abyssinians’ since colonization. There is no single derogatory term the Abyssinians’ haven not used to break the Oromo’s physically, socially, economically. What is so sad about the over 130 years episodes of Abyssinian colonialism in Oromia was that, even those Oromo’s and other nations, who denied their nations and their identities and took on the alien Abyssinian identities or “Ethiopiaew” , they never ever all  escaped the mistreatment, denigration , mistrust, abuse and all the derogatory name calling  by their Abyssinian masters.

The current online and other media abuse on Jawar Mohammed for only saying “I am Oromo First and Ethiopiawent was something imposed on me” is the extension of the long term Abyssinians’ abuse and mistreatments of Oromo’s and others in that evil empire. To be blunt, Abyssinians’ do care or worry about the exploitation of Oromo resources than the Oromo itself. As experience shows, If there is a means  and a way to get away with the Oromos and take hold of their resources, Abyssinians  will not back down to  achieve that goal. The current selling and displacing of Oromo’s from their ancestral land at any cost indicates to this fact.

While all the Oromo’s experiences and evidences with Abyssinians’ shows humiliation and the total disregard to their very existence, why some internal traitors are all bent on siding with the enemy against their people’s wishes and aspirations??  The simplest response to this question would be short term material gain and political power.

Let me go back to the main point of this article, which is “who are these internal traitors of the Oromo Struggle? All of the Oromo internal traitors, like all other internal traitors those who came and gone in human history have the same main characteristics.  This being, denying the existence of grievances caused by the enemy on their own people , and are prepared to prolong these grievances and  sufferings  of their people by siding with the enemy. The focus of this article is on pro-Ethiopian Oromo groups or parties. These Pro-Ethiopian Oromo groups all deny the century old colonial relations between the Oromo’s and the Abyssinians. They all attempt to reduce the anti-colonial Oromo struggle and equate it to class struggle. Another characteristics of Pro-Ethiopian Oromo groups is their attempt to be more Ethiopian than the Abyssinians themselves by bashing and denigrating all independent  Oromo organizations to be accepted as equal to their Abyssinians’ masters. Fore sample, before he launched his pro-Ethiopian Oromo party, Merera Gudina bashed, belittled and equated the OLF with an Organization headed by the current ODF president. Merera also made an attack by associating the OLF with that of protestant religion headed by the followers of that religion. Merera and his party did all these to be accepted as true “Ethiopiaew” in the camps both the Amahara and Tigre camps.

The Other group pro-Ethiopian Oromo group is the called the ODF. As we all know, all of the current ODF leaders are once the top officials of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). This group, like the Merera group, first targeted and attacked Oromo anti-Colonial struggle as irrelevant, outdated. The president of ODF even went further in his attack on the Oromo people by saying Oromo’s do not deserve independence because of globalization, the changing political dynamics of the East Africa region, and the growing size of the Oromo population. But he never substantiated his argument how and why one’s own population growth, globalization, and the changing dynamics of the East African region will only hinder the Oromo’s to be free. All the above factors used by the ODF president as hindrances to Oromo’s demanding their freedom, the opposite is true in past and present histories of mankind.  Although the term globalization is not new, it was globalization which enabled Europeans to conquer colonies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to search for raw materials for their industries at home. It was during recent globalized world, where many Europeans under the Russian empire, the former Yugoslavia, East Timor, Eretria, and South Sudan gained their independence. Therefore, there is no single grain of evidence which suggest(s) that globalization, population growth, and the changing political dynamics of the region will be an hindrances to the Oromo liberation struggle.

The sad part of ODF was not its anti-Oromo freedom struggle stand,  but how the so called ODF leaders  were hidden, protected and given a platform to promote their evil agendas within the Oromo Liberation camp. I remember when the current ODF president was given Oromo of the year by Oromo Studies Association (OSA) some years back. The current secretary of the ODF was the spokesperson of the OLF until the year 2012. The question(s) that dazzles many Oromo’s, including myself is how, why and by whom these internal traitors were protected to remain in the liberation camp until they revealed their true identity? Why OSA bestowed the Oromo of the Year title to the ODF president? Who are or were the OSA leaders who committed such acts? These are among the many questions the Oromo’s want to get an answer. The other intriguing question that needs an answer is such individuals as Brehanu Nega, Negasso Gidada, Merera gudina were invited and spoken without any challenges their anti-Oromo freedom struggle on different Oromo forums  organized by OSA.

By betraying and coming up with the old “Oromo’s are Ethiopians propositions,” ODF and other pro-Ethiopian Oromo groups crossed that imaginary line and showed us their contempt for the Oromo safuu and the millions of heroes, who have paid the ultimate sacrifice so that their people will live in peace and dignity among all nations of the world.

Bakalcho Barii

>ayyaantuu

African american speaks about Oromo

African American drops this inspirational talk

>ayyaantuu

Ethiopia: Scores dead in crackdown on Muslim protesters ahead of Eid

(OPride) – At least 11 people were killed, several others wounded, and scores arrested on Saturday in a clash between government forces and Muslim activists, eyewitnesses and social media reports said.

The skirmish in Kofele, Edoo, Wabe, and Qore towns in West Arsi zone of Oromia region left hospitals in Awassa and Shashamane crowded with wounded people, the reports said. Surrounding towns of Dodola and Asasa remained under military siege Sunday morning, eyewitnesses said. There are also reports of palpable tension in Shashamane.

The confrontation began after activists requested the release of three Imams – Mohammed Abdalla, Abdulkadir H/Kadir and Mukhtar Safi – arrested in Wabe town earlier this week. Locals began peacefully marching early Saturday morning from the town of Wabe to Kofele to petition regional administrators for the release of the arrested imams. Federal police tried to block protesters near a small town called Totolamo and later opened fire on peaceful demonstrators killing at least six, said one protester who gave his name only as Hussein due to fear of repercussions. Hussein said the whole area looked like a war zone, describing the scene of the confrontation as “full of panic and blood” clouded with tear gas.  

The clash came following a statement in the government media that said the ongoing muslim protests will no longer be tolerated. Muslims have been protesting for religious freedom for close to two years. According to various reports on social media, the killing of peaceful activists in Wabe led to spontaneous demonstrations in the other towns. It was not immediately clear if all dead were from Wabe or other towns where similar confrontations with federal police was reported.

It should be remembered that, last Friday's planned nationwide mosque sit-ins were called off by the activists at the last minute to avoid what the activists saw as government provacation and to prevent bloodshed.

The protests are expected to spread to the nearby towns of Asasa and Dodola towns on Sunday where tensions are already high. It is to be remembered that on April 27, 2012 at least four people were killed in the restive town of Asasa.

Activists say there is a widespread concern that next week's Eid al-Fitr celebration marking the end of holy month of Ramadan may see further protests throughout the country. Last year's Eid saw millions of Muslims chanting slogans critical of the government's interference in religious practices.

In a related news, Bilal Radio journalists Darsema Dori and Khalid Mohammed were also arrested at the notorious Maekelawi prison in Addis Ababa. Bilal Radio on Saturday reported the two journalists were held incommunicado and denied visitation rights even by family members.

In a statement last month, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) called on Ethiopia to release jailed muslim rights advocates. “We are deeply concerned that Ethiopia’s government is seeking to silence peaceful religious freedom proponents by detaining and trying them in secret under trumped-up terrorism charges.  They should be released now and their trials halted,” said USCIRF Chair Katrina Lantos Swett. USCIRF warned that Ethiopia is repressing its muslim community under the guise of countering islamic extremism risking alienation and a possibility of violence.

Muslims make up about 34 percent of 93 million population in Africa's second-most populous nation, according to CIA estimates. Thousands of Muslims across the country have staged weekly mosque sit-ins and street protests for nearly two years. The protesters accuse the government, among other things, of interfering in the Ethiopia Islamic Affairs Supreme Council by handpicking political operatives as leaders of the country’s highest Muslim Affairs body.

*The above photo purportedly from the scene of the conflict was shared by a Facebook user, Madda Islaamaa.

>opride