In a Letter to the Deutsche Welle (DW) Broadcasting Board, Oromo Activist Announced Boycott of DW Amharic Service Over Ethnically-Motivated Biased Program Against the Oromo Nation

The following letter was written by an Oromo human rights activist to the Deutsche Welle (DW) Broadcasting Board, regarding the DW Amharic Service involvement in racial/ethnic attack against the Oromo nation on air. Here is the inflammatory and biased program aired on DW Amharic Service on December 8, 2013.

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Dear Broadcasting Board,

We, the Oromos allover the world, are deeply offended by DW’s Amharic Service racial/ethnic attack aired against the Oromo people of Ethiopia on December 8, 2013. The DW host invited two guests from Amhara ethnic group and one guests from the Oromo of Ethiopia. To make it easy for distorting history, the two Amhara guests were professors of history while the Oromo guest was an economist by profession. The two professors were making inflammatory remarks about the Oromo people. The host journalist, who is also from Amhara ethnic group, clearly took the position against the Oromos and involved in harassing the Oromo guest. What’s more disheartening was the fact that these inflammatory remarks fitted the editor’s one-sided editorial position on praising the controversial king Minilik of Ethiopia who masterminded the chopping off 3000 Oromo women’s breasts and Oromo men’s hands in a single day (Abbas 1995, Hassen, 2002, Jalata 1998 and Bulcha 2006). To put it in relative terms, it is praising Adolf Hitler to Jews community on air.

Dear Broadcasting Board, the Oromo make up a significant portion of the population occupying the Horn of Africa. In the Ethiopian Empire alone, Oromo constitute about ~50% of the population (close to 40 million) of the Ethiopian Empire (CSA 2012 and Zahoric 2011). During their long history, the Oromo developed their own uniquely democratic political and social institution known as the Gadaa system. During the late 19th century, King Menelik of Abyssinia conquered the vast Oromo land that now constitutes most of the landmass of the present day Ethiopia. The conquest was very bloody with an estimated 5 million Oromos either killed as a result of the wars or the aftermath plagues. The survivors were evicted from their ancestral land and turned into serfs with no national right to the Oromo language, culture, history and the Gadaa system – all of which were banned in the Oromo country (Oromia) under the imperial regimes of Menelik and then Haile-Selassie II (Gow 2001 and Jaenen 1956). To make the case more psych, they had been calling the Oromos with derogatory name called “Galla,” which is banned in Ethiopia today. The views reflected on the December 8, 2013 program were from such extremist forces which explicitly stated on air that the name Oromo itself was controversial, implying Oromos should be called ‘Galla’ even today. One of the invited guests, Dr. Haile Larebo, stated that the entire history of the Oromo people, was “myth and fiction” – rejecting numerous scholarly works and firm historical evidences. What’s deeply saddening is, all through this, the DW’s Amharic Service moderator did not stop the inflammatory statements of the guest. This position of tolerating inflammatory statements against the Oromo people was taken by the moderator since the remarks fitted his editorial position.

Dear Broadcasting Board, due to this unfair, unbalanced and unethical racially/ethnically biased report of DW’s Amharic Service against the Oromos, we are deeply saddened and, therefore, we are boycotting the DW’s Amharic Service until it starts to present the facts as they are. We are also campaigning so that all Oromos and friends of the Oromo in Ethiopia and around the world boycott the DW’s Amharic Service. The Oromo people are systematically ridiculed by media owned by the Amharas in Ethiopia. It is utterly unacceptable that one of the free media outlets in the world, DW, is being used by those extremist Amharas praising the ‘Hitler of Oromo people.’ Lastly, we are kindly asking DW to air a balanced program on this issue again and requesting an official apology for the Oromo people for the moral damages the program caused.

With Kind Regards!

=>gadaa

Nile Talks Highlight Ethiopian, Egyptian Split

Elizabeth Arrott

CAIRO — Water ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan are meeting in Khartoum to try to resolve differences over Ethiopia's Renaissance Dam. Egyptian officials remain worried the Nile project threatens the nation's security.

Egyptian, Ethiopian and Sudanese officials hope to reach an agreement on the Renaissance Dam, which has angered Egyptian officials and brought forth repeated objections to the project.

This second round of tripartite talks follows a shift in allegiances among the three countries. Sudan has historically sided with Egypt in claiming the lion's share of the river's water and veto rights over upstream developments. But last week, Khartoum lent its support to Ethiopia's drive to complete construction.

Ethiopian officials have tried to bring Sudan and others on board by offering access to future electricity generated by the dam. They argue the project should be seen as a pan-African effort.

Yet Egypt remains worried. Ethiopia began diverting water earlier this year to fill the massive reservoir behind the dam, a multi-year effort that will lower water levels reaching Egypt.

African Studies and Water Issues analyst Ayman Abd El Wahab of al Ahram Center for Strategic Studies in Cairo said Egypt needs compensation. He argued that Ethiopia has crossed the line from usurping Egypt's historic rights to the Nile to threatening national security.  He pointed out that Egypt is alone among the Nile Basin countries to rely almost exclusively on the Nile for its water supply.

The issue has flared for decades, and has raised talk of “water wars.”

Yet el Wahab agrees with many experts that there is enough water to go around, if the resource is properly handled and the nations along the Nile's banks can work together.

Some Egyptian officials had sought a six-month delay in dam construction so the three countries can implement recommendations by an international group of water experts. Ethiopia is eager to move ahead on what is set to be Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, insisting the project will be a benefit to all.

=>voanews

Call for Participation: Emerging Oromo Academics and Professionals Summit – February 21-23, Atlanta, Georgia

The following is a press release from the Oromo Professionals Network.

As a nation, the Oromo people are at historical transition between the gallant and revolutionary generation of the 70s and the rising leaders of the “Qubee Generation,” who are energized to shoulder the responsibility of advancing the Oromo succession.

To carry out this generational inauguration collectively and competently, the time currently calls for a national and international gathering of rising Oromo leaders. Hence, an interactive 3-day conference will bring together emerging leaders from diverse and contemporary fields to critically respond to themes of Oromo history, current community status and the future goals anticipated for emerging Oromo leaders of the future. The objectives of the conference are threefold:

Actively facilitate personal and professional interactions among emerging Oromo leaders;

Develop common understanding on the main issues concerning the Oromo;

Devise practical strategies that effectively coordinate and execute new and ongoing initiatives.

Rising community leaders, advocates and professionals are welcome to apply to the summit as participants or presenters. International attendees are particularly encouraged to apply.

This conference will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, from Friday, February 21st, to Sunday, February 23rd, 2014. The venue will be Hilton Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Atlanta and within walking distance of some of the best attractions in the city, including the Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center and the Georgia World Congress Center.

* Registrations for attendance must be submitted before January 5, 2014. For more information, contact us via apply@oromoprofessionals.com or visit our website: OromoProfessionals.com

=>gadaa