Thursday, March 10, 2016
Ethiopia's Oromo protests: PM Hailemariam Desalegn apologises
Reuters
(BBC) Ethiopia's prime minster has apologised for the death and destruction caused by protests in the Oromia region.
But Hailemariam Desalegn, addressing parliament in the capital, Addis Ababa, said "anti-peace forces" were responsible for the violence.
He said that the government needs to listen to the grievances of the people.
Oromia has been hit by months of unrest, in which 200 people have reportedly died - a number disputed by the government.
The authorities deny that security forces have been involved in a violent crackdown.
The protests began over government plans to expand the capital's administrative control into the Oromia region, which have since been dropped.
Oromia at a glance:
- Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region, surrounding the capital, Addis Ababa
- Oromo are Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group - making up about a third of Ethiopia's 95 million people
- The Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) is Oromia's largest legally registered political party, but holds no seats in parliament
The government later dropped the plan, but protesters dismissed the decision as "too little too late".
Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region and the Oromo people, who make up a third of Ethiopia's population, have complained of historic economic and political marginalisation.
AFP
Mr Hailemariam told parliament that "anti-peace forces... in a bid to divert the people's legitimate questions... have inflicted losses on human lives and government and private property".
But according to messages on the ministry of foreign affairs Twitter feed, the prime minster admitted the problems in Oromia "are direct results of unresponsiveness and unemployment".
He added that the government recognises the need to address grievances and said it "unreservedly apologises to our people for what happened".
However, the government "will intensify their decisive actions against the anti-peace forces," he said.
PAFD’s statement on current deal of the Chinas-Ethiopia- Djibouti Gas Exploitation in Ogaden, Ethiopia
Issued by Peoples’ Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (PAFD)
(Ayyaantuu) The Ethiopian government’s “development strategy,” is founded on its policy of leasing millions of hectares of land to foreign investors, regardless of the rights and consequences for the local communities that depend on those lands. Implementation of this strategy as it is observed in Gambella, Oromia, Omo, Sidama and Benishangul-Gumuz involved grave human rights violations including coerced displacement, extrajudicial killings, political repression, and neglect of local livelihoods of the peoples and nations who have historically been marginalized and neglected by the governments. The foundation stone for a new mega gas project was laid on March 3, 2016, by the presence the Djiboutian President. The project is planned to install a natural gas pipeline, a liquefaction plant and an export terminal at Damerjog, Djibouti from the Ogaden as reported by Global Energy. PAFD believes that this is targeting the most vulnerable people on the continent, the Ogaden people.
Almost all the Ogaden territory are divided into 22 Concession Blocks are being offered unscrupulous corporations or countries by the TPLF/EPRDF regime–a government that is not democratically elected in a free and fair election and do not represent the peoples in Ethiopia. The Ogaden Somali nation, the true owner of the gas fields, is not a party to the land transactions between the TLPF/EPRDF and the third parties. The local Ogaden populace is neither consulted nor compensated for giving up these lands. The regime is uprooting the Ogadenis from their ancestral land and de-stroying the scared sites and the rich and unique plant and animal resources. The people who are uprooted and became landless in this process are perishing from natural and the regime-made famine and are being forced to migrate to Europe and America. The regime is also employing other strategies that are emptying the Somalis from their territory. Since 2007, the TPLF led Ethiopian Government blockaded aid and trade, which is making life difficult for the mil-lions of Somalis affected by famine, which is well known to the international community. During the last ten years the Ethiopian regime has used its army in Ogaden to displace the rural population from large tracts of the Ogaden grassland by burning traditional pasture rich areas in order to clear the land for oil exploration. It is crystal clear that enormous internal displacement is happening from El-Kuran to Djibouti to clear for the land for planned pipelines.
The PAFD strongly denounces and unequivocally condemns this reckless land Concession policy of the TPLF/EPRDF government, which further disenfranchises and impoverishes the Ogaden people. The land transaction be-tween the TPLF regime and the third parties displaces the rightful owners of the land—the Ogaden people—subjecting millions to further poverty, starvation, and death.
The PAFD warns the third parties to the Oppressed peoples land deals that their contracts are null and void as far as the Oppressed nations and the PAFD are concerned. We stress that they are entering into these contracts with a government that is not accountable to the people. Hence we call the third parties to immediately cease and desist from participation in such deals and transactions. This a pattern is an arc that stretches from displaced the border of Sudan to Somalia- displacement of thousands of Benishangul people near the grand Dam for “security reasons; confiscating the farmlands of Amhara people farmers in Amhara regions; disowning Oromo farmers in Addis Ababa Master plan and displacing whole communities in Omo, Gambela; destroying Sidama forests for Coffee plantations; and displacing thousands of Ogaden pastoralists from oil and Gas exploration sites.
The Ogaden people have endured subjugation, massacre and extra judicial killings, loss of freedom and dignity, political repression, poverty and famine, perpetrated by The TPLF/EPRDF regime. Hence PAFD calls upon, the Ogaden people and all other oppressed peoples, to stand up in unison against the TPLF’s regime until we all achieve our freedom and dignity, the right to influence our destiny including the use of our vital assets such as land, and a decent chance at escaping starvation and poverty.
Peace shall prevail!
Issued by Peoples’ Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (PAFD)
March 10, 2016
አምስት የዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ምክር ቤት አባላት በኢትዮጵያ ጉዳይ ለፕሬዝዳንት ኦባማ ደብዳቤ ጻፉ
ፋይል ፎቶ - ፕረዝዳንት ኦባማ በዋይት ሃውስ ስብሰባ እያካሄደ
(VOAamharicnews)“በተቃዋሚ የፖለቲካ መሪዎች የሚፈጸመው አፈና አሳስቦናል።” አምስት የዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ምክር ቤት አባላት ለፕሬዝዳንት ባራክ ኦባማ የጻፉት ደብዳቤ።
ዋሽንግተን ዲሲ —
አምስት የዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ምክር ቤት አባላት አንድ በእስር ላይ የሚገኙት የቀድሞው የጋምቤላ አስተዳዳሪእንዲለቀቁ፤ የጠየቁበትን ደብዳቤ በትላንትናው ዕለት ለዩናይትድ ስቴትስ ፕሬዝዳንት ባራክ ኦባማ ላኩ።
የምክር ቤት አባላቱ በኢትዮጵያ ይፈጸማል ያሉት የፖለቲካ መሪዎች አፈና እንዲያቆም ኦባማ ግፊት ያደርጉዘንድ ጠይቀዋል።
ላለፉት ሁለት ዓመታት በፖለቲካ እስርኝነት እየማቀቁ ነው ያሏቸው የቀድሞው የጋምቤላ አስተዳዳሪ አቶ ኦኬሎአክዌይ ይለቀቁ ዘንድ ፕሬዝዳንት ኦባማን የጠየቁበትን ደብዳቤ የጻፉት፤ የመካከለኛው ምዕራብ ዩናይትድ ስቴትሷ የሜነሶታ ክፍለ ግዛት እንደራሴዎች ሪክ ኖላን (Rick Nolan) ፣ ኪት ኤሊሰን (Keith Ellison) እና ቤቲ መኮለም (Betty McCollum) እንዲሁም የፍሎሪዳ ክፍለ ግዛቱ አልሲ ሃስቲንግስ (Alcee Hastings) እና የሮድ አይላንዱ ወኪል ዴቪድ ሲሲሊን (David N. Cicilline) ናቸው። አምስቱም የዲሞክራቲክ ፓርቲ አባላት ናቸው።
To listen the news click here.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016
#OromoProtest – March 9, 2016
(Ayyaantuu) #OromoProtests there has been no electricity in all of Jimma province for the last 4 days.
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Guyyaa afran dabraniif Jimma keessa elektrikin hin jiru
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Guyyaa afran dabraniif Jimma keessa elektrikin hin jiru
#OromoProtests-(09.03.2016, #EndSlavery, Oromia)”As protests in Ethiopia over the rights of the country’s Oromo people continue, Addis Ababa-based journalist James Jeffrey considers if they are threatening the country’s unity.
The latest round of bloody protests over Oromo rights had a tragically surreal beginning.
A bus filled with a wedding party taking the bride to the groom’s home was stopped at a routine checkpoint on 12 February near the southern Ethiopian town of Shashamane.
A bus filled with a wedding party taking the bride to the groom’s home was stopped at a routine checkpoint on 12 February near the southern Ethiopian town of Shashamane.
Local police told revellers to turn off the nationalistic Oromo music playing. They refused and the bus drove off.
The situation then rapidly escalated and reports indicate at least one person died and three others were injured after police fired shots.
The exact details of the incident are hard to verify, but what is clear is that days of protest followed, including armed local militia clashing with federal police, leaving seven policemen dead, the government says.”
Bitootessa 9/2016 Godina Horroo Guduruu wallaggaatti Warraaqsii biyyoolessaa Oromiyaa #FXG’n daran jabaachuun itti fufee jira.guyyaa har’aa aanota akka #Jaartee,Magaalaa #Aliiboo #Jimmaa Gannatii #Suluula Finca’aa keessatti warraaqsii haalaan Jabaachuun itti fufee, #Sululaa Finca’aa keessatti Waraanni wayyaanee dhukaasaa wal irraa hin citne banuun uummata goolaa jira, Goototni barattootni Oromoo dhaadannoo jabaa, mirgi abbaa Biyyummaa Uummata oromoo kabajamuu qaba!!
Nuti Bulchiinsa Ergamtuu Diinaa wayyaane OPDO hin fudhannu
Waraanni Mooraa barnootaa fi biyya keenya gadhiisuu qaba!!
Nuti Bilisummaa fi dimookiraasii dhabne jechuun warraaqsaa finiinsuun Barnoota dhaabuun Barnootni Bilisummaa Boodaa waraanaaf barachuus hin dabdeenyuu, Mooraan barnoota bakka itti ajjeefamnu ta’ee jira jechuun gara Maatiitti deebi’an.
-Yeroo amma kanba daandiin konkolaataaf bakkoota hedduutti cufamee jira
Guyyaa har,aa bitootessa 09,2016 ganama kana humni kora bitinneessaa jedhamu guutummaan guutuutti Yuunversiitii Wallaggaa fi naannoo ishee weeraree jira.
Humni kora bitinneessaa jedhamu kunis halkan edaa sababii ijoolleen doormii gadi lakkisanii gara magaalaatti imaluu jalqaban baratoonni heedduun immoo mooraamatti hafuun fincila daran finiinsuun mootummaa gabroonfataa wayyaanee boqonnaa dhorkaa bulanii jiru.Baratoonni mooriicha keessa jiranis kalleessa ganama irraa ka’uunishanga har,aa kanatti hunduu nyaata lagachuun diddaa isaanii agarsiisaa jiru. Yeroo ammaa kanas sababii isin humna degersaa yookiinimmoo ABO tu naannoo kana jira jechuurraan kan ka,e humni kora bittinneessaa akkasumas makalaakiyyaa warri jedhamanis heedduminaan mooraa yuunversiitichaa keessaa fi ala isaa guutummaan guutuutti dhuunfatanii jiru.Haaluma kanaan baratootaanis guyyaa har,aa kana ganama irraa ka,uun olseenuu malee gadi ba,uun hin danda,amu jechuun baratoota nagaa dhorkaa jiraachuun maddeen keenya ifa godhu.gabaasa qeerroo
What do Oromo protests mean for Ethiopian unity?
(BBC) As protests in Ethiopia over the rights of the country's Oromo people continue, Addis Ababa-based journalist James Jeffrey considers if they are threatening the country's unity.
The latest round of bloody protests over Oromo rights had a tragically surreal beginning.
A bus filled with a wedding party taking the bride to the groom's home was stopped at a routine checkpoint on 12 February near the southern Ethiopian town of Shashamane.
Local police told revellers to turn off the nationalistic Oromo music playing. They refused and the bus drove off.
The situation then rapidly escalated and reports indicate at least one person died and three others were injured after police fired shots.
The exact details of the incident are hard to verify, but what is clear is that days of protest followed, including armed local militia clashing with federal police, leaving seven policemen dead, the government says.
Oromia at a glance:
- Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region, surrounding the capital, Addis Ababa
- Oromo are Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group - making up about a third of Ethiopia's 95 million people
- The Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) is Oromia's largest legally registered political party, but holds no seats in parliament
Since last November, Ethiopia has seen a third phase of the recent unrest in the Oromia region which has been unprecedented in its longevity and geographical spread.
The region is the largest in Ethiopia and the Oromos, who make up a third of the population, are the biggest of the country's more than 80 ethnic groups.
Initially the protests were in reaction to a plan to expand the administrative border of the capital, Addis Ababa, which is encircled by Oromia.
But even after the region's governing party, the Oromo People's Democratic Organisation, which is part of Ethiopia's governing coalition, shelved the plan in January, protests have continued.
Historical scars
"There is a strong sense of victimhood, extending back 150 years," says Daniel Berhane, a prominent Addis Ababa-based political blogger, covering Ethiopia for the website Horn Affairs.
"People remember the history. The scars are still alive, such as how the Oromo language was suppressed until 20 years ago."
Despite there being an ethnic basis to these protests, observers say that the deeper issues behind them, frustrations over land ownership, corruption, political and economic marginalisation, are familiar to many disenchanted Ethiopians.
AFP
The numbers killed since November following clashes between protesters and security forces given by international rights organisations, activists and observers range from 80 to 250.
The government has dismissed various death tolls as exaggerations, and said that a recent report on the situation by the New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) was an "absolute lie".
'Organised gangs'
Ethiopian citizens had a right to question the plan to expand Addis Ababa, but the protests were hijacked by people looking to incite violence, according to government spokesman Getachew Reda.
He says the security forces have faced "organised armed gangs burning down buildings belonging to private citizens, along with government installations".
A security analyst who closely watches Ethiopia says "there could be radical elements and factions taking advantage, but you cannot define a movement by isolated events".
Despite violent incidents, the protests have been described as "largely peaceful" by HRW and observers in Ethiopia.
"There is a perception of lack of competence in governance on the ground," Mr Daniel says.
"There were easy remedies to appease initial protests, it was not hard science, but the right actions were not taken."
In its defence, the government says it heeded the call of the people when it came to concerns over the Addis Ababa plan, and observers say the government deserves credit for withdrawing it.
Reuters
But the same political observers add that the government must allow Ethiopians to exercise their constitutional right to protest, and handle events in a way that does not escalate violence.
The government has said that the protests and information about them have been manipulated by foreign-based opposition groups who are using social media to exaggerate what is going on for their own ends.
"The diaspora magnifies news of what is happening, yes, but no matter how much it agitates, it cannot direct [what's happening] at village level in Ethiopia," says Jawar Mohammed, executive director of one of those accused of fomenting conflict, US-based broadcaster Oromia Media Network (OMN).
"This is about dissatisfaction."
AFP
Mr Jawar says the imprisonment of leaders of the Oromo Federalist Congress party, Oromia's largest legally registered opposition political party, along with thousands of other Oromo political prisoners, makes it difficult to negotiate a lasting solution.
"Also what is the UK and US doing? As major donors to Ethiopia they should be taking the lead to get the government to work out an agreement."
This is a long way from the heady days of Ethiopia's new federal constitution after the overthrow of the military dictatorship in 1991.
That introduced a decentralised system of ethnic federalism, but this jars with the dominance of the governing Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which, along with its allies, holds every seat in parliament.
Federal tensions
"The ruling government is a victim of its own success," the security analyst says.
AFP
"The constitution it developed made promises and people trusted the EPRDF. Now people are demanding those rights and the government is responding with bullets and violence."
He adds that the government has expanded basic services and infrastructure, and appears to respect different cultural and ethnic identities, but it cannot reconcile this with its more authoritarian decision-making process.
The government's hitherto successful job of holding together this particularly heterogeneous federation is not about to crumble, according to observers here.
But things may get worse before they get better, unless underlying sources of friction and frustration are addressed.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Artiist Admaasuu Biraanuu Maaliin Yaadatama? Maatii fi Waahiloota isaa dubbisneerra.
Artiist Admaasuu Biraanuu
(VOAafaanoromo) WASHINGTON, DC —
Qoosaa, draama, sirbaa fi hojii aartii adda addaa hojjachudhan ummata Oromoo biratti beekkama - Admaasuu Biraanuu. Guraandhala 14 bara 2016 dhalatee ogaa 60-tti, adunyaa kanarra du’an boqate. Admaasun abba ijolee shaniiti. Du’i artiistii jalatamaa kana ijoolee fi firootaa isaa qofa mitii, ummata oromoo hojii isaatin isa jalatuu hunda rifachiisee, gaddisiisera.
Admaasuun Bara 1970 keessaa Siinimaa bulchiinsa magaala Finfinnetti sirba hammayya sirbuuf shubbisan han artitti seene. Achumatti meshaa muziqaa adda addaa han akka tramfeeetii faa taphachuu jalqabe. Admaasun ofii sirbuu qofa odoo hin ta’in walaloo fi yeedaloo sirbaa qopheesee artiistoota akka Dawitee Mokoonnon ,Tsegaayee Dandanaa Hirphaa Gaanfuree fi Asteer Dadhiifaatii gumaachera.
Keennaa uumaa, jalaala artii fi cimanii hojjachuu walitti fayyadamee artiistii urjii ta’udhaf yeeroo itti hin fudhanne.
Tuuta Dhangaa. Dhangaaan sagantaa bashannaanaa Tv Itoophiyaa qophii Afaan Oromoo irratti dhihaachaa ture.
Bara 1990 keesaa ogaa Televisiinii Itoophiyaaratti Sagantaan Afaan Oromo jalqabamu, Admaasun yeroo oddo hin gubiin taatota haaraa walitti qabee shaakalchiisu jalqabe. Obbo Dajanee Guutamaa Itichaa, oggas TV Itoophiyaati qophii Afaan Oromootii Daayreektarii Isitiidiyoo ture. Aadee Simeeny Teessoo immo sagantaa Afaan Oromoo irratti beeksiistuu fi gaazexeesituu turte. Lamaanuu dubbisee, gumaachii Admaasuu guddaa akka ture nayaadachiisaniiru.
Admaasuun Kaarakterii fe’e ta’e taphachuun isa dhibee hin beeku jedhan warri hojii isaa dinqisifatan. Draamaa fi koomedhii ( tapha) irratti hojatee huda asitti siini tareesuu dadhabuus, amma tokoo sin yadachisuudha: Ani eenyuu, abbaa dumbburree, qaanqee, haadha garasuu, mana nyaataa, hadhaa firaa , Ameerikaa, qaween koo fi Dheebuu kaasuun hin gaha.
Aartiin Oromoo reefu hinxuqamnee , reefu jalqabaa jirra han jechaa ture Admaasun kara ijolee nubooda jirtuuti agarsiisa jira jechaa ture. Inni garuu artii jalatuu bakka hawwee gahee odoo hin argin du’an dursameera. Sirni awwalcha Admaasuu bakka firoonni, hiriyoonii fi namoonni hojii isaa dinqisifataan argamanitti magaala Finfinneetti sirnna o’adhan geggefameera.
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