TVORO: Interview with Prof. Mekuria Bulcha

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From home to anywhere …..

By Meron Admasu | September 4, 2013

The Ethiopian regime intensified the killing, imprisonment and persecution of the Ethiopian civilian population. Thousands of innocent people were forced to flee their homes and became refugees in the neighboring countries of Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, and all over the world.

The Ethiopian government has also actively pressed neighboring countries to abduct Ethiopian refugees. There have been evidences that refugees who have been forcefully returned to Ethiopia from neighboring countries have been persecuted upon return. The refugees had the history of facing torture, rape (women) and imprisonment on the basis of the imputed political views and membership in the other political parties. The case of Engineers Abebe and Chemeda, and numerous other cases, is a testimony to the fact that such action of returning and refugee – abductions are in violation of major regional and international human rights laws, treaties and refugee protocols.

Many Ethiopians are left with no other option than leaving the country; At least half of the more than 2.5 million refugees fleeing Ethiopia are Oromo.

The main reason Why Ethiopian people being refuge

The restrictions on freedom of expression and association through politically motivated trials and convictions of opposition political figures, activists, journalists, and bloggers, as well as increased restrictions on print media, no separation of state and religion in Ethiopia, problems included arbitrary killings; allegations of torture, beating, abuse, and mistreatment of detainees by security forces; reports of harsh and at times life-threatening prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; detention without charge and lengthy pretrial detention; a weak, overburdened judiciary subject to political influence; infringement on citizens’ privacy rights, including illegal searches; allegations of abuses in the implementation of the government’s “villagization” program; restrictions on academic freedom; restrictions on freedom of assembly, association, and movement; alleged interference in religious affairs; limits on citizens’ ability to change their government; police, administrative, and judicial corruption.

Most of Oromo people jailed and tortured on suspicion of belonging to Oromo political organizations. Without exception the refugees decided to leave Ethiopia only after being subjected to torture or imprisonment or after a close friend or family member had been killed or jailed “indefinitely”. Recently stepped up military action by the TPLF dominated junta has caused still more refugees to flee.

What ways do they use to migrate?

Many of them mistreatment, abuse, or torture among people who make the journey by smugglers boats 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.

Ethiopia government security forces have been actively abducting refugees and Asylum seekers in third countries such as Djibouti, Somaliland and Kenya.

After years in refugee camps many Ethiopian refugees are able to reach the different county through the assistance of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United States government.

There have been evidences that refugees who have been forcefully returned to Ethiopia from neighboring countries have been persecuted upon return returning mandated and non – mandated refugees without trying them in a court of law in the country providing asylum and convicting them has posed credible dangers to the lives of those forcefully returned.

What happen during migration?

Ethiopian migrants tell of torture and rape in Yemen the Ethiopian teenager survived a treacherous boat journey being smuggled across the Red Sea. But on reaching Yemen was kidnapped and driven at gunpoint to a mud brick house. They got beaten and they raped them at gunpoint. The women get raped and the men are burned. They break bones take people’s eyes out.

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.

–Meron Admasu

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IS TPLF LEADING THE COUNTRY OR EXPANDING IT’S BUSSINESS EMPIRE?

Firehiwot Guluma Tezera

Firehiwot Guluma | Sept 4, 2013

Since the dictator TPLF seized power, it has been clearly engaged in massive corruption and unethical business practices by national or international business rules. As a ruling party, it not only owns strategic sectors of the economy and engages in commercial and trading activities, it also puts competing private sectors in a hopeless no-win situation. This preponderant economic dominance is also used as a political weapon to harass, incarcerate, dominate, weaken and control opposition forces in order to stay in power indefinitely.

The TPLF, the core political power of Ethiopian government, has transformed the Ethiopian economy from State ownership to the private ownership by political parties, mainly the TPLF, by buying investment assets formerly owned by the government of Ethiopia, as prescribed by the World Bank Report and political coercion by the United States Government. At the same time, the TPLF has also started a huge investment program of its own through sham corporate structures. For example, the TPLF controlled Endowment Fund of Rehabilitation of Tygrai (EFFORT) is a conglomerate with an asset estimated well over a billion Ethiopian Birr involved in business investment in all aspect of the Ethiopian economy.

It was established by expropriating capital equipment from different parts of the country and by the infamous defaulted bank debts. Currently there is no business sector that is free from the involvement of EFFORT. It stretched from production to distribution, from finance to insurance, from wholesale to retail, from real-estate to horticulture, from mining to IT. Peculiarly, this trade empire hasn’t ever been audited by external auditor nor repays the loan it borrowed periodically.

Surprisingly, almost 99.9% of the employees in these innumerable companies of EFFORT are Tigrian; which means that majority of the economy is occupied by either the Tigrian private companies or by the extractive trade empire called EFFORT; and they primarily privileged job opportunity for Tigrians. As the complete cycle of economic dominance and privileged labour market portrays, we are under a severe economic genocide. The following tables show TPLF companies under EFFORT.

Companies with investment capital of < 20,000,000 Million Ethiopian Birr

Company Name	Yr.Est(EC)	HQ	Capital	Board chairman
Selam Transport	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Arkebe Ekubay
Segel Construction	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Araya Zerihun
Mega Net Corp	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Alemseged Gebreamlak
Hitech Park Axion Association	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Shimels kinde
Fana Democracy plc	1995	Mekele	6,000,000birr	Negash Haile
Express Transit	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	G/selassie Gidey
Ethio Rental Axion Association	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Atikilt Kiros
Dilate Brewery	1995	Mekele	15,000,000irr	Kahsay Tewolde Tedla
Dessalegn Caterinary	1995	Mekele	15,000,000birr	Dr.Maru Erdaw
Addis Consultancy House	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Sibhat Nega
Birhane Building Construction	1995	Mekele	10,000,000birr	Bereket Mazengiy
Total Capital			116,000,000birr

Companies with investment capital between 20-49 Million Ethiopian Birr

Company Name	Year Est (EC)	Capital	HQ	Board Chairman
Sheba Tannery Factory Axion Assoc	1995	40,000,000	WUKRO	Abadi Zemu
Meskerem Investment	1995	40,000,000	Axum	Tewodros Ayes
Africa Insurance Axion Association	1995	30,000,000	A.Ababa	Yohannes Ekubay
Global Auto Sparepart	1995	26,000,000	A.Ababa	Teklebirhan Habtu
Experience Ethiopia Travel	1995	26,000,000	Mekele	Tony Hiki
Addis Engineering consultancy	1995	25,000,000	A.Ababa	Arkebe Ekubay
Hiwot Agricultural Mechanization	1995	25,000,000	Mekele	Yohannes Kidane
Berhe chemical Axion	1995	25,000,000	Mekele	Abadi Zemu
Rahwa Yibenal Fiyel Export	1995	25,000,000	Mekele	Yassin Abdurahman
Star Pharmaceuticals	1995	25,000,000	Mekele	Arkebe Ekubay
Tesfa Livestock	1995	20,000,000	Mekele	Yohannes Kidane
Total Capital		307,000,000 Birr

Companies with a paid-up capital of >50.000.000 Million Ethiopian Birr

Company Name	Year Esr(Ec)	Capital	HQ	Board chairman
Almedan Garment Factory	1995	660,000,000 Birr	Mekele	Abadi Zemu
Mesfin Industrial Company	1995	500,000,000 Birr	Mekele	Arkebe Ekubay
Mesob Cement Factory	1995	240,000,000 Birr	Mekele	Abadi Zemu
Almeda Textile Factory	1995	180,000,000 Birr	Mekele	Abadi Zemu
Sur Construction	1995	150,000,000 Birr	A.Ababa	Arkebe Ekubay
Trans Ethiopia	1995	100,000,000 Birr	Mekele	Shimelis Kinde
Dedebit Saving & Loan	1995	60,000,000 Birr	Mekele	Atkilit Kiros
Ezana Mining Development	1995	55,000,000 Birr	A.Ababa	Tewodros H. Berhe
Addis PharmaceuticalsProduction	1995	53,000,000 Birr	A.Ababa	Abadi Zemu
Tana Trading House Axion Association	1995	50,000,000 Birr	A.Ababa	Sibhat Nega
Total Capital		1,868,000,000 Birr

Companies that did not make their paid-up capital public.

Ambassel Commerce	Dinsho Share Company	Tigrai Tagai Association	Brook Chemical Share Company
Dashen Beer Factory	Express Ethio Travel Service	Tigrai Development PLC	Computer Networking Technology
Amhara Meleso MaquaQuam	Berhan Building Construction	Star Pharmaceutical Importers	National Electromechanical
Saba Emnebered	Guna Trade Services	Biftu Dinsho	Oromia Credit Bank
Adwa Flour Factory	Wendo Trading	Shala Advertisement	National Geo-Textile
Trans Ethiopia	Tikal Agri Tigrai	Walta Industry	Alage Forest Products
Sebhat Nega PLC	Addis Transport	Tikur Abbay Transport	Martha poultry
Dima Honey Processinf plant	Zeleke Agricultural Mechanization PLC		Beruk Tesfa Plastic Factory
Aberdele Animal Export Company	Maichew Particle Board

*Some Board Chairmen might have moved within the parastatals.

*The amount shown on the tables above are initial start-up capitals. The total net worth of the parastatals has quadrupled.

  Table Source:Ginbot 7

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The Long Awaited manifestation of the Enemy within: from Alliance for Democracy (AFD) to Jijjiramma/Change, and then to Oromo Democrat Front (ODF)

A lot has been written and said about the formation of AFD in May,2006, Jijjiramma in July, 2008, and that of ODF in 2013. In this article, I will attempt to debunk the similarities and differences, if there is any, between these three groups and their anti-Oromo Struggle stand.

After the recent transitions of Oromo Dialogue Forum from AFD of 2006, Jijjirama of 2008, and then to ODF in 2013, one Oromo friend of mine raised the following question to me; “why after all these years? Why establish another Oromo party at the time when Oromo’s of all ages demanding the unity of all Oromo organizations? Why those pro-Ethiopian organizations within OLF including ODF did not come out with their current proposition twenty years ago”?. Your guesses and responses to the above questions could as good as mine. However, reading between their political programs and their speeches, the main target audiences of ODF and Jijjiramma are all Abyssinian Organizations, both Amhara and Tigre and their international backers (Western governments).  In other words, by committing themselves to maintain the Ethiopian empire unity and integrity at the expense and sufferings of the Oromo’s and Southern nations, both ODF and Jijjiramma betrayed the genuine struggle of the Oromo people to appease their Abyssinian masters and the Western governments, who financed and armed them to displace and kill our people at will for over one hundred years.

The ideologies behind for the formation of the three pro-Ethiopian Oromo Organizations were hatched after OLF was forced to leave the then Transitional Charter (TC) that was established after the fall of the Darg in May, 1991. AFD was formed by the combinations of the Jijjiramma, ODF and the Shane-led OLF group. In other words, until 2013 and the consequent formation of ODF as another pro-Ethiopian force by coming out of its closet, the Shanee-led OLF was the combinations of all these three groups. The only point that differentiates the AFD and ODF with that of Jijjiramma –OLF led by Kemal Galchu is only the latter being sent by Meles Zenawi to infiltrate and take over the OLF and presents it as a trophy to TPLF. This action of the TPLF agent-Kemal was encouraged and supported by the current ODF leadership. For example, the current deputy president of the ODF was an advisor to the Kemal led Jijjirama of 2008.

Although, we were told AFD was a genuine alliance that was formed by and among the stake-holders of the Ethiopian empire, and its ultimate goal was to take the Oromo liberation struggle to the next level, the reality was that AFD was inside-out another pro-Ethiopian Organization that was engineered and led from behind by the current leaders of the ODF. Both ODF and the Kemal-Jijjiramma group strive to maintain the empire at the expense of Oromo and other Southern nations misery, their only difference is that the Kemal group accepted the Ethiopian empire without any pre-conditions and joined the Diaspora Amhara group known as G7 ; the ODF group demands “Ethiopian Citizenship” as its pre-conditions, but willing to join either the Amhara camp or the TPLF junta in Finfine if their demand for loyalty is accepted by either of the two Abyssinian camps. Both groups are trying hard to prove to their Abyssinian audience who is more loyal or Ethiopian than the other.

It is quite entertaining and equally sad to see how euphoric all Abyssinians camps are after taking two but the same Oromo political organizations prisoners without a single shot. The Abyssinians are not only  euphoric but they are in a position to choose who is more docile and will serve them better in keeping their empire intact by keeping Oromo’s and Southern nation peoples in their prison.  From what is being talked and written in the Abyssinians camps, at this particular moment, they are showing their preference to the Kemal group over ODF.

Prior to joining the TC in 1991, OLF forces were in the West, South, South East and Eastern Oromia. There was very little communication(s), particularly between the OLF leadership in the West and the South and Eastern Oromia. At that time, the then leaders of the OLF, including the chairman and other prominent figures were based in the South and Eastern Oromia. On the other hand, the Western front which was headed by the current ODF president was assigned as head of the diplomatic front for the organization. It was this group that represented the OLF at the 1991 London Conference.

There are two schools of thoughts regarding the London Conference of 1991 and its impact on the OLF as an organization. The first school of thought argues that the OLF delegations should have demanded the disbandment of the OPDO and the complete absence or withdrawal of TPLF fighters from Oromia as a pre-condition before it joined the TC. According to this group, had there was consensus and pre-conditions attached in joining the then TPLF led TC, it could have forced the TPLF and its international backers to accept the seriousness and demands of the OLF and the Oromo people to run their own affairs, without whom the TPLF and its international supporters could have faced strong resistance by the large disbanded Darg soldiers and the OLF insurgency in the towns and villages of Oromia. This group point their finger to the haste decision to join the TPLF led TC and the haste decision to leave it, which in-turn had exposed millions of Oromo’s and OLF members to the brutal treatment and killings in the hands of TPLF junta.

The second school of thoughts argue that, the OLF decision to join the TPLF led TC in 1991 with all its shortcomings has enabled the OLF to reach the Oromo masses on a large scale and strengthen Oromo nationalism. Those in this school of thoughts, however blame the lack of effective and coordinated leadership to call the KORA SABAA or the General Assembly of OLF early during the TC, which could have hammered the way forward for the Organization and, hence could have minimized the loss and destruction on the Oromo people in the hands of TPLF junta after the hasty decision of the OLF to leave the TC.  Among those vocal critics of the OLF handling of the crisis’s in the aftermath of OLF leaving the TC, is Obbo Ibsa Guutama. In his 2003 book titled “Prison of Conscience” Obbo Ibsa Guutama, among many argues that the very little communication between the OLF leaders, particularly between the Leadership in the Eastern zone and the Western zone, and the failure to convene the KORA SABAA during this period has led to the crisis in the organization, which has contributed for the split of OLF into two in the year 2000.

The Continuing open secret dialogue, meetings between the current ODF leadership and the Meles Regime.

There is a general consensus among the Oromo nationals, and also an official admission on the part of the ODF president, for example at the recently held Oromo Dialogue Forum at Washington DC, in which he replied without any shame and remorse “yes I had numerous meetings and discussions with Meles and Isayas over the last twenty-one years” in reply to one of the participants question whether this allegation was true. However, no one dared to ask or demand from the ODF president what were the meetings about and what were the topics of discussion?  There was no doubt in my mind that the topic of discussions between the ODF president and Aste Meles was how to infiltrate, weaken and destroy OLF, and finally submit OLF as a trophy to TPLF.

In his four parts article titled “Kemal Gelchu & Co. “OLF” Trojan horse” of January 2012,  Argan Beekan http://oromoaffairs.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/kemal-gelchu-co-olf-trojan-horse-part_19.html  argued that  the defection of Kemal to OLF was a ploy or a project  that was designed by Meles and TPLF junta to infiltrate the OLF leadership and hijack the Organization, so that the OLF would be crippled and would not be a threat to TPLF’s long ambitions of ruling the empire for years and decades to come.

The current leadership of the ODF started sabotaging the OLF right from the time OLF left the TC. But their activities of sabotaging the Oromo struggle started taking formal shape after the 1998 Mogadishu Kora Sabaa, where they managed to install their shadowy individuals within the Shanee-OLF. To achieve their goal of forcing “Oromo’s are Ethiopians””proposition, this group worked tirelessly from within the OLF camp, until the year 2013. Although, there was no official approval from the Shanee-OLF group, many still believe the current ODF leadership Ethiopian agenda have had tacit approval from the Shanee-led OLF group. To substantiate their arguments of how ODF had a tacit support for their activities, they point their finger at individuals like Bayan Asoba, who was the Shanee-OLF spokesperson until 2013. Many still believe that AFD was the brain-child of the current ODF leadership and was embraced by the Shanee-OLF group but rejected by all independent Oromo Orgaizations and nationalist Oromo’s worldwide. Those who argue there was a tacit approval from the Shanee-led OLF group for the anti-Oromo activities of the ODF until the year 2013, give more examples such as the Agenda for Peace” of the year 2000 that was presented by current ODF president to OSA conference, the then Burgen Conference, where the current ODF leaders pushed hard for the acceptance of Wayyane demands, the omission of “Independent and Democratic Republic of Oromia” from OLF constitution and replaced by “self-determination”phrase in 2004, attempts to weaken all Oromo Organizations, communities, youth, Women, and civic organizations in the Diaspora, and the takeover of  OSA leadership and replace it with pro-Ethiopian individuals at its helm.

I will never ever forget one Oromo national who made the following comment at the meeting the Shanee-OLF officials called to sell the formation of AFD in 2006.

“For the last forty years, thousands of heroic Oromo sons and daughters have paid the ultimate price for the realization of Oromo freedom, and indeed the Oromo public in general have been engaged in anti-colonial freedom struggle led by the OLF. The founding document of the OLF also states that the Oromo struggle is a struggle of decolonization against Abyssinian colonization and dominations.  To achieve this noble goal of liberating Oromia, thousands and thousands paid the ultimate price. What you guys are doing in the name of AFD is like turning the clock back forty odd years, and reducing the Oromo anti-colonial struggle as a class struggle, and this is what makes this day the saddest days of my life”end of quote. 

Finally, to achieve their evil agenda, ODF and its leaders want to portray OLF as a secessionist organization that is bent on destroying Ethiopia. Therefore, ODF, including any pro-Ethiopian empire Oromo organizations must be confronted by all Oromo’s, particularly by the Diaspora Oromo’s, so that they will cease their activities of attacking the Oromo struggle for freedom and peace. If not confronted and stopped now, these sell-outs will continue sabotaging our march towards freedom by conspiring with our enemies to reverse some of the victories we achieved with so much blood and sacrifice.

 Oromia Shall Be Free!!

For any comments or suggestions, Bakalcho Barii can be contacted bakalchobarii@gmail.com

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