Letter to the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Jointly from the Oromo Community Organizations of the United States and Oromo Studies Association (OSA)

Date: May 6, 2014

The Honorable John Kerry
Secretary of State
2201 C St NW Washington, DC 20520

Re: Ethiopian Government on going violations of human rights and land-grab

Dear Mr. Secretary,

We, the Oromo Community of Chicago, write this letter to bring to your attention and seek your intervention in the widespread and systematic violation of human rights, discrimination and persecution that Oromo people in Ethiopia are facing. Our heart is bleeding while we tell your good office the Ethiopian government’s continued massacre and shocking suppression of peaceful protesters and journalist continued unabated. These acts of state violence, apart from destroying the targeted society, will cause irreparable damage not only to Oromos and the wider Ethiopia but also the international community’s geopolitical interests in the region over the long run.

The Oromo people, the single largest nation in the Horn of Africa, constitute about 40 percent of the population of Ethiopia. The ruling Ethiopian regime came to power following the collapse of the Communist military dictatorship in 1991. The regime is dominated by the former rebel group Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which hails from the Tigray people. The Tigray people approximately constitute about 6 percent of the Ethiopian population and dwell in the barren and over cultivated land of North Ethiopia. The Oromo country, the largest and richest region in Ethiopia, is the breadbasket and the economic backbones of Ethiopia. For Ethiopian elites, who are traditionally the Northerns, maintain a tight grip on the Oromo country. Therefore, in Ethiopia, despite their numeric superiority and richness of their land, the Oromo have always been treated as a minority group, perpetually subjected to political, economic, and cultural depredations and dispossession. Because of their preponderant number, the Tigrayan minority considers the Oromos an existential threat to its political hegemony. For this reason, the TPLF regime is hell-bent on undermining the human, economic, and intellectual capacity of the Oromo people. Repressive measures such as targeted killings, abductions and disappearances, unlawful imprisonments and torture against the Oromo people have been widespread for over two decades. The government denies them freedom of association, press and expression; marginalizes them from political decision-making; stifles and intimidates dissent through invoking arbitrary and draconian laws. Several international organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and International Crisis Group have archived and well-documented scores of these atrocities over the years.

Decades old practice of discrimination and persecution of the Oromo people is now translating into a broad day massacre of the country’s young lives on the streets and villages of the Oromo people. Just over the past few days, when Secretary John Kerry visited the country, only in one city, at least 47 young lives perished under the weight of live ammunition fired at peaceful protestors drawn from high schools and Universities.

These protests were staged by the students following the government’s so called “Integrated Master Plan” for the city of Addis Ababa. The implementation of this master plan will dislocate and dispossess millions of Oromo farmers off their land. The non-violent protest is facing an extreme and disproportionate level of violence from the government. To date, it has claimed the lives of dozens of students while a greater number of students are seriously injured by government force.

Dear Mr. Secretary,

We like to stress that this pattern of gross violation of human rights of the Oromo is repeating itself time and again and has become habitual practice. In 2003, over 300 Oromo students were illegally dismissed from the Addis Ababa University because they protested against the decision of the government to relocate the seat of Oromia from Addis Ababa (Finfinnee). The students were banned from schools, their only ticket to life in the country of little opportunity. Most of them ended up in jail and lived incommunicado for a long time. Some of them died crossing border to escape persecution at home.

We, the community of the Oromo Community of Chicago, would like to draw your attention to these tragic series of events in the last couple of weeks as we call on you to use your office’s diplomatic and/political influence,  resources, and network of friends in order to put pressure on the government of Ethiopia by calling upon it:

1. To stop the acts of violence immediately and to stop implementing the so called “Integrated Master Plan”.
2. To establish a commission of inquiry to investigate the violation and recommend the remedial measures that need to be taken to restore the victims and to penalize the perpetrator;
3. To bring the perpetrators of this atrocious crimes to court to account for their acts of violence;

We also like to call upon you to voice your solidarity with the victims to alert the international community to the events unfolding in Ethiopia. We have faith in you that you will act promptly before the violence and unrest evolve into a full-fledged humanitarian crisis and destabilize the region.

Kind Regards,

Ibrahim Elemo, M. D, M.P.H

President, Oromo Studies Association

Email: ielemo@oromostudies.org

The Joint Letter of the Oromo Community Organizations of the United States and OSA:

1. The Oromo Studies Association
2. The Oromo Community of Chicago
3. The Oromo Community of Ohio
4. The Oromo Community of Michigan
5. The Oromo Community of Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee
6. Oromo Community of Kentucky
7. The Oromo Community of Seattle
8. The Oromo Community of South Dakota
9. The Council of Oromo Elders of Minnesota
10. The Oromo Community of Denver
11. The Oromo Community of Atlanta
12. The Oromo Diaspora Association of New York

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Killings in Ethiopia outrage Minnesota’s Oromo community

By Ibrahim Hirsi

REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

Secretary of State John Kerry meeting nurses and workers during a visit to the Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on May 1.

Members of Minnesota’s Oromo community plan to rally Friday in St. Paul and are calling for a hunger strike to mourn the deaths of student demonstrators gunned down last week by Ethiopian security forces in Addis Ababa.

Oromo students and others in Ethiopia have been protesting since April 26 a plan to develop the capital Addis Ababa, saying the proposal will displace farmers in the city outskirts, erase significant landmarks and dismantle the rich culture and identity of the ethnic Oromo people. Because the Oromia region surrounds Addis Ababa, an expansion of the city will mean a further blow of the region and its people, who have been marginalized for decades, they say.

Addis Ababa city officials argue the plan will develop and improve the city — one of the fastest growing cities in Africa — and its surrounding suburbs.

Thousands of people, mostly university students, took their anger and frustration to the streets of Addis Ababa to express their disapproval of the plan unveiled in April. The ongoing demonstration erupted in violence May 1, the day U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Ethiopia as part of a tour of Africa.

There are conflicting reports about casualties, with government officials saying the death toll has grown to 11 and witnesses counting nearly 50 dead.

Hassen Hussein, an assistant professor at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and a longtime Oromo community activist, said in an interview Thursday that the regime has killed more than 75 demonstrators and wounded up to 200.

Whatever the case, Nasser Mussa, a Minneapolis Oromo-American activist, noted that the demonstrators have been peaceful and were attempting to exercise freedom of expression and demanding their rights.

“Killing unarmed protesters is unacceptable and should not be tolerated,” Mussa said. “The Ethiopian government says they are democratic, but they have been doing undemocratic things for years, including the killing of innocent people and committing other serious human rights abuses.

“The current situation there is making me feel terrible,” said Mussa of the unfolding political tensions and violence in Ethiopia. “Those killed are like brothers and sisters to me.”

Friday protest at state Capitol

Members of the Oromo community in Minnesota will assemble Friday outside the state Capitol to call attention to the killings and condemn the Ethiopian regime. At the rally, which will run Friday to Sunday, demonstrators plan a hunger strike and a 24-hour vigil.  

Courtesy of Hassen Hussein

Hassen Hussein

“Although experience of oppression at the hands of the Ethiopian government is not new to the Oromo population in the Twin Cities, nothing in my recent memory has moved the community as much as the killings of peaceful protesters these past two weeks throughout the vast Oromia region,” said Hussein.

An estimated 40,000 Oromos live in Minnesota, the largest concentration outside Ethiopia. Hussein, who is organizing the protest, and other demonstrators hope the event will raise awareness.

“The regime is a strong ally of the United States,” Hussein said. “We want the U.S. government to reconsider its policies.”

The United State provided the Ethiopian government more than $135 million for humanitarian aid this year. Hussein and Mussa said that aid isn’t used to assist vulnerable populations. Instead, they said, it’s used for human-rights abuses.

“We need to stop our tax dollars from killing innocent people, our children,” Mussa said. “We need to hold the Ethiopian government accountable for what they’re doing.”   

Human-rights abuses

According to a 2013 report by the U.S. Department of State, the most common human-rights abuses Ethiopian forces commit include suppressing freedom of expression, harassment and intimidating journalists and politicians. The report added:

Courtesy of Nasser Mussa

Nasser Mussa

The East African country has more than 80 ethnic groups, according to the report. It has a federal-government system, with its boundaries generally divided into ethnic groups. Likewise, its political parties largely remain ethnically segregated.Other human rights 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; 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; violence and societal discrimination against women and abuse of children; trafficking in persons; societal discrimination against persons with disabilities.

The Oromo ethnic group makes up about 40 percent of Ethiopia’s 94 million people, the largest ethnic group in the country.

BBC World News report on the Oromo protests.

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The Oromo Youth Association in Trøndelag (OYAT): Killing Oromos Will Not Stop the Oromo Struggle

Ajjechaa fi Hidhaan Qabsoo Oromoo hin Dhaabu

Hacuuccaa fi gabrummmaan saba Oromoo irratti bara dheeradhaa ka’ee jiru, har’as bifa jijjiirratee itti fufee jira. Mootummaan abbaa hirree Itoophiyaa TPLF-dhaan hoogganamu jibbiinsa fi tuffii uummata Oromootiif qabu, gochaa gara jabina daangaa hin qabneen yeroo gara garaatti mirkaneesseera. Sagantaan Maaster Plaanii Magaalaa Finfinneef qopha’e kunis qabeenya Oromoo saamuu fi mirgaa abbaa biyyummaa Oromoo dhabsiisuu irratti kan xiyyeeffateedha.

Sabni Oromoos yeroo ammaa kana karoora kana mormuu isaatiif wareegama lubbuu fi miidhaa guddaan irra ga’a jira. Waldaan Dargaggoota Oromoo Trøndelag (WDOT) haala suukanneessa yeroo ammaa kana saba Oromoo irra gahaa jiruuf gaddi guddaan itti dhaga’ameera. Haaluma kanaan WDOT rakkoo uummata Oromoo irra gahaa jiru kana ilaalchisee walga’ii goodhe irratti ibsa ejjannoo armaan gadii baaseera.

1. Sagantaan Maaster Planii Magaalaa Finfinnee yeroo amma karaa mootummaatiin qopha’e, fedhaa fi yaada uummata Oromoo ilaalcha keessa kan hin galchinee fi hin hirmaachifne waan ta’eef cimsnee mormina.

2. Gaaffiin mirgaa bartoonni Oromoo kaasan, gaaffii haqa irrattti hunda’ee waan ta’eef guutumaan guutuutti ni deggera.

3. Barattoonni Oromoo gaaffii fi mormii karaa nagaatiin dhiheeffatan, mootummaan gaaffii ka’eef deebii seera qabeessa kennuu irra, haala suukaneessaa ta’een dhukaasa irratti banuudhaan ajjeechaa fi miidhaa barattoota Oromoo fi uummata Oromoo irratti raawwatu akka dhaabuu fi gaaffiin isaaniis deebii sirrii akka argatu cimsinee gaafanna.

4. Sababa gaaffii mirgaa ka’e kaanaan walqabatee barattoonni barumsa isaanii irraa hari’aman akka barumsa isaaniitti deebi’an; akkasumas Oromoonni bakka gara garaatti hidhamanii gidirfamaa jiran atattamaan akka hiikaman ni gaafanna.

5. Qaamni ajjeechaa fi miidhaa kana geessisaa jiru atattamaan gara murtiitti akka dhiiyatu jabeessinee gaafanna.

6. Hawaasni adduyyaa fi jaarmiyooleen mirga dhala namaatiif dhaabbatan marti gochaa sukkanneessa mootummaan Itoophiyaa uummata Oromoo irraan gahaa jiru akka balaallefataniifi dhiibbaa barbaachisaa ta’e akka irratti godhan jabeessinee gaafanna.

7. Hawaasni Oromoo biyya ambaa jiran marti gaaffii mirgaa sabni Oromoo biyya keessa jiru gaafataniifi itti wareegamaa jiran, gama barbaachisu hundaatiin akka cimsanii cina dhaabbatan kabajaan gaafanna. Akkasumas jaarmiyaleen siyasaa, hawaasumma fi amantii hundi tokkummaadhaan fedhii saba Oromoo irratti xiyyeeffatanii yeroo kam irra caalaa tokkummaadhaan waliin hojjechuufi gaaffii mirgaa saba Oromoo kabachiisuuf gahee isaanii akka raawwatan kabajaan ni gaaaffanna.

Waldaa Dargaggoota Oromoo Trøndelag,
Caamsaa 6, 2014, Norway

———————

The current violations of human rights in Oromia is a continuation of the deep-rooted subjugation and marginalization of the Oromo nation in Ethiopia. The current TPLF-led government has particularly time and again proved its deep-rooted hate and atrocity toward Oromos. It has been undertaking limitless human rights violations over the last 23 years. The so-called “Integrated Master Plan for Addis Ababa City” is a systematic plan to grab the land of the Oromos and further marginalize them from their own fatherland.

The Oromos are paying heavy casualties simply because they are opposing peacefully to the participatory wicked plan. OYAT expresses its deep condolences over the victims of the ongoing atrocity in Oromia. From our meeting regarding on the current situation in Oromia, we have come up with the following consensus points:

1. We strongly condemn the proposed Master Plan by the government due to its lack of the consent and participation of the Oromo people.

2. We fully support the legitimate questions and demands raised by Oromo students.

3. We strongly urge the Ethiopian regime to immediately stop its brutal actions against the Oromo people, and give proper response to the peaceful and legitimate demand of the people.

4. We urge the Ethiopian regime to immediately release all imprisoned Oromos and call for the return of dismissed students to their studies.

5. Those who are undertaking this atrocities and indiscriminate killings should be brought justice as soon as possible.

6. We call upon the international community, human rights organizations and other concerned bodies to condemn the ongoing brutal action of the Ethiopian regime on the Oromo people and impose the necessary pressure on the regime.

7. We call upon all Oromo communities all over the world to stand on the sides of Oromo youths sacrificing their lives. We also call upon all Oromo political parties, religious institutions and civic organizations to strengthen their unity more than ever and work towards ensuring the rights and freedom of the Oromo nation.

The Oromo Youth Association in Trøndelag
May 6, 2014, Norway

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The Indiscriminate Killings of Oromo University Students and Other Civilians by Ethiopian Security Forces is Deplorable!

Press Release

By United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice (USPFJ)

May 7, 2014

It has been confirmed that the Ethiopian regime’s security forces have indiscriminately massacred over 50 unarmed Oromo University students who were all peacefully demonstrating against the plan of the regime to uproot Oromo peasants from the outskirts of Finfine/Addis Ababa. The casualties were said to have included children of age 6 and the elderly who were marching against the proposed plan.  Over 250 Oromo youth and other civilians were seriously injured during the shootings which is said to be continuing sporadically as we speak. More than 2000 Oromo University students and other members of the Oromo nation were unlawfully detained. There is also allegations of torture of those detained.  All Universities throughout Oromia were targeted and being encircled by the regime’s killing squad, the infamous ‘’Agi’azi’ special force, the force feared for being merciless when dealing with peaceful and unarmed civilians.

The massacre began on 29th of April 2014 when Oromo University students peacefully expressed their dissatisfaction and anger over the TPLF/EPRDF’s government’s master plan to expand the territory of Finfine/Addis Ababa. The demand of the Oromo students emanates from the fear that if the plan is implemented, it leaves Oromo peasants who have got strong attachments with their lands without hope and aspirations. This has been the case with hundreds of Oromo peasants around Buurrayyuu areas; who have been deceived into selling their land to the TPLF’s business companies and others for little amount of money only to become beggars in their own land, few months after they lost attachment to their legitimate lands. 

The regime which claims to have a Constitution that clarifies the rights of Oromo nation when it comes to the use of land within Finfine/Addis Ababa and its outskirts in black and white, does the opposite when it suits its own interests. When the people of the Oromo nation demand these rights to be respected the response of the regime is live bullet, torture, and unlawful imprisonment. The killing of the Oromo civilians who have demanded their constitutionally guaranteed rights in a peaceful and nonviolent manner is totally unacceptable and is deplorable.  

The Government in its 2 May 2014 statement tried to repeat its usual deceitful manipulation of blaming “anti-peace and anti-development agents” for causing the death of Oromo civilians.  It is equally deplorable to always label civilians who echo legitimate demands as anti-peace and anti-development agents to systematically shift blames away from the regimes trigger happy security forces.  We have witnessed the same pattern of blame game during the past 23 years against massacres of other Cushitic peoples such as Sidama, the Ogadeni Somalis and Afar among others. 

In particular, it is unsettling to learn that the regime is attempting to divert the legitimate demand of the Oromo civilians by stating that the Oromo people are planning to drive other ethnic groups out of the Oromia region.  We view this as blatant diversion of the genuine demand of the people and an attempt to saw seeds of conflict among peace-loving Ethiopian peoples. We urge all nations and nationalities of Ethiopian to stand in unison to condemn the repression and the extrajudicial killings of the Oromo civilians. 

While we condemn its brutal crackdown on Oromo people, we urge the Ethiopian government to abide by the rule of law and its own constitution when addressing the grievances of the country’s citizens. We also urge the regime to unconditionally release all Oromo prisoners and bring those who have massacred the civilians to justice. We urge the international community and donors to review their relations with the Ethiopian regime which continues to grossly violet basic human rights. We urge Human Rights organisations and global civic societies to condemn the inhumane acts of the regime against the Oromo people and other oppressed peoples of the country. 

Finally, we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Oromo civilians who lost their lives and the grieving Oromo nation for their losses at large. Once again USPFJ on behalf of the Sidama nation, assures the Oromo nation that the Sidama people will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Oromo people for freedom and justice.

United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice (USPFJ) May 7, 2014

uspfj

Ethiopia's TPLF Government Escalates Massacre of Oromo Students,Civilians

Mekonnen Hirphaa, Civil Engineering student killed at Madda Walabuu University, Robe. 

Since Ethiopia's Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front apartheid army massacred over 52 people and injured as many on April 30th in Ambo town, confirmed killings have spiraled to 85, including 5 students killed, in Dambi Dollo town in Western Oromia today.  Eyewitnesses told Oromo Press, 1 female student and 4 others were gunned down in Dambi Dollo on May 6 during a peaceful protest against the Addis Ababa Master Plan, which aims to evict 10 million Oromo farmers from Finfinne and surrounding towns and villages. Students were chanting, "Oromia will not be sold," when they were indiscriminately fired on by Ethiopia's army.  30 students are reported injured from live ammunition and excessive tear gas application. 

Kumala Gudisa Bali, who was shot in Ambo, on April 30th and transported to Finfinne (Addis Ababa) for hospitalization, also died today at Black Lion Hospital.  

Kumala Gudisa Bali, 1 of 52 massacred in Ambo

Many of students who were killed were shot multiple times on the head, neck and on the chest proving the brutality of the ethnically-pure Tigirean Agazi military unit. Other brutal methods of killings include hurling grenades into a crowd of students in soccer fields--one person died this way and 70 were injured this way at Haromaya University. Some members of the federal police gauged out eyes of some Oromos under arrest uttering ethno-racial slurs and "you will never see again." 

In a related breaking news from Fiche town, in north central Oromia, schools are shut down and surrounded by TPLF Ethiopia's army. Witnesses saw at least 50 people, including students, teachers and residents being loaded and whisked away in military convoys. The students at Fiche were not even protesting when the army falsely told them that they were there to detonate a bomb and an explosive buried in the school compounds.   

Ethiopia's TPLF government is disarming Oromia regional police and replacing them with the more loyal and ethnically-pure TPLF soldiers and federal police. Oromia Times confirmed the imprisonment of "4 Oromia police commanders for refusal to order the use of lethal forces" against civilians and students.  The Oromo police commanders were Lieutenants: Tadesse Legesse Gemechu, Habtamu Ragassa, Ayana Milkessa, and Alemu Kitessa Sanyi.  

As many reporters, including BBC's Mary Harper rightly observe: "it is very, very difficult for information to come out showing just how the authorities there are very repressive." 

Even human rights organizations with better resources, including Human Rights Watch, have been unable to get the exact numbers of students and civilians killed, injured and imprisoned in Oromia over the last 13 days. The general consensus, however, is that excessive force is being used by Ethiopia's army to respond to peaceful student protesters demanding an end to ethnic-cleansing  under the guise of urban development and city expansion.   

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“Mirgaa fi bilisummaa keenya amma argannutti garboonfatoota irratti ni qabsoofna, dadhabnu ilmaan itti guddifanna” Gen. waaqoo Guutu – “dhimmi Oromoo kana booda nafxanyootati bofa udduu lixxe taatee jirti. Harkisan itti cita, dhiisan itti lixa” hoogganaa Meccaa fi Tuulamaa

Camadaa Hundee irraa*

Angafootiin hooganoota qabsoo Oromoo raaga isaan raagaa turan amma lubbuun jiraachuu baatanis, jechi isaanii dhugoomee jira. Oromoon alagaa irraa gaaffii tokko illee hin qabu. bilisummaa fi abbaan biyyuummaa kiyya kabajamuu qaba kan jedhu duwwaa ilmaan isaa barsiifate. Sabni mirgaa fi bilisummaa dhabe sossobbaa fi fakkeessii wareertonni dhiyeessanii yeroon inni harka kennate seenaa keessa hin jiru. Abashoonni dhufaa darbaa sababni mooraa masaraa Miniliki keessatti wal lolaniif naannoo isaanii bulchuuf ykn bituuf miti. Qabeenyaa Oromoo fi Oromiyaa irratti duroomuf, aangoo irratti wal lolu. Sirni kaleessaa aangorra tures ta’ee, kan amma aangoorra jiru, yoo toftaan bittaa isaanii garaa garummaa qabaate malee, galiin isaanii Oromoo garboomsuudhaan aangoo siyaasaa fi dinagdee dhuunfachuu dha.

Mana hidhaatti Oromoo guuruun, ajjeessuu fi biyya isaa irraa buqisuun oromomoon mirga isaaf falmachuu irraa tasa duubatti deebisaa hin jiru. Qubattuun abashaa bara Miniliki irraa kaasanii Oromoo akka sabaatti dhabamsiisuuf yaalii eddu taasisanii, itti hin  milkoofne. Miniliki Oromoo miliyoonotaan lakka’aman jumlaan duguugee jira. H/sillaaseen bifuma wal fakkaatuun qabeenyaa fi saba Oromoo akka sabaatti dhabamsiisuuf yaalee jira. bara bittaa dargiis haaluma kanatu itti fufe. Kan bara bittaa TPLF kan bara H/sillaasee fi dargii irraa adda kan taasisu, maqaa afaan kee dubbachuu dandeesse jedhuun, miindeffamtoota irratti ijaaree, qabeenya dachee Oromiyaa saamuu, ilmaan Oromoo egeree sabaaf ta’an karaatti ambisuu, afaan isaa kan dubbatan itti miindessuu, Oromoo aangoo siyaasaa fi dinagdee irraa fageessuu kan kaayyeeffatee dha. haalli TPLF waggaa 22 Oromoo irratti raawwate kanuma. Beektota ilmaan Oromoo egeree sabaaf ta’an toftaa gara garaan dhabamsiisee jira. barataa Oromoo barsiisaa fi beektola lammii Oromiyaa ta’an hundeen balleessuuf kan akka sirna TPLF hojate hin jiru.

Sanas ta’ee kana haqa ummati Oromoo qabu, hukkaamsuun tasa hin danda’amne. Yeroo ammaa dhaloota eenyummaa isaa beekutu Oromiyaaf guddatee jira. galata gootota Oromoo kaleessa lubbuu itti dhabaniif haa ta’uu, yeroo ammaa gaaffiin Oromoo amma galiin isaa qaqabutti sadarkaa humni kamuu dubaatti deebisuu hin dandeenye irra gahee jira. dhaamsa dureen qabsoo Oromoo angafooti dhaammatan qabatamaatti muldhachaa jira. kun bu’aa qabsoo Oromoo ti. Oromoo fi Oromiyaaf gammachuu, diina Oromoof ammoo, mata-dhukkubbii dha. falli TPLF qabu kana booda miindeffamtootaan Oromoo gowwaamsuu fi bituu akka hin dandeenye yeroon itti hubatu amma. Ilmaan Oromoo OPDO keessa galanii, miindeffamtootaan hoogganamaa turan, bifa nama gammachiisuun gara qabsoo sabaatti makamanii jiru. Hoogganni OPDO miindeffamtoota ta’uu isaanii hubachuun, ilmaan Oromoo miliyoonatti lakka’aman miseensa OPDO ta’anii otoo jiranuu, ummata isaanii wajjin dhaabatanii jiru. Kun qabsoon Oromoo diina irratti injifannoo seena qabeessa galmeessisee dha.

TPLF fi miideffamtoota isaa malee,  ilmi Oromoo Oromoo ajjeessuuf diina wajjin dhaabbate hin jiru. Oromoon ilmaan isaa dammaqoo ta’aniifii jiru. Haalli yeroo ammaa tokkummaadhaan barattootiin Oromoo fi ummati Oromoo diddaa garbummaa finiiinsaa jiru kana dhugoomsa. Amma kan  ta’uu qabu OPDOn yeroo kamuu kan walitti haraaramuu hin dandeenye qaama lama ta’uu ishee ti. Isaanis miindeffamtootaa fi sabboontota jedhamanii adda wal baasanii jiru. Keessumaa hoogganootiin OPDO gubbaa jiran yakkaa fi daba gara garaa Oromiyaa fi ilmaan Oromoo irratti waan raawataniif yeroo kamuu ummata wajjin warra haraaramuu hin dandeenyee dha. dhalooti haaraan (dhaloota qubee) kan ta’an garuu OPDO keessa jiraatanis mirgaa fi bilisummaa saba isaaniif akkasumma abbaa biyyummaa isaaniif ifatti falmachuu jalqabanii jiru. Kun guddina siyaasa Oromoo muldhisa.

Kanaaf TPLF amma fedhe meeshaa waranaa fi humna tikaa qabaatus, dachee Oromiyaa keessatti jaamaa (ija dhablee) ta’aa dhufuun isaa ifa ta’ee jira. fincilli barattoon Oromoo golee Oromiyaa hunda keessatti qabsiisan kana muldhisa. Oromoon tokko taanan, diinni keenya amma fedhe guddaa fakkaatus, dachee Oromiyaa keessatti ija hin qabu. ijaa fi gurra diinaa duuchuuf tokkummaan keenya fardii dha.

Keessumaa yeroo ammaa dhaabbileen siyaasaa Oromoo guddaa xinnaa otoo hin jedhiin tokkummaan dhaabbachuu qabu. wal dhibdee ykn garaa garummaa xixiqaaf jecha, diina Oromootiif yeroo kennuu hin qaban. Dhiigdi barattoota Oromoo, dhaabbilee siyaasa Oromoo yeroo kamuu caala, akka waliin hojataniif imaanaa itti ta’uu qaba. xuurii dhiigaan ilmaan Oromoo dhaamte kana dhaabbileen siyaasaa dhaabbatanii ilaaluu qabu. gumaan barattoota Oromoo kan baafamu tokkummaa ilmaan Oromoo dhugoomsuun ta’uu qaba. biyya keessatti ilmaan Oromoo yeroo kamuu caala, waliin dhaabatanii jiru. Dhiigaan muldhisanii jiru. Dhaabbileen siyaasaa biyya keessa jiranis ta’ee, biyya alaa socho’an gaaffiin bilbiltuu tokkummaa ta’uu isaa hubatanii atatamaan waliin hojachuu qabu. hoogganii dhaabaa ykn garee kamuu dhimma tokkummaa Oromoof gurra hin kennine diina gargaaruun ala Oromoof bu’aa tokko illee hin qabaatu. Kanaaf dhiigdi barattoota Oromoo TPLF fi miindeffamtoota isaan dhangala’e, nutokkoomsuu qaba. ajandaa ummata oromomoo fi Oromiyaan ala gaaffiin bilbiltuun hin jiraatu.

Qabsoo galii keenya isa dhumaan nugahu dhugoomsuuf, qabsoo walitti fufiinsa qabuu fi gurraa fi ija diinaa jaamsuu danda’u, gaggeessuu qabna. Kana gochuuf, tokkummaan gaaffii fardii dha. beektotiin Oromoo waldaa fi jaarmiyaan hawaasa Oromoo bakka jiran hundatti dhimma kana dhugoomsuuf dhama’uu qabu. diina keenya dachee Oromiyaa irraa buqisuuf qabsoo roga hundaa gaggeessuu qabna. Keessumaa qabsoo keessa keenyaa, daddaffiin daandii sirrii qabsiiisuun yeroon isaa amma. Hojiin dippilomaasii fi dhageettii sadarkaa addunyaatti argachuu kan dandeenyu, yoo keessi keenya akka Oromootti tasgabbii fi tokkummaa qabaannee dha. kudhan taanee, dhimma tokko dubbachuuf hojii dippilomaasii gaggeessuuf ni yaalla yoo ta’e, namni nama dhaghu hin jiru. Tokkummaa yoo qabaanne, alagaan gurra namaaf kenna. Hojiin dippilomaasii milkii argata. Kana beeknee qabeenyaa qabnu hunda gara humnaatti jijjiruu qabna.

Oromoon biyya Itiyoophiyaa keessatti humna sabni kamuu biyya sana keessatti hin qabaanne qabna. Humna namaa Oromoon qabu, Itiyoophiyaa keessatti guddaa duwwaa otoo hin taane, murteessaa dha. dinagdeen Oromiyaan sirna Itiyoophiyaa jiraachisuuf burqisiiftu bakka bu’aa hin qabu. taa’umsi Oromiyaa Itiyoophiyaa keessatti bakka furtuu dha. qabeenyi keenya  sadan kun gara humnaatti jijjiruu yoo dandeenye, diinni yeroo ammaa kana guddaa fakkaatee of ilaalu kun, galabaa abidda cinaa jiraatuu dha. kana gara humnaatti jijjiruuf dhaabbileen siyaasa Oromoo, caasaan jaarmiyaa hawaasa Oromoo, beektotiin Oromoo gahee murteessaa qabu. kanaaf ilaa fi ilaameedhaan qabeenya ittiin badhaanee jirru, gara humnaatti jijjiruun bilisummaa keenya goonfachuuf haa kaanu. Oromiyaan dhaloota haara egeree isaanii beekan itti guddifattee jirti. Kana booda dhimma qabsoo oromoo tuffatanii bira darbuun tasa hin danda’amu. Gaaffiin oromoo gaaffii mirgaa fi bilisummaa ti. Gaaffii kana deebisuun ala falli abashootii fi bittooti qaban hin jiru. Kana booda gaaffii oromoof otoo hin abboomamiin, egereen isaanii dukkana.

Tokkummaan humna.

* Camadaa Hundee: camadaa@gmail.com

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Ethiopian Government Faces Grilling at UN

We often say at The Advocates for Human Rights that making progress on human rights is running a marathon, not a sprint. For example, the United Nations’ newest human rights mechanism, the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), takes place just once every four and a half years for each country.

The Ethiopian Government’s delegation to the Universal Periodic Review on May 6, 2014, chaired by State Minister of Foreign Affairs Berhane Gebre-Christos

So it was particularly fortuitous that the UPR of Ethiopia took place this morning, as Oromo students continue a second week of demonstrations across the federal state of Oromia to protest the Ethiopian Government’s plans to annex that state’s lands in order to expand the territory of Addis Ababa, and as the Oromo diaspora gears up for protests around the world on Friday to show their support for the students on the ground.

Despite the UPR’s early hour–2:00 this morning here in Minnesota, or “Little Oromia” as the diaspora calls it–social media have been buzzing about the review. And as the 3 1/2 hour review progressed, the Oromo diaspora reported on breaking news of more student protests in Oromia.

A quick primer on the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review
Every country that is a member of the United Nations participates in the UPR once every 4 1/2 years. Unlike the opt-in treaty-body review processes, where independent human rights experts conduct the examination, the UPR is a peer-to-peer diplomatic process. Governments comment on the human rights records of other governments. As you might expect, some governments shower their allies with praise, while other governments use the UPR to offer sharp criticism. Each statement typically includes some words of praise, some statements of concern, and some recommendations for the government under review. Later, the government under review must respond to each recommendation, stating whether it accepts or rejects it.

Like other UN human rights mechanisms, the UPR process has a role for civil society. Last September civil society organizations around the world submitted “stakeholder reports” about human rights conditions on the ground in Ethiopia. These reports are supposed to cover: (1) what progress the government has made on any recommendations it accepted during the last round of review; and (2) any developments since the last review.

Members of the Ogaden ethnic group from Ethiopia, living in diaspora in Europe, protest in front of the United Nations in March 2014

Diaspora civil society groups play critical role in UN reviews
Diaspora advocacy is critical when the UN reviews the human rights records of closed societies like Ethiopia, where local groups may not feel free to criticize the government openly. The Advocates worked with the Oromo diaspora in Minnesota to prepare a stakeholder report for Ethiopia’s UPR, just as we have done for some of the UN’s treaty body review mechanisms. Other diaspora groups are also engaged in the process. For example, groups like the International Oromo Women’s Organization, the UK and Australia and branches of the Oromia Support Group, and the Toronto-based Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa also submitted stakeholder reports for today’s UPR.

Earlier this year, we did in-person and email advocacy with the Geneva missions of governments that we thought might be receptive to the issues we raised in our report. And over the weekend, we followed up with an update on the student protests and government crack-down in Oromia. Watching the live webcast this morning, we were relieved to see that many governments took up some of the Oromo diaspora’s concerns.

The Advocates’ new diaspora toolkit, Paving Pathways, includes a chapter on how to conduct advocacy at the United Nations, and another on advocacy with regional human rights mechanisms like the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Armenia draws attention to diaspora ties, recent casualties in Oromia

Lilia Petrosyan delivers Armenia’s statement at the UPR on May 6, 2014

A whopping 119 governments signed up to make statements during the review. Because of the limited time and intense interest, each government had just 65 seconds to make its points.You can watch the full review here.

The Armenian government offered the most direct commentary on the student protests in Oromia, and also referenced the Armenian diaspora in Ethiopia:

We would like to stress the friendly relations existing between our 2 nations. The presence of the Armenian community in Ethiopia has a centuries old history. Armenia particularly appreciates the generosity of the Ethiopian people and government, who hosted and integrated the survivors of the Armenian Genocide at the beginning of the 20th century.

Armenia commends the commitment of Ethiopia to common Christian traditions and human values, including respect for minority rights, cultural diversity and tolerance. In this regard, we are concerned about the reports of recent casualties in the state of Oromia. Armenia hopes that Ethiopia will continue to make efforts to further preserve the above-mentioned traditions and values as a basis for promoting tolerance and diversity in the country. . . .

We have 2 recommendations for Ethiopia:

1) To further promote tolerance and dialogue between different ethnic and religious groups.

2) To further develop and expand human rights awareness-raising programs in the country.

Perhaps reflecting last-minute changes to incorporate a reference to the government’s use of lethal force against student protesters in Oromia last week, the published version of Armenia’s statement includes the words “New Version” in handwriting at the top.

Governments press Ethiopia to address inter-ethnic conflict, allow free expression, open up civil society
Governments raised a variety of important human rights issues, many of which directly concern the Oromo people, as reflected in our stakeholder report. (Click the country name to read the full text of the country’s statement.)

• Violence and mistreatment by security forces
  • Costa Rica urged Ethiopia to take urgent measures to investigate torture and extrajudicial killings committed by the national defense forces of Ethiopia.
  • Finland and Montenegro recommended that Ethiopia ensure that is has clear, independent, and effective complaints mechanisms in place for individuals to raise allegations of mistreatment by security, military, and law enforcement authorities and prison officials.
  • Rwanda called on Ethiopia to set up police and military training on human rights.
• Forcible resettlement of farmers and pastoralists
  • Austria recommended that Ethiopia’s national human rights institutions be equipped with the resources and capacities needed to independently investigate, and provide appeals and redress for, alleged human rights violations in relation to the resettlement of communities through Ethiopia’s Commune Development Program. The United Kingdom also expressed support for credible mechanisms to investigate allegations of abuses by special police in relation to relocation programs.
  • Bolivia encouraged Ethiopia to protect the rights of farmers and other rural workers.
  • Rwanda called on Ethiopia to strengthen measures to ensure food security.
  • Malaysia and Thailand urged Ethiopia to step up efforts to improve health services, especially in rural areas.
  • Morocco recommended that Ethiopia ensure that all segments of society benefit from economic growth.
• Ethnic and religious discrimination and persecution
  • Namibia urged Ethiopia to enhance the institutional and financial capacities of the Ethiopia Human Rights Commission to effectively carry out its mandate, especially with regard to its working relations with the Oromo, Ogaden, Gambella, and Somali communities.
  • The Holy See urged Ethiopia to improve its outreach to all ethnic communities to actively participate in the political process.
  • Argentina, Bolivia, and Nicaragua urged the Ethiopian Government to combat racism, intolerance, and other forms of discrimination directed at vulnerable groups.
  • Burundi and the Holy See, like Armenia, recommended that Ethiopia expand activities to promote inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue. Canada made a similar recommendation to address inter-religious tensions.
  • Tunisia called on Ethiopia to address education discrimination, and Sudanrecommended that Ethiopia expand primary education in students’ mother tongue.
  • Malaysia, the Maldives, and Namibia encouraged Ethiopia to improve the quality of education for children, especially in rural areas.
• Freedom of expression and association for opposition political parties, human rights defenders
  • Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States recommended that Ethiopia fully implement its constitutional guarantees of freedom of association, expression, and assembly for independent political parties, ethnic and religious groups, and non-governmental organizations.
  • Canada urged Ethiopia to fully protect members of opposition groups, political activists, and journalists from arbitrary detention. Estonia called on Ethiopia to end harassment of political opposition party members, journalists, and human rights defenders. Finlandrecommended that Ethiopia take further measures to ensure the safety and freedom of action of human rights defenders.
• Restrictions on civil society, media; anti-terrorism measures
  • Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden, and the United States recommended that Ethiopia abolish or amend its Charities and Societies Proclamation to allow non-governmental organizations to operate more effectively and to receive funding from outside the country.
  • Australia, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Switzerland urged Ethiopia to narrow its definition of terrorism under the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation and exclude the practice of journalism from the definition, to ensure protections for freedom of expression and assembly, and to better allow non-governmental organizations to function. The United States called for Ethiopia to ensure that the Anti-Terrorism Proclamation is applied apolitically.
  • The Czech Republic also called on Ethiopia to immediately release all journalists detained for their professional activities, including the bloggers and journalists arrested in April 2014 and those jailed earlier, such as Mr. Nega and Ms Alemu.
  • Estonia, Ireland and South Korea urged Ethiopia to stop online censorship and respect freedom of the press. Ghana recommended that Ethiopia decriminalize defamation.
  • Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and France encouraged Ethiopia to amend its Mass Media Proclamation to bring it in line with international human rights standards.
• Due process and judicial independence
  • Botswana expressed concern about intimidation, harassment, threats, and firing of judges who resist political pressure, and called on Ethiopia to ensure the full independence and impartiality of the judiciary.
  • Switzerland called on Ethiopia to ensure the right to a fair trial.
• Disappearances, torture in detention facilities
  • Argentina, France, Japan, Paraguay, and Tunisia recommended that the Ethiopian Government take further actions to address enforced disappearances, such as ratifying the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.
  • Austria and recommended that Ethiopia train all personnel in detention facilities to investigate and prosecute all alleged cases of torture. Paraguay and Spain also called for efforts to prevent torture in detention. The United Kingdom expressed support for credible mechanisms to investigate allegations of mistreatment of prisoners. Bhutanand Russia recommended that Ethiopia improve prison conditions. Kyrgyzstan called on Ethiopia to add a definition of torture to its criminal code that includes all elements contained in the Convention Against Torture.
  • Hungary, Paraguay, and Tunisia urged Ethiopia to grant the Red Cross and other independent international mechanisms immediate, full, and genuine access to all detention facilities in Ethiopia, and Hungary expressed concern about allegations of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of detainees, including torture, rape, and prolonged incommunicado detention.

Recommendations to engage with UN Special Procedures

Some of the recommendations had to do with other United Nations procedures:

• Ghana and Hungary, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Uruguayrecommended that Ethiopia permit visits from all UN special procedures mandate-holders.
• The United States called on Ethiopia to allow the Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Assembly and Association to conduct a country visit, and the United Kingdom recommended that Ethiopia invite the Special Rapporteur on Torture to visit the country.
• Spain also urged Ethiopia to respond to individual communications from special procedures mandate-holders.

The Oromo diaspora may want to use some of these special procedures, described in more detail in our chapters of Paving Pathways on UN advocacy and capacity-building, to submit urgent action letters and request country visits to investigate the situation on the ground in Oromia.

What’s next?
The Ethiopian Government will have several months to examine the recommendations, but then it will have to say definitively whether it accepts or rejects each one. Civil society in Ethiopia, with support from the diaspora, can then lobby for implementation of any accepted recommendations. And the diaspora can engage in remote monitoring of rejected recommendations to continue to shed light on ongoing human rights violations.

There’s also an upcoming opportunity for advocacy at the United Nations specifically relating to the rights of children in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and July 1 is the deadline for civil society groups to share information with the human rights experts on the Committee on the Rights of the Childas they prepare for their 2015 review of Ethiopia. Oromos in the diaspora who are concerned about students in Oromia who are under age 18 and who have faced violence, threats, and arrests because of their participation in protests may want to engage in more systematic remote monitoring and then write a report to bring the issue to the attention of the Committee. They may also want to raise other human rights concerns relevant to children in Ethiopia.

Advocacy at the UN is a long process, but when governments stifle dissent and ignore civil society, sometimes international pressure can prompt incremental reforms. Persistent advocacy from diaspora groups is essential to the process.  The Oromo diaspora is up to the task. We know, after all, that the Oromo people are particularly talented distance runners and can run the marathon needed to improve human rights in Ethiopia.

This post is the second in a four-part series about human rights in Ethiopia. Part 1described the important role the Oromo diaspora is playing in remotely monitoring recent human rights developments in Ethiopia. Part 3 will explore the Oromo diaspora’s strategies for showing solidarity with the Oromo students while pushing for human rights and holding perpetrators accountable for the violence against peaceful demonstrators. Part 4 will tell the stories of Oromos in the diaspora who have spoken with friends and family members on the ground in Oromia about events over the past two weeks.

If you are an Oromo diasporan who has talked to people on the ground who are involved in the protests, facing restrictions on their freedom of movement or freedom of speech, or have other first-hand information, and you’d like to share what you’ve heard for an upcoming blog post, please contact me at abergquist@advrights.org or 1-612-746-4694.

By Amy Bergquist, staff attorney for the International Justice Program of The Advocates for Human Rights.

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