Ethiopia: A Generation Targeted, the Future of a Nation at Risk

HRLHA Urgent Action and Appeal

Public 11 May, 2011.

Although there has been no single section of societies that the Ethiopian TPLF/EPRDF regime has spared in the past 18 years, students have been among the prime targets of attacks. The Oromos in general, and the Oromo students in particular, have obviously been the first in the line of victimization when it comes down to ethnicity and regional lines.

The most recent crackdown against Oromo students, which has been going on since April 14, 2011, has hit all universities and colleges in different regional states, and has sent hundreds of students to prisons without any idea as to when they would be released. All that could be said in this regard, based on past experiences, is that anything between immediate releases (although we haven’t seen any yet) and indefinite incarcerations could happen to those students.

Student Dame Olana
For example, from among hundreds of Oromo students who were arrested and detained exactly in the same manner in 2006, only a few were released while hundreds of them had died in prison, and some are still languishing in prison without verdict.

Following the issuance of its Urgent Action, PUBLIC 12 April, 2011 on this same case of violence against students, HRLHA has been monitoring the situation through its local agents for further details and updates; and, accordingly, it has been able to obtain the names of the following detained students:

No	Student Name	Institute	Date Detained
1	Tariku Bekele	Haromaya University	April 11, 2011
2	Megersa Bekele	Haromaya University	April 11, 2011
3	Fituma Tadesse Biya	Haromaya University	April 11, 2011
4	Tolessa Faraja	Jimma University	April 11, 2011
5	Tufa Bacha	Jimma Universty	April 11, 2011
6	Miressa Qanani	Clinical Pharmacy	April 11, 2011
7	Dame Olana	Clinical Pharmacy	April 11, 2011
8	Tadesse Tekalegn	Addis Ababba University,	April 13, 2011
9	Sanbata Dame	Haromaya University	April 13, 2011
10	Dandii Bekele	Haromaya University	April 13, 2011
11	Alemayehu Garumma	Gotera Campus (Lecturer)	April 13, 2011
12	Fayisa Alemneh	Gotera Campus (Lecturer)	April 13, 2011
13	Dachassa Magarssa	Gotera Campus(Lecturer)	April 13, 2011
14	Sena Marara	Arbaminchi University	April 14, 2011
15	Saya	Arbaminchi University	April 14, 2011
16	Dagim Gizaw	Arbaminch Universty	April 14, 2011
17	Wariyo Banti	Arbaminch University	April 18, 2011
18	Tafese Motora	Wallaga University (Tortured)
19	Biqila Abshalo	Arbaminch University	April 18, 2011
20	Duguma Jabessa	Arbaminch University	April 18, 2011
21	Jamara Tolessa	Arbaminch University	April 18, 2011
22	Biqila Tesfaye	Arbaminch University	April 18, 2011
23	Tilahun Fufa Gutu	A.Ababa University	April 24, 2011
24	Takele Arega Garoma	A.Ababa University	April 24, 2011
25	Duguma Beyene	A.Ababa University	April 24, 2011
26	Damara Gamada Qana’a	A.Ababa University	April 24, 2011
27	Ketema Dhinsa Yadeta	University	April 24, 2011
28	Desalegn Dobbi M	Wallaga Univesity (Tortured)
29	Tolessa Jabana	Jimma University
30	Dereje Gutu	Jimma University

As it was the case in the previous similar crackdowns on Oromo students, this most recent violence by a government against its own citizens was started in Mizan Tepi University with students of Tigrean origin deliberately provoking Oromo students and inciting clashes, with armed security forces waiting standby in the backyard. The worst aspect of these kinds of extra-judicial and politically motivated acts against students is that the victimized students, not only receive punishments that they don’t deserve, but also miss classes, exams, and other types of assessments; and, consequently, their graduations are delayed, or maybe denied. In general, their academic lives would be disrupted, and their future lives ruined. Intimidation and harassment, as they are their negative impacts and discouragements on students who are likely to join colleges and universities in the future, are also enormous. Given that these acts of violence by a government in charge of responsibly ruling a country have singled out the Oromo students only, it is obvious that they are purely racial and discriminatory even to that extent apartheid action against Oromo students.

HRLHA would like to once again express its deep concerns regarding the whereabouts as well as safety of the students who have been taken to custody over the past three and four years. It is also recalled that a lot of students have received injuries of varying degrees from brutal attacks by the security forces on the first day of the violence.

HRLHA calls up on the Ethiopian Government to immediately stop racial and discriminatory violence, and unconditionally release the detained students and facilitate the resumption of normal classes. A thorough investigation of the overall situation is also expected from a responsible government so that the culprits would be held accountable for their wrongdoings. HRLHA also calls up on regional and international diplomatic, democratic, and human rights agencies to challenge the Ethiopian TPLF/EPRDF regime on its persistent brutal, dictatorial, and suppressive actions against innocent and unarmed civilians who attempt to exercise their “said-to-have-been-granted” democratic rights.