Oromo:An Open Letter to the President of Genocide Watch

Gadaa . com

Gadaa.com Oduu - News - Hillsboro,USA
... the killing of 92 Oromo civilians, peacefully protesting for Oromo autonomy in March 1992,the killing of six Addis Ababa University students in January ...read more

MSF Team Finds 35 Somali and Ethiopian Dead on Yemen Coast

April, 23, 2009, Awhar, Yemen—A Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) mobile team found 35 Somalis and Ethiopians dead on the Yemen coast on the night of April 22. The dead were among a group who had departed two days prior from the port of Bosasso, Somalia, fleeing insecurity or extreme poverty on a smuggler’s boat. They were travelling in extremely harsh conditions across the Gulf of Aden to reach Yemen.

Survivors who arrived on the coast in Abyan province told the MSF team that, for reasons that remain unclear, the boat capsized as it began to approach the shore during the night. Many refugees were travelling in the dark, airless hull of the boat, which was designed to store fish....Read more

France says arrest warrant for Darfur suspects must be executed

April 21, 2009 (PARIS) — The French government said today that Sudan must cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in executing all arrest warrants issued against individuals in connection with war crimes committed in Darfur.

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (AFP)

The deputy spokesperson of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs Frederic Desagneaux told reporters today that Sudan must “fulfills its obligations towards the ICC and the Security Council”.

“The applications of the ICC must be satisfied. Three arrest warrants have been issued by the Court, they must be implemented and we urge the full and unambiguous cooperation of Sudan with the ICC” Desagneaux said.....for more Sudan Tribune

SHANE GUMI: Celebrating Sunday Easter Or Guyyaa Goototaa?

Guutanbar.
Reported From Nairobi, Kenya.
On this day of April 18, 2009, Abyssinians around the world are celebrating the day of historical significance, the day Jesus Christ, the son of God resurrected. For most Abyssinians and Coptic orthodox around the world, the day marks the greatness of Jesus Christ who sacrificed himself to clean human kind from their sin. For those who believe they were unclean and had been cleaned of their impurity by the blood of Jesus Christ, the significance of this day is of paramount importance. I think there is something very important for SHANNEs on this day as well, as we see below. Today, on Sunday Easter, SHANE is celebrating the Lion of Judah's day, along with thousandAmaharas and Tigres, all over the world. ...read more

Dhaamsaa ABO - Guyyaa Yaadannoo Gootota Oromoo

Dhaamsaa ABO - Guyyaa Yaadannoo Gootota Oromoo
(Ebla 15, 2009) Irratti

"Guyyaa gootota Oromoo yaadatuun aaduma qofaaf osoo hin taane qabsoo eegalame bakkaan ga’uuf kaayyoo xaliilaa ganama itti manaa ba’ame mootummaa dimookraatawaa walaba Oromiyaa argamsiisuuf qabsoo dhugaaf of wareeguuf carraaquuf waadaa haaromsuu feesisa." - Dubbisaa

Sudan's Beshir arrives in Ethiopia

AFP

AFP
ADDIS ABABA (AFP) — Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir arrived Tuesday in Ethiopia, on his sixth foreign trip since an international arrest warrant for ...For more... AFP

Zenawi Admits Exporting Grains While Millions Starve and Die

During his first press conference since the G20 photo-op trip to London, Mr. Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, has admitted to exporting grains from a country that has close to 12,000,000 of its population surviving under severe need of humanitarian food aid (according to OCHA-Ethiopia - mid-February 2009 report). The report also indicates that 4,900,000 people require emergency food assistance.

As declared by Mandela and his Elders group in 2008, the right to food is “fundamental.” Scheming (through exports, debts and land leases) to deprive 12,000,000 people of the right to food is a crime against humanity, and the International Criminal Court (ICC) should do its job and bring Zenawi and his collaborators to justice.

(Read More » » »)

Eritrea becoming 'a giant prison'

The Eritrean government is turning its country into a giant prison, according to Human Rights Watch.

The Horn of Africa nation is widely using military conscription without end, as well as arbitrary detention of its citizens, says HRW.

Hundreds of Eritrean refugees forcibly repatriated from countries like Libya, Egypt and Malta face arrest and torture upon their return, says the group.

Religious persecution and forced labour are also rife in Eritrea, says HRW. ...for more BBC

Woyane government deny genocide against the Anuaks and Somali

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's government is denying allegations it committed human rights abuses against the Anuaks in the Gambella region of western Ethiopia and ethic Somalis in the Ogaden. In a letter, the organization "Genocide Watch" has asked the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to investigate the alleged crimes which it said fit the definition of genocide. for more VOA news

58 Ethiopian migrants arrested

[13 April 2009]

TAIZ, April 13 (Saba)- Security apparatuses in Taiz governorate have mentioned that they had arrested 58 Ethiopian migrants who entered illegally into the Yemeni territories, Security Media Center reported on Monday.

The security apparatuses in the governorate made clear that they seized, in Thubab district coast, a smuggling boat with 34 Ethiopian migrants on its board among them four women.

The security apparatuses of Taiz governorate also referred other 34 Ethiopian migrants for legal procedures who were arrested by Maqbana district police where they illegally entered in the district via the coast.

Moreover, Thubab district security apparatuses has handed over 3 Somali refugees to Kharaz refugee camp in Lahj governorate who were landed in the same day on Khalal district coast.

NN/AM

Saba

MP for Moyale, Ali Mahmoud blames border conflict to Ethiopian Oromo Liberation Front (OLF)

Oromo Liberation Front

Ali Mahmoud, the assistant minister for Special Prorammes and the MP for Moyale, blames border conflict to Ethiopian Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) militias and some Ethiopian authorities. He says Ethiopian government often accuses Kenyans of harbouring the rebels. In turn, the OLF accuse Kenyans of betraying them to the Ethiopian government.

He continues: "As a result, Kenyans often find themselves between the sea and the rock. Although there is a military camp at Odha, the area is so vast that and the soldiers cannot cover the whole region. We have never had any legal territorial disputes with Ethiopia because there are large beacons everywhere along the boundary but our border is infringed all the time with everyone’s knowledge." ...Full report

Ogaden Rebels Counter 'Crisis' Claims by Ethiopia

Ogaden Rebels Counter 'Crisis' Claims by Ethiopia
By Peter Heinlein Addis Ababa 08 April 2009

Rebels fighting for independence in Ethiopia's Ogaden region say they are stronger than ever, a day after the government said the insurgency is in tatters.

A statement e-mailed to news organizations Wednesday says the operational capacity of the rebel Ogaden National Liberation Front is higher than at any point since its anti-Ethiopia insurgency began.

The e-mail, apparently sent from ONLF offices in Europe, says rebels in the arid stretch of eastern Ethiopia along the Somalia border have defeated every major Ethiopian military campaign in the past two years.

The statement was in response to comments from Ethiopia's Communications Minister Bereket Simon, who told reporters that government troops are on the verge of crushing the rebels.

"The situation in Ogaden has developed in such a way that when the ONLF has lost too much ground. And at this point we can say the ONLF is very weakened and in a state of crisis," he said.

Bereket said government political and counterinsurgency operations have undermined the ONLF's popular support.

"The situation in Ogaden is improving by the day," he said. "People are interested in developmental activities and taking matters into their own hands. The government assessment is that the ONLF will find itself in a very difficult situation."

The ONLF statement described Bereket's comments as "wishful thinking," aimed at instilling a false sense of confidence in oil exploration companies the government is trying to lure back to the Ogaden region.

Ethiopia stepped up counterinsurgency operations in the Ogaden nearly two years ago, after the rebels attacked a Chinese-run oil exploration facility, killing 65 Ethiopians and several Chinese nationals.

Industry analysts say no oil has been discovered in the Ogaden.

The government restricts journalists access to the region, and there is little verifiable information about the strength of the rebels or the level of fighting.

The U.S. group Human Rights Watch last year issued a report accusing government troops of staging public executions and burning villages in their counterinsurgency campaign. The report was based on eyewitness accounts.

Ethiopia responded with its own report charging the Human Rights group with using flawed methods that resulted in unsubstantiated and inflammatory allegations. The government rebuttal noted that Human Rights Watch investigators had not visited the Ogaden, and that some of the people listed as dead in the report had later been found alive.

Independent verification of the ONLF's strength on the ground is impossible, but the group is known to have strong backing among Ogadenis living overseas, many of whom are refugees. Hundreds of sign-carrying ONLF supporters staged noisy demonstrations outside the G20 summit site in London last week to protest the presence of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Liberating Oromiya: If no now, when? If not us, who?

By Leenjiso Horo

Bilisumma.com - Much has been talked; much has been discussed about independence. In the struggle against colonial occupation, the terms independence and liberation are used interchangeably. And so is, here, too. Independence cannot come in itself, or by itself or by begging for it, or by penning ones hopes on some external intermediaries or mediators. And it is neither a gift from the Heavenly Kingdom, nor it is a gift by the goodwill of the worldly kingdoms or rulers. Independence is a fruit of bitter struggle. Long ago, the Oromo nationalists understood this to be a self-evident truth that the independence of Oromiya rests on their shoulders, on their willingness and capacity to fight a bitter fight. With this understanding, four decades ago in 1970s, these nationalists, echoing a philosophical version of a 12th century moral philosopher’s (Rabbi Hillel’s) words, asked themselves two fundamental questions: liberating Oromiyaa: If no now, when? If not us, who? Read Full Article Bilisummaa.com

Oromo Protest against Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi at the G20 Summit

The BBC reported that demonstrators have gathered near the G20 Summit venue in London’s Docklands for a second day of protests. Among them were members of Oromo Community in the UK in support of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and against human rights violations by the regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The Oromo community in UK opposes the invitation of dictator Meles Zenawi to the G20 summit, atrocities caused by his leadership to the Oromo and other people of the Ethiopian empire. In the video (link to BBC below), protesters are seen holding the flags OLF and ONLF (Ogaden National Liberation Front).
Watch the Video (BBC)

Related news:

U.S. President Barack Obama scolded Ethiopia's dictator Meles Zenawi during a brief one-to-one encounter at the G20 meeting in London on April 2. Obama reportedly told Meles that the human rights condition in Ethiopia is deplorable and unacceptable.

Following a meeting with Obama, Meles Zenawi, who was invited to represent New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) at the G20 meeting, abruptly canceled a press conference he was about to give.

"His people gave no reasons for this. But insiders in the press center said Zenawi was worried about the kind of questions that were going to be put to him concerning human rights violations within Ethiopia and his dealing with his opponents and Ethiopia’s neighbors," Henry Gombya of BSN reported.

"The African continent really wasn’t heard; South African President Motlanthe said he didn't speak for the continent and Meles Zenawi cowered in the shadows," Gombya writes.

MEDREK: The Final Effort to save Ethiopia

Opinion | By Kemal Abdisa*

Ethiopia is at the crossroads, once again. When the military officer Mengistu came to power in 1974, there was a brief period of cautious optimism for change, only to have our hopes dashed as he kept the status quo and pursued his mass murder campaign. When another armed group of the TPLF/EPRDF came to power in 1991 with big promises and slogans of change, many people of southern Ethiopia were once again hopeful. They hoped to either establish a majority rule via voluntary union of Nations or hoped to otherwise see the demise of the evil Ethiopian empire that has brought so much death and destruction to the horn of Africa. But once again, their hopes were dashed by the TPLF/EPRDF tyranny that still strangles our people inside this state created by force and created by the massacre of many of our ancestors. Despite the tyrannical rule of TPLF however, many brave people of Ethiopia are trying to break the cycle of dictatorship and misery, by waging a peaceful struggle to bring real change once and for all. They began such peaceful struggle not because of the tolerance of the TPLF but due to the willingness to endure misery, to pay the ultimate price for progressive principles and to sustain the struggle even when their members and families are being killed by TPLF agents, left and right, in every corners of the country. Perhaps the biggest attempt to bring change to the country comes in the form of MEDREK, an alliance of several opposition parties and opposition figures....read full report

Meles Zenawi of Tigray may join his brother al-Bashir of Sudan

The action that the International Criminal Court has taken in this situation has restored hope to peace and justice loving people, affirming that international human rights law not only exists on paper, but in reality. It also sends an important message to perpetrators throughout the world that impunity for their crimes is not assured forever; which may be a primary reason that one of the first leaders to defend Omar al-Bashir and condemn the warrant was Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, whose government has also been implicated in a pattern of widespread perpetration of serious human rights atrocities in Ethiopia and in Somalia. He and those within his government may be keenly aware of their own vulnerability to similar actions by the ICC in the future that could upend a deeply entrenched system of government-supported impunity that has protected perpetrators from any accountability. ...Read full report

Ethiopia PM silent on cost of military mission in Somalia

Daily Nation - ‎Mar 23, 2009‎

By ARGAW ASHINE, NATION CorrespondentPosted Monday, March 23 2009 at 19:17 Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is the commander-in-chief of the country’s defence forces, has refused to disclose the cost of the Somalia military intervention....read more
related news:

Zenawi: Unnecessary for parliament to know number of troops killed ...

Eritrea: Bashir in Eritrea after ICC warrant

NAIROBI, March 23 (Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir arrived in Eritrea on Monday on his first foreign visit since he was indicted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Darfur, Eritrea's government said.

"Yes, he is here," Eritrean Information Minister Ali Abdu told Reuters by telephone. "He is meeting with President Isaias, and they are discussing bilateral relations. Why should we worry about the ICC issue?"full report .>> >> >>

Related news:
Sudan's Beshir on first foreign trip since warrant AFP

Sudan's leader visits Eritrea despite warrant The Associated Press

Woyane Government is accused of aiding Somali pirates

gulf news
"They are extending logistic support to the pirates besides harboring them at the Ethiopian camps located on the Somali-Ethiopian boarder regions. Ethiopian Troops gave them protection even inside Somali territories before their pull out," he said

Speaking to Gulf News during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, Ali Abdu accused that some decision makers at the Ethiopian government are the real beneficiaries of piracy, which brought them millions of dollars.....full report

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Rev. Itefa on Bringing Shane OLF and Ethiopia’s Ruling Party to the Negotiation Table

Reverend Itefa Gobena, the former President of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church, disclosed that the Elders, concerned individuals using the traditional means to resolve conflicts, were awaiting for a response from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in the initiative to bring OLF and the Ethiopian ruling party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF/Woyane) to the negotiation table. The Elders have met three times in the past two years in Netherlands with the OLF faction led by Obbo Dawud Ibsa Ayana and based in Asmara, Eritrea.(Read More » » »)