Is being a journalist a crime in Ethiopia?

By Hurissa Alemu

July 28, 2014

The dictatorial regime in Ethiopia-led by minority group, TPLF continued stepping up its efforts against press freedom by firing about 20 Oromo journalists from the state-run Oromia Radio and Television Organization (ORTO).

The Ethiopian regime dismissed the journalists from their job without giving any acceptable reason except accusing them of “narrow political views”. As some of the journalists who were among those dismissed said “the reality behind the firing of the Oromo journalists by the regime is the fact that the Oromo journalists exposed the Ethiopian government plan to expand the capital city or Finfinne by evicting Oromo farmers from their indigenous land which caused a wide scale protest through Oromia region against this plan.” The protest was organized by Oromo University and high school students together with local people resulting in the death, injury and the arrest of many students and locals after federal police fired live ammunition against protesters even though the protest was peaceful. In fact persecution, firing, harassment, arresting, torture of journalists and violation of press freedom is not a new incident in Ethiopia under the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front(EPRDF), as the government made a habit of it. We don’t need to look any farther, just two months ago the same government arrested three journalists and six bloggers, called zone 9 bloggers. I don’t remember a single year, which went by without the TPLF/EPRDF lead regime firing and arresting journalists since they came to power in 1991.

For instance, only between 2005 and 2009 about 150 journalists have been forced to leave theirhomeland, (mereja.com) and in connection with 2005 Ethiopian general election the regime had put in jail 17 editors and publishers (cpj.org). The Ethiopian regime is unrestrained by the law and constitution of the country, they do everything and anything as they please without regard for the rule of law. The continuation of persecution, harassment and firing of journalists from their job in connection with their coverage of the students’ protest against the government’s plan to expand Finfinnee by what was called Master plan, which some people termed as Master killer; and the eviction of farmers from their indigenous land is another proof of the Ethiopian regime’s dictatorial and oppressive nature.

It is not difficult to come up with the conclusion that the Ethiopian government wants a journalist who will act as the government mouth piece, to report and promote the interest of the ruling party not that of the larger society as stipulated in the constitution. No one can blame the journalists except TPLF regime and its members since the journalists have the moral and ethical obligations to report such horrific incidents as happened in Ambo and other regions of Oromia. If the Ethiopian regime fires journalists because of doing their job it simply means they don’t want what was reported to reach the people of Ethiopia and the larger world. As it is known, humanitarian and Human Right organizations have been extremely restricted in the country resulting in lack of information especially beyond the capital city. As the Ethiopian regime is always fabricating false documents to crackdown and silence dissent, bloggers and journalists remain the target accused of sympathizing with Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and G7.

The main problem in Ethiopia stems from the fact that the regime and the parliament are the same in form and action. There is no any opposition in the parliament when laws are passed with the aim to discriminate and silence anyone who disagrees with the government. As we know, since the anti- terrorist law was formed, the law is always in favour of the government because when the government fails to indoctrinate you into their ideology, they categorize you as a terrorist and the enemy of the regime in power. Woyanes always deny facts, tell white lies to the people of Ethiopia and the world and want to maintain power at all costs by terrorizing innocent people every single day with the help of the law which was purpose made for the job.

As we know, respect for the freedom of speech is considered an important part of the rule of law and a fundamental requirement to democracy. Freedom of expression concerns the right of citizens to express themselves by giving or receiving information. Freedom of expression is a human right. All people should be allowed to give their views to others, without being subjected to threats. However, in Ethiopia people are always subjected to threats being pestered by the rogue regime if and when they do not think like TPLF and its members. In general, there is no basic freedom of any sort and freedom of speech in Ethiopia under the Woyane rules.

I believe that the pain that we’ve all felt since Eskinder Nega, Reeyot Alemu, and all Oromo journalists who have been dismissed from their job and who are in prison now including the Zone 9 bloggers as a result of inhuman acts of TPLF against them is enormous. We have to do all we can to join hands and oust TPLF regime in order to meet the demand of our people who are hungry for freedom and justice as they suffer in the hands of TPLF brutal regime. I believe, if we stand together with all the oppressed nations and nationalities we will be able to get this done sooner than later. The suffering of our innocent people demand from us to work with all the people who believe in justice and freedom.

At the end I would like to urge all oppressed people who are really looking for a true freedom to stand together to replace the fake TPLF/EPRDF democracy by a real one.

ejeru412@hotmail.com

Ethiopia still needs a ‘strong hand’: PM

Georges Gobet | AFP | Getty Images

July 24, 2014 (CNBC) — The World Bank is “wrong” about how hard it is to do business in Ethiopia, Hailemariam Desalegn the country’s prime minister has told CNBC.

In its latest report on the country published in May 2014, the World Bank highlighted that Ethiopia had slipped in its Doing Business ranking due to deterioration in investor protection, registration of property, access to finance and competitiveness.

But in an exclusive interview with CNBC’s Yousef Gamal El-din on Access Africa, Desalegn rejected the organization’s latest findings saying “what the report says and what’s happening on the ground are to the contrary”.

With its economic output growing by an average of 10.9 percent over the past 10 years, Ethiopia is the world’s 12th fastest growing economy, according to the World Bank. But growth is starting to slip and in 2012/2013, went below the two-digit mark, at 9.8 percent.

Despite the service sector having overtaken agriculture as the biggest contributor to gross domestic product – it represents 45 percent of the country’s GDP – Ethiopia has, according to the World Bank, “above average restrictions on foreign equity ownership” in many sectors, particularly in the service industry. The list of prohibited sectors includes telecommunications, financial services, media, retail trade and transport.

The country will open up those sectors to international competition, just “not now”, Desalegn told CNBC, “but when our local sector flexes its muscles, then we will open up, because we can compete”.

Ethiopia is at the early stages of development, the prime minister went on to explain, adding that a “strong hand” from the government is therefore justified.

Governments in both the U.S. and U.K. had a “strong hand” in their economies “at the early stage of take-off”, but now that they’ve matured, “they forget that they started the same way as we are doing now”.

“Simply because Thatcher and Reagan announced neo-liberalism, it doesn’t mean that Ethiopia is going to take it now because at this early stage of development in every transition economy, there is a huge market gap that the private sector is not able to fill”. Only when the gap is filled, will the country open up those sectors, he concluded.

According to Anna Rosenberg, associate practice leader for Sub-Saharan Africa at Frontier Strategy Group, there are rumours that some multinationals have managed to find a way to circumvent those rules and bought stakes in technology companies servicing the banking industry. “That way they get through the back door”, she explained.

The government’s so-called strong hand has already had positive impact. As the World Bank noted, tax revenues shot up due to “vigorous tax reform measures” and changes to regulatory institutions have “improved the quality of business support and considerably reduced the cost of doing business”.

Furthermore, inflation has been drastically slashed. While it stood at 39.2 percent and 15.6 percent respectively in November 2011 and 2012, it was at 7.9 percent in November 2013.

The country’s road to financial credibility improved further in April when the world’s top credit ratings agencies issued their first ratings, fuelling rumors that Ethiopia was gearing up for a bond issue.

Fitch and S&P both awarded Ethiopia a B rating with stable outlook while Moody’s was a bit more generous with a B1 grade.

“The business environment is attractive”, Anna Rosenberg continued, “as the government really wants companies to come in and invest”.

However, Rosenberg adds “the opportunities are overstated”. Despite the country being the second most-populous country in Africa and poverty having been reduced to 29.6 percent of the population in 2010/11 from 45.5 percent in 1995/1996, according to the World Bank, “the majority of inhabitants still have very low income levels”, highlights Rosenberg.

With the country positioning itself as a manufacturing hub, Rosenberg says, it is more likely to become a bigger export market before it becomes a large consumer market.
Source: CNBC

OLF & SLF Joint Statement: Instigating violence between the two cousins never stops us from marching to our goal

July 20, 2014

Joint Press Statement

By Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) & Sidama Liberation Front (SLF)

Time and again, we all have witnessed the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) led dictatorial regime of Ethiopia deliberately masterminding various forms of atrocities in order to remain in power. The regime uses its organized agents  to deliberately instigate violence between the various oppressed nations in the country. Although the ‘divide-and-rule’ tactics have been adopted by all oppressive rulers all over the globe, the tactics of the current regime in Ethiopia differ in one key aspect. They are aimed at driving a wedge between the most closely related peoples and communities. The regime has done this between the two Kush cousins, the Oromo and the Sidama people, time and again seriously undermining their basic human dignities and democratic rights.

The Oromo and the Sidama people are culturally, ethno-linguistically, socially, geo-politically & morally intertwined nations. The two largest Kush cousins also share similar ancestral origins and large expanse of territorial boundaries. The alliance between these two sisterly nations is founded on historical roots, therefore, it is unshakable. Moreover, the Oromo and the Sidama nations are fundamentally democratic and egalitarianism societies, and govern their respective nations by using their traditional democraticGadaa and Luwa systems, respectively. Both nations use the aforementioned noble socio-cultural and politico-economic heritages as the pillars of genuine democracy, just and fairness.

The successive Ethiopian regimes are aware of the unshakable power the Kush brothers can galvanize if they are left to freely and peacefully exercise their rights.  For these simple reasons, the successive Ethiopian regimes have done what they could to instigate wars between the two cousins under various pretexts although their successes have been limited to the actions of uninformed immoral messengers sent out by these regimes to do their dirty jobs in both Oromia & Sidamaland. Due to such tragedies instigated sadly by the current regime, several lives have been unnecessarily lost in the past 23 years from both Sidama and Oromo people. However, our noble elders from both nations have effectively foiled the repeated plots of the current regime time and again. In spite of the repeated attempts by the current regime to divide the two brotherly nations permanently, our beloved nations have managed to maintain peace and harmony, and centuries old unity. However, this has never been palatable to the current regime. The regime is once again playing its dirty game of instigating further conflict between the two nations. Cognizant of the significance of the Oromo-Sidama alliance on its political future, the TPLF regime is sending out its messengers to fuel further instability in the neighbouring lines of the Sidamaland and Oromia.

In the Angettuu district of the Bale zone in the Oromia, the Sidama and the Oromo made their unity reality by cooperation and living together for centuries. In this very region, where both peoples peacefully and harmoniously live together, TPLF’s messengers are currently sent out to instigate hatred between the two. However, they weren’t successful in doing so as both peoples fully understand the regime’s divide and rule tactics. When the Oromo elders and the wider community refused to create any disagreements with their Sidama cousins, the TPLF’s Oromo messenger cadres themselves began burning the houses of Sidama residents by demanding the Sidama people to completely vacate the area. The situation remains tense where over 40 Sidama houses have been burned to ashes by the TPLF’s Oromo messengers when the Oromo people refused obeying their orders.

Similarly, repeated previous attempts of the regime have been foiled by the normalising actions of noble, wise and farsighted elders of both Oromo and Sidama nations. As the Oromo and Sidama are working hard for genuine political alliances, both within the country and in Diaspora, the regime feels extremely anxious and restless. Cognizant of the likelihood of the creation of a significant political alliance, the regime is working day and night to destabilise both nations.

Therefore, we call upon the peoples of both nations to be extremely vigilant and unconditionally reject the regime’s divide-and-rule tactics by sticking together to further our struggle for liberation.

We also call upon both nations to stick to our traditional values, and stand shoulder to shoulder to fight our common enemy which is robbing our dignity and pride by uprooting our peoples from their lands and incriminating those who demand for their rights. We also urge the TPLF Oromo cadres to stop burning the Sidama houses for the political gain of the regime in power.

Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) & Sidama Liberation Front (SLF)

July 20, 2014

Ethiopia: Drop Case Against Bloggers, Journalists(Human Rights Watch)

(Nairobi, July 19, 2014) – The Ethiopian government should immediately drop politically motivated charges brought against 10 bloggers and journalists on July 17, 2014, under the country’s deeply flawed anti-terrorism law, Human RightsWatch said today.

The Ethiopian authorities arrested six of the bloggers and three journalists on April 25 and 26. They have been detained in Maekelawi, the Federal Police Crime Investigation Sector in Addis Ababa. The court charged the nine with having links to banned opposition groups and trying to violently overthrow the government, local media reported. A tenth blogger, who was not in Ethiopia at the time of the arrests, was charged in absentia.

“Ethiopia’s courts are making a mockery of their own judicial system,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Hiding behind an abusive anti-terrorism law to prosecute bloggers and journalists doing their job is an affront to the constitution and international protection for free expression.”

The charges are part of an intensified crackdown in Ethiopia in recent months against perceived political opponents, Human Rights Watch said.

The six bloggers in custody are Atnaf Berahane, Befekadu Hailu, Abel Wabela, Mahlet Fantahun, Natnael Feleke, and Zelalem Kibret. Soliana Shimeles was charged in absentia. The three journalists are Tesfalem Waldyes, Edom Kassaye, and Asmamaw Hailegiorgis, an editor at weekly magazine Addis Guday.

The bloggers are part of a blogging collective known as Zone 9, which provides commentary on current events in Ethiopia. Zone 9 is the section of Kaliti prison in Addis Ababa where many political prisoners are held. The Zone 9 group had stopped blogging in February after security officials harassed the group and questioned them about their work and alleged links to political opposition parties and human rights organizations.

Zone 9 announced on Facebook on April 23 that they would resume blogging, and on April 25 and 26 the six bloggers were arrested. They were detained for over 80 days without charge, and remain in custody. Their lawyer, Ameha Mekonnen, has had only sporadic access to them, and family members were not allowed to meet with them until July 9. The lawyer plans to bring a civil suit about irregularities in the legal process, media reports said.

The bloggers and journalists are accused of connections to Ginbot 7 and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), two of five organizations designated as terrorist organizations in 2011 by the House of Federation, the Ethiopian parliament. Human Rights Watch has not yet obtained the charge sheets, but credible media reports say that the bloggers and journalists are alleged to have taken directions from Ginbot 7 and OLF, planning and organizing terrorist acts, and agreeing to overthrow the government through force.

Judge Tareke Alemayehu was reported in the media saying that the group “took training in how to make explosives and planned to train others,” accusing them of plotting “to destabilize the nation” and using blogging as a cover for “clandestine” activities.

Human Rights Watch and other organizations have repeatedly raised concerns about Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism law’s overly broad definition of “terrorist acts” and provisions on support for terrorism. Its vague prohibition of “moral support” for terrorism has been used to convict a number of journalists. Since 2011, at least 11 journalists, and possibly many more, have been convicted for their journalistic activities, even though the Ethiopian constitution and international law protect media freedom.

Three of the Zone 9 bloggers were outside of Ethiopia when their colleagues were arrested. According to media reports, one of these, Soliana Shimeles, was charged in absentia with coordinating foreign relations for the group and coordinating digital security training with “Security in-a-box”, a publicly available training tool used by advocates and human rights defenders. Human Rights Watch has documented how the Ethiopian government monitors email and telephone communications, often using information unlawfully collected, without a warrant, during interrogations.

“The fact that bloggers used digital security isn’t terrorism but common sense, especially in a repressive environment like Ethiopia,” Lefkow said. “The government should drop these charges and immediately release these nine journalists and bloggers, as well as others who have been wrongfully prosecuted under the anti-terrorism law.”

Others caught up in the government’s recent crackdown are four opposition leaders affiliated with political parties – Yeshewas Asefa of the Blue Party, Abraha Desta of the Arena Tigray party, and Daniel Shibeshi and Habtamu Ayalew of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party. They were arrested on July 8, 2014, accused of providing support to terrorist groups, media reports said. They are scheduled to appear in court on August 14.

On June 23 or 24, Andargachew Tsige, a British citizen and secretary-general of Ginbot 7, was deported to Ethiopia from Yemen while in transit, in violation of international law prohibitions against sending someone to a country where they are likely to face torture or other mistreatment. He had twice been sentenced to death in absentia for his involvement with Ginbot 7. His whereabouts in Ethiopia are unknown. He has been detained for more than three weeks without access to family members, legal counsel, or UK consular officials, in violation of Ethiopian and international law.

Source: Human Rights Watch

Ethiopia: UK Aid Should Respect Rights (HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH )

July 14, 2014, London (Human Rights Watch) – A UK High Court ruling allowing judicial review of the UK aid agency’s compliance with its own human rights policies in Ethiopia is an important step toward greater accountability in development assistance.

In its decision of July 14, 2014, the High Court ruled that allegations that the UK Department for International Development (DFID) did not adequately assess evidence of human rights violations in Ethiopia deserve a full judicial review.

“The UK high court ruling is just a first step, but it should be a wake-up call for the government and other donors that they need rigorous monitoring to make sure their development programs are upholding their commitments to human rights,” said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director. “UK development aid to Ethiopia can help reduce poverty, but serious rights abuses should never be ignored.”

The UK high court ruling is just a first step, but it should be a wake-up call for the government and other donors that they need rigorous monitoring to make sure their development programs are upholding their commitments to human rights. UK development aid to Ethiopia can help reduce poverty, but serious rights abuses should never be ignored.

Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director

The case involves Mr. O (not his real name), a farmer from Gambella in western Ethiopia, who alleges that DFID violated its own human rights policy by failing to properly investigate and respond to human rights violations linked to an Ethiopian government resettlement program known as “villagization.” Mr. O is now a refugee in a neighboring country.

Human Rights Watch has documented serious human rightsviolations in connection with the first year of the villagization program in Gambella in 2011 and in other regions of Ethiopia in recent years.

A January 2012 Human Rights Watch report based on more than 100 interviews with Gambella residents, including site visits to 16 villages, concluded that villagization had been marked by forced displacement, arbitrary detentions, mistreatment, and inadequate consultation, and that villagers had not been compensated for their losses in the relocation process.

People resettled in new villages often found the land infertile and frequently had to clear the land and build their own huts under military supervision. Services they had been promised, such as schools, clinics, and water pumps, were not in place when they arrived. In many cases villagers had to abandon their crops, and pledges of food aid in the new villages never materialized.

The UK, along with the World Bank and other donors, fund a nationwide development program in Ethiopia called the Promotion of Basic Services program (PBS). The program started after the UK and other donors cut direct budget support to Ethiopia after the country’s controversial 2005 elections.

The PBS program is intended to improve access to education, health care, and other services by providing block grants to regional governments. Donors do not directly fund the villagization program, but through PBS, donors pay a portion of the salaries of government officials who are carrying out the villagization policy.

The UK development agency’s monitoring systems and its response to these serious allegations of abuse have been inadequate and complacent, Human Rights Watch said. While the agency and other donors to the Promotion of Basic Services program have visited Gambella and conducted assessments, villagers told Human Rights Watch that government officials sometimes visited communities in Gambella in advance of donor visits to warn them not to voice complaints over villagization, or threatened them after the visits. The result has been that local people were reluctant to speak out for fear of reprisals.

The UK development agency has apparently made little or no effort to interview villagers from Gambella who have fled the abuses and are now refugees in neighboring countries, where they can speak about their experiences in a more secure environment. The Ethiopian government’s increasing repression of independent media and human rights reporting, and denials of any serious human rights violations, have had a profoundly chilling effect on freedom of speech among rural villagers.

“The UK is providing more than £300 million a year in aid to Ethiopia while the country’s human rights record is steadily deteriorating,” Lefkow said. “If DFID is serious about supporting rights-respecting development, it needs to overhaul its monitoring processes and use its influence and the UK’s to press for an end to serious rights abuses in the villagization program – and elsewhere.”

Source: Human Rights Watch

Ethiopia: End the onslaught on dissent as arrests continue (amnesty international)

July 10, 2014 (Amnesty International) — The Ethiopian authorities must halt their continuing onslaught on dissent, Amnesty International said today, after the arrest of four more opposition party members this week, who are believed to be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

All four were arrested on 8 July in the capital Addis Ababa and the northern city of Mekele on “terror” accusations: a charge commonly used as a pretext to put dissenters behind bars in Ethiopia.

“These latest detentions add to Ethiopia’s ever-increasing number of journalists, opposition members, activists and other dissenting voices locked up for alleged ‘terrorism’ offences,” said Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia Researcher.

“In the run-up to next year’s general election, the fear is that this number will continue to grow as the government continues its onslaught on dissent. Everyone who has been arrested because of their peaceful expression of dissenting opinions, their blogging activities, membership of a legally-registered political opposition party or participation in peaceful protests must be immediately and unconditionally released.”

Latest arrests and torture concerns

These latest detentions add to Ethiopia’s ever-increasing number of journalists, opposition members, activists and other dissenting voices locked up for alleged ‘terrorism’ offences
”
Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia Researche

Those arrested on 8 July are: Abraha Desta of the Arena Tigray party, who is also a lecturer at Mekele University; Habtamu Ayalew and Daniel Shebeshi, both members of the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) party and Yeshewas Asefa of the Blue Party.

The Ethiopian authorities are using a repressive Anti-Terror law as a pretext to crush dissent

Abraha Desta is believed to be detained in Mekele, in the northern region of Tigray, while the other three have been taken to the Maikelawi federal police detention centre in Addis Ababa.

Blue Party and UDJ members say they tried to visit the men in Maikelawi on 9 July but were not permitted access and were told they could not have contact until the police investigation was concluded.

It is commonplace for detainees in Maikelawi to be denied access to legal representatives and family members in the initial stages of detention. This can last for as long as two or three months and is in violation of Ethiopian and international law. This incommunicado detention significantly increases the risk of detainees being subjected to torture. Political detainees in Maikelawi are frequently subjected to torture during interrogation.

Illegal transfer from Yemen

Also on 8 July, state-run Ethiopian Television (ETV) confirmed that an opposition leader who had disappeared on 24 June in Yemen was being detained in Addis Ababa. Andargachew Tsige, Secretary General of the outlawed Ginbot 7 movement, was illegally transferred from Yemen, and his precise whereabouts in the Ethiopian capital have still not been disclosed. A British national of Ethiopian origin, he continues to be denied access to consular or legal representatives or relatives.

In the broadcast, ETV (the country’s only TV channel) showed footage of Andargachew Tsige looking haggard and exhausted saying his arrest was a blessing in disguise and he just wanted to rest. His wife told Amnesty International that she did not understand what the footage or the message was intended to mean.

There are a number of precedents of the authorities taking footage of defendants in terrorism trials and broadcasting it on ETV. In each case, this violated the individuals’ right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Andargachew Tsige has already been tried on three separate occasions in absentia and sentenced to death as well as life imprisonment.

The same broadcast announced that other opposition leaders had been arrested, based on their contact with Ginbot 7 and Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) – a satellite TV channel broadcast in exile and which the Ethiopian authorities called the “official media of Ginbot 7”. Details of the arrests emerged subsequently.

Ethiopia has previously used alleged contact with Ginbot 7 and ESAT as a reason to imprison and thereby silence other dissenting voices on allegations of terrorism. In 2011, the Ethiopian authorities banned Ginbot 7 as a terrorist organization.

Journalists and bloggers held under Anti-Terrorism Law

Six bloggers from the group Zone 9 and three journalists are also among those detained under the Anti-Terrorism Law in Maikelawi. All nine have been detained without charge since their arrest on 25 and 26 April 2014 for alleged terrorism offences. The deeply flawed Anti-Terrorism Law allows for up to four months’ detention without charge – one of the longest remand periods in the world.

On 9 July, six of the detainees were granted access to visitors for the first time since their arrest two and half months ago. They reported they had been moved from the underground cells in Maikelawi where political detainees are regularly held in the early stages of their detention to a different part of the prison which detainees jokingly call “Sheraton”.

All six said that they have been forced to sign confessions of their alleged crimes. Three had previously complained in court remand hearings that they had been tortured. The court took no action on the allegations.

The remaining Zone 9 members, Abel Wabela and Mahlet Fantahun, and journalist Edom Kasaye, continue to be detained incommunicado.

“The Ethiopian government’s record on respecting the rights of detainees is alarming to say the least,” said Claire Beston.

“All detainees must be granted immediate access to lawyers and family members, must be charged with a recognizable offence or immediately released, and the Ethiopian government must ensure that no-one is ever subjected to torture.”

Source: Amnesty International

ONLF steps up attack on Ethiopian Troops in Ogaden

July 10, 2014 (OgadenToday Press)-  Ethiopian Ogaden’n region Rebel Group, ONLF fighting for self-determination of Ogaden Region in eastern Ethiopia steps up the attack on government Troops,  a source confirmed to OgadenToday Press.

A source close to regional administration confirmed to OgadenToday Press that almost 150 pro Ethiopian military militia under the command of Regional administration has been killed in the attacks.

Locals see ONLF has gained some control despite the government repeatedly airs local TV, ESTV that ONLF Ogaden National Liberation Front has been weakened, a move that ONLF officials consider as a propaganda.

Husseen Mohamed Nur, head of ONLF information told reports that ONLF  has carried out militarily operations.

We have killed more than 100 Ethiopian soldiers ,and its allied militia of Liyu Police (Hawarin) at Kebri Dahar and Godey,” Hussein Nour told Somali Media.

ONLF Troops have done over 50 attacks last two months despite the government claim weakened the group.

Rebels in the Ogaden region have been fighting for independence since the 1970s and the ONLF has been at the forefront of the fight since it was founded in 1984.

The Ogaden is an ethnic Somali part of Ethiopia and Britain has handed over Ogaden to Ethiopia.

Source: OgadenToday Press

FDG Tumsitan Sababa Jedhuun Mootummaa Abbaa Irree EPRDF Poolisoota Dhalootaan Oromoo Ta’an Irratti Qormaata Gaggeessaa Jira

Gabaasaa: Adoolessaa 5,2014 Godina Jimmaa magaalaa Jimmaa keessatti FDG Qeerroo ykn dargaggootaa fi  barattoota Oromoo Yuunivarsiitii Jimmaan gaggeeffama jiru daran jabaachuun gara mooraa waraanaa fi Poolisootatti tarkaanfachaa jira.

Ilmaan Oromoo mooraa waraanaa Wayyaanee magaalaa Jimmaa keessatti argamuu kan kutaa 12ffaa (Asira 12nya kifile xoor’ jedhamee beekamuu fi buufata waaraanni  eegumsa godhina dhiha biyyattii jedhamee beekamuu keessatti FDG eegaleen humnooti waraanaa ajaja mootummaa irraa gadi darbu fudhachuu diduun gaaffii kakaasaa jiraachuun isaanii beekame.

Haala kanaan kan baarage mootummaan Wayyaanee humna qorattaa addaa jechuun kallattiin dhalootaan Oromoo kanneen ta’an warreen ta’an qoratamaa akka jiran beekame. Ajajootni Waraana TPLF/EPRDF aangoo waraanaa ofiin dhunfachuun Oromoo fi saboota biroo maxxantuu fi ergamtuu godhachuun itti fayyadamaa jiraachuu irraan mormiin mooraa waraanaa kana keessatti dhalatee jiruu ilmaan Oromoo qorannoo guddaaf saaxilee jira.

Poolisootni dhalootaan Oromoo ta’anii fi Oromummaa isanitti amanan maqaa sochii FDG barattootni Oromoo Yuuniversiitii Jimmaa gaggeessa jiran keessa harka qabdu, dargaggoota barattoota Oromoo Yuuniversiitii Jimmaatu isin ijaaree, miseensa Qeerroo ta’uun ijaaramtanii jirtu fi gaaffiilee kanneen fakkaatan dhiheessuun qormaataan akka cinqaa jiran gabaasi keessa moorichaa qeerroo dhaqabe addeessa.

Yeroo amma kanattui Poolisootni haala kanaan dararamaa jiran:

1. Poolisii Dabaloo Dassalee Godina Baha Wallaggaa aanaa Kiiraamutti kan dhalate yeroo Qeerroon dargaggootni barattootni Oromoo Yuuniversiitii Jimmaa FDG mootummaa irratti gaggeessan, Qawwee fudhattee gara Godina dhaloota kee Kiiraamuu deemuun uummata FDG kakastee, fincala baha Wallaaggaa keessatti gaggeeffame keessa harka qabda jechuun sobaan yakkamee wajjira Poolisii Godina Jimmatti hidhamuun dararama jira.
2. Poolisiin Daani’eel jedhamus maamila poolisii Dabaloo Dassaleetti Qeerrootti ijaaramtanii FDG gaggeeffama jiru keessa qooda guddaa qabdu, Ajaja fudhachuu diddaan, Barattoota Oromoo Yuuniversitii Jimmaa fi Koolleejjii barsiisota Jimmaa waliin hariiroo qabdu, barattoota qaba hidha jechuun ajajamtanii barattootni akka hin hidhamne mootummaa dura dhaabbatan jedhamuun kanneen hidhamanii dararama jiran keessatti kan ramadaman ta’u.

Qindeessitooti FDG   Oromoo ilmaan Oromoo kun Oromoo ta’uu qofaan balleessa tokko utuu hin qabaatiin dararamaa waan jiraniif Polisootni Oromiyaa dhalootan Oromoo ta’an bakka jiranii dammaquun roorroo saba isaanii irraa akka ittisaniif wamicha caasaa keessaan akka dabarsaa jiru addeesee jira.

G7’s Politician Who Has Been Arrested in Yemen Said to Have Been Extradited to Ethiopia

July 4, 2014 (Sidama National Regional State Information Network) — Sources from Finfinnee reveal that G7 general secretary Andargachew Tsige has been extradited to Ethiopia where his arch enemies from whom he had fled persecution from had their hand on him. The Yemeni government handed Mr Tsige to Ethiopian regime claiming that his name was in the wanted list; thus its security forces were able to arrest him in spite of his being a British citizen. Besides, the Yemeni authorities refrained from giving further evidence. It’s also unknown whether Ethiopian security forces in Yemen were involved in the process of abducting him.

Credible source from Finfinnee/Ethiopia in the late night of July 03, 2014 indicate that, indeed Ato Andargachew Tsige has fallen into the hands of authoritarian regime from whom he has fled injustices and barbarism from. It is however unclear when the repatriation has taken place since he has been arrested over a week ago.    

The irony is that the Ethiopian regime’s ability to freely abduct UK citizens and extraditing them from the third sovereign countries to Ethiopian where they become victims of torture and death. Whether the UK government has been involved in securing his safe release and return to his adopted country remain unclear; the message however is a chilling one to all opposition members living in those regions; who have fled persecution thus granted protection by UN or others countries yet are left to be kidnapped by the very regime they have fled persecution from!!

There are hundreds of such examples from which Bashir Makhtal, Ogaden Somali Origin business man, Canadian citizen has been abducted from Kenya and taken to Ethiopia in 2006 and sentenced to life in prison in their Kangaroo court in 2009 with allegation of ONLF membership. In January 26, 2014, two top ONLF politicians (named as Sulub Ahimed and Ali Hussein) have been invited by the Kenyan government to mediate with Ethiopian counterpart, were abducted and taken to Ethiopia; their whereabouts remain unclear to date. The Oromo refugees with UNHCR mandate, Tesfahun Chemeda and Mesfin Abebe have been abducted from Kenya in 2007 & taken to Ethiopia’s infamous prison, ‘MAIKELAWI’ in the capital Addis Ababa where they have been routinely tortured, as a result Tesfahun Chemeda passed away in August 2013. Just a month ago, Okello Akoy, former Gambela president defected the regime has been captured in South Sudan and repatriated to Ethiopia. Hundreds of Oromo and others civilians suspected of being member of OLF and others freedom fighters such as ONLF have been abducted from neighbouring countries and extradited to Ethiopia-tortured, numerous numbers of them have been also killed.

The UK’s, U.S.A’s, EU’s and others international communities’ failure to act in time while asylum granted civilians are whisked away by the security forces of any country is a serious cause for concern for all opposition members who’ve fled persecution from the barbaric Ethiopian regime. The international communities, Diasporas of this God-forsaken land and others humanitarians are highly urged to act in time to save the lives of all abducted politicians including the current victim Mr Tsige.

Source: Sidama National Regional State Information Network

BREAKING NEWS: Ob. Dawud Ibsa Gives First Interview Since the Unity of OLF (Via Radiyoo Simbirtuu)

BREAKING NEWS: Ob. Dawud Ibsa Gives First Interview Since the Unity of OLF (Via Radiyoo Simbirtuu)

No country for Ethiopian Activists? The growing danger of illegal rendition in the region

Andargachew Tsige, Secretary General of Ginbot 7, detained in Yemen while in transit

July 1, 2014 (The Gulele Post) — Asylum, Citizenship and western passport seems to no longer protecting Ethiopia’s opposition leaders and human rights advocates from being illegally renditioned by regional and neighboring countries. Neighboring governments and humanitarian agencies are not doing enough to protect refugees who sought protection, while Western countries failing to stand up for those whom they  granted asylum and citizenship.

Bashir Makhtal, an Ogadeni businessman and Canadian citizen was arrested by Kenyan security and sent  to Ethiopia in 2006. Accused of membership to the Ogaden National Liberation Front, Mukhtal  was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 where he still languishes. Although Canadian authorities appealed for  his release, the Ethiopian regime has ignored it because the appeal was not back with any serious threat of economic or political sanction.

In 2007, despite having UN refugee protection mandate, Oromo refugees Tesfahun Chemeda & Mesfin Abebe were detained by Kenyan security on bogus charge of terrorism and illegally sent to Ethiopia against the order of the Kenyan court. The two were sentenced to life in prison. Tesfahun Chemeda died on August 2013  from injuries sustained during years of  torture.

Just last month Okello Akoy, former president of the Gambella region who defected from the regime and formed an opposition party  was arrested by South Sudan and extradited to Ethiopia. Mr Okello has a Norwegian citizenship. There is no information if the Norwegian government has said anything at all. Let’s not forget Norway signed a deal with the Ethiopian regime to forcefully deport thousands of  asylum seekers.

Now, Andargachew Tsige, the Secretary General of Ginbot 7 opposition group, who is a British citizen,  was detained last week by Yemeni authority while he was in transit. The Ethiopian  court had already sentenced Mr Tsige to death in absentia in 2009  for membership in diaspora based opposition. Aside implementation of this sentence,  he will be at real risk of torture if Yemeni decides to hand him over to the Ethiopian authorities.

These are just few of the high profile cases. Over the last decade governments of  Somaliland, Djibouti and Sudan have been arresting thousands of  refugees and handing over to Ethiopian securities. These refugees often made to disappear or incarcerated without due process.

This is dangerous trend and must be confronted. If sufficient pressure is not mounted, diaspora based activists and even regular people might be at risk of been whisked away any time they visited an African, Arab, Asian or even some Western countries.

Campaign should focus on:

1. Demanding Western countries to stand up for people they granted citizenship and refugee status. They must use their leverage to pressure these neighboring countries to refrain from illegal rendition.
2. Pressuring countries which grant refugee status to respect universal convention of protecting such individuals even in third country territories. Likewise, for those seeking asylum, UNHCR should be pressured to speak up  and ensure their safety against illegal renditions and abductions.
3. Protest against the neighboring countries  to protect those who seek refuge within their border and refrain from detaining and rendering people to Ethiopia.

Such campaign  should be coordinated with existing refugee advocacy organizations such as Oromo Support Group led by Dr Trevor Truman, the renowned humanitarian who has decades of experience in regional affairs.

Source: The Gulele Post