Friday, October 30, 2020
Dr. Abiy Ahmed, who illegally held onto power in Ethiopia against the will of the people and the constitution, long after his government’s 5-year term of office had expired, is engaged in mass arrest and rampant killings of the Oromo people. Regrettably, his regime’s terror campaign against the Oromo is escalating uncontrollably.
On October 23, 2020, the citizens of the Oromia Regional State witnessed yet another horror [1] when five of their college students were murdered in broad daylight in Nekemte city in western Oromia. Abiy’s security forces brutally murdered Ararso Kebede, Raguel Hailu, Henok, Sefu Kedir, and Yisihak Zelalem[2]. According to eyewitnesses, federal security forces in four patrol trucks left from the city’s administration compound, drove to a neighborhood in Kebele 05, cordoned off the area restricting public access. They then showered one house in the neighborhood with a barrage of bullets, instantly executing three of the five young men in the house and hunted down and killed the remaining two as they were running to escape the carnage [3]. Shockingly, the City’s Oromia Police Chief, Commander Girma Abdisa, confirmed to VOA Afaan Oromo Program that, not only his forces carried out the premeditated extrajudicial killings, but they will continue to kill moving forward [4]
Supporters of Abiy Ahmed, and his agenda of reincarnating unitary Imperial Ethiopia, have always opposed Oromo Orthodox Church’s decision to preach the bible in Afaan Oromoo – the Oromo language.
On October 24, this group elevated their vocal proclivity to violence by assassinating Rev. Petros Tesfaye in Sebata city, about 20 km south of the Capital Finfinnee (Addis Ababa).
On October 25, a Professor at Madda Walabu University, Prof. Fekadu, was killed by the brutal security forces. The spokesperson of Abiy’s government alleged Prof. Fekadu was a member of a militant death squad to justify the killing.
Dr. Abiy Ahmed has repeatedly vowed to reinstate a unitary imperial Ethiopia by forcing a country of 80+ nations and nationalities and with that many linguistic, cultural, and religious diversity into a country with a single language (Amharic), single religion (Coptic Orthodox Christianity) and cultural identity (Amhara) [5]. Such a unitary state was what the Ethiopian people rejected and replaced with a Multinational Federal System in 1991. Abiy Ahmed has brazenly mused some bizarre prophecy of his mother that he would be the 7th King of the Empire he is seeking to resuscitate. He vowed that only he and his party members can and shall rule Ethiopia at least for the next 10 to 60 years [6].
Seemingly, to ensure that his predictions will eventually prevail, he has imprisoned all the most prominent opposition party leaders that command the support of the overwhelming majority of the Oromo people [7], [8], [9]. Over 9000 Oromo are brutally murdered by Abiy Ahmed’s security forces, only within two years. Prominent Oromo activists, artists, journalists, community leaders, spiritual leaders, professional civil servants, academicians, elders, women, and children are killed.
In so doing, Abiy Ahmed has effectively established a terrorist regime in Ethiopia, making himself one of the most ruthless dictators in human history, both in words and deeds [10]. His brutal security forces are assigned to various military command posts strategically positioned throughout Oromia have been waging war on civilians in the region under the guise of fighting insurgents. This campaign of intimidation and destruction of civilian lives and properties started shortly after the exiled opposition parties he claimed to have pardoned and invited them returned to the country. These forces daily commit extrajudicial killings, rape, and incalculable destruction of homes and properties throughout Oromia [11], [12].
Ignorance, the most backward attitude of holding Imperial Ethiopia through forced assimilation, has only led to continued conflicts and the shrinking of the Empire, as exemplified by Eritrea’s departure in 1991. As things stand today, Tigray may follow soon.
Oromia Global forum (OGF) would like to remind Dr. Abiy Ahmed and his party that violence has always bred violence throughout the history of the empire. Destroying the lives of thousands and potentially millions only to fulfill one’s personal political ambitions is committing a heinous crime that history will never forgive. Thus, the OGF strongly condemns all the crimes committed by the Ethiopian government and its state-terrorism targeting Oromos and other nations and nationalities.
In addition, we call upon Dr. Abiy Ahmed and his regime to:
- Immediately end the terror that they have unleashed on the Oromo
- Withdraw all the command posts from Oromia with immediate effect
- Release all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience and
- Allow the formation of the Oromia Transitional Government to ensure the safety of the Oromo people and Oromia.
The OGF also calls upon all nations and nationalities of the country to stand together for justice and in support of the exercise of their rights enshrined in the country’s constitution including the rights of self-determination to prevent a looming full-blown civil war.
We also call upon all humanity to stand in solidarity with the Oromo people and condemn the massacre of Oromos that is currently being committed by Abiy Ahmed and his group in power.
Sincerely,
Oromia Global Forum
Reference:
[1]. Oromia Press Tube, (2020). What was in #Nekemate like this. Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.facebook.com/104246644706437/posts/161740572290377/?vh=e
[2]. Moti Asefa (2020). What happened to Nekemte! Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.facebook.com/nafta.gidda/posts/1731128210386140
[3]. Oromiya press Tube, (2020). What was in #Nekemate like this. Retriefed on October 29 from https://www.facebook.com/104246644706437/posts/161740572290377/?vh=e
[4]. Oromia Jitu (2020). Sad news. Retrieved October 29 from https://www.facebook.com/oromiyajiitu/posts/3236651739791546
[5]. Guy Davies (2020). Ethiopian prime minister compared to Mandela now ruling with an iron fist. Retrieved on October 29 from https://abcnews.go.com/International/ethiopian-prime-minister-compared-mandela-now-ruling-iron/story?id=73763560&fbclid=IwAR0TYp9Plj_x-kQFWRpSMM-0u8yRClEi_-EkKjlYMvyHYC_eV33xGwfd4Ag
[6]. Zehabesha (202): Ethiopia:ሰበር – አነጋጋሪው ከጠቅላይ ሚ/ር ዐቢይ አህመድ ጋር የተደረገው ልዩ ቃለምልልስ – Interview with PM Abiy Ahmed | Part 1; Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjJ8rqQ-iow&ab_channel=ZehabeshaOfficial
[7]. Bekel Atoma (2020). Jawar Mohammed: The Ethiopian media mogul taking on Abiy Ahmed; Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53306091
[8]. Human Wrights Watch, (2020). Ethiopia: Opposition Figures Held Without Charge Police Deny Lawyers Relatives Access; Ignore Bail Orders. Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/08/15/ethiopia-opposition-figures-held-without-charge
[9]. The Wall Street Journal, (2020). Ethiopia: Opposition Figures Held Without Charge. Retrieved on October 29 from https://thestreetjournal.org/2020/08/ethiopia-opposition-figures-held-without-charge/
[10]. Michael Ruben, (2020). Democracy imperiled in Africa by ‘reformers’ turned dictators. Washington Examiner. Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.aei.org/op-eds/democracy-imperiled-in-africa-by-reformers-turned-dictators/
[11]. Amnesty International, (2020). Ethiopia: Police must account for missing Oromo opposition leader. Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/03/ethiopia-police-must-account-for-missing-oromo-opposition-leader/
[12]. ALjazeera, (2020). Ethiopian security forces accused of grave human rights abuses; Retrieved on October 29 from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/5/29/ethiopian-security-forces-accused-of-grave-human-rights-abuses
** Oromia Global Forum (OGF) is a global alliance of Oromo Civic, Professional, and Faith-Based Organizations, and individual Human Rights defenders and activists, residing in North America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa. Its mission is to network, organize and mobilize Oromo human and material resources to empower the Oromo nation to defend its rights, stand for peace, justice, equity, and democratic governance through self-determination. Its guiding values are based on the egalitarian Gadaa/Siinqee system of the Oromo nation, which stands for, and promotes, truth, social justice, equality of citizens, unity of the nation, integrity of Oromia, freedom, peace and prosperity of the nation.
