Appeal statement of UOSG

Appeal statement from Union of Oromo Students in Germany (UOSG)

Since the end of 19th century Oromo and the majority of Ethiopian peoples have been victims of open and systematic genocide polices of successive Abyssinian ruling classes. Historical records have been indicating that the majority of peoples in Ethiopia have been living in environments characterized by unabated killings, repression, and oppressions orchestrated by successive tyrant and dictatorial regimes for more than a century. Groups or individuals concerned to help the poor and forgotten peoples of Oromia and all peoples of Ethiopia, in search of solutions to the complex socio-political and socio-cultural conflicts that deeply rooted in poor governance systems, should not ignore the historic cause and its devastating long term negative effects to the peaceful coexistence of innocent peoples.

The successive Abyssinian ruling classes military and political powers supremacies are basically rooted in technical, material, and financial aids of foreign countries in particular Europe during Scramble for Africa in 1880s. Since then the successive tyrants and regimes emerged in Ethiopia have shared common characteristics: i.e. “they have been misusing the aids in manipulation of governance instruments to silence people’s voices (for justice and peace) by rules of gun to realize marginalizing the Oromo and majority of Ethiopian peoples systematically from development of positive political, cultural, social, economic, and historical empowerment & integrity”.

None of the successive regimes emerged in today Ethiopia have been paid respects to the International Treaties they ratified and the constitution they adopted. They are deficient of moralistic attitudes to pay respect for basic principles and fundamental values of human rights and the rules of law. Today Tigray People Liberation Front/ Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front (TPLF/ EPRDF) regime’s human rights violation records are fresh indicators of successive tyrant rulers’ atrocious activities particularly towards the Oromo nation and generally towards the majority of Ethiopian people. It is the continuation of the dictatorial political system in Ethiopia.

Hence the government of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi (the TPLF/ EPRDF regime) is neither inclusive nor participatory; neither representative nor accountable; and neither transparent nor responsive to the aspirations and expectations of the Oromo people in particular and the majority of the Ethiopian people in general. It is resource wastage to assist his regime for another more years in order to revive his political party, which is not ready to adopt the revival culture. If basic action is not taken in a very few years the expected consequences will be heavy devastation for the stability and coexistence of innocent peoples of Ethiopia. The expense to avert the expected devastations may be more than the expense that routinely allocated in several forms of aids for the revival of the current regime.

Therefore, the UOSG appeal to the democratic governments and the international communities to support the struggle of the Oromo and the majority of Ethiopian peoples in order to realise people’s aspirations for justice, peace, freedom, democracy, and stability via:

1. Reassessing the policy of assisting the TPLF/EPRDF regime;
2. Facilitating broad based national reconciliation conference;
3. Imposing strong pressures on the TPLF/EPRDF regime to challenge it to respect human rights & the rules of law;
4. Initiating release of students, members & leaders of civic organizations, journalists, workers of humanity, and supporters & members of opposition political parties from prison without pre- conditions;
5. Co-ordinating effective and efficient regional reconciliation processes.

With great regards,
Executive committee of the UOSG
November 7, 2006
Contact:
Union of Oromo Students in Europe, German Branch
Postfach 210350
80673 München
Germany