Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) is confident that the humanely decision and step taken by the United Nations (UN) to investigate the terror and extermination facing Ogadenian people will encompass all issues that will result in a lasting solution to the region.
The UN decision to send its higher delegates to have first hand information on the barbaric actions of the Ethiopian government, Tegrian Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), against innocent people of Ogaden is applauded and expected from any peace loving group. At the time when TPLF government’s harassment of civilian is continuously exposed by independent media outlets, the intervention of UN is both historically and legally a requirement.
The step taken by UN to send about twenty of its experts from WFP, WHO, UNHCR, UNDP and legal professionals to gather information on the extent of damage on the region by the dictatorial regime of Melles Zenawi will be a big hope for the powerless people of Ogaden. It is also needless to mention that this investigation requires a very high courtesy. The ever increasing protest of Ogaden people and the reaction of different international bodies on the action of Ethiopian government indicate the importance of the issue. Specially, eliminating Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has been used as a pretext by TPLF (Woyyane) soldiers to kill and torture civilians.
Generally the investigation of UN delegates should focus on the act of Ethiopian government that target to abate the economic and social infrastructure of the Ogaden people so that they will live with horror and fear. To materialize this Melles Zenawi government is using its military force to indiscriminately killing villagers; destroying their settlement; burning families with their house; group raping of girls and women; forcefully resettling people to control their movement; denying access to transportation and communication; indiscriminately imprisoning, torturing and harassing the people without any guilt are the main complaints presented by the Ogaden people.
At the moment the TPLF government is running here and there to defend its barbaric deed. No wonder if dictatorial government like TPLF that does not have any feeling for human lives would not apologize for its action. This is of course the main reason that UN is convinced to appoint its delegates to investigate the issue.
However, the decision of UN which authorizes the delegates to investigate and report their finding on the ongoing problems of Ogaden people alone will not solve the fundamental problem of the region. At this point OLF would like to inform UN and its delegates that based on the outcome of the investigation it is important to include a remedial action where by Meles Zenawi will be held accountable for the problems.
These is due to the fact that the minority TPLF government has been doing similar inhuman actions mentioned above on the people of Oromo, Sidama, Amhara, Gambella, Southern Nations, Affar and Tigray. This is evident through continual protest of all peoples living both in Ethiopia and abroad. Therefore, a thorough investigation of such similar problems will help to find a fundamental solution for the whole people in the region. For example similar to Ogaden People the government cadres are carrying out extrajudicial killing, torture, disappearance, and imprisonment on Oromo people with a pretext of destroying OLF.
As a result, it is OLF’s stand that the decision of UN to study the situation of Ogaden people should be extended to investigate those problems facing all people living in Ethiopia and neighboring regions. The dictatorial government of Melles Zenawi is legally and historically held responsible for all instability of the region. Without a complete and full scale investigation, information from only one region will not help to bring a lasting solution and this will later indicate a weakness in the UN approach to the problems.
Oromo Libration Front
August 30, 2007
Monday, September 03, 2007
Commemorating Ethiopian Millennium as a Day of Sorrow for the Oromo People
A statement by Oromo Parliamentarians Council -
The TPLF/EPRDF regime who boasts to have brought good governance to the peoples of Ethiopia has discriminately left Oromo prisoners in jail and arresting many more while many non-Oromo prisoners are being released. What is more disturbing is that the regime is constantly harassing the rest of the Oromo people by the name of celebrating the so called Ethiopian millennium to be celebrated on September 1, 2000 Ethiopian Calendar.
The year 2007 however, is a year of sorrow and grief for the Oromo people because it is the year where:
• Over 40, 000 Oromos are suffering of torture in Ethiopian prisons such as Kaliti, Maikelawi, Zeway, Nekemte, Dhidheessaa, Harar Jaarsoo, Mekele, Adwa, Bure, Zaraba Gidaf, Gimbi, Robe;
• Several Oromos are killed in prisons and their bodies are thrown to the jungles such as Gaara Suufii and eaten by wild animals;
• Oromo students have been dismissed from schools and became a burden to their families for the sole reason of expressing their concern for their suffering people;
• many Oromo parliamentarians who tried to speak for the people they represent were continuously intimidated by the government security forces and are forced to leave the country, while many more are under arrest and even brutally murdered;
• Many Oromo military officers, judges, diplomats, journalists, and other government officials defected to several countries opposing the suffering of their people;
• The TPLF/EPRDF government created and fuelled conflict among various Oromo clans such as Borana and Guji, Borana and Garri, resulting in enormous loss of life and property;
• The TPLF/EPRDF concocted conflict between Islam and Christian faith and made them fight each other for the first time in the history of our country;
• The killing, arrest, and harassments are more intensified in all corners of Oromia at this moment when the celebration of the millennium is already underway.
The Oromo people have nothing to do with the so called Ethiopian millennium. It is neither our heritage nor our culture. For the Habeshas attempting to force the Oromo people to celebrate their own festival amounts to insulting us, Oromos. We do not share anything together. While they are dancing, we are in jail, in refugee camps, and in the Oromian jungle in search of our freedom.
Therefore, the Oromo Parliamentarians Council has decided to commemorate the Habesha September 1 as a day of grief in which the Oromo people are subjected to the Habesha prison every year starting from the year 2000. We call up on all the Oromo people to remember this day every year by the following activities:
• Visiting the prisoners and their families by taking gifts as much as possible.
• Helping those who have been released from jail morally, financially, and materially.
• Signing petition for the release of all Oromo prisoners and for the evoking of the death penalty passed on some Oromo prisoners.
• Since this day is a day of grief and sorrow we ask all Oromo people that they should not go to any festival or recreation. Everyone should surpass this day in grief and by visiting prisoners and their families.
Freedom for the Oromo people!
The Oromo Parliamentarians Council
August 27, 2007
The TPLF/EPRDF regime who boasts to have brought good governance to the peoples of Ethiopia has discriminately left Oromo prisoners in jail and arresting many more while many non-Oromo prisoners are being released. What is more disturbing is that the regime is constantly harassing the rest of the Oromo people by the name of celebrating the so called Ethiopian millennium to be celebrated on September 1, 2000 Ethiopian Calendar.
The year 2007 however, is a year of sorrow and grief for the Oromo people because it is the year where:
• Over 40, 000 Oromos are suffering of torture in Ethiopian prisons such as Kaliti, Maikelawi, Zeway, Nekemte, Dhidheessaa, Harar Jaarsoo, Mekele, Adwa, Bure, Zaraba Gidaf, Gimbi, Robe;
• Several Oromos are killed in prisons and their bodies are thrown to the jungles such as Gaara Suufii and eaten by wild animals;
• Oromo students have been dismissed from schools and became a burden to their families for the sole reason of expressing their concern for their suffering people;
• many Oromo parliamentarians who tried to speak for the people they represent were continuously intimidated by the government security forces and are forced to leave the country, while many more are under arrest and even brutally murdered;
• Many Oromo military officers, judges, diplomats, journalists, and other government officials defected to several countries opposing the suffering of their people;
• The TPLF/EPRDF government created and fuelled conflict among various Oromo clans such as Borana and Guji, Borana and Garri, resulting in enormous loss of life and property;
• The TPLF/EPRDF concocted conflict between Islam and Christian faith and made them fight each other for the first time in the history of our country;
• The killing, arrest, and harassments are more intensified in all corners of Oromia at this moment when the celebration of the millennium is already underway.
The Oromo people have nothing to do with the so called Ethiopian millennium. It is neither our heritage nor our culture. For the Habeshas attempting to force the Oromo people to celebrate their own festival amounts to insulting us, Oromos. We do not share anything together. While they are dancing, we are in jail, in refugee camps, and in the Oromian jungle in search of our freedom.
Therefore, the Oromo Parliamentarians Council has decided to commemorate the Habesha September 1 as a day of grief in which the Oromo people are subjected to the Habesha prison every year starting from the year 2000. We call up on all the Oromo people to remember this day every year by the following activities:
• Visiting the prisoners and their families by taking gifts as much as possible.
• Helping those who have been released from jail morally, financially, and materially.
• Signing petition for the release of all Oromo prisoners and for the evoking of the death penalty passed on some Oromo prisoners.
• Since this day is a day of grief and sorrow we ask all Oromo people that they should not go to any festival or recreation. Everyone should surpass this day in grief and by visiting prisoners and their families.
Freedom for the Oromo people!
The Oromo Parliamentarians Council
August 27, 2007
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