Saturday, February 27, 2016

Ethiopia investigating deaths of tens of Oromo protestors

Friday, February 26, 2016

Ethiopia ‎Oromo Protests happening now in Gadullo, West Hararge Feb 2...

Ethiopia accuses Eritrea of 'kidnapping' protests | Daily Mail Online

Ethiopia accused arch-rival Eritrea on Thursday of being behind anti-government protests in the Oromia region last year which led to a violent clampdown by the government in Addis Ababa.

The two countries fought a bloody conflict from 1998-2000, but tensions are never far from the surface and were fuelled by protests which erupted last November.

“We have concrete evidence that some of the people... involved and instigating violence in these particular localities... have their origins from Asmara," the capital of Eritrea, said government spokesman Getachew Reda.

A burnt out truck, assumed to be set fire by protesters, lies outside the village of Wolenkomi, in the western region of Ethiopia on December 17, 2015 ©Zacharias Abubeker (AFP/File)

Home to some 27 million people, Oromia encircles Addis Ababa and stretches over large parts of the rest of the country. It has its own language, Oromo, distinct from Amharic, the language of Ethiopia's government.

Demonstrations erupted last November in Oromia to protest against a government plan to expand the Ethiopian capital.

The so-called Master Plan, which was eventually abandoned in January, fuelled land-grab fears among Oromo farmers, from the country's biggest ethnic group.

Reda accused Eritrea of working in concert with two Ethiopian movements, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) rebel group and the Ginbot 7 opposition group exiled in the United States and categorised as terrorists by Addis Ababa.

"The Eritrean government is not only working with OLF’s leftovers in Asmara but also with Ginbot 7, and they want to infiltrate all troublemakers into Ethiopia," Reda said.

He added: "The protests that were being expressed by the people were based on legitimate concerns. But at a certain point, there were political elements involved in hijacking the process.

"What transpired... is an absolutely despicable case of criminal gangs roaming village after village and causing innumerable loss in lives."

There was a brutal crackdown on the protests, which left over 140 people dead and thousands arrested, according to figures released in January by Human Rights Watch (HRW).

In a report published Monday, HRW said the crackdown is still ongoing, asserting that killings and arbitrary arrests were still being reported almost daily.

Eritrea separated from Ethiopia in 1991 after a 20-year independence war. The two countries have remained on a war footing since the open conflict around the turn of the Millennium, notably over their 1,000 km-long (620- mile) common border.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

OromoProtests in Ethiopia , Bale

Ethiopian Prime Minister Accuses Eritrea of Supporting Armed Groups Seeking Secession of Oromia

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Wednesday accused Eritrea of supporting armed groups seeking the secession of Oromia, the largest region in the country.

According to the BBC, Hailemariam blamed the destabilization of Oromia on “destructive forces” that have launched attacks targeting security forces and government facilities.

“The people have understood that these destructive forces are on a mission to subvert the system and change the government,” Hailemariam said.

The Prime Minister added that the issues in Oromia require a swift response and the government will address the situation as the law dictates. He warned that the government would prevent the growth of any secessionist campaign in Oromia.

“The government has realized that there is need to take a decisive action based on law,” he said.

On Monday, Ethiopia dismissed a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report that student protests against a government plan to extend the capital Addis Ababa into Oromia continues.

Communications Minister Getachew Reda debunked claims that the government is violently suppressing the protests, which began in November 2015.

According to a HRW report published on Sunday, Ethiopian security forces have continued to violently crack-down on protesters. Up to 200 people have reportedly been killed in the clashes, the report said.

The report also dismissed claims that the protests against the ‘Addis Ababa Integrated Development Mater Plan’ stopped after the controversial plan was cancelled.

The international rights group said although the Master Plan was cancelled in January, thousands have been arrested arbitrarily without charge.

However, Getachew described the HRW report as “an absolute lie.” He questioned the authenticity of the reports since HWR is not present in Ethiopia.

Although Getachew questioned the authenticity of the HRW report, he acknowledged that the region was still unsettled. He said rather than continued student protests, the government is faced with attacks by armed groups targeting public buildings.

Although the minister did not identify the name of the armed groups behind the recent attacks, he said they were “trying to stir up the emotions in the public.”

Photo: Reuters

Fear stalks Ethiopia's Oromia region after brutal crackdown | Daily Mail Online

Fear stalks Ethiopia's Oromia region after brutal crackdown

By AFP

PUBLISHED: 07:05 GMT, 25 February 2016 | UPDATED: 07:06 GMT, 25 February 2016

Fear is so pervasive in Ethiopia's largest region Oromia, where the government is accused of killing scores in a crackdown, that people don't even like to give their names.

Oromia, which surrounds the capital Addis Ababa, is dotted with machine-gun mounted vehicles and Ethiopian soldiers who locals say have disrupted daily life with incessant checks, harassment and intimidation.

"If you go out in the evening, the police will arrest you, check your papers and your phones. If you have music or photos linked to the protests, you're in serious trouble," a young man in his twenties said in Ginchi, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Addis Ababa.

Ethiopians from the Oromo group block a road after protesters were shot dead by security forces in Wolenkomi, west of Addis Ababa ©William Davison (AFP/File)

"I am very scared for our children, for our youths. I no longer sleep at night. Our life has become hell and it has no meaning," said a mother of two aged in her forties.

Demonstrations began in Oromia in November due to a government plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the region, raising fears among the Oromo people that their farms would be expropriated.

Authorities dropped the urban development plan on January 12 and announced the situation in Oromia was largely under control.

But the demonstrations continued, along with the brutal response, which Human Rights Watch said has claimed the lives of more than 200 people, according to Ethiopian activists.

The Oromos are the largest ethnic group in the east African country, estimated at 27 million in a total population of some 99 million.

Their language, Oromo, is distinct from Amharic, spoken by the Ahmara people and used by the national administration.

In Ambo, 40 kilometres to the west of Ginchi, policemen and soldiers patrol the streets. Some shops are open but schools and hospitals have been closed for three months.

Three young bank employees, huddled on small paved street, discreetly recount the latest protests that erupted at the end of last week.

"There are more policemen in Ambo than there are cobblestones," said one.

"We are scared of soldiers. There have been a lot of arrests. Tension has been growing since the start of the protests," added another.

At a nearby dimly-lit billiard hall, a dozen-odd students relate their version of last week's events.

- 'Fired live bullets' -

"One of our professors was arrested and we have had no news of him since. We decided to go to the ministry of education to get some news. The police came and asked us what we wanted. We wanted to explain why we were there but they fired tear gas," said one.

"Then special army commandos arrived and started firing live bullets."

They said a young man, named Elias Arasasa, died of bullet wounds and his sister Nagasse was injured by gunfire.

"The soldiers do not speak our language. We cannot communicate with them. Weapons are their only language," said the mother of two.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said security forces have arrested several thousand people since November and are holding them without charge.

"Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began," said the New York-based non-governmental organisation.

The HRW's Horn of Africa expert Felix Horne told AFP that while the expansion of the capital was the spark that triggered the protests, the Oromo people had been feeling marginalised for a long time.

"There is also less and less information coming out from the areas where the protests are happening," he said.

"Many individuals who provided updates and information have either been arrested, have disappeared, or are afraid to provide further information."

Addis-based expert Tadesse O'Barr said the "Oromo people have underlying unanswered cumulative political and socio-cultural questions.

"Language is the major and oldest question of the Oromo. The government of Ethiopia denied to make it a federal language ... (but) while Addis Ababa is the centre of the Oromia region, the government denied even a single school in Oromo language in the capital.

"Oromos often ask for self-rule, language and freedom," he said.

Ethiopia has rejected the criticism as lies and said the recent violence did not involve protestors but criminals.

"Now they are armed gangs who are committing crimes; they destroyed bridges, burned down churches. It's nothing like before," Communications Minister Getachew Reda said.

"If one thinks these are demonstrations, it's far from the truth."

But despite the overriding fear, the youths say they will press on with their movement.

"We are not going to abandon our right to freedom. It's too late for that now."

People standing next to the body of a protester from the Oromo group allegedly shot dead by security forces in Wolenkomi, west of Addis Ababa ©William Davison (AFP/File)

Demonstrators call for an end to killings in Wolenkomi, west of Addis Ababa, after police shot dead at least four people. during a demonstration ©Justine Boulo (AFP/File)

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Addis Ababa master plan: Oromo protesters claim Liyu police killed 27 after government scraps plan

By Ludovica Iaccino
February 22, 2016 11:22 GMT
361

Ethiopia unrest — People mourn the death of Dinka Chala who was shot dead by Ethiopian forces in Yubdo Village, about 100km from Addis AbabaZACHARIAS ABUBEKER/AFP/Getty Images)

Protesters in Oromia, Ethiopia's largest state, are continuing as the government keeps killing, torturing and jailing peaceful demonstrators, an activist alleged during an interview with IBTimes UK. The source, who spoke on conditions of anonymity for security reasons, alleged that the death toll at the hands of security forces stands at 270.

Oromo people, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, have been protesting since November 2015 against a government's draft plan that aimed to expand the boundaries of the capital Addis Ababa. Demonstrators argued the so-called "Addis Ababa master plan" would lead to forced evictions of Oromo farmers who will lose their lands and become impoverished as a result.

Why advertise with us

Protesters also claimed that forced evictions as well as a perceived marginalisation by the government are already occurring and they threaten the survival of the Oromo's culture and language.

Although the government decided to scrap the planfollowing increasing demonstrations, Oromo people continued to demonstrate arguing they did not trust the authorities.

"The protests continued because the government kept on killing, jailing and torturing people for taking part in the Oromo protests,while giving contradictory press releases saying it scrapped the plan, but continuing to prosecute those who took part in the protests," the activist told IBTimes UK.

The source added that at least 30,000 people have been arrested. "Our basic demand are: Stop the killings, release all political prisoners, bring to justice all the perpetrators of the killing, tortures and disappearances, establish independent investigators into the matter, compensate victims' families," the activist continued.

"We also call on the government to withdraw its army from the Oromia region, where it was deployed to crackdown on the protests as the region's police force couldn't control demonstrations".

The activis' comments came one day after Human Rights Watch released a report warning that killings of Oromo protesters at the hands of security forces, including the military, continue.

"Security forces, including military personnel, have fatally shot scores of demonstrators," the rights group said. "Thousands of people have been arrested and remain in detention without charge. While the frequency of protests appears to have decreased in the last few weeks, the crackdown continues."

Ethiopian government's position

IBTimes UK has contacted the Ethiopian embassy in London for a statement, but has not received a response at the time of publishing. Speaking to the BBC, communications minister Getachew Reda denied the government was cracking down on demonstrators.

He also denied that protests were ongoing and claimed attacks on public buildings were carried out by armed gangs "who are trying to stir up emotions in the public".

In a previous interview with IBTimes UK, Abiy Berhane, minister counsellor at the embassy, confirmed that an investigation had been launched to establish the exact death toll of people who "fell victim to the violent confrontation with security forces as well as the extent of property damage".

Regarding the allegations of violence against demonstrators and civilians, he said: "These are just one of the many fabrications that are being circulated by certain opposition groups as part of their propaganda campaign. The unrest cannot be described as a national crisis.

"The disturbances orchestrated by opposition groups have now subsided as the general public understood that the integrated master plan is still at a draft stage and will only be implemented after extensive public consultation in the matter takes place and gains the support of the people."

In Focus: Addis Ababa master plan threatens Oromos self-determinationIBTimes UK

Human Rights Watch Reports Daily Killings As Ethiopian Government Continues Oromia Crackdown - Atlanta Black Star

February 23, 2016 | Posted by Manny Otiko
Tagged With: Deadly Oromo Protest, Ethiopian government crackdown, human rights watch report, oromia, Oromo Media Network, protest

122

Google +

Women mourn during the funeral ceremony of a primary school teacher who family members said was shot dead by military forces during protests in Oromia, Ethiopia in December 2015. (Reuters)

The Ethiopian government is reportedly continuing its crackdown on the Oromo people.

According to the New York-based Human Rights Watch, about 200 protesters have been killed in the latest government operation. Oromia, home to the Oromo people, is Ethiopia’s largest region. Demonstrations in the region broke out when the government attempted to clear a forest for an investment project. Protests escalated when the government decided to expand the borders of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, to incorporate surrounding towns in Oromia, according to The International Business Times.

Government forces have used heavy-handed tactics to squash the protests, including rounding up and detaining protesters, torture and even extra-judicial killings, according to The Atlanta Blackstar. Many of the early protests were led by students, but that has not stopped the violence from security forces.

“They walked into the compound and shot three students at point-blank range,” said a 17-year-old student in a Human Rights Watch report. “They were hit in the face and were dead.”

The IBT said there are almost daily reports of killings.

“Things have become considerably more violent in the last few days,” said Felix Horne, Horn of Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The government needs to back down and stop the brutal crackdown.”

It’s difficult to get accurate information about what’s going on because Ethiopia does not have a free media. Human Rights Watch says it is relying on information leaking out via social media posts. The foreign-based Oromo Media Network is also reporting on the situation. However, its signals have been jammed by the Ethiopian government. Government forces have also reportedly smashed OMN satellites and jailed people who have shown their broadcasts.

However, the Ethiopian government denies there is a problem and dismissed Human Rights Watch’s latest report.

Getachew Reda, Ethiopia’s communications minister, told the BBC the report was an “absolute lie” and questioned how Human Rights Watch could report on the situation from New York. He also blamed the latest violence on armed gangs “who are trying to stir up emotions in the public.”

According to The IBT, the European Parliament passed a January resolution condemning the government’s crackdown on largely peaceful protesters. However, the U.S. government has not criticized the Ethiopian government, and has called for dialogue. According to The IBT, Ethiopia received $580 million in aid from the U.S. in 2012. Additionally, The Washington Post reported that the U.S. government uses Ethiopian bases to fly drone missions against terrorists groups in Somalia.

Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said countries that donate money to Ethiopia should pressure the government to stop the killing.

“Ethiopia’s donor countries have responded tepidly, if at all, to the killing of scores of protesters in Oromia,” said Lefkow. “They should stop ignoring or downplaying this shocking brutality and call on the government to support an independent investigation into the killings and other abuses.”

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Ethiopian security forces in bloody crackdown | News24

Addis Ababa - Ethiopian security forces are carrying out a relentless and bloody crackdown on peaceful protests in the Oromia region, at a cost of scores of lives, Human Rights Watch reported on Monday.

"Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began," said the New York-based non-governmental organisation.

The demonstrations began in November due to a government plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the Oromia region surrounding the capital, raising fears among Oromo people that their farms would be expropriated.

Authorities dropped the urban development plan on January 12 and announced the situation in Oromia was largely under control.

But the demonstrations continued, along with the brutal response.

"Flooding Oromia with federal security forces shows the authorities' broad disregard for peaceful protest by students, farmers and other dissenters," said Leslie Lefkow, deputy Africa director at Human Rights Watch.

Protesters and witnesses told HRW that since mid-January, "security forces have shot randomly into crowds, summarily killed people during arrests, carried out mass round-ups, and tortured detainees," the report said.

The Oromos are the largest ethnic group in the east African country, estimated at 27 million people in a total population of some 99 million. Their land encircles Addis Ababa and they also live on large tracts of the west, centre, east and south of Ethiopia.

Their language, Oromo, is distinct from Amharic, spoken by the Ahmara people and used by the national administration.

Confusion

HRW noted that researchers were unable to determine how many people have been killed or arrested because access to Oromia is restricted.

"[Ethiopian] activists allege that more than 200 people have been killed since November 12, 2015," the rights watchdog said. In a previous document at the beginning of January, HRW reported at least 140 killings.

Security forces have arrested several thousand people since November and are holding them without charge, the organisation said.

But communication minister and government spokesperson Getachew Reda told AFP that the recent incidents do not involve protesters but criminals.

"Now they are armed gangs who are committing crimes; they destroyed bridges, burned down churches. It's nothing like before," Reda said.

"If one thinks this is demonstration, it's far from the truth," he told AFP.

Horn of Africa

The HRW's Horn of Africa expert Felix Horne told AFP that "the protests are still going on albeit in less locations."

"There is also less and less information coming out from the areas where the protests are happening.

"Many individuals who provided updates and information have either been arrested, have disappeared, or are afraid to provide further information," Horne added.

"The Ethiopian government should end the excessive use of force by the security forces, free everyone detained arbitrarily, and conduct an independent investigation into killings and other security force abuse," HRW stated.

"Ethiopia's donor countries have responded tepidly, if at all, to the killing of scores of protesters in Oromia," Lefkow said in the report.

"They should stop ignoring or downplaying this shocking brutality and call on the government to support an independent investigation into the killings and other abuses," he added.

Read more on: hrw | ethiopia | east africa

Monday, February 22, 2016

Ethiopia says Oromia protests crackdown claims are 'lies' - BBC News

People mourn the death a man who was shot dead by the Ethiopian forces the day earlier, in the Yubdo Village, about 100km from Addis Ababa in the Oromia region, on 17 December 2015 — Image captionPeople in the region have long complained of marginalisation

Ethiopia has dismissed allegations it is violently suppressing protests in its restive Oromia region as an "absolute lie".

About 200 people have been killed in the protests since November, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.

The unrest began over government plans to expand the capital's administrative control into the region.

The government later dropped the plan, but protesters dismissed the decision as "too little too late".

Africa Live: BBC news updates

Oromia is Ethiopia's largest region, surrounding the capital, Addis Ababa.

Many people in the region complain of being politically and economically marginalised in a country where the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition has ruled since 1991.

'Thousands detained'

New York-based HRW said, in a report, that anti-government protests had decreased in the last few weeks, but the "crackdown continues".

"Almost daily accounts of killings and arbitrary arrests have been reported to Human Rights Watch since 2016 began," it added.

HRW said thousands of people had been detained without charge since November.

But Ethiopia's Communications Minister, Getachew Reda, told the BBC that it was a "stroke of magic" for HRW to release a report "from half way across the world".

He acknowledged that there had been trouble, but said attacks on public buildings were carried out by armed gangs "who are trying to stir up emotions in the public".

Mr Getachew said that HRW has been "churning out report after report" on Ethiopia without a presence in the country, and its allegations against the security forces were an "absolute lie".

At the last census in 2007, the Oromo made up Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group, at about 25 million people out of a population at the time of nearly 74 million.