On the Death of Ethiopian Prime Minister OLF PRESS RELEASE

            OROMO LIBERATION FRONT
         On the Death of Ethiopian Prime Minister
               (OLF Press Release)
No: 014/stm-abo/2012
August 22, 2012

Mr. MellesZenawi and his party EPRDF took over power by military force 21 years ago backed by external forces. For the peoples in Ethiopia, thelast 21 years were continuation of war, conflict, gross human rights violation, imprisonment, disappearances,killings and starvation.

The death of Mr. Zenawi may be a big relief for the majority of the peoples in Ethiopia whose human rights have been continuously and grossly violated for the last 21 years by this dictator and his henchmen. He was one of the worst and wicked dictators that the Empire has ever experienced by the majority of the Empire’s subjects. His departure may create the opportunity for a democratic atmosphere to emerge that could help to peacefully settle the more than a century old conflicts.

During his unwarranted and horrific rule, Mr. Zenawi maimed, killed, imprisoned, tortured and exiled thousands of citizens, particularly from members of colonized Nations and Nationalities waging the struggle for their own liberation, such as the Oromo, Ogaden Somalis, Sidama, Afar, Gambela and many others polities of the Empire. The crimes committed by Mr. Meles and his party goons, the wanton destruction of a generation that resisted the oppressive and dreadful horror years will not be forgotten by his victims and their families. Further, nepotism has climaxed under his rule whereby the political, economic and military institutions in the country are completely dominated by his kins and kith from Tigray. This plus his divide and rule policy has further deepened the prevailing resentment, hatred and paved the way for further conflicts.

Now that Mr. Zenawi is gone, the peoples and concerned entities in Ethiopia should be vigilant and must not ever allow another tyrannical dictator to usurp the state power and rule over them again. The era of dictatorial and arbitrary autocrat ruling over the Empire should be over.

We call upon the peoples in Ethiopia to join hands at this opportune time and rise up in unison to work out for a mechanism that will solve the perennial political problems,build for their children a better future, and to all the future generation the legacy of democratic culture!

Victory to the Oromo People!
Oromo Liberation Front
August 22, 2012
Oromo Liberation Front