Obama criticised for scheduling visit to ‘oppressive’ Ethiopia

June 30, 2015 | By KEVIN J KELLEY

In summery:- Some analysts suggest that the US leader’s decision to meet with Ethiopia’s rulers reflects the overriding priority that Washington assigns to counter-terrorism initiatives in East Africa.

Human rights groups and a leading US newspaper are criticising President Barack Obama’s planned visit next month to Ethiopia.
 

“It’s almost unfathomable that he would make time for an entrenched human-rights abuser such as Ethiopia while cold-shouldering the nation that just witnessed a historic, peaceful, democratic change of power: Nigeria,” the Washington Post declared in a June 24 editorial.
 

The Obama administration has previously rebuked Ethiopian authorities for repressive practices. But the US also recently praised Ethiopia for “strengthening its democracy” and has remained silent on the results of elections last month that saw the ruling party, in power for nearly 25 years, capture every seat in the 547-member parliament. 

Ethiopia mulls tough trafficking law, including death penalty

June 30, 2015 | Source: Reuters | Author: Reuters | By Aaron Maasho

ADDIS ABABA, June 30 (Reuters) - Human traffickers in Ethiopia could face life in jail or the death penalty under a bill presented to parliament on Tuesday aimed at curbing the illegal flow of people in and out of the Horn of Africa country.

The move comes two months after at least 30 Ethiopian migrants were shot and killed by Islamic State militants in Libya and after others have died while heading to Europe on rickety boats across the Mediterranean.

The legislation, proposed by the Ministry of Justice, contains a range of penalties for trafficking and smuggling including fines of up to 500,000 birr ($7,500) and the death penalty in cases where victims suffer severe injury or death.

Oromooti Sagal Hidhaa Hiikaman

Waxabajjii 30, 2015 | Oromedia

Sabboontoti Oromoo Oromummaa isaaniitiin yakkamanii wagoota turban darbaniif manneen hidhaa Itoophiyaa keessatti gidirfamaa bahan sagal hidhaa waggaa torbaa booda hiikaman.

Raadiyoon Sagalee Oromoo (OVR) akka gabaasetti, hidhamtooti siyaasaa Oromoo salgan kunneen bara 2008 keessa sababa Oromummaa isaaniitiin yakkamaniii hidhaatti kanneen guuraman turan.
Akka odeessa nu gaheetti, sabboontoti hiikaman kunneen kanneen galmee Ob. Tasfaahuun Camadaa fa’aa jalatti himatamnii turanii murtiin dabaa irratti darbee ture ta’uun beekameera.
Kanneen yeroo amma hiikaman saglan,

በ2007 በኢትዮጵያ የተካሄደውን ምርጫ በሚመለከት ከመድረክ የተሰጠ መግለጫ:- ሕገ-መንግሥታዊና ሕጋዊ የምርጫ ሥርዓት በተጣሰበት ሂደት የተከናወነው ሕገ ወጥ የምርጫ ድራማ ተቀባይነት ሊኖረው አይችልም!

June 29, 2015

ሕገ-መንግሥታዊና ሕጋዊ የምርጫ ሥርዓት በተጣሰበት ሂደት የተከናወነው ሕገ ወጥ የምርጫ ድራማ ተቀባይነት ሊኖረው አይችልም!

በሀገራችን ኢትዮጵያ የመድበለ ፓርቲ ሥርዓት እውን ሆኖ በነፃና ፍትሐዊ ምርጫ አማካይነት የሕዝባችን የሥልጣን ባለቤትነት የሚረጋገጥበት ሁኔታ በሕገ-መንግስቱ እውቅና ተሰጥቶት በይፋ ተደንግጎአል፡፡ ይሁን እንጂ ኢህአዴግ ሕገመንግሥቱንና የምርጫ ሕጎችን የጣሰ የምርጫ ድራማ በየ5 ዓመቱ በመቶ ሚሊዮኖች የሀገር ገንዘብ እያባከነ ያካሂዳል፡፡ ኢህአዴግ ይህንን የምርጫ ድራማ የሚያከሂደው፣ ወቅቱን የጠበቀ ምርጫ ማካሄድ በዓለም አቀፍ ለጋሽ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ሀገሮች ዘንድ እውቅና የስገኝልኛል በሚል ተስፋ ነው፡፡ ተጨባጩ እውነታ የሚያሳየው ግን ኢህአዴግ በሥልጣን ላይ በቆየባቸው 24 ዓመታት ራሱ ያጸደቃቸውን ሕጋዊና ሕገመንግሥታዊ ድንጋጌዎችን በመርገጥ የራሱን አምባገነናዊ ገዥነት ለማስቀጠል እንዲያስችለው የሕዝብ ድምፅ መንጠቂያና ማፈኛ ሕገወጥ የምርጫ ስትራቴጂዎችን እያወጣና ሥራ ላይ እያዋለ መሆኑን ነው፡፡ የሕዝባችንን ድምፅ መቀማቱንና ማፈኑን በየምርጫ ዙሮቹ እያባባሰ መሄዱን ቀጥሎበት አሁን ለደረስንበት የ100 ፐርሰንት ቅሚያም ደርሶአል፡፡ በተለይም በ2007 ዓም በተካሄደው የ5ኛ ዙር ሀገር አቀፍ ምርጫ ሕጋዊና ሕገመንግሥታዊ ድንጋጌዎችን በማንአለብኝነት በመጣስ በአጋርነት የፈረጃቸውን ፓርቲዎች አስከትሎና ሕዝቡንና ሐቀኛ ሰላማዊ ተቃዋሚ ፓርቲዎችን በኃይል አፍኖ ምርጫውን በሕገወጥ መንገድ መቶ በመቶ ለመቆጣጠርና ጠቅልሎ ለመውሰድ የፈጸማቸው አስነዋሪ ተግባራት ከአንድ በመንግሥት ኃላፊነት ላይ ከሚገኝ ፓርቲ የማይጠበቁ ናቸው፡፡ አገዛዙ በዚሁ ምርጫ ከመራጮች ምዝገባ ጀምሮ ከፈጸማቸው ሕገወጥ ተግባራት ዋና ዋናዎቹ የሚከተሉት ናቸው፡፡

Goobanaa Daaccee Keenya? – A New Picture of Ras Gobana Dache Emerges; Interviews with Ob. Edao Boru, & Aad. Elizabeth Bereded, a Descendant of Ras Gobana (Via Finfinne Radio)

   PART ONE                                                                              PART TWO
    

Amnesty International Asks Ethiopia to Investigate Suspicious Murders and Human Rights Violations

June 24, 2015 | Amnesty International

The suspicious murder of opposition leaders and wide-spread human rights violations against opposition party members over the past few weeks raises questions about Ethiopia’s elections, said Amnesty International as the parliamentary poll results were announced yesterday.

The organization has also expressed concerns about the failure of the Africa Union Elections Observer Mission (AUEOM) and the National Elections Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to properly monitor and report on allegations of wide-spread abuses before, during and after the election.

Dispatches: Alarm Bells for Ethiopia’s 100% Election Victory

June 24, 2015 | Felix Horne | Human Rights Watch

Elections where a ruling party wins 100 percent of the seats in parliament should always ring alarm bells. Results in Ethiopia from the May 24 general election, released yesterday, are no exception. According to Ethiopia’s National Electoral Board, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition won 546 parliamentary seats (with the 547th seat still to be announced).

The results shouldn’t be seen as a stamp of approval for Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s government – rather they are the inevitable outcome of a political system in which opposition parties face extraordinary challenges and nearly all avenues for citizens to engage in political debate are closed.

The seeds for this situation were sown years ago. Since the last election in 2010, in which the EPRDF won a mere 99.6 percent of parliamentary seats, political space has been further restricted: the independent media has been decimated, civil society groups virtually eliminated, and peaceful public demonstrations quelled, sometimes by force.

Author Gadaa/Tesfaye Gebre-ab on History of Macha-Tulama Association, including the Gen. Tadesse Birru vs. Prime Minister Aklilu Habtewold Confrontation

The video was previously recorded by Lagatafo Studio during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Macha-Tulama Association (and movement) in August 2014.
               

The poetics and politics of Oromo resistance

June 23, 2015 | By Awol Allo*

Oromo music has played a central role in providing alternative spaces for enunciating ‘the Oromo question’.

 

[Open Democracy]— On June 4, 2015, renowned Oromo artist Haacaaluu Hundeessaa released an intoxicating single track, Maalan Jiraa. The song condenses within itself the story of the Oromo people with impeccable acuity, waltzing between stories of pain and pride, hope and despair. Full of anguish and self-doubt, Maalan Jira is a powerful probe into the modern Oromo condition and illustrated the complex dilemma facing the Oromo nation and its struggle for political emancipation.

The Oromo are the single largest ethnic group in East Africa, comprising well over a third of Ethiopia’s 99 million people. For generations, Oromos have been relegated to the periphery of Ethiopian politics, not in spite of their numerical majority, but because of it. What makes the Oromo experience so incomprehensible is the fact that they remained one of the last oppressed majority groups of the world in a country in which identity is both the constitutive and regulative principle of political life.

Minister for Africa expresses concern over Ethiopian elections

June 23, 2015 | Press release From:Foreign & Commonwealth Office and James Duddridge MP

Minister for Africa James Duddridge calls on Ethiopian government to increase diversity in parliament and ensure the voices of all citizens are heard.

Ethiopia’s election insult to the people and democracy

June 22, 2015 | By Graham Peebles*

Every five years the Ethiopian people are invited by the ruling party to take part in a democratic pantomime called “general elections”. Sunday 24 May saw the latest production take to the national stage.

With most opposition party leaders either in prison or abroad, the populace living under a suffocating blanket of fear, and the ruling party having total control over the media, the election result was a foregone conclusion. The European Union, which had observed the 2005 and 2010 elections, refused to send a delegation this time, maintaining their presence would legitimise the farce and give credibility to the fake election.

Ethiopias 2015 fake election result is announced and AFP reported the result as "Ethiopia's ruling party wins by landslide in general election"

June 22, 2015 | Agence France-Presse in Addis Ababa

There was no immediate reaction from opposition parties, but critics dismissed the results. “This result was completely expected, there is no multiparty system in Ethiopia. It’s just fake,” said Taye Negussie, a sociology professor at Addis Ababa University.

Supporters of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front at a pre-election rally. Photograph: Zacharias Abubeker/AFP/Getty Images

Ethiopia’s ruling party and its allies achieved a clean sweep in last month’s general election, winning all 546 parliamentary seats, the final results showed.

የተደበቀው የራያና አዘቦ አኩሪ ብሔራዊ ማንነትና ታሪክ (በቦሩ በራቃ) | Brief National History of the Raya and Azebo People in Ethiopia

               

Barattooti Oromoo Yuuniversitii Jimmaa Eebba Ebbifamtootaa Irratti Qophii Addaa Taasisuun Qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo Faarsan.

Waxabajjii 16, 2015 | Qeerroo.org

Waxabajjii 13/2015 Goototni barattootni Oromoo Yuunibarsiitii Jimmaa eebba eebbifamtoota barattoota Oromoo ilaalchisuun qophii addaa qopheeffachuun qabsoo Bilisummaa Oromoo hangagalii isaaga’utti kutannoo fi muratnoon garboonfataa maksuuf kan hojjetan ta’uu waadaa isaanii haroomsan.

Goototni barattootni Oromoo Yuunivarsiitii Jimmaa qophii bifa addata’een mooraa Saayinsii fi Teekinooloojii keessatti qopheeffachuun walaloolee warraaqsaa fi sirboota warraaqsaa garaagaraa dhageesisuun diina uummata  Oromoo kan rifaasisanii fi Oromummaa, Eenyummaa fi mirga abbaa biyyummaa isaaniif falmachuuf yoomiyyuu duubatti kan hindeebine ta’uu sagantaa kana irratti ifatti beeksifatan. Goototni barattootni Oromoo Yuunibarsiitii Jimmaa human waraanaa fi humnoota tikaa Wayyaaneen eeggichaan hamaan irratti gaggeeffamaa kan jiruu fi ture yoo ta’uu, Oromoo taanee jiraachuu fi mirgaOromoon qabu sarbamee jiruu fi bilisummaa keenyaaf falmachuuf eenyu iyyuu nu daangessuu hindanda’u jechuun murtii isaanii dabarfatan.

An Awesome Intro about Oromo & the Oromo Gadaa Civilization by Young African-American Scholar at Afric Network

By Afric Network

The Oromo are one of the Cushitic-speaking groups in east Africa. The Cushitic speakers have inhabited north-eastern and eastern Africa for as long as recorded history and The Oromo are a very ancient ethnic group.

Asian investors, regional allies and European admirers: why the world overlooks Ethiopia’s rigged elections

June 16, 2015 | NewStatesman | BY MARTIN PLAUT

Addis Ababa is too important a place to sideline over a small matter like democracy.



Part of the Addis Ababa light railway under construction. Photo: Getty

On 24 May, Ethiopia went to the polls – a fact that might have escaped your attention. Hardly surprising since there was next to no coverage in the British press. Even the BBC no longer has a correspondent in Addis Ababa.

But perhaps there is another reason why the election in what is one of Africa’s most important countries received so little attention: it was a foregone conclusion.

TVOMT – Gaaffi fii deebii Gen. Hailu Gonfa waliin goone daawadhaa

                 

The Oromo Heritages: Gadaa, Siiqqee and Irreecha | Documentary |

                 

Oduu Tarkaanfii WBO Godina Bahaa

Waxabajjii 13, 2015 | Sagalee Bilisummaa Oromoo

Humni Addaa WBO Godina Baha Oromiyaa keessatti tarkaanfii diinaa fi ergamtoota... diinaa irratti fudhatu jabeessee itti fufe.

Waxabajjii 03 fi 05, 2015 gidduutti Humni Addaa WBO Baha Oromiyaa keessatti iddoo adda addaatti miseensota tikaa, poolisootaa fi lukkeelee wayyaanee irratti tarkaanfii fudhatuun injifannoo galmeessuu Ajaji WBO Godina Baha Oromiyaa oduu tarkaanfii SBOtti ergeen beeksisee jira.

Overcoming a Crippling spirit and Victimhood Mindset in Oromo Diaspora

June 13, 2015 | By Geresu Tufa | Source:- Face book post

It is becoming norm to see one individual/group of Oromos blackmailing the ''other'' specially in the diasporas to meet various shortsighted ends. Most of these personality are often ashamed of their true self and often hide under certain pen name on social media. I don't know if this kind of cynical and vicious personality who is not even courageous enough to write with their real name worth any attention and response from any self respecting soul. But, I felt that someone have to speak against the ugly truths in our community. Therefore, I will try to cover the underlying assumptions and misconceptions so that some of us may rethink where the victimhood mindset and internal prejudices among various Oromo groups built over the last two decades are leading us.

Caaltuun akka Heelan by Tesfaye Gebreab /Afaan Oromo/

                   

"Si Yaadee Yaa Oromiyaa !!!" - Sabboontota Kamiseetiin

                      

የሕወሓት መንግስት ስርዓቱን የከዱትን 9 የጦር መኮንኖች እያደነ ነው * መኮንኖቹ ኦነግን ተቀላቅለዋል እየተባለ ነው

June 07, 2015 | ምንሊክ ሳልሳዊ

ከደቡብ ምስራቅ እዝ የከዱ ዘጠኝ የባሌ ክፍለሃገር ተወላጅ የሆኑ የሰራዊቱ መኮንኖችን ለመያዝ ማደኑን አንደቀጠለ አና አስካሁን ከኦነግ ኣማጽያን ጋር ተቀላቅለዋል ከሚባል ውጪ ያሉበት ቦታ ምንም ፍንጭ እንደሌለ ለጦር ሃይሎች መምሪያ የደህንነት ክፍል የመጣ መረጃ መጠቆሙን የመከላከያ ምንጮች ገልጸዋል::

The analogous backgrounds: TPLF VS OLF

June 07, 2015 | By Yaadasaa Dafa

According to the Ethiopian historical documents: The formation of TPLF was reaction to the 1896 Ethiopian emperor Menelik, who was opposed to the Italy’s territorial dreams and plan. Therefore, Menelik did: A) Position the 80,000- men army into Tigray without making available (to the soldiers) enough military necessities thereby compelling the whole army to live off the Tigray people and their lands.

When the Italian fascist forces invaded Ethiopia, the main battleground was again Tigray, and once again the Tigray citizens sustained the heavy load of the Fascist invasion.

In 1943, after the Allied Powers had defeated Italy and Haile Selassie had returned to Ethiopia, Tigray peasants revolted against the imperial regime. The Ethiopian government forces, supported by British units, curbed the revolt. The emperor then imposed a harsh peace treaty on Tigray.

Arms of Ethiopia's Regime Surveillance Network Reaches Washington DC

June 07, 2015 | Oromo Press

Daselgn Teferra ( Right) pictured with
TPLF's Abay Tsehaye (Left).

The TPLF/EPRDF regime of Ethiopia exports spies and thugs to Washington DC to harass and weaken the organizational capacity of Oromos in diaspora.  It is becoming very common in Washington DC to see Ethiopia's surveillance against Oromo-American Citizens in action.  The government uses poor, illiterate and semi literate collaborators; pays them salaries in US dollars, puts them in suits and Hondas, and decent housing in DC, Virginia and Maryland so they can conduct surveillance on the Oromo people.  These spies have attempted and occasionally succeeded in infiltrating Oromo institutions in the Washington DC area. They lurk within these institutions and sabotage them and also sabotage events planned by community organizations.

Oromo Center, located in Northwest Washington DC, is infested with Ethiopian government spy network and collaborators. By justifying it as being inclusive and welcoming to all Oromos, some of the Oromo Center  leaders have granted access to agents of Ethiopian government who use the Center's basement to organize and plan actions to weaken the Oromo diaspora. As part of a propaganda and espionage work conducted by the agents sent by Ethiopian government, heads of these spy networks and mafias such as Dasalegn Taferra, Berhanemeskel and Cherer conduct espionage  and seminars on behalf of the Ethiopian government in Oromo Center's basement.  They play cards of regionalism and not knowing Afan Oromo or being mixed.

The new OLF-Jijjiramaa wants to reunite with Dawud Ibsa’s OLF, says Ob. Amin Jundi (Via Seife-Nebelbal Radio)

Waxabajjii 05, 2015
                   

Ummata Oromootu hooggantoota dhaabbilee siyaasaa akka tokkooman kadhachuu qabamoo, hooggantoota dhaabbilee siyaasaa Oromootu tokkummaaf ummata Oromoo kadhachuu qaba?

Waxabajjii 04, 2015 | Gadaa.net | Camadaa Hundee irraa*

Tokkummaan Oromoo hunda dursu akka qabuu fi daandiin qabsoo bilisummaa Oromoo galmaan gahuu danda’u tokkummaa Oromoo jabeessuu duwwaa akka ta’e beektotti Oromoo waggaa dheeraaf akeekkachiisaa asi gahanii jiru. Guyyaan dhimmi tokkummaa irraa hin dubbatamni hin jiru. Sababni isaa oromiyaan kan bittaa alagaa jalatti kufteef tokkummaa dhabiinsaa fi toftaa qoqodanii bituu diinaa irraa waanta maddeef. Oromoon gaanfa Afrikaa keessatti roga hundaan ummata wayyaba. Oromoon humna namaan, dingadee fi taa’umsa lafaan Itiyoophiyaa keessatti duwwaa otoo hin taane, naannoo isaatti ummata murteessaa tahee dha. Haa tahuu garuu wayyabummaa naannoo keenya keessatti qabnu, gara humnaatti jijjiruu hin dandeenye. Diinni keenya nubitaa jirus ta’ee abbaa biyyummaa oromiyaa arguuf fedha hin qabne, humna Oromoon qabnu kana akka ofirratti beeknu tasa hin barbaadu. Kanaaf jecha imaamata tokkummaa Oromoo laaffisan, toftaa gara garaa dhimma itti bahee jira. Toftaan diinaa kun yeroo dheeraa keessa amaleeffatamee amma mooraa qabsoo Oromoo keessa seenutti gahee jira.

Oromo Voice Radio (OVR) Broadcast 01 June 2015: OLA killed 12 Ethiopian security forces and wounded more

               

How far is Kenya from Ethiopia? Chronicles of an exiled journalist

June 01, 2015 | The Star | By HABTAMU SEYOUM

Sometime back in December last year, I visited the Nairobi Central Business District. Walking down the streets of Nairobi was a unique experience for me as an exiled journalist from Ethiopia. You see, I am now like the Greek philosopher – Diogenes of Sinope – for I have no home.

My fate is to sleep or eat wherever I find vacant and safe. It looks like the fate of someone who yearns for a glimpse of freedom. Compared to Nairobi, my Addis Ababa is a failed blueprint.

The beautiful buildings, the clean road, the big malls, the green parks and swarms of cars demonstrate Nairobi’s great success. Nairobi is like a beautiful lady in a fashionable dress, while Addis is a midget in a towel.

Clashes kill at least 35 people near Somalia border with Ethiopia

June 01, 2015 | Middle East Online

Deadly clashes involved clan militia and members of Liyu police, Ethiopian paramilitary unit operating in Ethiopia's ethnic Somali region.

Fighting started a week ago and escalated on Friday - At least 35 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in a week of clashes in villages near Somalia's border with Ethiopia, officials and traditional elders said Sunday. The sources said the clashes involved Somali clan militia and members of the Liyu police, an Ethiopian paramilitary unit operating in Ethiopia's ethnic Somali region. "The Liyu Police Unit launched an attack on innocent civilians. They are attacking villagers and killing people who keep livestock," Hussein Weheliye Irfo, the governor of the Galgadud region in central Somalia, told reporters.

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