(Melbourne, Australia, 22 September 2017)- Oromo didn’t expect the loss of more than six hundred people in one day when Celebrating Irreechaa Festival in Bishoftu Oromia on 02 October 2016 before shot at by military forces on the ground while helicopters fired teargas from the air.

Members of Oromo Community in Melbourne Australia are going to hold the commemorative ceremony at Federation Square to commemorate and remember Irreechaa Massacre.

Place: Federation Square, Corner Swanston St & Flinders St, Melbourne VIC 3000.

When: 30th of September 2017

Time: 6:00 PM

We are also delighted to invite you to be a part of the Oromo Thanksgiving Day celebration in Melbourne. This special event that adds more wealth to the multicultural traits of Melbourne will be held at Wilson Botanical Park.

Address: 668 Princes Highway, Berwick, VIC 3806.

Date: October 1, 2017

Time: 1:00PM – 5:00PM

 About Irreechaa Massacre

On October 2, 2016, the sacred grounds of Harsadi were littered with dead bodies where thousands of fellow Oromo were massacred by Ethiopia’s security force on the Irreechaa celebration. The deaths in Bishoftu occurred because security forces fired tear gas and live ammunition at a crowd of over a million people celebrating a cultural festival.

Reports show over 670 deaths from shooting and from being trampled. Many deaths remain unexplained. The incident is shrouded in mystery because of the media blackout which followed. At least some killings followed the event rather than taking place at the time and are believed to have been deliberately orchestrated by the government. Even now, after the atrocity, there has been no independent investigation and no appraisal of the number and identity of those killed.

For more information: https://www.hrw.org/report/2017/09/19/fuel-fire/security-force-response-2016-irreecha-cultural-festival

Our Appeals

We ask all Oromo institutions to compile evidences, videos, pictures in their possession showing the mayhem the regime’s security force orchestrated during the event and more importantly the details of the victims. We also would like to ask all Oromo and Oromo organisations to produce research papers, short videos, poems, songs, that shall be used to commemorate and celebrate the lives of the victims of Irreechaa Massacre during the upcoming Irreechaa festival around the world.

We owe the victims of the Irreechaa massacre acknowledgement of their deaths and an explanation to the world of how and why they died.

=================

Members of Irreechaa Organising Committee comprised of representatives from the Advocacy for Oromia, Australian Oromo community Association, Oromia Support Group Australia, Southeast Region Melbourne Oromo Community Association Victoria Australia and Waaqeffannaa Association.

For further information contact us at info@advocacy4oromia.org.

For PDF format: Irreechaa-Appeal-Letter