Monthly Archives: June 2019
Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s government is criminalizing parents for their children
By Bariiso Saaddoo, June 21, 2019
Ethiopian security forces invade and arrest parents of adult children who left them years ago.
Immediately after the atrocities of 9/11, USA labelled Osama Bin Laden as one of the most dangerous man in the face of the Earth. USA Army and intelligence community tried to locate Osama’s whereabouts all over the world and including hideouts in the highlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The search for Osama continued unabatedly for about 10 years and finally he was brought to justice by US Marine in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.
During the search for Osama bin Laden, one of his brothers was in the USA living in peace just like any other ordinary Americans. Osama’s children and other family members had never been targeted by the United States for the heinous crimes of their father. They lived in peace and freely without a fear of USA government retaliation for their father’s crime.
In all of European countries, crimes are not transferable. Once a child is 18 years of age, parents’ responsibility ends legally, and any crime the children commit cannot go to the parents. That is a civilized and reasonable world. The parents may continue communicating with their children regardless of the weight of the crimes the children commit. Some families come out and defend their children officially. Nothing happens to them. They don’t hung the father or mother for the crimes of their children.
Parents and families in Ethiopia are illiterate, most of them have never been to school and do not understand politics. Most parents live on farms barely making days end meals. They are people who struggle only to feed their kids and themselves. Some do not even afford to wear shoes, never had cell phones or lights. Most of the kids go to school only if there is school nearby to escape from farm work. These parents make less than $300 a year, if we must measure money-wise. They do not know what is taught in school. They do not even understand why their children go to school for many years.
These are the parents, PM Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s army coerces demanding they bring back their children they have not seen in years. These are the parents this regime rapes and kills for being mothers and fathers of these children who left them years ago to fight for their causes. These are the parents Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s soldiers rob, burn properties and force to flee their birthplace. Ethiopia has the largest internally displaced people (IDP) in the world according to a recent report by the United Nations (UN). In one year, under Dr. Abiy Ahmed’s administration, more Oromos are displaced than under the regime of the TPLF in 20 years or so rule.
This is the regime that is committing itself to annihilate or reduce the Oromo people into further serfdom. While it claims to represent the poor people, the regime has continued creating difficult livelihoods for millions. Disappearance, destruction, humiliation, eviction and isolation is underway in mass in the Oromia region. This is a regime that is burning crops and killing livestock to starve the Oromo people as a punishment.
The TPLF cadre regime of Dr. Abiy Ahmed, while delivering rosy speeches after speeches with nice words, has continued subjecting the Oromo people to grief and sorrow. Millions of Oromo mothers are crying under a regime that claims to represent Oromos and as some claim ‘the Oromo Government’. This regime is the continuation of the TPLF/EPRDF regime and TPLF cadres were trained to kill, spy, mistreat people, corrupt, steal, rob, etc. That is normal life for them. Sometimes you cannot blame them, because that is their profession. They cannot think beyond what they have been trained for. That is their make-up.
It is very painful to hear that parents of Qeerroo are getting harassed and humiliated for their children joining Oromo Liberation Army (OLA). Some of the children left them more than 20 years ago and some of the children are now in their 30s and 40s. The parents have nothing to do with their children political beliefs and they are being criminalized for simply giving birth to these children.
Human Rights Abuses:163 extra-judicial killings and the arbitrary detention of at least 933 people in Ethiopia
(Oromia Support Group Report) The extra-judicial killing and arbitrary arrest of OLF supporters since December 2018 has created a situation in Oromia very similar to that in 1991-2 when thousands of OLF supporters were killed and scores of thousands detained and tortured.
The good will and support for Ethiopia from the international community helped to maintain the abusive regime of Meles Zenawi, then in power. The current silence about killings and widespread imprisonment is eerily reminiscent of that time.
Many reports have been sent to OSG since December 2018 and this report is a summary of the information received.
This report includes information about 163 extra-judicial killings and the arbitrary detention of at least 933 all due to their suspected support for the Oromo Liberation Front, which officially returned to Ethiopia in September 2018.
Oromia Support Group Australia – Summary Report on Human Right Abuses in Ethiopia
WE ARE TIRED OF RAPE!
The Oromo women are protesting in front of the American embassy starting at 8 am today June 9, 2019. The letter below is being submitted to the American embassy.
WE ARE TIRED OF RAPE! The Voice of the Oromo Women
When Dr. Abiy Ahmed became the prime minister of Ethiopia, we rejoiced thinking that the EPRDF dictatorship of 27 years was ending, and equal opportunity and dignity was about to usher upon us. his multi-faceted rhetoric about freedom and community development resonated with our wishes until he ordered the EPRDF army to kill our people. Apparently, Abiy’s appointment was the political tactic designed to save the EPRDF rule from collapsing.
In 1948, after the Holocaust took place, leaders from nations around the world came together to establish the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document affirms that every person regardless of religion, race, gender or nationality, possesses the right to life, liberty, security, equal protection of the law, freedom of thought, speech, and religion. Though not always honored, the declaration provides moral norms for how people should be treated in international law and national constitutions.
These rights entitle us, the Oromo women, to dignity and obligate the EPRDF prime minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed to owe us respect. He cannot talk about human rights without taking responsibility for the lives his soldiers take on a daily basis. And he cannot talk about responsibilities without being part of the Oromo girls and women who are being raped and killed all over Oromia every day.
Since Dr. Abiy Ahmed announced that jailing and killing people can’t bring lasting peace and urged all opposition groups to disarm, the Oromo Liberation Front disarmed and returned to Finfinnee. Eventually, the Oromo youth who lost hope started protesting against Dr. Abiy’s hypocrisy all over Oromia. This led the prime minister to take deceitful and horrific military actions against the youth who lost hope and took refugee in west, central and southern Oromia forests. Since then, the military has been raping little girls and women, burn people alive and kill peaceful residents, not to mention the burning of hundreds of motorcycles owned by business people in small towns of Oromia.
The military raids, ordered by Dr. Abiy Ahmed, often involved the use of some sort of chemicals and widespread human rights violations. Of course, these tragedies remained unreported. Yet, knowing full well that these atrocities have become a regular day to day practice of his military, Dr. Abiy Ahmed continues to boast about the equal rights and the peace the country is enjoying.
The media outlets controlled by the EPRDF often reported sounding as if these illogical, contradictory and evasive actions are great achievements.
But we the Oromo women, who gave birth to the sons who are shot to death by the military grief every day and suffer from the gang rapes performed upon us. While this is going on, Dr. Abiy has the audacity to appoint many women to a high governmental position to show the world that we are represented and to make us feel that our sphere of usefulness is being enlarged.
Amid this miscellany of lies, deceptions, political dramas, and mischiefs, our suffrage is buried under the height and the depth of the EPRDF utter devotion to political dominance.
The human right violations conducted by the EPRDF army, the killing, torturing, raping, imprisoning, burning people in their own house in southern, western and now in central Oromia are part of EPRDF’s long term plan of staying in power. That’s why Dr. Abiy Ahmed refused to negotiate with the Oromo youth whom he labeled as a lawless group that needs to be destroyed at any cost.
To scare and force the population to submit to its dictatorial rule, the EPRDF army mutilated the bodies of the raped women, have cut their throat, slaughtered peaceful people, have burned down houses and properties, looted animals, raped children and have burned the dead bodies in masses. The civilians in the affected areas have continued to flee their homes and properties. This is the stark and glaring tenor of Dr. Abiy’s cruelty that demands the attention of the world.
Hence, please listen to the voices of the raped and killed Oromo girls and women. Each of their cries are competing for a listening ear.
The Oromo Women for freedom!
Advocacy for Oromia 