09 December 2015

We are greatly concerned about the recent brutal crackdown against innocent unarmed peaceful protesters in Oromia by Ethiopian police.

Words seem inadequate to express the sadness we feel for the peaceful protesters who have been killed, beaten and unlawfully detained. We share their grief in this time of agony and pain. We are appalled that a similar tragedy occurred last year in April, 2014 and not much has changed in Ethiopia. Recent images surfing the internet are heartbreaking and disturbing. As an organization subscribing to broader democratic engagement of the Oromo youth, we oppose the brutal violence that the Ethiopian government is meting out on innocent, unarmed young students who are peacefully protesting. As International Oromo Youth, we support and stand in solidarity with Oromo student protesters.

The students are protesting the Addis Ababa “Integrated Developmental Master Plan” which aims at incorporating smaller towns surrounding Addis Ababa, displacing millions of farmers. The implementation of the “Master Plan” will essentially result in the displacement of the indigenous peoples and their families. Farmers will be dispossessed of their land and their survival both in economic and cultural terms will be threatened. The student protesters strongly believe that this plan will expose their natural environment to risk, threaten their economic means of livelihood (subsistence farming), and violate their constitutional rights.

We call on the international community to join us in denouncing these inhumane and cruel activities carried out by the Ethiopian government. It has been reported that shootings, unlawful arrests, and harassments by security personals are becoming rampant. We believe it is imperative that the international community raise its voice and take action to stop the ongoing atrocities that are wreaking havoc to families and communities in the Oromia region.

We pray for safety and security of all peoples in Ethiopia.

Sincerely

IOYA BOARD,

This week TPLF has decided to temporarily suspend OPDO from the party until Oromo leaders submitted to TPLF demands and controlled their population. Currently there is a silent rebellion taking place after Oromo farmers had been evicted of their land to make ways for new Addis Ababa expansion called The Master Plan.

Several Oromo students have been killed so far and hundreds arrested.

Last week the ‘federal’ government ordered OPDO to come up with solution regarding the the Master Plan. On Friday (Dec 4) OPDO leaders both at regional and federal position met in Adama. The meeting lasted through Sunday evening. Out of 27 individuals at attendance all but Aster Mamo and Muktar Kedir supported announcing termination of the Master Plan. The two would not budge arguing but could not explain their reasoning except threatening the majority of ‘siding with narrow nationalists and anti-peace elements”.

The result of the meeting was presented to the ‘federal government’ on Monday ( December 7). Key figures who proposed termination of the Master Plan and the two who opposed it were summoned and asked explain themselves. Attendance were TPLF old guards who were invited to play observer/ elder role. The meeting was adjourned without agreement.

On Wednesday the ‘federal ‘ government informed OPDO that the Master Plan will go a head. causing uproar. OPDO convined and discussed whether toi reject the decision from federals. They could not reach consensus.

On Thursday night senior EPRDF leaders were convined. OPDO and Oromia regional government were attacked not only for failing to contain the situation. Some went as far as accusing OPDO having direct role in agitating and organizing the revolt. Without much discussion it was announced that a “Command Post” has been created to deal handle the situation. The command post is to be chaired by the Prime Minister and includes chiefs of the army, Intelligence,federal police and president of Oromia, Muktar Kadir. ‘Command Post’ is an extraordinary security approach first introduced by Meles Zenawi in the aftermath of the 2005 election.

It was then repeated during the 2015 Oromo student protest. It gives the selected committee an extraordinary power and practically suspends normal governing procedures and jurisdictions. This means, Oromia regional government has been striped even the symbolic role it had in being responsible for security issues within its jurisdiction.

Today (Friday), Muktar Kadir held press conference where he said the Master Plan will go a head ‘with consultation’ and threatened protesters with further punishment.

On Saturday, December 12, 2015, media outlets reported that Gindeberet and Gindo joined Guliso (all in western Oromia) as freed localities in Oromia. It is to be remembered that, earlier this week, protesting citizens of Guliso dissolved what the protesters called the local go-between administration of the Tigrean-dominated Ethiopian Federal government. Another town named Babich has also been partially liberated by its citizens; however, to impose power through terror, the Ethiopian Federal police killed at least two Oromos in “execution style” from close range in front of the protesting crowd, according to reports (viewer discretion advised: photos of the executed Oromos attached here). The reports added that the dissolution of the local go-between administrations will have a strong cascading effect across Oromia in the coming days and weeks as the Oromo protests spread to every corner of Oromia.

Observers say the Tigrean-dominated Ethiopian government uses go-between individuals, whom are said to be coerced, corrupted and collected inside “People’s Democratic Organizations,” to indirectly exert its rule and extract resources from Oromia and other States in Ethiopia; accordingly, the go-between agent for the Oromo region (Oromia) is the “Oromo People’s Democratic Organization” (OPDO). These local go-between administrations have been instrumental in enabling the land-grabbing campaigns, including the Addis Ababa Master Plan, that are said to be taking place by the Ethiopian Federal government across Oromia, Gambella, Afar, Southern State, Benishangul and Ogadenia, among other Federal regions. Critics of this type of federal arrangement accuse the Tigrean ruling elites of taking away real self-rule power from the Federated regions; instead, they say, the Tigrean elites rule and extract resources through theirgo-between local agents at the peripheries. It is this long-denied real power of Oromo self-rule that has been apparently restored in Gindeberet, Gindo and Guliso over the last few days by the Oromo protesters, according to the reports.

Here are some photos and videos from the liberated localities of Gindeberet (Kachise), Ammayya (Gindo) and Ayira (Guliso); the moment has been ecstatic for the elderly, especially, who had dreamed of such a day of victory for Oromo self-rule throughout their lives.

#OromoProtests-Oromo activists @ Melbourne Oromo rally showing solidarity to #OromoProtests, one minute strong silence to remember those paying sacrifice for Oromo cause in Oromia, at Federation Square on 11 Dec 2015. — at Federation Square, Melbourne City.

By William Davison

-Government says four students died, 20 police officers injured
-Oromo students demonstrating over development plan for capital

Ethiopian police killed 10 Oromo students who were demonstrating peacefully over plans to integrate the capital, Addis Ababa, with surrounding towns in Oromia region in the past three weeks, an opposition leader said.
High-school and university students from across Ethiopia’s most-populous region are protesting to demand the government shelve a master plan for the city, said Bekele Nega, general secretary of the Oromo Federalist Congress.
“The protest is not as usual, they are not backing away,” he said by phone from Addis Ababa. “They are not willing to stop until the demands are met.” Authorities gave a lower number of fatalities.
Ethiopia, which the International Monetary Fund forecasts will have sub-Saharan Africa’s fastest-growing economy this year, is seeing tensions between its plans for rapid development and its constitution, which enshrines the right to ethnic self-administration. Oromo critics say the integration of the capital with surrounding towns amounts to annexation of the ethnic group’s territory as farmers will be evicted and the language and culture lost.
Integrated development will benefit Oromo residents of peripheral towns and there will be no changes to administrative boundaries, said Getachew Reda, Ethiopia’s communications minister.
Four students died and 20 police officers were injured when protesters became violent, including an attempt to take control of a police station in Toke Kutaye in West Shewa zone, Getachew said by phone from Gambella town on Wednesday.
‘False Claims’
“We know the protests are based on false claims by some political elements, but whatever the source of protest they should be done in a peaceful manner,” he said. “Generally security forces have been exercising significant restraint, but there were areas where they have been overwhelmed.”
Around 150 people have been injured and 550 arrested, although persistent demonstrating has led to the release of 140 detainees, Bekele said. A worker from the state-owned Fincha sugar factory was killed on Dec. 7 during a protest, he said. The Sugar Corp. is seeking further information on a reported incident at Fincha, which is in Horo Gudru Welega zone, spokesman Zemedkun Tekle said Wednesday by phone from Addis Ababa.
A student reported to have died at Haramaya University by falling from a window when police raided dormitories is recovering, Alemshet Teshoma, a university spokesman, said by phone from East Hararghe zone.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-10/ethiopian-opposition-say-10-oromo-students-killed-at-protests

Anthony Byrne

(A4O, 09 MUdde 2015) #OromoProtests list* those confirmed killed by Ethiopian police and paramilitary forces during the current protest.

*Compiled by Abiy Atomssa, 9 December 2015