Felix Horne
Researcher, Horn of Africa | Human Rights Watch

Student protests are spreading throughout Ethiopia’s Oromia region, as people demonstrate against the possibility that Oromo farmers and residents living near the capital, Addis Ababa, could be evicted from their lands without appropriate – or possibly any – compensation. Social media is filled with images of bloodied protesters; there are credible reports of injuries and arrests in a number of towns; and local police have publicly acknowledged that three students have died so far.

The current protests echo the bloody events of April and May 2014, when federal forces fired into groups of largely peaceful Oromo protesters, killing dozens. At least hundreds more students were arrested, and many remain behind bars. Both then and today, the demonstrators are ostensibly protesting the expansion of Addis Ababa’s municipal boundary into the surrounding Oromia region, which protesters fear will displace Oromo farmers from their land. But these protests are about much more: Many Oromos have felt marginalized and discriminated against by successive Ethiopian governments and have often felt unable to voice their concerns over government policies.

Of the student protesters detained in 2014, some have been released. Those I spoke with told me about the torture they endured as part of interrogations. But countless others remain in detention. Some have been charged under Ethiopia’s draconian counterterrorism law for their role in the protests; others languish without charge in unknown detention centers and military camps throughout Oromia. This week, five students were convicted of terrorism-related offenses for their role in the protests.

There has been no government investigation into the use of live ammunition and excessive force by security personnel last year.

Ethiopia’s tight restrictions on civil society and media make it difficult to corroborate the current, mounting allegations and the exact details of the ongoing protests emerging from towns like Haramaya, Jarso, Walliso, and Robe. The government may think this strategy of silencing bad news is succeeding. But while the fear of threats and harassment means it is often months before victims and witnesses come forward to reveal what happened in their communities, they eventually do, and the truth will emerge.

The government should ensure that the use of excessive force by its security personnel stops immediately. It should then support an independent and impartial inquiry into the conduct of security forces in the current protests – and last year’s as well. Those responsible for serious abuses should be fairly prosecuted. This would be the best way for the Ethiopian government to show its concern about the deaths and injuries inflicted on the students, that it does not condone the use of live ammunition against peaceful protesters, and that those who break the law are appropriately punished.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/12/05/dispatches-yet-again-bloody-crackdown-protesters-ethiopia

By Birhanu M Lenjiso

1) 1991 – The capital city, Addis Ababa “Finfinne”, is separated from the Shewa province of Oromia and transitioned to a “special administration zone” of the federal Ethiopian government.

2) 1995 – The Federal government of Ethiopian adapts the constitution to re-create Addis Ababa as a “self governing region” without Oromo administration. Senior officials argued to include a clause (article 49) which still recognizes Addis Ababa belonging to Oromo and receiving ‘special interest’ over joint administration, resource sharing and service delivery and the constitution states the coming of subsequent law detailing the interest of the region.

3) 2004 – Federal government amended the constitution to relocate the Oromia regional government capital city away from Addis Ababa to another in city of Adaama. Heavy protests took place. 300 students were demised only from Addis Ababa University and jailed, some were died and some are still in jail.

4) In the same year, thousands of Oromo businessmen and women were imprisoned and their business were expropriated, confiscated and embezzled by the government cadres.

5) 2004 – In Relation this Oromo social organizations like Macha and Tullama association were dismantled

6) 2005 Oromia Regional Parliament (Caffee) restored Addis Ababa as capital of Oromia only because the opposition political party won the entire parliamentary seat in the city

7) 2007/8 – More towns (19) separated from the Shewa province of Oromia are transitioned as “special administration” zones around Addis Ababa/Finfinnee and massive land sales began.

8) 2009 – An “Addis Ababa Area Expansion Master Plan” was developed by Lyon Town Planning Agency for expansion of Addis Ababa (55,000 hectares) and consultation begins, with strong government support from France and China.

9) 2010/11 – The Massive volume of land sales raises concern among Oromo urban planning engineers who protested, resulting in dismissal and imprisonment of several of them.

10) 2014 – The Master Plan was official unveiled to ‘integrate’ the ‘Special Oromia Zone’ to Addis Ababa. The plan revealed some 1.1 million hectares of land would transfer from Oromia region to Addis Ababa with at least expected displacement of 2 million farmers around Addis Ababa.

11) March 2014 – senior officials of Oromia were called in Adama to approve the new plans, without success. 3 day meeting concluded in 1 day due to fierce protest by the Oromia regional government officials. The officials raised violation of constitutional and jurisdictional violation.

12) April 2014 Federal government bypasses formal approval procedure and moved straight to implementation, without Oromo consultation. Mid-level Oromia regional government officials were called for training on how to implements the project. These officials heavily criticize and demand the plan to be tabled for further discussion.

13) April 2014 – Oromo protests spread across universities. Police clash with non-violent protestors, over 50 students were killed, thousands were/are jailed and disappeared.

14) May 2014 – 30 international cities hold rallies to protest killing of students and the incorporation of the “Master Plan”

15) September 2015 – Oromia regional government passed a vague proclamation on urban development in the region

16) November 2015 – top official in the regional government gave a press conference and raised the controversial master plan again.

17) December 2015 – Oromo student protest out break again, beating, killings and imprisonment of students are undergoing right now.

#OromoProtests, #OromoStudents #Oromia, #Ethiopia, #BBC, #VOA, #aljeereza Melody Sundberg #Untoldstories

Addis Ababa, December 3, 2015 (FBC) –Three individuals have died due to the violence that had occurred recently in some educational institutions in Oromia regional state, according to the regional state’s police commission.

Commissioner Ibrahim Haji, in a press conference he gave here today, said that the regional state is now stable and peaceful.

Broad activities are underway to defuse the violence, he said.

The problem was created in few of the 12,000 schools found in the regional state, he added.

Anti peace forces are behind the violence that occurred under the pretext of stopping the draft plan for integrated development of Addis Ababa and Oromia Special Zone, he said.

The information being circulated by mass media and on social media in particular about the accident is fictitious, he stated.

One student sustained serious injuries in Haromaya University after falling from a building, he said.

Moreover, one individual in Tole woreda in south-west Shoa zone and a student in Guliso woreda, west Wellega zone, have died because of the violence, he said.

A total of three individual have so far been confirmed dead, he said.

Police is investigating the cause of the accident, according to the Commissioner.

The violence also inflicted damages to property, he said. The anti-peace elements burnt private and government vehicles, destroyed windows as well as attempted to block road, he said.

The Commissioner further said the violence had occurred only in some woredas of south-west Shoa and west Wellega zones, not in many parts of the regional states as exaggerated on social media, he said.

All universities and schools, except in those existed in the areas where the violence had occurred, are conducting peaceful teaching and learning process, he noted.

Police, in partnership with the society, is working to maintain peace and security in the areas affected by the violence, he said.

Efforts are also underway to bring to justice those who are responsible for the violence, he added.

He also urged individuals to refrain from similar anti-peace activities.

Police didn’t arrest students who participated in the mass violence but detained those who were behind the violence.

The government has carried out discussion on the master plan with the residents at various times and the violence created making the issue as an agenda shows how they are against the interest of the public, he said

He finally said the regional state is currently stable and peaceful. So far the violence is not beyond government’s control.

Source: http://www.fanabc.com/english/index.php/news/item/4594-three-died-due-to-violence-in-oromia-educational-institutions-police

Chancho Elementary School , located in Finfinne surrounding, Oromiya Region Special Zone, Sululta Woreda, Chancho town, remains closed since yesterday after nearly 200 students experienced sudden (and so far mysterious) collapse yesterday afternoon.

Pictures of young and unconscious students being carried away from the school compound yesterday afternoon found its way to the social media; one particular picture (above) of an unconscious young girl sent a shockwave through social media activists who are trying to bring the plight of unarmed Oromo students protesting the Addis Abeba Master Plan but are met with excessive police crackdown.

It was widely reported on Facebook and Twitter that the students in Chancho town were also suffering from police crackdown as was the case in several cities in the Oromiya regional state for the last two weeks.

However, in an interview with this magazine, the school’s Deputy Principal Asnakech Wodajo said that due reasons that are unknown so far students started collapsing in the compound around 2: 30 PM.“First about ten students collapsed and we took them out of their classrooms,” says Asnakech. “Then a lot more students who were outside watching started collapsing as well.”

The collapsed students were taken to St. Pawlos Hospital in the capital. According to the Deputy Principal, among those who collapsed was a teacher. The students were discharged from the hospital and returned home after receiving mainly “counseling and psychological treatments,” according to Asnakech.

As Ashenafi Degifie, a father, whose nine old daughter attends the school recounts the events of the afternoon to Addis Standard, initially a lot of people in the town had assumed there was some sort of violence that had broken out in or around the school. “So I hurriedly drove to the school. And when I arrived there, I saw lots of kids falling. So I took my daughter and eight other kids to Pawlos [hospital].”

Commander Jemal of the local police force maintains that the police were instrumental in helping the students go to the hospital. “We haven’t got the report from the hospital yet. As a result we cannot ascertain what has happened. But there was no violence of any kind,” he told Addis Standard.

The commander estimates the collapsed students to be between the ages of nine and fifteen.

The town’s administration has called a meeting of the parents this afternoon to discuss the issue, according to the Mayor Defere Sime. He says that his administration will investigate “this unprecedented occurrence.”

Chancho elementary school has more than 1000 students.

Source; http://addisstandard.com/school-closed-after-mysterious-mass-collapse-of-students-in-chancho-town/

Opposition party Oromo federalist Congress once again denounces the Addis Abeba integrated Master Plan, excessive police response to fresh student protests

The Federal High court 19th criminal bench in Addis Abeba has today passed a guilty verdict on five of the six Oromo university students who were under policy custody since May 2014. Only one was set free.

Accordingly the court passed guilty verdict on first defendant Abebe Urgessa for “violating” article 3 of Ethiopia’s infamous Anti-Terrorism Proclamation (ATP). The 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants students Megersa Worku, Adugna KEsso and Billisuma Damana respectively were told by the court they were found guilty of “violating” article 7/1 of the ATP whereas the 5th defendant student Teshome Bekele was told he was guilty of “violating” article 257/A of the criminal code. Teshome can appeal and receive a bail from the court.

According to Ethiopia’s ATP the other four will not be entitled for bail. All are requested to defend themselves at a hearing scheduled for January 19th 2016.

Crackdown

The arrest of unknown numbers of Oromo University students followed a May 2014 brutal crackdown by the police against university students who protested when a master plan for the expansion of Addis Abeba, the city originally home to the Oromo, was introduced by the federal government. The six students were arrested by security agents from various universities located in the Oromiya regional states. They were detained for a year and half without charges.

By the government’s own account, eleven people were killed during university student demonstrations in many parts of the Oromia regional state. However, several other accounts put the number as high as above 50. Student Aslan Hassen died in prison in what the government claimed was a suicide. However, many believe he was tortured to death. No independent enquiry was launched to investigate his death.

The 10th Addis Abeba and Oromiya Special Zone Integrated Development Master plan, which was in the making for two years before its introduction in 2014 to the public without consultations with those who would be affected by it, finally came off as ‘AddisAbeba and the Surrounding Oromia Special Zone Integrated Development Plan.’

The government claims the master plan, which will annex localities surrounding Addis Abeba but are under the Oromiya regional state, was aimed at “developing an internationally competitive urban region through an efficient and sustainable spatial organization that enhances and takes advantage of complementarities is the major theme for the preparation of the new plan.”

However, university students in most parts of the oromiya regional state protested against the plan and the federal government’s meddling in the affairs of the Oromiya regional state, which many legal experts also say was against Article 49(5) of the Ethiopian Constitution that clearly states “the special interest of the State of Oromia in Addis Abeba.”

Fresh protests
The court hearing this morning came in the backdrop of fresh protests by high school and university students in several cities located in the Oromiya regional state. The fresh protests were triggered by the government’s renewed plans to implement the master plan. The protestors are however met by excessively armed police men. On Monday, three students at Haramaya University, near Harar, in eastern part of the country, were wounded when police fired live bullets against protesting students. While some say they have died, a report on Horn Affairs said they were in critical condition. Horn Affairs also quotes an unnamed official as saying “we are not supposed to wait until the situation escalates rather control it at the earliest possible moment. There is only one direction the situation could have gone – we know from past experience, and we have obligations to other students as well.”
Unknown numbers of students were also sounded, one while jumping through the windows of his dormitory in an attempt to run from the police. A video circulating this afternoon shows a chaotic and desperate scene as students were trying to escaping from charging police officers.
Several accounts on social media claim hundreds of students as being under police custody. However due to bad phone connections and lack of physical presence of our reporters in the ground Addis Standard could not independently verify these reports.

OFC denounces master plan, police response to protestors
Meanwhile, the opposition party within the coalition of four ethnic based parties, the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) this afternoon once again denounced the proposed master plan and police’s handling of the ongoing protests by the students.
In a press statement senior members of the party gave to journalists this afternoon OFC said it will not accept the master plan; “our land is our bone, we shall not be evicted”, a statement said.

OFC made ten demands including the unconditional release of the Oromo students held under police custody; a demand for all buildings located in Oromiya regional state to be administered by the regional state and not by the federal government; a clear and inviolable proclamation about Oromiya’s special advantage from the Addis Abeba city administration; and for the government to retract the controversial master plan all together.

OFC officials have also denounced the excessive use of force by the police against unarmed students in the ongoing protest.

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. “We believe that among the thousands of Eritrean migrants in Europe, 30 – 40 percent are Ethiopians,” Austrian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Andreas Melan

Austrian ambassador in Ethiopia, Andreas Melan, in an interview with APA explained that as thousands of Ethiopians continue to illegally migrate to Saudi Arabia and South Africa, those who fled to Europe usually claim they are from Eritrea as that have better chance of recognition for asylum.

The “mass exodus” of Ethiopians that no one speaks about attracts about 100,000 Ethiopians annually Eastwards, said Ambassador Melan. The official figures of course not known as Ethiopians mostly migrate illegally as legal migration has been prohibited by the government.

Ambassador Melan went on to say that, the Eritrean Community in Austria is very small while traditionally the number of asylum applications from Eritrea in Switzerland are relatively high.

However, “We believe that among the thousands of Eritreanmigrants in Europe, 30 to 40 percent are Ethiopians,” said the ambassador.

The 2013 and 2014 European migration statistics Eurostat also confirms Ambassador Melan’s assertion.  Among the top countries of origin for asylum seekers, Ethiopia is not listed even among the top 20 origins as the thousands of its illegal migrants already claimed they are from Eritrea. For such simple fact and error, Eritrea has been singled out as the second most refugee producing country next to Syria.

– – – – – – –
MUST READ : Eritrean Identity “Most Sought After” Among African Refugees
– – – – – – –

But Ethiopia is also the destination country of many people from the region. At present, the East African country ishome to a population of over 94 million people on top of around 750,000 refugees from Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia.

However, Ethiopia itself is one of the poorest countries in the world – 30 percent of the population live on less than one dollar a day – and many of its citizens often have no prospects in their homeland, and for that many of them leave their homes.

In 2013, only 20 Ethiopians and 59 Eritreans have applied for asylum in Austria. In 2014, Ethiopia was counted not even among the 15 most countries of origin as they all start registering as Eritreans up on arrival.

In addition to Europe and the Middle East, the route to South Africa is so popular among Ethiopian immigrants. This, however, is the least explored, so Maria Temesvari of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Addis Ababa said it is the least explored route by Ethiopians so far.

No matter in which direction, the Ethiopian government wants its citizens to migrate legaly and for that it introduced a front against traffickers to curb illegal migration. In July, legislation was passed that will penalizes.

“This goes back to the death penalty,” said Temesvari.

* The above story was first published by APA under the title “Refugees – Legal emigration is taboo for Ethiopians“

Source: http://www.tesfanews.net/40-percent-of-eritrean-migrants-in-europe-are-ethiopians/

A picture of a UNHCR staff. The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights is seeking information from the Kenyan government on the disappearance of Oromo leader Dabassa Guyo Saffaro, who was under UNHCR protection. AFP FILE PHOTO | DENYSE UWERA

In Summary

• His family has been asking the UN refugee agency to help find him.
• Kenya has not ratified the Kampala Convention on Internally Displaced Persons, which provides displaced people with legal protection.

By STELLA CHERONO

BANJUL

Africa’s top human rights body on Monday put Kenya to task over the disappearance of Oromo community leader Dabassa Guyo Saffaro.

The African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) also questioned what the government had done over the assassination of lawyer Peter Wanyama Wanyonyi.

Mr Saffaro, according to ACHPR Commissioner Maya Sahli Fadel, has been missing since September 27, with his family claiming the government may know where he is.

She said the Ethiopian refugee, who moved to Kenya in the early 1970s to flee political persecution, lived in Mlolongo, Machakos County, with some members of his family.

“It is alleged that the government had on several occasions accused him of being a leader of an Oromo community that practiced terror,” she said.

Mr Saffaro lived under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and was in the process of renewing his expired Kenyan identity card and travel documents when he disappeared. His family has been asking the UN refugee agency to help find him.

Ms Fadel asked the Kenyan delegation attending the 57th session of the ACHPR in Banjul, Gambia, to also explain the assassination of Mr Wanyonyi and what the government had done so far to bring his killers to book.

‘PREMEDITATED’ MURDER

Mr Wanyonyi was shot dead on September 17, 2013 as he returned home from a meeting in Bungoma Town.

The gunmen escaped without taking anything from him and the police stated that his murder could have been premeditated.

Ms Fadel questioned the disappearance and assassination of many other people and asked what the government had done to secure the rights of refugees and asylum seekers.

She also asked why Kenya had not ratified the Kampala Convention on Internally Displaced Persons which provides displaced people with legal protection.

Another commissioner, Zainabo Kayitesi, questioned why the government had not arrested anyone in connection with the assassination of Muslim clerics in Mombasa, adding that there had been too many unresolved murders in the country.

The commissioners demanded answers from the Kenyan delegation, a day after Senior Deputy Solicitor-General Maryann Njau Kimani presented to the forum a 17-page report on the country’s human rights record.

The government representatives at the forum are on Tuesday expected to respond to the questions directed to them by the commissioners, who seemed to dwell mainly on extrajudicial killings, access to information, freedom of the press, the rights of prisoners and the rights of people living with disabilities.

Source: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/Kenya-put-to-task-over-missing-Oromo-leader/-/1056/2950138/-/dtiy2o/-/index.html

By RODNEY MUHUMUZA

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Five Ethiopian dissident groups in exile said they have formed an alliance to bring a change of government back home, describing Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn’s government as oppressive.

The new group is called the People’s Alliance for Freedom and Democracy, according to a joint statement issued Friday in Oslo, Norway, where the groups met recently.

The alliance was formed by the Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement, the Gambella People’s Liberation Movement, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, the Oromo Liberation Front and the Sidama National Liberation Front, the statement said.

Ethiopia’s ruling party won every seat in parliament in May elections, raising questions about the credibility and fairness of the polls in a country whose government is accused by human rights organizations of harassing and jailing its opponents.

Human rights groups criticized U.S. President Barack Obama for visiting Ethiopia in July, saying his trip lent legitimacy to an oppressive government.

At the time, Prime Minister Desalegn defended Ethiopia’s commitment to democracy and said the country needs “ethical journalism,” not reporters that work with “terrorist groups.”

Ethiopia is the world’s second-worst jailer of journalists in Africa, after Eritrea, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.