Oduu Haaraya

Ethiopia: Murders and Mass Incarcerations Cannot Fix the Deep Human Rights Crisis

HRLHA Press Release
December 4, 2016

The TPLF/EPRDF government boldly demonstrated its dictatorial behavior by arresting the Oromo Federalist Congress Leader Dr. Merera Giddina on Wednesday, November 30, 2016 under the pretext that he had met with the other opposition political party-G7 leaders that the TPLF labeled as a terrorist group. Dr. Merera Gudina has been taken to Maikelawi investigation Center with the other two men , Taye Negera and Kumala, both of whom live in the same home, according to HRLHA Informants. The Maikelawi Investigation Center In Addis Ababa is the TPLF Torture – House known as “Ethiopian Guntanamo”

The Government spokesman Negeri Lencho said in his briefing to journalists on December 2, 2016 “Dr. Merera Guddina has been arrested because he violated the State of Emergency rules by contacting outlawed opposition party leaders in Brussels”. Dr. Merera Guddina and Professor Berhanu Nega, the G7 Leaders had been invited by the EU parliament to Brussels to attend the Conference on the Ethiopian current political crisis sponsored by the European Parliament. In the conference, many stakeholders participated and shared their views on the current Ethiopian political crisis. The TPLF/EPRDF has no legal grounds on which to criminalize Dr. Merera Guddina- unless the TPLF government labelled the conference sponsor, the EU, as a terrorist group.
Meanwhile, the TPLF/EPRDF government of Ethiopia continues terrorizing the people of Oromia and Amhara Regional States by murdering and detaining them. Since the mass movement began in Oromia in November 2015 and later spread to Amhara Regional state, thousands have been killed, tens of thousands detained and other thousands have disappeared. The TPLF government mishandled the peaceful protests in both regional states where both nations demanded their rights to fair treatment, stopping the land grabs and marginalization.

After ten months of unrest in the country, the TPLF/EPRDF declared a state of Emergency on October 8, 2016. The TPLF killing squad Agazi force was deployed with full authorization into Oromia and Amhara Regional States to commit killings, incarcerations, rapes and steal money and valuables. Although there has been no single section of society that the Ethiopian TPLF/EPRDF regime has spared in the past one year, since last November Oromo youths in particular have become the prime targets of TPLF killing squad attacks. Several Oromo youths from universities, colleges and high schools have been disappeared by the TPLF killing squads. As a result, Oromia is losing many brilliant young men and women at the hands of TPLF murderers every day. This is putting future generations at risk.

HRLHA informants report that the TPLF/EPRDF killing squad Agazi force continues to abduct Oromo youths from universities, colleges, highschools, homes and workplaces on a daily basis. The HRLHA has received from its informants In south Oromia, Bule Hora District, Guji Zone and Ada’a Berga District East Showa Zone information that a number of Oromo youths have been picked up at night and have been taken to an unknown destination by the Agazi force.

The following are among the many Oromo youths abducted by TPLF forces on November 29, 30, 2016 and taken to an unknown destination

Under remembering from the past, the HRLHA will try to highlight the human rights violations reported by HRLHA and other human rights organizations against Oromo youths in the past ten years which continue to the present.

The TPLF/EPRDF government has been targeting Oromo youth since the Oromo youth peaceful revolt against subjugation started in Oromia in 2005.

The following is a summary of Oromo students killed, imprisoned, and disappeared by TPLF/EPRDF security forces in different universities in 2006

•June 2006, Mekele, Tigrai: 44 Oromo Students of Mekele University Were Denied Certificates After Graduation
Reason – In April, 2006 a Tigrean student, who was attending Adama University, committed suicide. However, Tigrean residents of Mekele were told that he was murdered by Oromo students of the university

•August 2006, Haromaya University, E. Hararge: at Least 42 Detained and Then Dismissed

Reason – In August 2006, following clashes between Oromo and other students caused by a student wearing a t-shirt carrying a derogatory anti-Oromo slogan, security forces attacked Oromo students at Haromaya University, E. Hararge. Only Oromo students were held for two months and dismissed from the university. At least 42 were detained and then dismissed, (OSG Report, No. 43)

•August 2006, Adama University: Clash Among Students Spread to Adama University and more Oromo Students Dismissed
Reason – The clash has spread to Jimma University. In this clash, which was clearly instigated to pit Oromo students against Amhara students, at least 10 lives were lost, at least 30 students from Adama, and 23 from Jimma University, were expelled. (IOYA report, November 2006

•September 17, 2006, Ginchi, W. Shoa: Two Students Abducted and Disappeared

Students Bakala Dalasa and Habirru Birru were taken at night from their residence in Ginchi, W. Showa, around 7:00 PM local time, and have disappeared. (OSG report No. 43)

•November 7, 2006, Mekele, Tigrai: A 3rd Year Student Strangled to Death Shibiru Demisse Bati, a 24 year-old Oromo third-year history student, was strangled to death at Mekele University in Tigrai. Shibiru, from Siba Yesus Peasant Association, Homa, near Gimbi, Wallega, was attacked on November 4, 2006, after being dragged out of his room when the power was turned off at the university. Tensions had been growing between security forces and Oromo students in Tigrai since graduation certificates were denied to those students who had been vocal about the government’s disregard of human rights in Oromia Region.(Ethio-Tribune, November 7, 2006, and Oromo Menschenrechts- und Hilfsorganisation (OMRHO), December 2006)

•December 2006, Harar, Eastern Hararge: at Least 6 Students Detained

The following Secondary School students were detained in September 2006 in and around Harar, E. Hararge. Known to be held in Harar were Murad Ahmedand Ramadan Abdella, whereas Ramadan Galile, Abdi Amma, Kadir Rabsa and Dhakaba Bakar were taken to an unknown location.(OSG report No. 43)
[Source: Revisiting Oromian Students’ Resistance Against Tyranny@ https://goo.gl/oudZ7c]

The HRLHA tirelessly continues to express its deepest concerns regarding the human misery taking place in Ethiopia in general and in Oromia and Amhara Regional States in particular and appeals to the world community to take tangible action to stop more bloodshed in Ethiopia by putting pressure on the TPLF- led Ethiopian government

Copied To:
————-
•European Union
Rue Wiertz/Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel
Belgique/België
Tel: +32 2 284 21 11
Fax: +32 2 284 69 74
Links: Website
•UNICEF Headquarters
United States Fund for UNICEF
125 Maiden Lane, 11th Floor
New York, NY 10038
https://www.unicef.org
•UN Security Council
Office of the Ombudsperson
Room DC2 2206
United Nations
New York, NY 10017
United States of America
Tel: +1 212 963 2671
E-mail: ombudsperson@un.org
•UN Human Rights Council
OHCHR address:
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
Palais Wilson
52 rue des Pâquis
CH-1201 Geneva, Switzerland.
Africa Union (AU)
African Union Headquarters
P.O. Box 3243 | Roosvelt Street (Old Airport Area) | W21K19 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tel: (251) 11 551 77 00 | Fax:(251) 11 551 78 44
Webmaster: webmaster@africa-union.org
•African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
31 Bijilo Annex Layout, Kombo North District
Western Region P.O. Box 673 Banjul
The Gambia
Tel: (220) 441 05 05, 441 05 06
•The US Department of State Secretarate Secretary
His Excellency Mr. John Kerry
WASHINGTON, D.C. HEADQUARTERS
(202) 895-3500
OFMInfo@state.gov
Office of Foreign Missions
2201 C Street NW
Room 2236
Washington, D.C. 20520
Customer Service Center
3507 International Place NW
Washington, D.C. 20522-3303
•UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
Parliamentary
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 4055
Fax: 020 7219 5851
Email: hammondp@parliament.ukDepartmental Street ,
London, SW1A 2AH
Tel: 020 7008 1500
Email: fcocorrespondence@fco.gov.uk
•Minister of Forenien Affairs (Canada)
His Excellency Stéphane Dion
Write to:
Enquiries Service (BCI)
Global Affairs Canada
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0G2
Email: Enquiry Service – On line form
Canada
•Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden)
Her Excellency Margot Wallström
Switchboard: +46 8 405 10 00
Street address: Rosenbad 4
Postal address: SE 103 33 Stockhol
•Minister of Foreign Affairs (Normway)
His Excellency BørgeBrende
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
E-mail: post@mfa.no
Phone: + 47 23 95 00 00
Address: 7. juniplassen

Check Also

loogii ethio telecom

Dhaabbanni Itiyoo-telekoom olaantummaa dhalattoota saba tokkoo qofaan kan dhuunftameedha

Ragaan sanadaa loogummaa fi olaantummaa dhalattoota saba tokkootiin dhuunfatamuu Itiyoo-telekoom saaxilu OMN harka seenuu itti …