Statement by Oromo political groups irresponsible, detrimental to peaceful political reforms, says expert

by Engidu Woldie
ESAT News (September 25, 2018)
A statement today by Oromo political fronts labeling other groups as enemies of the people of Oromo and claiming exclusive rights to places like Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa was reckless and destructive to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s all inclusive political reform process, says a researcher and writer on Ethiopian politics.
“The statement by the group of Oromo political parties today in Addis Ababa goes against the cultural values of the people of Oromo, which welcome and embrace others regardless of their ethnic origin. It goes against the core cultural attributes of the Oromo,” says Geletaw Zeleke, Secretary for the Ethiopian Research and Policy Institute with the Ethiopian Dialogue Forum.
The statement given on Tuesday by five Oromo political groups has drawn criticism for wildly accusing and labeling other political groups and independent media.
The statement was given by five Oromo parties and fronts namely the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), the United Oromo Liberation Front, Oromo Liberation Unity Front and the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF). All, with the exception of the OFC, have just returned to Ethiopia from exile following a call by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to all opposition parties to come home and take part in peaceful political process, a call he made as part of his all inclusive political reform efforts.
The statement accused that Oromos and properties that belonged to the Oromos were targeted in the recent violence in the capital Addis Ababa.
“But these groups in their statement did not mention or feel remorse for the death of dozens of people in recent ethnic motivated attacks in Addis Ababa and its environs,” Zeleke said and added “the statement was irresponsible as it could possibly incites further violence.”
Several reports show dozens were killed in the days before and after the welcoming rally in Addis Ababa on September 15, 2018 for the return of the OLF and its soldiers from their base in Eritrea. In Burayu alone, 12 miles outside the capital, 23 people, mainly belonging to the Dorze minority ethnic groups, were killed in cold blood. The capital’s police commissioner said yesterday that additional 28 people were killed in a number of other districts in the capital following the rally to welcome the OLF.
The victims told several media outlets that the perpetrators, who claimed to be Oromos, were threatening them to leave the area saying the land belongs only to the Oromos. The perpetrators used stones, knives and sticks for their killing spree, according to the residents of Burayu. About 15,000 residents of the town, mainly the Dorzes have been displaced from their homes and sheltered in schools. Authorities said most have returned home.
The statement by the Oromo groups failed to mention the plight of these citizens and engage in attacking other political groups as well as the media, including the Ethiopian Satellite Radio and Television (ESAT.)
Critics say the statement by the group was all the more insincere as some of the leaders of these Oromo groups have actually used ESAT and similar independent media to push their political agenda while in exile.
“ESAT has been the voice and platform for the Oromo people, including politicians like Bekele Gerba, who issued today’s statement . No other media has covered the Oromo protest movement like ESAT,” said Mr. Zeleke.
Zeleke, meanwhile, said the ethnic federal arrangement that the groups vowed to defend did not actually benefit the Oromo people. “While federalism is open for discussion and debate in tomorrow’s Ethiopia, the statement by the group that says the federal arrangement was the only way to go and that they would defend it as a life and death issue to the Oromo people was totally thoughtless.”
The statement by the groups that says Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, which they call ‘Finfinne,’ belong only to the Oromos, was an outrageous claim, Zeleke said adding, “even the name ‘Finfinne’ was unconstitutional as the law of the land recognizes the capital of Ethiopia as Addis Ababa.”
The statement by the group also go against Oromo core cultural values, Zeleke said.
“The Oromos are known to respectfully attract others to their culture and embrace people from other ethnic groups. ‘Mitecha’ and ‘Mogasa’ are values that embrace others. The Oromos have even introduced ‘Gudifecha’ (adoption) to the rest of the world. The Oromos don’t exclude others and the statement by the group go against theses core values of the Oromo people.”
The New York Times reported in its yesterday’s issue, quoting experts that the return of ethnic groups like OLF was not a good idea for Ethiopia’s political reforms spearheaded by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. It suffocates the political space, exacerbates ethnic tensions and violence, the report said. (EW)

Mobile internet networks were shut down across the capital city.

September 23, 2018 - Just five months into the new government of Dr. Abiy Ahmed, the administration is back into the old habit of tampering with internet in times of crisis, according to Netizen Report.
According to the report, "on September 17, in what appeared to be an effort to quell social unrest, mobile internet networks were shut down across the capital city. Ethio Telecom, the country’s sole, government-owned internet and phone service provider, did not offer any public statement about the shutdown."
Dr. Abiy Ahmed came into office in April 2018 partly on promise of widening the political space and gauranteeing freedom of speech. The new government subsequently unbanned 264 blocked websites by previous EPRDF governments. It also allowed many opposition parties and poltical figures who were previously banned or forced to flea to return into the country.
However, the new government seems to be falling into the old habit of using the brute force tactic of tampering with the internet to control information. Ethiopia already has one of the poorest internet reach and coverage in the world. Many African countries have far supperior and cheaper internet system than Ethiopia. According to Internet World Stats, 15.3 percent of the population uses internet in Ethiopia, as opposed to 53.7 percent for South Africa.
Internet shutdowns are believed to cost Ethiopia millions of dollars every month, making business communications into and out of the country difficult. This practice also deprives citizens access to crucial information, especially in times of crisis.
The Committee to Protect Journalists today urged Ethiopian authorities to ensure internet is available, including during times of unrest when access to information provided by journalists is crucial.
'Mobile internet was unavailable in the capital Addis Ababa, from September 17 to the morning of September 19 amid protests and clashes, according to media reports and Berhan Taye, who leads Access Now's #KeepItOn campaign against internet shutdowns, which CPJ is part of."
"Berhan told CPJ on September 18 that she was able to verify access to the internet had been cut by analyzing traffic data and speaking with about 20 people across the city. Ethiopian authorities did not to respond to CPJ's questions about whether they ordered access to be cut."
The Ethiopian government has denied the reports that internet was shut down during the stated period.
Source: Read more here

Dear brother Tamagne Beyene

It is great to see you back with the people and country you loved. Enjoy your time with family and friends before we start the real work of building a new Ethiopia.

We must start bring our people together across lines of division to build a New Ethiopia. The core of prevention conflict begins when people begin to talk with each other rather than about each other.

We must seek meaningful reforms and sustainable justice but it begins with a dialogue of like-minded people, especially when it is possible to bring a group of leaders together that already share some core values. When we have a problem, we often focus on differences rather than common values. This must change.

First of all we must establish a viable, vocal and effective institution made up of members of civil society to represent the voice of the people, collectively and in their areas of influence, helping the people of Ethiopia to avoid descending into ethnic, religious or other types of violence and destruction.

Second of all, to act as a force to move the country towards more inclusive rights, reconciliation, meaningful reforms, the restoration of justice and overall good governance.

Getachew Assefa on the Run

Getachew Assefa 

Unconfirmed reports are spreading on the internet claiming that an arrest warrant has been issued on Ethiopia's former Intelligence chief, Getachew Assefa.

Online media outlets such as ESAT, Addis Neger and Borkena.com are reporting that Getachew Assefa did not attend the just concluded regular meeting of the Executive Committe of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). According to the reports, his whereabouts are unknow at this time.

If true, this will mark yet another step towards further deterioration of relations between the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the rest of the EPRDF.

It is also being reported that some forty federal police officers who were detained in Mekelle Alula Aba Nega International Airport this month were tasked with serving arrest warrants to individuals such Getachew Assefa. They were reportedly released a few days ago and returned to Addis Ababa unsuccessfully.

Getachew Assefa is one of the members of the nine-member polit bureau of the TPLF. He has served as chief intelligence officer of Ethiopia since 2001.

He was relieved of his duty in June this year by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and subsequently named Security Advisor to the new Prime Minister. Read more here 

Mustafa Muhumed to act president of the Somali region

The new acting president has long been a vocal critic of Abdi Iley

Mustafa Muhumed Omer, 45, has been nominated as acting president of the Somali region until the next party congress in 2020, it was announced. The Ethiopian-Somali People’s Democratic Party (ESPDP)’s executive committee has elected him to be acting president in its meeting held today, BBC Amharic reported.

Mustafa had served as a humanitarian liaison officer for the United Nations in Mogadishu, Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates and Kenya. Prior to that, he held different positions in the Somali region until he was forced to flee.

Though Mustafa is not a member of ESPDP, the party’s rules and regulations permit him to be an interim president, Ahmed Abdi Mohamed “Ilkacase” who has been leading the region for the past two weeks said. Ilkacase had replaced the once-powerful president Abdi Mohamoud Omar (Abdi Iley) who was forced to step down after the intervention of the federal army.  It was not disclosed why Ilkacase wouldn’t continue with the position but a political insider said there have been unresolved issues surrounding Ilkacase’s legitimacy, his closeness to Abdi Iley and internal party squabbles that have heightened the debate on the succession.

Analysts predict that Mustafa will  set out to purge Abdi Illey’s factions and loyalists, and consolidate his own power in the region. There are already reports that indicate mayor of kebri Dahar and mayor of Gode have been removed from their posts and the party’s membership.

Mustafa has also been elected deputy chairman of the party, second to the chairman, minister of government communications affairs office, Ahmed Shide.

Mustafa has long been a vocal critic of Abdi Iley on issues of human right abuses and abuse of power. Mustafa has a B.A in Economics from Addis Ababa University and a master’s degree in Agriculture Economics from Imperial College, London.

Supporters say Mustafa would make a great president. Awol Allo, a lecturer in law at Keele University School of Law tweeted ,“I have known Mustefa Omer for nearly two years now and have had extensive conversations with him on the politics of Somali regional state, Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. I can’t think of a more intelligent, decent, and perceptive candidate that can move the Somali region forward,”

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