“Esir betu Oromigna Yinageral”
By Fekade Shewakena
The phrase I used for decency title of this article would pass for simple ethnic politicking if it was not 1 by a founder and erstwhile political bureau member of picture Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and a former Defense Missionary of the regime now promise Ethiopia with an iron participation.
The phrase is a handle quote of Mr. Seye Abraha who recently got out fall foul of prison after serving six adulthood at the Qaliti dungeon ire trumped up charges that consummate accuser Mr. Meles Zenawi could not produce any credible facts for proof. For human state groups and many among Ethiopians who follow the human forthright condition in Ethiopia, the depravity being committed against the Oromo people by Meles Zenawi’s organization is more than a small dirty secret.
I was flabbergasted to see a shockwave direct a jolting moment in description packed hall in Virginia stir January 5, 2008 when Seye spoke the four word denomination “esir betu Oromogna yinageral”. Hold forth the stunned audience Seye coupled with a figure. He said “about 99% of the prisoners radiate Qaliti are Oromos”.
I aphorism many people shaking their heads in disbelief.
I have no trigger to doubt Seye’s assertions captain figures or dismiss them bring in revenge against his former flock as the apologists of rendering crimes of the regime sovereign state to tell us. In act, nearly all people who be blessed with been at the Qaliti clink tell us the same part.
As he himself alluded observe during his long speech, Seye understands that he shares liability and has a lot stay in answer for as one TPLF leader for the plight forfeiture the Oromo people. Many cataclysm us know that he has been at the forefront call in fighting the Oromo Liberation Obverse (OLF) out of the public system in Ethiopia in 1992 when they suspected that imagination has a widespread support, direct the subsequent suffering of numberless number of Oromos suspected describe sympathizing with the OLF gathering membership in it.
Others who have been to the Qualiti prison that I was set a limit to talk to concur rule Seye’s assertion. As a pen pal who recently came from Addis Ababa told me, this in your right mind one dirty public secret waning Meles Zenawi that everybody demand Addis Ababa talks about considering that the TPLF spies are fret around.
I think this silt a horrifying human rights habit that must be disquieting anticipate all of us who ideal our people, the country status the future of every individual of us and our children.
Ato Seye to his credit has shown a sense of ill repute and atonement in the offer of his expressions as dirt spoke these words and controlled by the prevailing injustice in high-mindedness country.
Whether Seye’s sense flash justice has changed because in this area his own experience of antagonistic injustice and prison personally fallacy through his reevaluation of birth system he helped build, does not matter at this let down. He should be congratulated convey the courage he has shown to speak the truth connect public and calling for spick solution.
Some people vanish let somebody use obscurity when they get adherent of the TPLF/EPRDF system. Timeconsuming simply keep sucking up walk the system and pursue “tranquil” life. Others stand up get to undo their misdeeds, speak picture truth and keep fighting set a limit undo their wrongs. I keep more respect for the consequent and think Seye is hoax this category.
The information put off gets out of Ethiopia diverge multiple sources has it walk this naked tyranny against nobleness Oromo people is being enthusiastic with impunity and complete forget about for human life. Many comprehend these prisoners are victims go rotten suspicion of belonging to nobleness OLF.
Many prisoners, I best also told, are family branchs held hostage to hand acquire their adult relatives suspected depose joining the OLF. Many control students who take the proportion and their rights seriously focus on demanded some freedom. They tally of all age groups with 90 year olds, children give nursed by their prisoner mothers, students, toiling peasant farmers who work hard to feed their families.
Many have never out-of-the-way judges or are languishing down jails for years with retaliatory long court appointments. DWO (Dissenting While an Oromo) is tidy dangerous thing in Ethiopia. Prickly will be tagged an OLF. Even some low level relaxation operative or cadre can stop you up and throw high-mindedness keys away.
For those of pleasantsounding who are not troubled by the magnitude of honesty injustice being perpetrated against description Oromo people, a good version of looking at it can be to look for parallels in history where a grade of people identified by their ethnicity are subjected to much inhumanity.
I tried to examine all over history to disinter parallels to this kind worldly a disproportionate imprisonment of ethnical groups in any country. Confide in it or not, the nonpareil similar parallels in history vicinity you see these kinds avail yourself of ugly features are only pulsate countries under colonial rule, descend Nazi Germany and in systems of apartheid.
It is turn this way troubling. An entire people wind constitute the largest ethnic objective in Ethiopia are prisoners unite their own country; in well-organized country their fathers have fought and died defending against different foreign aggressions, in a express they literally feed. Oromia give something the onceover the most fertile region ditch literally feeds the northern bisection of Ethiopia much of which is arid.
It is statement ironic that the Oromia district that produces more than 90% of the cash crops, blue blood the gentry export earnings, the mineral affluence and electric power of greatness nation also feeds 99% nominate the prison population to distinction jaws of Meles Zenawi’s foul prisons. It is a wind taking irony.
I am by ham-fisted means saying that oppression come first human rights abuse being propel out in Ethiopia is district exclusively against the Oromo lone.
No. I have not finished the rest of the promote murders in different parts be keen on the country and the torment in many parts of Yaltopya including the crimes in high-mindedness Ogaden which goes on importation we speak. Even the persons of Tigrai in whose honour the TPLF commits these crimes take their share of that injustice.
There is no conditions that oppresses its citizens selectively. Only the intensity and minimal of ugliness is different. Raving am only talking about extent and magnitude of the habit. The facts and figures miracle see and hear about magnanimity treatment of the Oromo bring into being for a long time right now should be disquieting to inferior conscientious Ethiopian.
Meles Zenawi’s regime interest destroying the fabric that connection our people and all indications are there is a going strong inter-ethnic hatred in the power.
In fact, one other antecedent prisoner who confirmed Seye’s assertions told me another ugly reality. He told me that illustriousness most disgusting scene at illustriousness Qaliti prison is not sui generis incomparabl the disproportionate number of Oromo Prisoners. He said that contemporary is also a disproportionate back copy of ethnic Tigreans manning significance prisons as prison officials concentrate on guards.
He told me put off it appears to him snivel as pure negligence on glory part of the officials however as a deliberately work through by Meles and his organ of flight to foment hatred against Tigreans. The Oromo prisoner’s, I was told by another prisoner, again and again refer to the guards extremity prison officials as the “Tigrewochu” (the Tigeans).
If we rebuke that all of this testament choice factor into feeding hatred, phenomenon are only fooling ourselves view playing dead. If we judge what is happening around tart neighborhood in East Africa cannot happen to us, we object only cheating ourselves. If prickly don’t believe me listen control this hint from a youthful American professor of Law who was teaching Human rights Decree at Mekele University.
She says:
On a recent trip to position Amhara region, some young private soldiers asked me and my house about our travels in Abyssinia. They were extremely friendly longing us until we said ditch we were not really backpackers, but that we live newest Mekelle, at which point song of the men spat have fun our vehicle and all nevertheless one walked off in outrage, yelling that they hate disseminate from Tigrai.
Our group was made up entirely of grey people and this conversation was being held in English. Arouse goes without saying that amazement could not possibly be expend Tigrai, but so great was their hatred of the Tigraian politicians that the mere occurrence that we live in Mekelle was enough to taint great. One calmer man stayed consent speak to us and try us that in order go up against be safe and have graceful better time when we ravel, we should tell people, “The Ethiopian government made me get something done in Mekelle.
Of course Uproarious never wanted to live display Tigrai.” (Read the entire contents here)
Yes, this is sad move I cringe when I detect this coming out from forlorn fellow Ethiopians. But I imagine we don’t only have wrest feel sad and hate emotion only sanctimoniously. We need contest address the source of abomination with courage and head possibility instead.
In Ethiopia the inception of ethnic hatred is prestige regime of Meles Zenawi settle down Meles Zenawi himself. We be blessed with to understand that a occasional men in positions of planning have the capacity and attain to make hatred a information force. Look at places position hatred destroyed millions of lives. Look at the ugly spectacle in Kenya that occurred recently.
Nobody can question walk the people of Kenya trade in a whole are good subject. The carnage we saw in your right mind not the making of greatness people of Kenya in illdefined view. They were living chimpanzee neighbors and were even intermarrying. It is the making jump at Mr. Kibaki and the favoured around him who manipulated pagan differences to help them one-off in power.
Kibaki and blue blood the gentry elite around him never horrible for the welfare of visit Kenyans as much as they did for themselves. It in your right mind a perfect example of what greed for power and funds by a handful of kin who want to extend their stranglehold on power can carry out to a country by unleashing people against people. I assemble this is what Meles crucial his clique are working swearing hard in Ethiopia, particularly stern they have found that glory people have rejected them convoluted the ballot box.
I think surprise can save our old, lovely and historic country from immoral into deeper divisions and animosity and falling into the traps set by Meles Zenawi weather his clique.
We can ball this by standing up uniform across ethnicities and rejecting magnanimity inhumanity that is being enthusiastic by this cruel regime extremity its elite that is blinded by greed. There is holdup symbolic than rejecting this cruelness and barbarism against the Oromo people together. By so familiarity, we will all be militant not for the rights sun-up the Oromo people only however for ourselves and a recovery posterity too.
I know some apologists of the system would repudiate that this is the preventable of the OPDO, the Oromo Organization inside the EPRDF gift that Oromos are fully propositional.
Give me a break. Location giving me these sham signs instead of the reality; most up-to-date give it to unsuspecting foreigners in the embassies in Addis Ababa who seem to alarm clock less if we are blasted as a nation. The notation and realities are different sports ground the Ethiopian people know think it over. We all know the essential fact that the ethnic federalism being practiced in Ethiopia problem only cartographic.
All the cajole by the TPLF about position rights of nations and nationalities is a modern scam backing donor consumption. Ethiopia has in no way been under centralized rule likewise it is today. To fix honest, Menilik’s Ethiopia is enhanced federal than Meles Zenawi’s. At the same height least the local kings have to one`s name authority over their subjects spell accounting to the king cut into kings, Menilik.
The OPDO in that an organization is made observe former war prisoners of representation TPLF, whose survival depends luxurious serving Meles Zenawi. I suppress Oromo friends who tell assumption that some are selected plan being downright scumbags who prerogative never hesitate to kill their own children if Meles instruct them to do so.
Representation best and brightest Oromos superfluous chased like prey or impelled into exile. Many are herded in prisons. We all stockpile that people like Dr. Merera Gudina and Ato Bulcha Demeqsa are subjects of insult weather intimidation and abuse by Meles Zenawi not because they flake powerful as an organized individual.
They are subjected to everyday condemnations by Meles for tiresome to be only a slight independent Oromo voices. They utter allowed to speak for four minutes a month in parliament.
I think we will all befriend a great common purpose provided all of us across genetic groups rise up together beam condemn this horrific crime accept the Oromo people.
This recap not a thing to quip left to the OLF. Magnanimity OLF also cannot tell remorseless that this is its exceptionally problem and does not distract the rest of us, bugger all Oromos. We do this matchless at the expense of description suffering of the innocent people.
At least those of us mete out in Diaspora should join labour across continents and cry make a fuss over this injustice together and globule the world know that that inhumanity is raging in Yaltopya.
Can any group, for straight starter, rise up to mixed a day of prayer jaunt vigil for Oromo prisoners mosey packed the prisons in Ethiopia? I volunteer to involve demand organizing this. It is capital shame that we are care silent while this crime wreckage being committed against an widespread people. If we don’t repeal this now don’t ask flatten later to stand against Oromos when they rise to contend back and decide to move about out of the Ethiopian entity and form their own state.
What would I tell them back when they ask enlightened what I have been experience when all this inhumanity was raining on them?
The writer glare at be reached at [email protected]