Statement of announcing the formation of the Alliance for freedom and Democracy

May 22 2006

A historic meeting convened, by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP), the Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front (EPPF), the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Sidama Liberation Front (SLF) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), at Utrecht in Netherlands, from 19 to 22 of May 2006 has successfully completed by forming the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD) and elected its officers. The UEDF supports the formation of the alliance and its objectives and has requested a month to consult its member organizations. The formation of the Alliance is an outcome of a series of bilateral and multilateral discussions conducted in the past several months. The Founding Agreement has been unanimously accepted and ratified by all members of the Alliance. The formation of this Alliance reflects the aspirations and best wishes of all people in Ethiopia whose life has been blighted by political repression, marginalization and exclusion.
The ultimate aim of the Alliance is to establish a just, representative and a genuine democratic process through the convening of an all-inclusive conference where the country’s problems will be discussed and resolved.
We are confident that the formation of this Alliance will be a vehicle to eliminate mistrust and suspicion between political groups and communities so that all will work together in the spirit of mutual understanding and to the benefit and well-being of all. We believe the collective effort behind the Alliance will put an end to the existing destructive mentality of winner takes all and the habitual indifference towards the excluded. The Alliance aspires to purposefully cultivate the values of compromise, tolerance, inclusion, reconciliation and mutual understanding. That is the only way to end the underlying causes of repression, bloodshed, insecurity, political instability and exclusion in Ethiopia and the region, which are inflicting severe hardships and suffering on all people, and seriously hampers the prospects for development and the attainment of equality, justice and prosperity.
Time and time again the people in Ethiopia have risen up and paid unimaginable sacrifice to satisfy their yearning for freedom, justice, liberty and democracy. The struggle and the sacrifice that is being paid in relation to the May 15 2005 election is a recent addition to the series of quashed aspirations.
Our people have demonstrated their readiness and ability that a just and democratic political order is feasible in Ethiopia. What stands between the aspiration for freedom and democracy and its realization is the unwillingness of the incumbent EPRDF regime to submit to the expressed will of the people and its flagrant violations of human rights and civil liberties and failure to even respect and abide by its very own constitution.
The Alliance will therefore struggle to pressure the ruling party to stop frustrating the realization of the yearning for freedom and democracy. The Alliance would use its generous spirit of inclusiveness in convening the conference that would facilitate a way towards the establishment of a democratic and representative order.
We call upon all the people in Ethiopia, both at home and abroad, to rise up in unison to support the cause of the Alliance and struggle to make the convening of the conference, which paves the way for a democratic transition, a reality. The struggle should continue to challenge the current spate of repression in the country, halt the futile and destructive military campaigns, security crackdowns and end the farcical political trial of elected members of parliament and others and to free all political prisoners, including those detained in the small towns and villages.
We also call upon the international community to realize that dialogue and good-faith negotiation offers the only way to achieve a lasting solution and back the alliance's call for this all-inclusive conference to break the current impasse. We hope the international community will realize that peace and stability, sustainable development and good governance can be a reality in Ethiopia only when the disfranchisement of the many by the few is stopped and by bringing all the stakeholders together to chart a genuinely democratic course.
Ethiopian's problems are immense and grossly complicated. Convening an all-inclusive conference to address them is well over due. We do not underestimate the obstacles and challenges facing us. However, with patience and perseverance we are certain that we will succeed.
The Alliance would hold a Press Conference to lay out its vision and work programs in detail.

Freedom and Democracy for all!

Guyyaa har’aatti (May 22 2006) Gartuwwan mormitoota Mootummaa Ethiopia hedduun wal ta’uun Qindoomina bilisummaa fi Democracy jedhu waliin ijaaruu isaanii ibsatanii jiru.

Jarmoleen kun kan akka CUDP EPPF; ONLF Maqaa ABOtiin kan of waamu Shanee gumii, SLF UEDF fi kan kana fafakkaatan yoo ta’ kora kana kan qindeesse Maqaa Adda Bilisummaa Oromootiin shanee gumii ta’uun isaa hubatamee jira.

Haala Kana ilaalchisee gaffii fi bebii Raadioon Voice of Oromia jedhumu nama Muluu Hiikaa jedhaman waliin gaafiif deebii taasisanii jiru.

Gaaffiin jabduu fi gaaffii saba Oromoo hundaa kan ta’uu malu; Raadiyoon kun isaan gaafate tokko kan akkas jedhu ture:-

Gartuuwwaan kaayyoon wal-hinfakkaanne keessayyuu dhaaba Amaaree kan akka CDU gaaffii Sabaa fi Sab-lammii hin fudhanne waliin attamiin wal-ta’uun danda’ame? Kan jedhu yoo ta’u.

Obbo Muluun :-kun tooftaa dha. Jechuun, sidaamnni nu caalu haxeedha kan jedhan yoo jeraatan illee; Oromoon bakka kaleessa jira mit. Wal-ta’issa kana kan gooneef tooftaadhaaf jechuu oduu ilmaan oromoo dhiigsu dubbatanii jiru.

Gaaffiin kan biraa dhihaateef:- Jaarmota Oromoo walaba, bilisummaa Oromiyaatti amanan waliin wal-ta’insa utuu hin uumin dhaaba halagaa waliin wal-ta’uun attami innii? Kan jedhu ture.

Obbo Muluun yoo deebisan:- Inni kun hatattama waan ta’eef tarkaanfii kana fudhannee jira. Kan Ororootaas ittuma hojjachaa jirra jechuudhaan dubbatanii jiru.

Walta’insa ilmaan Oromootaa irra caalaan wal-ta’insa halgaan gochuu qabsoo Oromoo akka shaffisuuf akka cimsutti ilaaluu fi tooftaaf jechuun Kaayyoo ganamaa Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo ganuun ilmaan Oromoo dheekamsiisuu irra darbee; Seenaa Goobanaa Daacee ammas akka irra deebi’amuu danda’u hubachiisa jedhu namoonni adda addaa.

Gaaffiif deebii kanaan boodas sirba Wallisticha Oromoo Elemoo Alii :-.
Seenaa Oromoo keessatti,
Gabrummaa irraa jalqabee hanga ammaattii;
hinjiru kan akka Goobanaa jibamaan,
Hojii isaa hundaatti cubbamaan.
Goobana daacee Ilmaan Oromoo irratti Nafxanyaa fe’ee..... kan jedhu
gaaffiif deebii kanaan kan wal-qabate; Raadiyoon kun dhageeffatoota isaa afeeree jera.

Egaa har’as keessa deebinee yoo kaayyoo Oromitichaa ganuun ilmaan Habashootaa keessattuu Leellistoota Minilikii fi Tewedroosiin wal-ta’uun qanessaa fi eenyummaa Shanee ifatti waan mul’ise ta’ee jira jedhu Ormoonni hadduun.

Kadhaa fi gorsa Maanguddoota, Beektotaa fi Oromoota mara tuffachuun Dhaabbota Oromootaan wal-ta'uu diduun; halagaaf caalaa kabaja kennuun; halagaa akka beekaa fi humnaatti ilaaluun, diinaan hidhachuuf, diinatti galuun; har’a Uummata Oromoo qaanessuu fi xiqqeessuu dha.

Diinna haqaa qabataniin, kaayyoo dhugatiin, yookaan hirreen mo’uu malee Kaayyoo ofii ganuun itti galuun booji’amuun mo’amuu dha malee; tooftaa ta’uu hin danda’u.

Halabaa Minilik jatatti wal-ta’uu fi waayee tokkuummaa ololuun Uummata Oroomoo qabsoo irraa deebisuuf malee; qabsoo tumsuuf ta’uu tasa hin danda’u.

Biyya keessatti ilmaan Oromootaa har’a Halaabaa Habashaa buusanii ciruun Halaabaa Bilisummaa isaanii Halaabaa ABO yoo ol-baasatan lubbuu isaanii wareeganii fi wareegaa jiran kanatti; Shaneen leellistoota Minilikiin wal-taane jechuun, kaayyoo geddarannee dhaabadhaa! jechuuf yaaluun, eenyummaa namoota shanee keessatti of ijaaranii Uummata Orootiif mul’isa jedhu ilmaan Ormoo hedduun.

Ilmaan Orootaa qabsoo kanaaf Abbaa isaanii, Haadha isaanii, Obboleessa isaanii, Obboleettii isaanii dhabanii fi Oromoota itt gidiramnii fi gidiraamaa jiranti gochaan Gumii Shanee kun hagam akka dhaga’amu, hagam Shaneen dantaaf dhiiga ilmaan Oromootaan daldalu, tokkoon tokkoon Oromootii dhiisuu feena.

Ilmaan Oromoo Of irratti malee halagaa irratti irkachuun keessattuu namoota Oromoo saba jechuullee lagatan ’’Gosa’’ jechuun gadi xiqqeessanii waamanin bilusoomuuf yaaluun soba.

Nafxanyaa ofii illee kuftee jirtu Oromoo bilsa baasuu dandeessi jechuuf Shaneen itti galuuf yoo of gurgure, Ilmaan Oromootaa bakka bu’uun utuu hin ta’in dhuunfaa isaatiin shaneen ta’uun mirga isaaniiti.

Oromoyaan Ni Bilisoomti!