Ethiopia activist clubbed to death in 'politically motivated' murder

Biyyansaa Dhaabaa is the second government opponent killed in a month in Ethiopia as "general election approache."

An opposition activist has been bludgeoned to death with a gun butt in the second politically motivated murder of Ethiopia's “election campaign”, it was claimed today.


Biyyansaa Dhaabaa was attacked and killed at home by members of the ruling party, according to Dr.Bulcha Demeksa, a leader of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC).

"Biyyansaa Dhaabaa was beaten on 7 April with the butt of a gun," Bulcha told Reuters. "He died in hospital on 16 April. He was a very strong up-and-coming figure.

"Of course it was political. They asked him to stop converting people to OFC, they warned him many times. Why else would anyone beat him?"

Last month Aregawi Gebre-Yohannes, an opposition candidate for the eight-party coalition Medrek – of which the OFC is a member – was stabbed to death in what the opposition described as a political murder. The government insists that Aregawi was killed in a bar fight. A man has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for the crime.

Also earlier this month, Mr.Bekele Jirata, General Secretary of the Oromo Federalist (OFC), was sentenced to sentenced to 13 years in jail in absentia after being tried on charges of "supporting Oromo Liberation Front."

Government spokesmen were not available to comment but routinely deny that members of the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front intimidate the opposition.

The government has been accused by Human Rights Watch of waging a coordinated assault on political opponents, rights campaigners and journalists ahead of the national “elections on 23 May.”

A report by the group said journalists and activists have fled the country because of government repression. Some radio broadcasts by the Voice of America have been jammed.

Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said: "The ruling party and the state are becoming one, and the government is using the full weight of its power to eliminate opposition and intimidate people into silence."

The results of the last “elections” in 2005 were challenged by the opposition and some international observers. Street riots erupted, security forces killed at least 193 civilians and the main opposition leaders were imprisoned. The crime minister, Meles Zenawi, claimed they were trying to overthrow him.

The OFC and other parties representing the Oromo – Ethiopia's biggest ethnic group – say ruling party officials are again intimidating and jailing their members.

The government denies that it targets Oromo politicians and points to the fact that there are several Oromo government ministers and a ceremonial president of the country as proof.
Oromos, numbering 35m-40m of Ethiopia's 80m people, have not held power in modern history. Ethiopia has more than 80 ethnic groups.

Meles is from the Tigrayan ethnic group, who make up 6% of the population and dominate the political and military elite.

Analysts expect the Meles government to win the so called “election.”

Yaadannoo Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo 2010 ilaalchisee Ibsa Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo.

ADDA BILISUMMAA OROMOO

Yaadannoo Guyyaa Gootota Oromoo
Guyyaan: 15 Caamsaa 2010

Miseensota Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo, deggertootaa fi ummata Oromoo maraaf nagaa qabsoo dhiheessina.

Guyyaan gootota Oromoo itti yaadannu, Caamsaan 15, seenaa ummata keenyaa keessatti bakka olaanaa qaba. Guyyaan kun kan nu yaadachiisu jaallan dirree falamaa irratti wareegaman qofa osoo hin taane kanneen guyyaa har’aa illee mootummaan garboonfataa ifaa fi dhoksaan murtii du’aa irratti dabarsaa jirtu hundaa seenaa fi gochaa gootuummaa isaan raawwatan mara.
Seenaa gootota keenya kufan yaadachuu hunda caalaa kan ifa godhu bilisummaa ofii gonfachuuf wareegamni kafalamu kamu qal’ii akka hin taane dha. Harr’a ammo cunqursaan nyaaphaa hammaataa dhufe qabsoo bilisummaa irra taree Oromoon adunyaa kana irra jiraachuuf wareegama lubbuu kafalaa akka jiran dhokataa miti. Kana irraa kan ka’e kanneen dogoggoraan yoo gaaffii bilisummaa Oromoo lagatan ajjeechaan kun ni dhaabata jedhanii yaadan dabranii dabranii mul’ataa jiru. Kun ammo dogoggora yaadaa akka ta’e hubatamuu qaba. Qabsoon bilisummaa Oromoo qabsoo badhaadhumma irraa dhufe osoo hin taane qabsoo mirga dhalootaaf jireenyaa ofii mirkaneeffatu ti.

Mootummaan alagaa kan biyya keenya qawween qabatee ummata keenya lafa irraa duguugaa jiru, qabeenya keenya saamaa jiru fi gaaffii Oromoo akka qabsoo faallaa nageenya biyyaattii godhee adunyaatti dhiheessuu fedhu kun nagaan biyya keenya irraa buqqa’a jedhanii yaaduun gowwummaa dha. Diinaa qawween biyya qabate qawween of irraa kaassan. Kanaaf jecha jaallan irbuu seenanii kaleessaa fi har’a Miseensota Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo, deggertootaa fi ummata Oromoo maraaf nagaa qabsoo dhiheessina.

Guyyaan gootota Oromoo itti yaadannu, Caamsaan 15, seenaa ummata keenyaa keessatti bakka olaanaa qaba. Guyyaan kun kan nu yaadachiisu jaallan dirree falamaa irratti wareegaman qofa osoo hin taane kanneen guyyaa har’aa illee mootummaan garboonfataa ifaa fi dhoksaan murtii du’aa irratti dabarsaa jirtu hundaa seenaa fi gochaa gootuummaa isaan raawwatan mara.
Seenaa gootota keenya kufan yaadachuu hunda caalaa kan ifa godhu bilisummaa ofii gonfachuuf wareegamni kafalamu kamu qal’ii akka hin taane dha. Harr’a ammo cunqursaan nyaaphaa hammaataa dhufe qabsoo bilisummaa irra taree Oromoon adunyaa kana irra jiraachuuf wareegama lubbuu kafalaa akka jiran dhokataa miti. Kana irraa kan ka’e kanneen dogoggoraan yoo gaaffii bilisummaa Oromoo lagatan ajjeechaan kun ni dhaabata jedhanii yaadan dabranii dabranii mul’ataa jiru. Kun ammo dogoggora yaadaa akka ta’e hubatamuu qaba. Qabsoon bilisummaa Oromoo qabsoo badhaadhumma irraa dhufe osoo hin taane qabsoo mirga dhalootaaf jireenyaa ofii mirkaneeffatu ti.

Mootummaan alagaa kan biyya keenya qawween qabatee ummata keenya lafa irraa duguugaa jiru, qabeenya keenya saamaa jiru fi gaaffii Oromoo akka qabsoo faallaa nageenya biyyaattii godhee adunyaatti dhiheessuu fedhu kun nagaan biyya keenya irraa buqqa’a jedhanii yaaduun gowwummaa dha. Diinaa qawween biyya qabate qawween of irraa kaassan. Kanaaf jecha jaallan irbuu seenanii kaleessaa fi har’a bilisummaa Oromiyaa deebisuuf wareegamaniif nuti warri lubbuun jirru ammoo daandii kana irraa osoo hin maqin dhaaba keenya ABO jabeessuun hanga walabummaa biyya keenyaa ragaasifinutti fuul dura haa tarkaanfannu.

Dhiigni jaallan dirree qabsoo bahaa fi dhiha, kaabaa fi kibba irratti dhangala’e tokkuummaa ilmaan Oromoo qaban ititaa ta’uu mirkaneessee jira. Harr’a nyaaphi bifa adda addaan ummata keenya gandaa fi amanttiin adda qooduuf olii fi gadi fiigaa jira. Shirri diinaa kun akka hin milkoofne ittisuun dirqama ilmaan Oromoo hundaa ti.

Hanga ammaatti walgahii gurguddaan, murna xixiqqaa fi nam-tokkeen akkuma dirqama keenya raawwachaa jirrutti guyyaa yaadannoo kanas kabajaa dhufneerra. Baranas bakka jirtaniitti, akkuma haalli isiniif hayyametti, gootota keenya akka yaadattanii ooltan isin yaadachiifna. Gumaan gootota keenyaa bilisummaa saba keenyaa ti waan ta’eef yaadannoo qofaa osoo hin taane wareegamnni isaaniis akka ija godhatu waan dandeessan maraan qabsoo finiinsuuf gargaarsa yaadaa, hamilee jabeessuu, dinagdee fi of kenninsa isin irraa eegamu gumaachuuf akka irbuu haareffattan gaafatna.

Oromiyaan ni bilisomti!

Adda Bilisummaa Oromoo
P.O.Box 21762, Washington DC, 20009, USA Tel: (202)-521-5653
E-mail: waajjira@oromoliberationfront.info

Ethiopia’s Kangaroo Court Sentences Oromo Political Prisoners to Death and Long Years in Prison

According to OLF News report received from Finfinne (Addis Ababa), the 3rd Bench of the Woyane/Ethiopian Kangaroo Federal Court gave a death sentence to an Oromo nationalist and political prisoner, Mesfin Abebe Abdisa, and a life prison sentence to another Oromo nationalist and political prisoner, Tasfahun Camadaa Gurmessaa, on March 31, 2010. The court also gave a long term imprisonment of 10 years to 12 years to 13 other Oromo nationalists listed below.

1. Masfiin Abbabaa Abdiisaa, Death Sentence, Civil engineer.

1. Tasfaahuun Camadaa Gurmeessaa, Life Sentence, Civil engineer,


2. Baqqalaa Nagarii, 12 years without parole, Businessman in Addis Ababa,


3. Isheetuu Kitil, 12 years without parole, Businessman and owner of the Hawi Hotel (Finfinne),


4. Kabbadaa Booranaa, 12 years without parole, Senior Manager of Hilton Hotel, Addis Ababa,


5. Waabee Hajii, 12 years without parole, Lawyer with the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia,


6. Baqqalaa Jiraataa, 12 years without parole (in Absentia), General Secretary of OFDM and an employee of Oromia Water Resources,


7. Dajanee Dhaabaa, 12 years without parole, Trader,


8. Dajanee Booranaa, 12 years without parole (in Absentia), Brother of Mr. Kebede Borena,


9. Abarraash Yaadataa, 12 years without parole,


10. Roobaa Gaddafaa, 10 years without parole, Statistician and employee of Hibret Insurance


11. Baayisaa Huseen, 10 years without parole, High School student, Ambo,


12. Lalisee Wadaajoo, 10 years without parole, Journalist and wife of exiled television journalist, Dhabasa Wakjira, himself a former detainee,


13. Olaanii Jabeesaa, 10 years without parole,


14. Haayiluu Dalasaa, 10 years without parole, 3rd year Law student at Haromaya University.
    
    Among the convicted, two of them, Tesfahun Chemeda and Mesfin Abebe, were apprehended by the Kenyan government and handed over to Woyane in April 2007, and have been severely tortured by the regime and finally brought to court in 2008. Many others have been falsely accused and abducted from their homes and their work places.
    

According to the latest Oromo Support Group Report:
Tesfahun Chemeda and Mesfin Abebe, both civil engineers, were in Nairobi seeking protection with UNHCR when they disappeared from Kenya in 2007. Human rights defenders in Nairobi believed that they had been abducted by Ethiopian security men and/or by Kenyan police in cooperation with the Ethiopian embassy. Their location was not known to their families for two years.

Mr. Bekele Jirata was the General Secretary of OFDM and was arrested by the regime on November 04, 2008. He had then been accused of having relations with OLF and stayed in prison before he was released on bail on February 04, 2009.

Mrs. Lelise Wodajo, a former journalist in the government-run Ethiopian TV and a mother of three, was arrested on November 14, 2008 and stayed in jail since then. Her husband, Mr. Dhabessa Wakjira, had also been jailed for more than three years and went to exile, after being released.