Hachalu Hundessa: 'Eighty-one killed' in protests over Ethiopian singer's death 2. July 2020 Administrator news (0) 1 July 2020Hachalu, 34, recently said that he had received death threats. He will be buried on Thursday.His songs focused on the rights of the country's Oromo ethnic group and became anthems in a wave of protests that led to the downfall of the previous prime minister in 2018."So far 81 people have been killed, including three Oromia special police force members," Ararsa Merdasa, the Oromia police chief, said in a televised press briefing.Many people were injured in Tuesday's protests and there was "significant destruction to property," Getachew Balcha, the spokesperson for the Oromia regional government, told the BBC. [More]
At Least 52 Killed in Ethiopia Protests Over Singer's Death 1. July 2020 Administrator news (0) By ReutersJuly 1, 2020Updated 7:01 a.m. ETADDIS ABABA — At least 50 people were killed in Ethiopia's Oromiya region in protests following the fatal shooting of a popular singer, a regional spokesman said on Wednesday, laying bare splits in the prime minister's political heartland ahead of next year's polls.Musician Haacaaluu Hundeessaa was shot dead on Monday night in what police said was a targeted killing. [More]
Hachalu Hundessa: Deadly protests erupt after Ethiopian singer killed 1. July 2020 Administrator news (0) Seven people have died in Ethiopia in protests that followed the shooting dead of musician Hachalu Hundessa, well known for his political songs, medics have told the BBC. [More]
Bridging the Divide in Ethiopia’s North 14. June 2020 Administrator (0) Bridging the Divide in Ethiopia’s NorthCrisis Group Africa Briefing N°156Nairobi/Addis Ababa/Brussels, 12 June 2020Minimap Image What’s new? Tigray and Amhara, the powerhouse regions of northern Ethiopia, are locked in a bitter land dispute exacerbated by national politicking that pits their elites against each other. Given dim prospects for a comprehensive settlement, the dispute could escalate into conflict.Why does it matter? Ethiopia’s delayed elections will likely be sometime in 2021. Amhara nationalists could stoke sentiment against Tigray’s ruling class during the campaign. Tigray’s government is arming itself as hardliners promote secession. Confrontation between the regions would draw federal military intervention, potentially exposing ethno-regional cracks in the army’s cohesion.What should be done? Federal leaders should provide incentives to Tigray’s ruling party to come to the table. They should urge Tigrayan and Amhara factions to temper provocative stances and explore compromise. The parties could consider an outcome in which Tigray guarantees political representation and language rights to minority populations in the disputed territories. [More]
Democracy imperiled in Africa by 'reformers' turned dictators 12. June 2020 Administrator Politics (0) OPINION by Michael Rubin | June 11, 2020 05:41 PM It is often forgotten that the worst dictators are often, early in their careers, lauded as reformers. In Iraq, Saddam Hussein was initially embraced as a “pragmatist” by diplomats and journalists alike. In 1991, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Burmese dissident Aung San Suu Kyi the Nobel Peace Prize; only in subsequent decades would she expose herself as an apologist for ethnic cleansing. Of course, she is not the only figure to sully the preeminent peace prize’s legacy. [More]
ETHIOPIA: "BEYOND LAW ENFORCEMENT": HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS BY ETHIOPIAN SECURITY FORCES IN AMHARA AND OROMIA 1. June 2020 Administrator community, human rights (0) RESEARCHETHIOPIA: TORTURE AND OTHER ILL-TREATMENT29 May 2020, Index number: AFR 25/2358/2020The political reforms introduced in Ethiopia by the incumbent government in 2018 presented the country with an opportunity to break with its abysmal human rights record marred by extrajudicial killings, torture and other ill-treatment and enforced disappearance among other serious human rights violations. While initial first steps have been taken towards improving the human rights environment in the country, a persistence of old-style patterns of violence perpetrated by the security forces threatens to derail sustained long-term gain.To read full report: https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/AFR2523582020ENGLISH.PDF [More]
Ethiopia: Security forces 'must face justice for horrific human rights violations' - New Report 30. May 2020 Administrator news, human rights (0) Amnesty International UKPress releases29 May 2020 10:8amAt least 10,000 people were arbitrarily arrested and detained last year as part of the government’s crackdown on armed attacks and violence in Oromia RegionForces have burned homes to the ground, committed rape and extrajudicial execution in response to inter-communal violence‘With elections on the horizon, these violations and abuses could escalate out of control unless the government takes urgent measures’ - Deprose Muchena [More]
Ethiopian Security Forces Accused of 39 Extrajudicial Killings 30. May 2020 Administrator (0) By ReutersMay 29, 2020Updated 3:47 p.m. ET "The report is further proof that the new administration has not parted ways with the practice of forcefully stifling dissent, committing egregious human rights violations and carrying out extrajudicial killings," the Oromo Liberation Front and the Oromo Federalist Congress, an opposition party, said in a joint statement.Based on interviews with 80 victims or direct witnesses of violence, Amnesty's report said the Ethiopian army and regional security forces in Amhara and Oromiya were involved in inter-ethnic killings, mass arbitrary detentions and rape. [More]
Ethiopian army gunned down man because his phone rang during meeting, Amnesty says 30. May 2020 Administrator news (0) By Greg Norman | Fox News 29 May 2020An Ethiopian soldier gunned down a 32-year-old businessman during a security crackdown last year because his phone went off during a public meeting, Amnesty International revealed Friday.The shocking killing was carried out as Ethiopia was trying to suppress an armed uprising by the Oromo Liberation Army, which formed in a region where members of an ethnic group had been complaining they were being marginalized from political and economic power, the BBC reports.“During the meeting, one of the phones collected rang and the soldiers asked who the owner of the phone was,” Amnesty International wrote in a report about the August 2019 incident in the Oromia regional state, citing testimony from a witness. “Ariti Shununde responded saying that the phone belonged to him.” “The EDF soldier ordered him to come to the front and he obeyed. Then the soldier told Ariti to turn around,” it continued. “As soon as Ariti’s back turned towards the soldiers, the soldier shot him in his back with two bullets. They killed him in front of the crowd.”Amnesty says Shununde’s family and friends then started wailing and soldiers broke up the gathering.“They then ordered some people to pick up the body and bury it immediately,” the report said. “As ordered, they instantly buried him at the cemetery of the locality.”Local government officials later told Shununde’s family that he was killed by mistake.Amnesty says the killing was never investigated and the soldier behind it, to this day, is still roaming free.Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/ethiopian-army-killed-man-over-phone-amnesty-says [More]
To Heal, Ethiopia Needs to Confront its Violent Past 30. May 2020 Administrator editorial, human rights (0) Laetitia BaderSenior Researcher, Africa DivisionAnd yet, over the last two years, Ethiopia has experienced growing unrest and communal violence. The rise in violence, has led to deaths, displacement, and property destruction.The government’s response to some of these challenges already show signs of backsliding. There are many credible reports of killings, torture, and arbitrary arrests by security forces. We have also documented shutdowns of phone and internet services in Oromia, and the arrests of journalists and opposition leaders and their supporters. A return to abusive practices is a painful reminder of the longstanding failure to effectively reform the security sector and address its culture of impunity. [More]
Ethiopia's security forces accused of torture, evictions and killings – report 29. May 2020 Administrator community, Politics (0) https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/29/ethiopias-security-forces-accused-of-torture-evictions-and-killings-reportPrime minister Abiy Ahmed has been lauded for his democratic reforms. But Amnesty International are now urging him to investigate allegations of serious human rights abusesTom Gardner in Addis AbabaFri 29 May 2020 15.15 AEST In Oromia, security forces are waging a counter-insurgency campaign against rebels from the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), an armed guerrilla movement demanding more autonomy for Oromos, which returned from exile in 2018 after Abiy removed it from Ethiopia’s list of terrorist organisations. [More]
ANALYSIS: THE ROLE OF THE QEERROO IN FUTURE OROMO POLITICS 28. May 2020 Administrator community (0) addisstandard / May 26, 2020 / https://addisstandard.com/analysis-the-role-of-the-qeerroo-in-future-oromo-politics/The Nature Of The Qeerroo As A MovementThis brings us to the question of what kind of movement the Qeerroo actually is. Foreign observers, Ethiopian political analysts, and many ordinary Ethiopians have struggled to define it and to identify its internal structures. The Qeerroo is said to be formally organized as the National Oromian Youth Movement, which had its own homepage. It is, however, doubtful that this is the main representative body of the movement. Some claim that it emerged in the 1990s as part of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), while others argue that the Qeerroo started around 2005, as an underground network called “Qeerroo Blisumma Oromia” (Qeerroo for the Freedom of Oromia). Recently Qarree has appeared as the female counterpart to the male Qeerroo, and some even claim that the Qarree “recently has been formalized.” [More]
Why are Africa's coronavirus successes being overlooked? 26. May 2020 Administrator community (0) Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/may/21/africa-coronavirus-successes-innovation-europe-usExamples of innovation aren’t getting the fanfare they would do if they emerged from Europe or the USRemember, early on in the Covid-19 pandemic, the speculation as to how apocalyptic it would be if this disease hit the African continent? I do. There was deep anxiety about what it would mean for countries with lower income populations, dominant but harder-to-regulate informal economies and far fewer healthcare facilities than the UK or Italy. [More]
Ethiopia's Delayed Polls Have More to Do With Democratic Retreat Than COVID-19 23. May 2020 Administrator community (0) Source: https://thewire.in/world/ethipia-elections-abiy-ahmedA delayed election could balkanise the country along ethnic lines and become the most severe political crisis in Ethiopia's modern history. [More]
IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS: TOWARDS TIGRAY STATEHOOD? 16. May 2020 Administrator community (0) KJETIL TRONVOLL @KJETILTRONVOLLSource: https://addisstandard.com/in-depth-analysis-towards-tigray-statehood/Addis Abeba, May 14/2020 – The postponement of the elections and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s proposal on how to solve the upcoming constitutional crisis in Ethiopia, has accentuated Tigrayan nationalism and the process of ensuring de facto Tigray statehood. The current political dynamics in the country, if continued unchecked, may push the Tigrayan discourse even further, as voices advocating for secession and Tigrayan independence are increasingly heard. How come Tigray, the cradle of Ethiopian civilization and the ‘country’s engine’, according to Abiy Ahmed, entertain ideas of statehood and secession? What developments have compelled both the people and some political elites to argue that the perceived best solution may possibly be to leave Ethiopia?An axiom in conflict resolution is to understand your adversary’s positioning and context, and from that basis interpret her/his argument. What may appear irrational and illegitimate from your point of view, may actually resonance quite well among the followers of your opponent. Knowledge about each other’s positioning and contexts may thus contribute to creating a common frame of communication; i.e. that both sides are equally informed about each other’s views about the issue of contestation at hand they seek to address. This article aims to present how various Tigrayan actors are engaging in the discourse on statehood, to contribute to mitigating continued escalation of the discord. [More]
World Report 2020: Ethiopia | Human Rights Watch 30. April 2020 Administrator community (0) Source: https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2020/country-chapters/ethiopiaEthiopiaEvents of 2019Human rights reforms implemented by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed during his first year in office were threatened in 2019 by communal, including ethnic, conflict and breakdowns in law and order.Lakkaawwiin ummataa kan biyoolessaa wal-falmisiisaa garuu kan yeroon isaa darbe filannoo bara 2020 raawwachuuf karoorfameef haalan akka barbaachisu otoo beekamuu ji’a waxabajjii keessa paarlaamaan biyyattii lakkawwii ummataa kana dabarsuuf murteesseera. [More]
Oromiyaa: The Endless Colonial Conspiracy and Genocide Wars in Ethiopia 15. April 2020 Administrator community (0) By: Itana GammadaApril 14, 2020A people under colonial occupation have a maximum of two choices, either stand up and fight for their freedom and dignity or accept humiliation, subjugation, victimization and perpetual slavery. Throughout human history, colonialism has never been an option. Rather, oppressed people worldwide make the necessary sacrifices to achieve their national objective and fulfill their destiny. It is important to bear in mind that the colonized and repressed people do not remain here for perceived beliefs or temporary economic, piecemeal material gains, but for a fundamental national freedom. They stand for justice, democracy, and human dignity that guarantees their future existence in peace and progress.For these fundamental reasons, people who have fallen under colonial occupation or slavery will fight against any colonial hegemony. For the last one hundred fifty years, the Oromo people have been subjected to state terrorism, violent atrocities, physical destruction, humiliation, plundering of their resources and mass uprooting under the successive Abyssinian (Ethiopian) regimes. [More]
Forms of Political Systems: Unitary, Federalism, Confederalism, and the Oromo question 5. April 2020 Administrator History (0) By Leenjiso Horo, April 2020 The great mass of the people are the foundation of the state. People are the basis of all legitimate political authority…..No sovereignty can come into existence, or continue to exist, unless the people consent to and authorize it. The inherent and inalienable sovereignty of the people is therefore assumed as a political principle of incontestable validity, -a premise which could not be assailed. --Prof. C. Edward Merriam, A History of American Political Theories (1910) This article mainly focuses on federalism as a constitutional arrangement of government and a little touches on unitary, and confederal forms of governments. Federalism differs from Unitary, in which the regional governments are subordinate to the central government, and from confederalism in which the confederal government is subordinate to the regional governments. [More]
Ethiopia: Murder convicted criminals got pardoned, political prisoners transferred to a notorious prison 28. March 2020 Administrator (0) Source: Ayyaantuu.orgMarch 27, 2020#Ayet Ayetu Baro TumsaEthiopian government has released a statement about pardoning prisoners because of Coronavirus. What might seem commendable is actually concerning. While processing paperwork, prison officials raised concerns about the future safety of our society because the list contains hundreds of dangerous criminals convicted of theft, robbery, assault and attempted murder. Ex-government officials charged with corruption and extortion are also on the list to be released. They are a total of 4089 criminals, mainly from Qilinxo, Qaliti, Dire Dhawa, Zuwaye and Shoa Robit. 200 have been released out of Qilinxo today. [More]
Internet shutdowns 'not justified' in coronavirus outbreak 22. March 2020 Administrator community (0) MARCH 21, 2020Rina Chandran, Emeline WuilbercqEthiopia’s government also imposed a communications shutdown across much of western Oromia region in January, leading to an information blackout for more than 3 million people.As of Friday, Ethiopia had nine active coronavirus cases, according to the ministry of health.“The government should not be gambling with people’s health,” said Laetitia Bader, Horn of Africa director at Human Rights Watch.“At the very least it should restore phone and internet access and allow families to warn their loved ones about the basic steps to take to prevent infection.”Rina Chandran, Emeline Wuilbercq BANGKOK / ADDIS ABABA (Thomson Reute [More]