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Kan jechuun bakka bu’oonni uummataa jechuun karaa kamiinuu mirgaa fi faayidaa uummataa giddu gala godhachuu qabu.
Kan sirna kana keessatti argaa jirru garuu faallaa kanaati. Paarlaamaan ykn bakka bu’oonni uummataa sirnichaan ijaaraman akka maqaa isaanii uummata kan bakka bu’an osoo hin taanee uummata keessa taa’anii sirnicha warra tiksaniidha, uummata keessaa sirnicha warra bakka bu’aniidha. Dhibee hawaasaa osoo hin taanee sirnicha jiraachisuuf alkanii guyyaa warra hojettaniidha.
Mootummaan ADWUI filannoo yeroo darbanee bara 2007 itti ciniinnatee safuu tokko malee mormituun ykn ilaalcha addaa namni qabu akka bakka bu’aa uummataa ykn miseensa paarlaamaa hin taane kan murteessee harka dhibba miseensota isaatiin guutuu kan barbaade sagaleen uummataa guutumaan guutuutti akka ukkaamamu waan barbaadeefi.
Paarlaamaa sirna kana keessaa miidhaan uummata daran akka jabaatu yoo godhan malee waanti eegnu tokko hin jiru.
Yeroo darbe gabaasa mootummaan wayyaanee miidhaa Oromiyaa keessatti qaqqabe qoradhe jedhee paarlaamaa kanaaf dhiyeessee safuu tokko malee harka guutuun mirakeessuufii isaaniu nj yaadanna.
Kana jechuun paarlaamaa kun bakka bu’oota mootummaa wayyaanee malee kan uummataa miti.
Osoo uummanni kun lafarraa duguugamee dhumeeyyuu ilaalchaa fi ejjennoo wayyaanee ala qabachuu hin danda’an.
Bara haaraa kanatti paarlaamaan kun boqonnaa gannaa xumuranii hojiitti galuuf qophii irra jiru. Haata’u malee waanta addaa irraa hin eegnu.
Kanuma paartiin ADWUI irratti dubbachaa ture mirkaneessuu. Harka, baasanii deeggaruudhaaf qophaawanii jiru.
Uummanni keenyaafi biyyi keenya waan keessa jiru ammoo ni beekna.
Hanga yoomiitti paarlaamaan kun nurratti sirba?
Paarlaamaa kanaaf carraa sadi kennuufii qabna.
1. Yoo dhuguma akka maqaa isaanii uummata bakka ba’an ta’e haala uummata keessa jiru osoo hin jallisiin aantummaa uummataa agarsiisuun uummata cinaa dhaabbachuu qabu. Kana jechuun ajandoota mootummaan wayyaanee akka mirkaneessan itti fiddu harkaa kuffisuu qabu.
2. Yoo mootummaa wayyaanee mormuu hin dandeenye, kan mootummaan wayyaanee itti fiddu harkatti kuffisuuf of hin qopheessine ta’e, wagahuu hin qaban. Paarlaamaan kun diigamuu qaba malee dhiiga uummataa irratti sirbuu hin qabu.
3. Filannoo armaan olii kennameef itti kan hin fayyadame yoo ta’e, miseensonni paarlaamaa kanaa hundi isaanii ajjeechaa, dararama, hidhaa fi badii mootummaan wayyaanee uummata keenya irratti fudhachuu jiru adda durummaan akka itti gaafataman of qopheessuu qabu. Badii mootummaan wayyaanee dalagaa turee fi ammas dalagaa jiru akka itti amananitti fudhatamee miseensonni paarlaamaa 547 hundi isaanii maqaa isaaniitiin himmanni akka itti banamu ammumaa qabanii of qopheessuu qabu.
Carraawwan sadan kennameef akka itti fayyadamuu danda’an waamichi ifaan ifatti karaa miidiyaa hwaasummaa akka isaan qaqqabu gochuu dirqama lammii hundaa ta’a.
Injifannoon kan saba bal’aati!

The post Akka seeraa fi heeraatti paarlaamaa ykn bakka bu’oota uummataa jechuun akkuma maqaa isaa qaamaa mootummaa keessatti uummata bakka bu’u jechaadha. appeared first on Bilisummaa.

The post Feyisa Lilesa Speech in Minnesota – FULL SPEECH appeared first on Bilisummaa.

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http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/09/21/oromo-olympian

The post With future uncertain, Oromo Olympian visits Minnesota appeared first on Bilisummaa.

Mr. Getachew Reda (spokesperson of TPLF government)

By Dr. Baro Keno Deressa

In medical terminology: Pathogen is an agent causing disease or illness to its host. Pathogens are mostly microscopic, such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi.

Today i am going to talk about the macroscopic pathogen of the humanity TPLF government. I said this because of my profound belief that, the TPLF government and their leaders  are very much aware of the real situation in Oromia which is quite different from what they were trying to portray to the Ethiopian empire nations and international community. Before i am going to enter to my main point i would like to quote the universal declaration of humanity.

Declaration on a shared humanity:

1. Human being are born equal and that they all share hopes and aspirations, paths of fulfillment, paths of suffering, and dreams within a common journey as human beings.
2. Human beings share the freedom to follow particular paths of life within the rights and obligations shared by all and contributing to the common good of humanity.

Recently the spokesperson of TPLF government in Ethiopia (Mr. Getachew Reda) openly and publicly on the TV insulting Oromo people after killing, torturing, imprisoning and evicting from their land. I don t know what the other viewers concluded but for me I seriously questioned his sincerity.  As a result, I concluded that the statements he made was may have been based on the following premise: He know the exact reality in the country but he is  too arrogant to tell the Oromo peoples and other oppressed nations that no matter what the truth is, they MUST accept it. Why not? After all, TPLF is the victor and the strong always dictates!

It is unfortunate that I am an Oromo and I am familiar with the real situation. Let me raise some questions to evaluate TPLF and Mr Getachew Reda emptiness and brutality:

• Where is your humanity?
• Where is your moral value?
• Hoe gave you right to occupy Oromo farm? Mining? City?peoples?
• Hoe gave you right to govern Oromo people? Other oppressed nations?
• Hoe gave you right to decide our fate let alone killing us?
• By the way what is your intellectual capacity/academic grade?  Sorry to ask you this question, most of you are allergic for!!!!!

• Did you forget your history of 25 years ago, when you put your leg for the first time on the Oromo land you were beggars, you were weak, you were poor, you were hungry and you were vulnerable. But the Oromo people and Oromia gave you all: Feed you well, makes you rich, makes you strong, helps you to build sky rocket buildings, gave you warm home. So how comes that you are turn back to the killer, torturer and murderer of child and pregnant women of this generous and blessed nation of Oromo!!!!!! And other oppressed nations!!!!

Now you are telling us that the Ethiopian economy is growing very fast, and that the freedom of press is among the best in the world and democracy is thriving, even though we know that the poverty level is at its worst and Ethiopian empire ranks number one in the world in the number of journalists and political leaders (like Mr Bekele Gerba) becoming prisoners of conscience. TPLF as the core player of the Ethiopian government and Mr. Getachew Reda as a spokesperson of TPLF government are failed to understand the traditional way of respect of humanity, failed to read and understand the core value of universal declaration of humanity, failed to respect and implement their own constitution, failed to build independent judicial system and failed to build a responsible government. TPLF junta government is well succeeded in killing, torturing, imprisoning, harassing and evicting the Oromo people and all oppressed nations in Ethiopian empire. All those parameters of failures and success shows that TPLF government is deadly pathogen and needs eradication therapy.

Before i am going to enter into the eradication therapy let me summarize the evil act of our colonizers.

Oromo people are colonized for more than centuries by narrow minded, uneducated barbaric and brutal junta elites. During the colonization period those elite groups shamelessly and brutally destroys our democratic ruling system (Gadaa), destroys our identity, stole our freedom, evict our people from their ancestral land, and brought total destruction to our people and our country Oromia.

Our colonizers in general especially the current colonizers TPLF-junta sticks a knife in our back ten inches and pull it out six inches, there’s no progress. If they pull it all the way out that’s not progress. Progress is healing the wound that the blow made. And they haven’t even pulled the knife out much less heal the wound, they won’t even admit the knife is there (thousands of our brothers and sisters are died/dying, children of age 8 and 13 including pregnant women are executed on the day light without any criminal charge, medical doctors are murdered while they are treating critically wounded person, millions of Oromo peoples are languishing in the prison camp, sick people from Oromo and oppressed nations are suffering from natural disease and manmade disaster-but TPLF is talking about reparation of chromosomal disorder (killings machine of agazi commando).

Eradication therapy:

TPLF junta comes to power not by his strength. There are several factors which played crucial roles, namely the majority negative view of Derg, the weakness of the Derg military mighty, the fertile geo-political situation, the enormous influence of international powers on Derg regime, the multiple pressure of the rebel groups (from north EPLF and TPLF and from east and west OLF).

OLF, TPLF and EPLF overthrow the Derg because it was not a democratic institution. Now OLF has the same view about TPLF and therefore OLF want TPLF to leave; if TPLF will not leave voluntarily, they are willing to remove TPLF by force. TPLF, You overthrew the Derg regime, with the help of the gun. And now you tell the world, that OLF can come back only if it renounces armed struggle. Why is it that Kalashnikovs in the hands of TPLF can bring democracy but in the hands of OLF can only bring misery to Ethiopian empire?

In my opinion, your Kalashnikovs killed thousands of innocent peoples across the nations of Ethiopian empire no matter what you call them and of course that did not bring democracy to Ethiopian empire. Our nation is still ruled by gun-carrying young cadres of TPLF.

How many factors are fulfilled now days?

• All nations in the Ethiopian empire including the innocent Tigrians hate TPLF
• Thanks to our hero’s Fayyisa Lelisa the international community are embarrassed by the brutal act of TPLF government and shocked by the magnitude of TPLF atrocities against Oromo people and other nations in Ethiopian Empire (still enormous tasks waiting us concerning the international community).
• At this moment OLF, ONLF, SLF are effectively confronting this brutal government. G7 with his union is also starting the confrontation.
• Currently geo-political situation is not in our side
• The moral and determination of the TPLF Ethiopian government soldiers are diminishing gradually.

All factors of the victory are almost fulfilled for all oppressed nations in Ethiopian Empire. Now, the main question is all nations has to do his parts in order to fasten our victory. In case of Oromo people I am telling you confidently that our brave qeerroo and OLA (WBO) are working hard in order to complete our eradication therapy (eliminating colonization).

Let me explain my confidentiality of this fact: Our “WBO” are the best fighter in the battle field, our “WBO” are trustful , our “WBO” are vanguard of our people, our “WBO” never betray the truth of our people, our “WBO” is never give up during harsh and worst time. Let me give you one real fact from thousands of episodes. In the end of 1995 and beginning of 1996 after many destruction and challenges we start to regroup under the true son and heroes of our people comrades Gutama Hawwas in the desert of Bale. Later on the reinforcement Comrades come from Harar. During those periods, our WBO successfully eliminate enemies in various places  and start to combat the enemy in the heart of their camps. But later on the TPLF government wage total war with thousands of his soldiers against hundreds of WBO’s. Their soldiers are logistically supported by airplane and helicopter. At the end we decided to fight this enemy with smaller group and brought to them  many casualties. One week later the TPLF government occupy all villages, rivers and start to torture local residents. During that fight most of our comrades were passed away including our hero and our commander in chief comrade Gutama Hawwas, some of the comrades were captured, and some of us were remain in the bush with wounded comrades without medicine, bullet, water and food. The remain comrades start to share our urines to support our wounded comrades just to make wet their lips and start to eat soil. But we were swear to each other and to our peoples justified cause not to surrender to our enemy and prefer to die.  One captured comrades also showed the patriotic act according to the information from local residents in Bale. While he was captured and tight his hands on the back side one OPDO come to him and questioned him about other comrades where about  and our comrades spit on the face of OPDO soldiers and showed the commitment of our “WBO” to our goal (eradicating colonization). During such critical moment in the hands of our enemy the reaction of our comrades (WBO) gave tremendous proud to local residence.

Here, I tried to reaffirm the ability, the commitment and determination of our fighters in order to defeat the colonial rule. We know the fighting technique of the TPLF, we know the grade of their heroism and we know the their limitation. But some factors down played our desired victory especially,  geo-political situation and limited resources. But now our qeerroo is opening new liberation base from in out.

The Fascist government of TPLF junta confirms nationally and internationally his pathogenicity. TPLF government atrocities was/are comparable to Nazis genocide act against humanity. This kind of government have no moral value and legal right to lead Tigrai regional state let alone Oromo’s and other nations in Ethiopian empire. I am quite confident to win this war and liberate our people Oromo and other oppressed nations in Ethiopian empire. I am calling all Oromo peoples to support OLF in order to empower our qeerroo and WBO and defeat our chronical enemy colonial ruling system.

Victory to the Oromo people!

Dr. B. K. DERESSA, Medical degree in internal medicine, specialized in Gastro-Hepatology diseases. University Hospital of Brussels-Belgium

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WASHINGTON, DC — 

Dhaabbatni Dimookitaatawa Uummata Oromoo yokan DhDUON walga’ii koree giddu-galeessaa gidduu kana geggeesseen dura-taa’aa dhaabichaa – Obbo Muktaar Kadirii fi itti-aantuu isaanii – aadde Asteer Maammoo taayitaa irraa buusuu isaa beeksisee jira.

Dhaabbatichi dheengadda ibsa baaseen akka beeksisetti, Kibxata – Fulbaana 20, bara 2016 gara galgalaa irraa akka beeksisetti, hoogganoonni ol’aanoon lameen taayitaa gad-lakkisuuf gaaffii dhiheessan, koreen gidduu dhaabichaa simachuudhaan akka taayitaa gad-lakkisan sagalee guutuun murteessuu isaa beeksise. Bakka Obbo Muktaar Kadir, ka duraan afaan-yaa’ii Caffee Oromiyaa turan – Obbo Lammaa Magarsaa buusamuu isaanii, bakka aadde Asteer Maammoo immoo, ka duraan Ministara Geejjibaa Mootummaa Federaalaa turan – Obbo Warqinee Gabayyoo filatamuu isaanii dhaabichi ibsa baaseen beeksisee jira.

Ka duraan prezidaantii Oromiyaa turanii fi amma as Yunaayitid Iteets keessa jiraatan – Obbo Juuneddii Saaddoo maal jedhu? Obbo Juuneddii allee gaaffiileen falmsiisoon ka’an hedduu dha. Waaien ofiis, waa’ee jijjirama amma DhDUO keessatti ta’ees ni dubatan.

Namoo tu haasofsiisee, kutaan duraa kunooti

Guutuu isaa caqasuuf as tuqi

The post Prezidaantiin Oromiyaa Duraanii, Obboo Juuneddii Saadoo Maal Jedhu? appeared first on Bilisummaa.

Ehiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told Foreign Policyon Tuesday that when Olympic marathoner Feyisa Lilesa raised his arms in an “X” at the Summer Games in Rio, he wasn’t protesting mistreatment of Ethiopia’s Oromo population at the hands of government forces, but had instead been coerced into the protest by an armed secessionist group.

But in an email to Foreign Policy on Friday, Feyisa called Hailemariam’s claims “baseless, completely false, and insulting.” He totally dismissed the idea that any outsiders — including naturalized American citizens loyal to the anti-government Oromo Liberation Front — convinced him to protest as he crossed the finish line in second place.

“OLF did not tell me to speak out or be a voice for my people,” Feyisa wrote. “My conscience made me do that. I spoke out because I wanted to expose the gross violation of human rights in Ethiopia.”

Feyisa went on to say that his friend, Kebede Feyisa, “was shot and burned to death along with other prisoners in the Qilinto prison” in central Ethiopia this month. According to him, that friend was arrested during a peaceful protest and later killed by security forces. It’s stories like his, Feyisa said, that inspired him to protest his government and then flee to the United States under the pretext that he would potentially risk his life by returning home.

Hailemariam told FP on Tuesday that he does not blame Feyisa for the protest because he strongly believes it was “orchestrated by someone else from outside,” and pointed multiple times to the OLF and its sympathizers in the United States. He said that Feyisa will be safe and greeted like a hero if he chooses to return home.

But Toleeraa Adabaa, a spokesman for the OLF based in Eritrea, told FP in an email that Hailemariam lied about the secessionist group’s involvement in Feyisa’s protest because he preferred “to point his finger to OLF rather than solving the problems which are causes for the protest all over Ethiopia.”

And Feyisa said in his email that it was “the Oromo people and friends of the Oromo, not the OLF, who facilitated my trip to the United States.”

“Hailemariam’s government has jailed and killed far too many people under the pretext of supporting the OLF,” he said. “The Oromo people can no longer be fooled.”

Although Feyisa has not yet announced any intention to seek asylum in the United States, he appeared alongside Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) at a press conference on Capitol Hill this month, when Smith announced plans to introduce legislation that would ask Ethiopia to allow an independent rapporteur to enter the country and examine the human rights situation there. In his Tuesday conversation with FP, Hailemariam said he would under no circumstances allow the rapporteur into the country, “not because there is something to be hidden, but it’s because we have a sovereignty that needs to be kept.”

Human rights groups say that some 400 Oromos have been killed in protests since November, and accuse security forces of using excessive force against civilians in order to silence their demands for equal representation in the country’s government.

In his statement to FP, Feyisa said he has continuously witnessed the mistreatment of his ethnic group, and was for that reason compelled to raise his arms in protest in Rio.

“I was not surprised by his comments because individuals who are always controlled by others tend to assume everyone is that way as well,” he said. “Unlike the prime minister, I make my own decisions and speak for myself.”

Photo credit: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

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Fulbaana 22, 2016
Waan muummichi ministeeraa Itoopiyaa H/Maariyaam Dassaaleny mormii Rio irratti ani agarsiisee fi gara Ameerikaa dhufuu dhufuu koo irratti jedhe argeen jira. Baay’ee na hin dinqine. Sababni isaas, namni yeroo hunda namaan durfamu tokko akkuma ofii isaatti nama ilaala waan ta’eef. Ani yeroo hundumaa dhimma mataa kootiirrattan hundaa’a. Namni kamiyyuu akka isaa kanatti gara dukkanaatti yoo kan na oofan ta’e, hin deemu. Ofan danda’a jechuu kooti.

Anatu gara Rio erge jedhee dubbatee ture. Atileetota waliin gaggeessaa godheefin tures jedha. Ani gonkumaa masara mootummaa isaanii seenee nyaadhes hin beeku. Gaggeeffamees hin beeku. Nama fira koo ajjeese waliin hin nyaadhus, hin dhugus. Ragaadhaaf suurri atileettonni gaafa sana ka’an keessaa suuraa koo barbaadee mirkaneeffachuu ni danda’a. Atileetota kan waamee gaggeesse, pirezidaantii biyyatti ture malee, gonkumaa isa miti. Kan biraa yaa hafuutii, ofiifuu irratti waan hirmaate natti hin fakkaatu. Akka aadaa fi safuu Oromoo ani dhaalee ittin guddadhetti namni guddaa ta’e tokko, keessumattuu namni gadaa of harkaa qabu, hin sobu. Hin soba jechuudhaafu nan qaana’e. Sababnisaas, ani ilma safuu fi duudhaa Oromoo dhaalee guddatedha.

Egaa kaa dubbiin akka H/Maariyaam jedhu sanaa miti. Waanti inni jedhe arrabsoo dha. Hojii isaanii kan dursu yeroo mara arrabsoo fi maqaa namatti baasudha. Fayyisaan dandeetti akkanaa hin qabu miseensota ABOtu akka inni mormii agarsiisu godhe jedhee ture. Duraan dursee nabeekaa dandeetti koo? Akkamiin namadaalee laata?
Kan biroo, anaan miseensota ABO miti akkan sagalee uummata koo dhageessisu kan nataasise. Eenyummaa kooti. dhiittaa mirga namummaa biyyaa sana keessa jiruuti. akka fakkeenyatti hiriyaa koo Kabbadaa Fayyisaa hidhamee ji’a osoo hin guutiin gaafa guyyaa Fulbaana 3/2016 rukutamee,hidhamtoota biraa waliin mana hidhaa keessatti ibiddaan gubataniiru. Kan hafan immoo dararaa mootummaan Itoophiyaa haala gaariin dhandhamachaa jiru.
Kana ABO miti kan dhaqee natti agarsiisee. Miidhaa ummata koo irra ga’u argaa dhaga’aan guddadhe. Anaanis na dhaqabe jira. Ani ABO hin deeggarus hin jibbus. Sababnisaa, ani nama siyaasaa miti, atileeti dha. Uummata koo nan jaalladha.

Yeroo kamiyyuu uummata kootif du’uuf qophiidha. Yeroo baay’ee hidhamtoota deddeebi’een gaafachaan ture, mana hidhaa qilinxoo fi mahaakkalaawwitti yoon seenu maqaa koo galmeessen seenee gaafachaan ture. Kanaaf maqaa koo achii argachuu dandeessu. Rakkina biyya sana keessa jiru sirrittin beeka jechuu kooti.
Dhugaadhaf yoo ta’e, gara biyya USA kan nafide uummata Oromoo fi firoottan Oromooti malee ABO miti. Maqaa ABO deegartan jedhuun namoota heddu hidhaa fi ajjeessa turaniiru. kana booda uummata Oromoo gowoomsun dhaabbateera. Ani intalashee (ashaangulliitii) miti riimootin hin socho’u akkasaa. Akka nama tokkootti ofan danda’a. Ofittan amana. Osoo amma dhugaa dhoksuuf fiigu dhugaa mul’isuuf fiigee, biyyattii keessatti dhiigni namaa akka galaana hin lola’u. Kanaafuu ani akka H/Maariyaam kan namni natti kenne hin dubbisu . Ani ergamtuu miti. Ergaa gaggeessuf oliif gadi kaadhee,hin beeku, gara fuula duraas hin kaadhu.
Fayyisaa Leellisaati.

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The following article was published in FloTrack:

Ethiopian marathoner Feyisa Lilesa knows he can’t quit, and there’s a sort of desperation to that. The silver medalist sealed his fate by crossing his wrists over his head as he neared the finish line in the Rio Olympic marathon, a gesture he soon explained to worldwide media was meant to protest the Ethiopian government’s oppression and violence toward his people, the Oromo, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group. As of that moment, Lilesa said he became a marked man, enemy No. 1 of the minority Tigran government that is, according to Human Rights Watch, responsible for killing more than 400 peaceful protesters since November 2015, and imprisoning thousands more.

Not only did Lilesa realize he would be killed, imprisoned or detained if he returned to Ethiopia, but he knows his ongoing safety, and that of his wife and children who remain in Ethiopia, depends on his continuing to speak out and stay in the public eye. It’s exhausting — a marathon of a more nefarious nature.

With the help of the Oromo community worldwide, Lilesa remained in Rio after the Olympics ended, then flew to Washington, D.C., where he gave a press conference. On September 18, he flew to Minneapolis, home to a large Oromo population, for a “Hero’s Welcome” held in a ballroom at the Convention Center. The six-hour celebration and rally was attended by well over 1,000 Oromo people; most of the men in suits, and women and children in traditional ethnic garb. Minnesota Senator John Hoffman and U.S. Representative Keith Ellison spoke, in English, in support of Lilesa and the Oromo people’s plight; the remainder of the event–history, news, poems, and call-and-response texts–were conducted in Oromo. Several times, the large, expressive crowd stood up and gave the crossed-wrist gesture. An Oromo couple who had been married in the morning paraded across the stage while women in the audience ululated, adding to the celebration and solidarity of all things Oromo.

A man sitting next to me explained the long history of dissent between the majority Oromo and the minority Tigran who now comprise the government — power he said they amassed by affecting attractive deals with foreign governments, including China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. He said he had been jailed prior to emigrating to the U.S., and was surprised — and a little appalled — when I said I knew nothing of Oromo oppression before Lilesa’s demonstration, and thought most Americans shared my ignorance.

The next day, I met with Lilesa one-on-one in the middle of a full day of media appearances. Soft-spoken and thoughtful, he had the look of a man with a long and uncertain road ahead, and no option to drop out. We talked with the help of an interpreter.

The tension between the Oromo and the government has existed for a long time. But these specific protests and violent suppression started in November with a government proposal to annex a large amount of land surrounding Addis Ababa into that city. Why did the government try to take that land?

Feyisa Lilesa: There are about 45 million Oromo people in Ethiopia. They have plenty of land, lots of resources. This land is the heart of the Oromo people. By annexing the land, the government can further marginalize Oromos, reduce their resources, and eradicate their culture. By killing, arresting, not allowing Oromo language, taking land, the government can make Oromos voiceless and powerless. The government shut down media and internet so the rest of the world did not know what was going on. They have been doing all these things.

The Ethiopian government has received money from the U.S. government to counter terrorism, specifically Al-Shabaab. Does the Ethiopian government consider Oromo demonstrations acts of terrorism?

By virtue of standing up to the government, by saying no to the government, they just tell you you are a terrorist. I was chosen by the Ethiopian Olympic Committee, but when I stood up for human rights, when I crossed my wrists, the government said I was delivering a message of terrorism. Anyone who dissents, anyone who stands up against the government is labeled a terrorist. In fact, the government is killing people, burning people alive in prison–they are the terrorists, not Ethiopian people.

By speaking out, what change do you hope to affect?

In Ethiopia, there are nine states and 82 ethnic groups. All of those states and ethnic groups should have right of free speech. According to the constitution, there should be elections of representatives from every state, but that constitution is only written on paper. It is not functioning. If the constitution was implemented, it would bring justice, and that’s what I would like to see. Since Oromo protests began, thousands have been arrested, there have been a lot of disappearances. I’m speaking out because I want everybody to know, I want the world to understand what is going on in Ethiopia, and where U.S. aid is going. I want military rule out of Oromia. I want the world to see that Ethiopian people are peacefully demanding their rights.

Are you aware of any changes in Ethiopia since you demonstrated at the Olympics?

There has been a lot of positive change, mostly in that people around the world know what is happening in Ethiopia and understand our cause. People now understand that the Ethiopian government has two faces. I exposed all those things. Since I stood up in Rio, I believe I’ve been an inspiration to the diaspora; they see they don’t have to be quiet. If we work together, we can achieve big things.

Has your family (wife, children, parents) experienced any backlash as a result of your outspoken criticism of the government?
The Ethiopian government has many faces. Nothing has happened to my family yet, because if they [Ethiopian government] do something right now, it would expose their dirty face. Everyone is watching right now, so the Ethiopian government is showing their good face, their smiling face — but they’re waiting. When it has been quiet for a while and when media is not looking, they will find a way to do something malicious. I don’t trust the Ethiopian government–they know how to do the tricks. For example, I have a small car back in Ethiopia. The government may hire someone to crash into you or your family. You might die in a car accident–very common.

You’ve said you’ll go back to Ethiopia when there have been changes. What changes need to happen, and how will you know it’s safe to return?

I would go back if the present regime changes. If the regime, the elites in the government, don’t change, there is no way to go back. Because I exposed this government–that they are killing and arresting, not just Oromo but also Amhara and other ethnic groups–I am the number one enemy. As long as those elites are deciding everything, they can do whatever to me, to my life.

Some other Oromo athletes have joined you in speaking out, but many high-profile Oromo runners–the Dibaba sisters, Almaz Ayana, Kenenisa Bekele–have not. Why is that?

Good question. There may be many factors. It takes a lot of personal determination; it has to be very important to you personally. I have sacrificed my personal life, my family life. I myself have a good house and a good way of living for 10 years, but the lives of my people, human rights, are more important than my personal life. I felt I had to stand with Ethiopians. Others? They have a lot of investments and work connections with the government. Maybe they have too much to lose [by speaking out against the government].  It could be also be the way we grew up.  Since I was a kid, I’ve been seeing the Ethiopian government killing students, farmers. People in my area grew up seeing all those things. I knew one day I would advocate for my people. But I come from a different area of Ethiopia–Genzebe Dibaba, Kenenisa Bekele grew up about 300 kilometers away. What I value is different from what Dibaba values and Bekele. The way I grew up, it’s important for me to stand up for justice.

Update 9/22: The day we published this interview, Ethiopian prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn implied that Lilesa was put up to the Olympic protest by “groups of anti-government Ethiopians based in the United States.” He told Foreign Policy in an interview that “It’s me who sent him to Rio for the Olympics, and we expected him to come back after winning the medal…This is not the capacity of the man himself. It’s something which has been orchestrated by someone else from outside.”

The post Oromo: Athlete Feyisa Lilesa Cannot Return to Ethiopia appeared first on Bilisummaa.

Esmeralda Farms Nederland, a US-based flower farm in Bahir Dar, has ceased its operations in Ethiopia after an attack on its premises by alleged anti-government protesters that led to damages worth millions of dollars.

The attack which was linked to the ongoing Oromia protests happened earlier in the month. It caused damages estimated at $ 11, 158, 900 (10 million euros), according to DutchNews.nl. It also led to the loss of several jobs in the horn of Africa nation and The Netherlands.

The attackers set on fire and vandalized the farm’s irrigation system, packaging halls, cold storage rooms and a borehole which also supplied locals with water.

Other farms owned by Italians, Indians and Belgians were also set on fire.

“We definitely cannot go on the farm any more, our facilities are completely destroyed,” News24 quoted Juan Carlos Vallejo, a board member of the farm.

Esmeralda Farms Nederland began operations in the horn of Africa nation in 2013. It has its headquarters in Miami, US and has another base in Ecuador, South America.

The decision to leave the troubled nation is a major blow. The company had employed about 550 Ethiopians through its subsidiary in The Netherlands.

About 30-40 percent of the firm’s flowers come from Ethiopia. There were three shipments from the nation into Europe each week, Nl Times.nl reported.

The company mainly grew gypsophila and spring roses.

The protests began in November last year after Oromo community, the biggest tribe in Ethiopia rejected the government’s plan to expand the administrative boundaries of Addis Ababa, the capital into the neighboring Oromia region.

The government stopped the plan in January but the protests continued as the community and Amhara tribe protested the political and economic marginalization that has led to a government dominance by Tigrayan ethnic group, a majority tribe.

At least 500 protesters have been killed in the clashes, Human Rights Watch reported. The government, however rejected the figures.

Human rights activists said that security forces have used live bullets and brutal force on protesters who are largely un-armed. Thousands of demonstrators and opposition politicians have also been charged with terrorism.

There are fears that the violent protests will scare away investors from the horn of Africa nation, which is one of the fastest growing economies with an annual average growth rate of about 10 percent.

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– See more at: http://afkinsider.com/133117/u-s-based-flower-farm-leaves-ethiopia-after-oromo-protest-attack/#sthash.pmhbVsJD.dpuf

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Kabajamtoota jaalattoota bilisummaa Oromoo ergaan kiyya kan obbolummaa bakkuma jirtanitti isinhaagayu.

Kanatti aansee jidduu namootaa deddeebi’uun mormii keessa seenaa kan jiru dhimma obbo Junaydii Saaddo

irratti yaada kiyyaa isiniif qooduu barbaada.

Maaltu siin gaye akka hinjenne nama dhimma kana hayyootaaf dhiisaa jiru hinargine. Aniis kanaafan asutaale.

Dhugaadha Obbo Juneydiin Saaddon mootummaa wayyaanee keessatti nama sadarkaa guddaa irratti hojjataa

tureedha. Yeroo inni angoo irra turetti gaarii fii badaan hojjatamees jira. Yeroo muraasa duratti barruun maqaa

obbo Juneydiin gadi bahe tokko qabiyyee dheeraa qabatee dhufuun isaa beekamadha. Ijoon dubbii barruu sanii

AniJunadiin Saaddon ummata kiyya akka dhiifama naaf godhan gaafadha jedha.

Dhugaadha Junaddiin erga biyyaa bahanii baroota lakkaaweera. Kunoo ammaas asbahee bifa guutuun dhiifama

gaafataa jira. Ibsa bal’aas kennee jira. Fedhii isaa gara fuulduraas lafa kaayee jira.

Yeroo angoo gubbaa turettiis waan hedduu yakkuus gaarii jijjiiruuf yaalee itti milkaaweefii dadhabees ibsee

jira. Guutumatti gaafiilee isaaf dhihaatan deebisee jira.

Ani amma dhiifama godhuufii diduu irratti mormii Fb irratti deemaa jiru kanarratti taajjabbii kiyya isiniif

dhiheessa.

1,Gaafa Junaydiin angotti dhufe kan isa filatee olbaase ummata Oromoo miti. 2,Gaafa irraa bu’uus dhiibbaa

ummataanii miti. Gaafuma biyyaarra bahe media irratti as bahee dubachuu inni gaafatee ummataan dhorkamee

amma hayyama ummataan asbahee dubachaa hinjiru. Yeroo haalli isaaf mijjate argannaan asbahee dubbachaa

jira. Qabsoon keenya finiinee gulantaa gaarii irra gayuun hamilee keessa isaatitti uumameen dhiifama

gaafachuuf kan asbhuus qalbii guutuun simachuu qabna . Namoota bifa gara garaatiin mooraa diinaa irraa

bahanii mataa gadi qabatanii jiraatan hundi ifsaaxiluun gara qasoo keenyaatti yoo dhufan kuniis bu’qabsoo

keenyaa waan ta’eef ittiin boonna . Gammachuu guutuufii qalbii qulqulluu taheen isaan simachuu qabna .

Kanaafiis kanneen mooraa diinaa keessa jiran maraaf yaamicha dhawaataa godhaa jirra . Ammaas ijoon dubbii

isaa waan hedduu kaasuus akka ummanni dhiifama isaaf godhuu fii umrii isaa kana boodaa waandandayuun

qabsoo sabaa keessatti akka hirmaatu ballama seenuu isaa dhagayaa argaas jirra.

Kan inni dhiifama gaafatees saba isaati. Ammaas akka waliigalaatti, Malee qaamni sabarraa bakka bu’e kan itti

dhiheeffatanii argachuu dhabuu irratti mirkaneeffatan kan sabni bakka buufate qaamni tokko hinjiru. Dhiifamni

haagodhamuufii hingodhamuun kan irratti deemaa jiru Fb irrattiidha. Petition dhimma kanaaf banamee sagaleen

yoo laalame murtii ummataa beekuuniifii fudhachuun gaariidh.

Mee waantokko isin yaadachiiseen yaada kiyya xumura.

Gaafa Habashaan Oromiyaa weeraru baay’inni ummata Oromoo m10 ture. Maqaa Ethiopia jedhu kana diddaaf

m5 wareegamee Maqaan kun humnaan nurratti fe’amee har’a geenye. Wareegamni qabsoof bahu haga ammaatti

itti fufee jira. Habashaan haga ammaatti lubbuu nama miliyoonotaan lakkawamu duguugee takkaa dhiifama

nugaafatee hinbeeku. Gaafachuufiis fedha hinqabu.

Tan dabarteef walhudhuun tan amma harkaa nuqabdu fageessiti jechuun Oromoofii Amaarri waliin sirna

kanarratti qabsaa’uun bifa bal’aan labsamaa jira. Junaddin kan mooraa diinaa keessa ture dhiisii warri MQBO

keessatti badii kana caalu hojjatees danuudha. Dhiifama gaafachuun hafee badii hojjachuu isaanii amanuu

hinfedhan. Kanaaf kanballeessee callisees wanni goonu hinjiru.

Isa balleessee badii fudhatee ifatti dhiifafama gaafateef dhiifamni godhamuu qaba.Kana jechuun Juneydiin

gaafa angoo gubbaarra jirutti angoo qabutti fayyadamee ajaja isaatiin ykn harka isaatiin lubbuun itti himatamu

yoo jiraate dhiifama amma godhamuuf kanaan jalaa baha jechuu miti.

Dhiifamni akka sabaatti inni gaafate haagodhmuuf yoo nuwaliin qabsaa’uu fedhees balballi haabannuuf.

Ammaas bu’aa bahii qabsoo hinxumurre. Dirree qabsoo keessa jirra. Dhimma kanarratti walmormuun ammaa

kaasee dhaabbachuu qaba. Dhiifama gaafachuun oromoo biratti gatii guddaa qaba. Haaluma ulfaata keessa jirru

kana keessattuu Aadaa, Hooda, Hurmada, Safuu fii duudhaa keenya haaeggannu. Eenyummaa keenya

waanta’eef.

<< Juneydii Saaddof dhiifama haagoonu >>

Aniis naofkachaa. Ijarraa nahambisaasaa.

Lellisaa Tuujii

September 23/2016

The post Badii hojjatameef dhiifama gaafachuun kabajamaa saba Oromoo biratti iddoo guddaa qabaata. appeared first on Bilisummaa.

When Feyisa Lilesa, a medal-winning Olympic runner from Ethiopia, visited Minnesota last weekend, most of the state didn’t notice.

Lilesa became a local hero among Oromo people last month after flashing a well-known protest sign against his country’s government at the finish line. The move prevented him from returning home to Ethiopia, fearing reprisal from those in power, but it made him welcome among many Oromo people living in the United States.

Oromos have been protesting against their government for decades, and many have fled the country since the 1970s fearing persecution. When violent demonstrations erupted over the Ethiopian government’s plans to reallocate farmland for development last November, some human rights groups said hundreds were killed by government forces in the backlash.

Here in Minnesota, thousands of Oromo people gathered at the Minneapolis Convention Center to welcome Lilesa as he visited the city over the weekend. But Minnesota’s Oromo leaders say that the event’s lack of attention reflected a longstanding feeling of invisibility among Oromos living in the state.

“We couldn’t accommodate everybody because there was no space,” said Oromo Cultural Institute of Minnesota Board Chair Girma Hassen. “But there was no media.”

The feeling isn’t a new one, Hassen said, and many Oromo living in Minnesota feel that their culture and history isn’t known or understood by the rest of the state’s population.

Earlier this summer, a survey conducted in partnership between the Oromo Cultural Institute of Minnesota (OCIM), the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation and the West Bank Community Coalition, showed that most of the city’s Oromo face serious language barriers — and often feel invisible to the rest of the state.

The survey talked to Oromo people living in Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood — an area with one of the highest concentrations of East African immigrants in the state. Of those who took the survey, 93 percent reported facing a language barrier and 88 percent believed most Minnesotans don’t know anything about their culture and history.

For many Oromo people living here, Hassen said, the language barrier complicates simple tasks like taking public transit, visiting the doctor, and even opening up bank accounts and setting up a cell phone plan. “People need to feel like they belong here,” he said, “that this is their home.”

OCIM estimates more than 40,000 Oromo live in Minnesota, based on immigration records they’ve obtained, though the state’s demographer’s office puts that number at less than 10,000. That still leaves Oromo as the state’s second highest East African population, behind Somalis.

Hassen said he hopes the survey will help convince public officials to pay more attention to Oromo concerns as OCIM begins to apply for more state grants. In time, Hassen said, they hope to see more translations in Oromo at light rail stops and on buses, and a general awareness of their culture among the state’s private businesses, like banks, especially in an area like Cedar-Riverside where there’s a high Oromo population.

But ultimately, he said, they hope to open a new Oromo community center to act as a cultural and educational hub for the city’s Oromo. “When we have a center, we will have a place to gather and share our language and our culture,” Hassen said. “We really need a center in Minneapolis.”

Courtesy of the Oromo Cultural Institute of Minnesota

Four girls in traditional Oromo dress waiting to hear Olympic runner Feyisa Lelisa speak at the Minneapolis Convention Center last Friday.

Right now, many Oromo youth aren’t learning their home language or their culture, and many older Oromo people can’t speak English. The result is a cultural rift between parents and their children, Hassen said. A new center where they could host cultural events like dances, and provide language and job training classes would help repair that rift, he said.

Back around 2005, the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood had an Oromo community center, but it has since closed. Now Minnesota’s sole Oromo center — The Oromo Community of Minnesota — exists in what used to be a small church in St. Paul. And Hassan Hassan, an Oromo resident who lives in Cedar-Riverside, said the St. Paul center is simply too small for their needs. “It’s overcrowded for all the people who come in to participate,” he said. “A facility to accommodate a lot of people … it’s been needed for a long time.”

Awal Windissa, Oromo Community of Minnesota board member, agreed. The old church building can host up to 250 at a time, he said, but it no longer accommodates the state’s growing Oromo population. “The Oromo population is increasing steadily,” Windissa said, “and the community needs a bigger space.”

Hassen said OCIM is currently looking at a building in the Seward neighborhood that would meet their needs, but they’d need to raise at least $2.5 million to even consider buying it. He’s hoping increased public awareness and better access to state grants will help them get there. “We are Oromo-Americans trying to live the American dream,” he said. “We need a place to claim as our own.”

The post A growing Oromo community struggles for visibility in Minnesota appeared first on Bilisummaa.

Junedin Saaddo served the regime in Ethiopia in different capacities for over a decade. Just to mention high ranking positions at the regional and Federal levels, he served as president of Oromia regional state between 2001 and 2005.Recently, the regime has been cited repeatedly by international mainstream media as the largest region in Ethiopia. To give geographical context on its size, the whole of Ethiopia is less than the province of Ontario in Canada.

At the Federal level, he served as cabinet minister with Transport & Communication, Science &Technology and Civil service ministerial portfolios.

Having fallout with the regime, he fled to Kenya in 2013 after a decade of service to the very regime he is now vehemently criticizing. Although stories about it was blurry at the time, it was apparent that his fallout with the regime had something to do with the arrest of his wife on alleged grounds of facilitating finance from Saudi Embassy for purposes of religious activity, the regime labelled it terrorism, which was rather, for Junedin, a political attack on him.

He has been silent about his experience within the regime for a long time now. He broke his silence a week or so ago when he published an article, reflected on the ongoing protest in Ethiopia, on African Arguments website.

Once an insider with an equivalent of home negro status, most of what he had to say about the workings of the regime is selling fairly well in the opposition quarter.

Although he already plead for apology for working with and for the Tigray People’s Liberation Front,his testimonial about his purity in matters related to corruption, among others, didn’t resonate well with Ethiopians. In a way, the fact that many Ethiopians gave him an ear insinuates,possibly, that he is somewhat forgiven.

In an interview with Tsion Girma of Voice of America Amharic Service, was transmitted on live video on facebook, he was explicit that the regime in power can not renew itself from within. There have been brutal internal party evaluations numerous times and the party has proved itself to be intransigent to embrace change.

The ruling coalition is, in his words, “fake.” He told Tsion that the ruling coalition is dominated by Tigray People’s Liberation Front ; the rest of coalition members are simply surrogates and stooges of it. In recent media media campaign like appearances, Senior TPLF elites, like former foreign Affairs minister Seyoum Mesfin, tried hard to paint an image to disprove claim about TPLF dominance in the coalition. The institutions he used as an example to make his points are the Defense force and security and intelligence apparatus – the very institutions that Ethiopians in the opposition use to show TPLF domination.

Junedin Saddo didn’t go around the bush on the issue of corruption either. “Corruption is”, he said, “Structural.” He went so far as stating that the Anti-Corruption Commission itself is corrupt. Full Amharic interview is available here

Written by Dimetros Birku. Can be reached on twitter : @dimetros

Cover Photo : Junedin Sado. Resized Screenshot of VOA Amharic video.

borkena

The post Ethiopia : Corruption is structural ; party renewal from within impossible , says former president of Oromia Junedin Saddo appeared first on Bilisummaa.

# Oromoprotests # Akka_Qeerroo_Bi lisummaa_Oromoo Yeroon kun Yeroo yoom iyyuu Caalaatti uummata Oromoof murteessaa ta’ee fi injifannoolee gurguddaa waareegama qaalii baasuun gonfachaa jirruu fi guutummaatti
Bilisummaa saba keenyaa fi Walabummaa biyya keenyaa gonfachuuf itti jirruu waan ta’eef ; qabxiilee itti aanaan kana irratti xiyyeeffannoo kennuun qabsoo finiinsaa Wayyaaneefi ergamtuu wayyaanee OPDO tti
Xummura haa goonu!!

1. Uummatni Oromoo Golee Oromiyaa Cufa keessatti Duulaa daandii konkolaataa sadarkaa gantoota Baadiyaa, Magaaloota xixxiqqoo Baadiyaa, Magaaloota gurguddaa fi daandiin gurguddaa qaxxammura biyyaa hundii bakka hundatti mukkeen gurguddaa, dhagaa fi waan naannoo keenyatti argamu hundaan guutummaatti cufuu qabna!!

2. Mootummaan Wayyaanee karaa ergamtuu isaa OPDO uummata Oromoo lafarraa duguugaa tureefi jiruu warraaqsa FXG uummatni Oromoo waliigalatti gaggeesseen jigee jira . Yeroo amma kanas Oromiyaan Humna Waraanaan Zoonii 8 jalatti qoodamtee eegamaa jirti. Haala kana jalatti OPDOn kufuu ishee amantee Oromiyaa irraa
shira bulchiinsa kijibaa ishee dhaabuu hin dandeenye waraanaa addaatti qabachuun kuftee kaatee haalaa mijeeffachuuf carraaqaa jirtii kanaan boodaa kaabinootaa maqaa mootummaa wayyaanee fi ergamtuu
OPDOttiin nuti biyya bulchaa jirra jechuun socho’an Oromiyaa keessaa qabeenyaa isaanii waliin dhabamsiisuun Aangoo bulchiinsaa sadarkaa sadarkaan jiruu dhuunfachaa Adeemuu!!

3. Qabeenyaan gurguddaa Aangawoota wayyaanee Oromiyaa keessatti argamuu bakka jiruu hundaatti, barbadeessuu, barbadeessuuf bakka mijaawuu dideetti akka hin sochooneef Daandiin konkolaataa guyyuu
cufamuu qaba!!

4. Mootummaan shororkeessaan wayyaanee EPRDF/TPLF/OPDOn guutummaatti aangoo gadi lakkisuun yakka
duguuginsa sanyii uummata Oromoo fi saboota cunqurfamoo irratti rawwataniif seeraatti dhiyaachuun gaafatamuu qabu malee uummata afaan qawween reebaa, mana hidhaa keessatti Ibiddaa fi rasasaan fixaa aangoorratti bakka wal jijjiiruun uummata tuffachuu fi yakka yakka caaluu Uummatarratti rawwachuu waan ta’eef uummatni Oromoo fi sabootni cunqurfamoo biyyatti Sochii Warraaqsaa FXG daran jabeessuun itti fufuun abbaa irreetti xummura gochuuf yeroon isaa Amma!!

Injifannoon Uummata Oromoof!!

The post # Oromoprotests Dhaamsa_Ariifachiisaa Bakka Hundatti Waliif Dabarsaa!! appeared first on Bilisummaa.