(Amnesty International) — Seyoum Teshome is a professor at a university in Ethiopia and writes to fight the spread of fear that has engulfed his country as a result of an increasingly repressive administration. In September 2016, Seyoum was arrested and charged with incitement to violence against the state. In this blog, he describes the treatment of prisoners in one of Ethiopia’s rehabilitation centres, where he was detained further to his arrest. Thousands of Ethiopians like Seyoum have been arrested and tortured in rehabilitation centres since the state of emergency was imposed in October 2016.

It was around 6:30 am on 30 September 2016 when I was rudely awakened by loud knocks on my door and someone shouting out my name. Peeping through the keyhole, I saw around 10 local police officers. Some of them were staring at the door while others were guarding the corridor.

I said to myself, “Yap! At last…here you go, they have come for you!”

One of them asked if I was Mr Seyoum Teshome to which I replied in the affirmative. They said they wanted to talk to me for a moment, so I opened the door. They showed me a court warrant which gave them permission to search my house. The warrant indicated that I had illegal weapons and pamphlets to incite violence against the government.

Accused without evidence

After searching my entire house and despite finding no signs of the said items, they arrested and took me to a local police station. They also carried off my laptop, smartphone, notebooks and some papers. Confident that they hadn’t found the items mentioned in the court warrant, I was certain of my release. However, three hours later, I found myself being interrogated by a local public prosecutor and two police investigators. The interrogation eventually led to the commencement of a legal charge.

I was scheduled to sit a PhD entry exam on 2 October 2017 at Addis Ababa University, something I had been working towards for a very long time. Throughout the interrogation, my pleas for the case to be hastened so that I wouldn’t miss the rare opportunity to pursue a PhD course fell on deaf ears. My colleagues had provided a car and allowance fee for a police officer to go with me to the university so that I could sit the exam. This is a standard procedure. Yet on that day, they were not willing to lend me a hand. I was stuck in pre-trial detention due to Ethiopia’s Anti-Terrorism Proclamation and missed my chance.

The day before my arrest, I had given an interview to Deutche Welle-Amharic radio station about the nation-wide teachers meeting where I commented that, in Ethiopia, expressing one’s own opinion could lead to arrest, exile or possibly death. Little did I know that, in just 12 hours, I would be the state’s guest for merely expressing my opinion.

On 3 October 2016, I was presented in court. I was accused of writing articles and posts on social media sites aiming to incite violence against the government. In addition to the two notebooks and papers they had taken from my house, the investigator had also printed 61 pages of the 58 articles I posted on the Horn Affairs website that year. In total, they brought more than 200 pages of written and printed writings as evidence to support their allegations. I denied all the charges.

Another court session was scheduled in 10 days to allow the police to conclude their investigations. The 10 days lapsed and the police requested an additional seven days to complete their investigations on me while denying me bail.

On 20 October 2016, a jury found there was no evidence to support the police department’s claims. I thought the matter was over but I was immediately accused of contravening the State of Emergency that had been declared on 9 October 2017. A piece of paper with some writing on it was presented as evidence to support the charge.

Barely survived

The Police initially took me to Tolay Military Camp and later transferred me, together with others arrested, to Woliso Woreda Police Station in central Ethiopia, outside Addis Ababa.  We were shoved into a 3×5 metres squared detention room where we joined more than 45 other people already there. It was very hard to find a place to sit. I survived suffocation by breathing through a hole beneath the door. After that terrible night, I was taken back to Tolay where I stayed until 21 December, 2016 – 56 days after my arrest.

Access to food in the first 20 days was limited. We were made to walk while crouching with our hands behind our heads. We also walked barefoot to and from the toilet and dining areas. Due to this treatment, three of my fellow detainees suffered cardiac arrest. I don’t know whether or not they survived. I also heard that a woman’s pregnancy was terminated.

Every day, a police officer came to our room and called out the names of detainees to be taken for the so-called “investigation.”  When they returned, the detainees had downtrodden faces and horrible wounds on their backs and legs.  Waiting for one’s name to be called was agony.

The healing wound on the back of Seyoum’s leg after being beaten with wood and plastic sticks while in detention.

It took eight days before my name was finally called. I sat in front of five investigators flanked on either side by two others. While I was being interrogated, detainees in another room were being beaten. I could hear them crying and begging their torturers to stop.

Moved by what I had witnessed, I decided to secretly gather the detainees’ information. It didn’t take long before I was discovered by the authorities. On a hot afternoon, they came to my room and called my name. A group of investigators ruthlessly began beating me, to the point where I fainted three times. The beatings were unbearable so I finally confessed to collecting information in the camp. The chief investigator was then called in so that I could also confess to him.

Undeterred

By then, I had gained enough strength to renounce my earlier confessions which angered   the Chief Investigator very much. He drew a pistol and threatened to kill me for making a fool out of them. I stretched turned around and spread my arms wide.  Then, I said, “Fear of death doesn’t make me confess against myself! Go ahead, shoot!”

Amazingly, the commander ordered me to go to my room and take a shower. I didn’t believe it. I still don’t. I quickly ran off. I was released a little over two weeks later.

Though I finally left Tolay, those memories and emotions are still with me. Though I am still afraid of another arbitrary arrest and being sent back to prison, what I fear more is the totalitarian state that complete denies freedom. . While there, I told myself that, if I made it out, I would raise international awareness on the government’s outrageous treatment of prisoners.

I will continue to do so as long as Tolay exists.

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Dejane Gutama irraa

Akkuma beekamu Mootummaan Sa’uudii dhiyeenya kana lammiiwwan biyyoota addaa addaa irra karaa seeraan alaatiin Sa’uudii seenan fi hayyama jireenyaa hin qabne ilaalchisee labsii haarawa baasuun beekamaadha.

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Akkauma beekkamu Sadaasa 12, 2015 irraa kaasee sochiin saba Oromoo cimee mootummaa abbaa-irree jalbiiffachiisee jilbaan lafarraa shoqoqsaa jira. KFOn Sochii Duula filannoorraa kaasee mormii masterpilaanii fi lafaa dabalatee mata-duree ta’ee socho’uunsaa ni yaadatama.

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I use to think Professor Asefa Jaalataa and a few others in Diaspora at different scholarly level. Now after Observing their actions behind the scenes with some serious popularity contest political campaigning actions similar to children’s games dominating North America communities with negative effects, now furthermore spilling over to our societies around the world through social media campaigning, words of mouths etc.. analyzing their false negative informations they are feeding our society through their works to win, evaluating their individual actions of what they are doing to each other to destroy one other over power struggles kinda made it hard for me to trust or believe any of them. and made me think twice about their values and principles Legitimacy differently than how I use to see them.

In my vocabulary one oromo who downgrades his fellow brother or sister to gain power himself with false statements or accusations is unfit in our society him/herself. I’m sure our people know that by now. I believe Standing on true principals is crucial at all times. And Let’s not forget our past unspoken histories of Many Oromo scholars who have had died in our own power hungry individual’s hands in the past in addition to our enemy’s when issues like this one arises.

For instance Professor Asefa Jaalataa’s response in this interview makes no sense. He is accusing others ( his former peers) for very same thing he is doing himself instead of re-evaluating his own political propaganda campaign action. Ask himself If he is really doing the right thing? in each interview conversation he is labeling them With unnecessary names to make himself look good in public eyes. He is forgetting those people he is accusing are his peers, close friends at one point, if he claimed they are “Ganttuu or gurgurtuu” that means he is in the same boat, and He is part of those who are fighting over power playing a role for creating confusions divisions among Oromos with Ganddummaa and Goosummaa viruses behind the scenes instead of standing for what’s fair and right like intellectual or scholar for the Oromo people during critical moments of their lives to bring changes of reconciliation, encouragement of unity.

Our people are getting massacred, but they are using this opportunity to benefit from their lives tragedies. I think Just Because we the oromo people tolerate immature actions of power hungry individuals for many decades. They are treating our people in all societies like bunch of idiots and dummies with no brains to think with who they can drag around with their political propaganda chains. They expected us to follow them down the hills like old time slaves, These people needs to re-evaluate their shameful positions, and step a side from our revolution to let Qubee generations take a lead moving forward.

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WASHINGTON,DC —VOA

Akka oduu hajaja waraana Amerikaa(Pentagon) pirezidaanti Tiraampi waraanaa Waldaa Afrikaa Somaalee jiru gargaaruuf akka ilaallachaa Al-Shabaab Somaalee keessatti hadhan hajaje.

Akka jara kana dahoo isaanii keessatti hadhanii humna dhowwab hajaje mootummaan Amerikaa kun.

Hajaja kana irratti mootummaan Somaalee womaa hin jenne.Laetitia Bader, Somalaeetti qorattuu dhaaba mirga namaa qoratu Human Rights Watach (HRW).Yoo lolan keessattu yo bonaa ka akkanaa ka namii gargar godaanu kanatti ufi eegachaa loluu malan jetti.
“Ammitii keessattuu yoo namii akkana malee gobbatee garga faffaca’e. Nama kuma hedduutti jireenna wayyaahaa barbaadachuu fi gargaarsa addunyaa argachuuf magaalatti baqachuutti jira.Kana wannii nu jechuutti jirru.”

Fulbaan dabre keessa naannoo Mududgiti xuyyuurii Amerikaa Al-Shabaab hadhuuf jedhee milishaa mootummaa Somaalee gargaartu dhahe.

Mootummaan ammoo bulchiinsa Puuntilaanditti beekaa waranaa Amerikaa dogogornse jedhee himata.

Akkana hadhanii lafa hedduu keessaa baasanillee Al-Shabab kaan bombiin hadhaa, kaan ammoo fixaa lafa hedudu deeffate.
Abdullahi Halakhe, gaafa Afrikaatti ogeessa nagaati.Xuyyuura waraana Amerikaatii fi AMISOM bulchoota Al-Shabaab hedduu fixee jari kun amma dhokate ummata jiddutit dahatee nama hadhaa tanaaf namii nagaa jidduutit miidhama jedha.

Pirezidaantiin Soomalee haarahii yoo waraanii Afrikaa amma Al-Shabaab Soomaalee irraa eeguutti jiru ganna dhufu achii bahe hadhuutit akka biyyitii ufi dandeettu tolchuuf waraana Soomalee jabeesse jaaruuf waadaa gale.

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Taphni kubbaa miilaa kan dhiheenya kanaa
Nashaaxa hin qabuu usneeti daawwanna
Kan duraan taphatus amma ni batachaa
Goolii bakka wallaalee ifumatti galcha.

Inni jidduu taphatu hiriyaaf dabarsaa
kan silaa karra eegu harkuma facaasaa
Morkataan miliqsee goolii itti mirmirsaa
Boqannaan duratti takkaaf duwwaa baasa.

Dirree alagaatti waliin wal dorgoomaa
Boqonnaan boodatti tahe duwwaaf lama
Deeggartoonni gamanaa hamilee cabanii
Gammachuudhaan galan warri gama kaanii.

Gaafa dirree ofiitti tapha biraa qabu,
Taphattoota filuu irratti wal dhabu
Dirree ol seennaan jeequmsa eegaluu,
Lama keelloo argatee sadii diimaan galu.

Fuul-duraaf hin sobaminaa tun isiniif gorsaa
Kubbaa yeroo dhiittan firraa achi fageeysaa
Waliin wal ilaaluun kennaa waliif dabarsaa
Goolii naqaa mo’adhaa geeba argamsiisaa!

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com

She spoke to me with tears in her eyes describing the calculated execution of her own people. Even though Atsede Kazachew feels relatively safe as an Ethnic Amharic Ethiopian woman living inside the United States, she is grieving for all her fellow ethnic Ethiopians both Amharic and Oromo who have been mercilessly killed inside her own country.

“There is no one in the United States who understands,” outlined Atsede. “Why? Why?” she asked as her shaking hands were brought close to her face to hide her eyes.

The Irreecha Holy Festival is a hallowed annual celebration for North East Africa’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo people. Bringing together what has been counted as up to two million people, who live near and far away from the city of Bishoftu, the Irreecha Festival is a annual gathering of spiritual, social and religious significance. It is also a time to appreciate life itself as well as a celebration for the upcoming harvest in the rural regions.

Tragically on Sunday October 2, 2016 the event ended in what Ethiopia’s government said was 55 deaths but what locals described as up to 700 deaths and casualties.

“The Ethiopian government is engaged in its bloodiest crackdown in a decade, but the scale of this crisis has barely registered internationally…,” outlined UK Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW) David Mepham in a June 16, 2016 media release published by the International Business Times.

“For the past seven months, security forces have fired live ammunition into crowds and carried out summary executions…” added Mepham.

So what has the U.S. been doing about the present crisis situation in Ethiopia?

With a long relationship of diplomacy that spans over 100 years beginning in 1903, that builds up the U.S. to consider Ethiopia as an ‘anchor nation’ on the African continent, corrupt politics and long range U.S. investors in the region are an integral part of the problem. All of it works a head in the sand policies that pander to the status of the ‘’quid pro quo’.

Spurred on by what locals described as Ethiopia military members who disrupted the gathering by threatening those who came to attend the holiday event; the then makeshift military threw tear gas and gun shots into the crowd. The voices of many of those who were present described a “massive stampede” ending in numerous deaths.

“This has all been so hard for me to watch,” Atseda outlined as she described what she witnessed on a variety of videos that captured the ongoing government militarization and violence in the region. “And there’s been little to no coverage on this,” she added. “Western media has been ignoring the situation with way too little news stories.”

“Do you think this is also an attempt by the Ethiopian military to commit genocide against the ethnic Oromo people?” I asked.

“Yes,” she answered. The Amharic and the Oromo people have suffered so very much over many years, outlined Atsede. Much of it lately has been about government land grabs, on land that has belonged to the same families for generations, Atsede continued.

The details on the topic of apparent land grabs wasn’t something I knew very much about in the region, even though I’ve been covering international news and land grabs in Asia Pacific and China’s Tibetan Autonomous Region along with the plight of global women and human rights cases for over a decade.

JONATHAN ALPEYRIE/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Numerous ethnic women living inside Ethiopia today in 2017 are attempting to work toward peace in the northern and southern regions of Ethiopia as they continue to witness the destructive crackdown of the government against rural farming communities.

Under conditions of internal national and border conflict, ethnic Ethiopian women can often face increased stress under forced relocation, personal contact with unwanted violence including domestic abuse and rape, and discriminatory conditions for their family and children that can also affect conditions causing food insecurity and loss.

Increasing land grabs play an integral part of high levels of stress for women who normally want to live with their family in peace without struggle. But corruption on the leadership levels inside Ethiopia are encouraging land acquisitions that ignore the needs of families who have lived on the same land for centuries.

As Ethiopia’s high level business interests continue to be strongly affected by insider deals under both local and global politics the way back to peace is becoming more and more difficult.

Even foreign government advocacy agencies like the World Bank, DFID, as well as members of the European Union, have suffered from ongoing accusations of political pandering and corrupt practices with business interests inside Ethiopia.

With the release of the film ‘Dead Donkeys / Fear No Hyenas’ by Swedish film director Joakim Demmer the global public eye is beginning to open widely in understanding how land grab corruption works inside East Africa. With a story that took seven years to complete the film is now working to expand its audience through an April 2017 Kickstarter campaign.

“Dead Donkeys / Fear No Hyenas was triggered by a seemingly trivial scene at the airport in Addis Ababa, six years back. Waiting for my flight late at night, I happened to see some tired workers at the tarmac who were loading food products on an airplane destined for Europe. At the same time, another team was busy unloading sacks with food aid from a second plane. It took some time to realize the real meaning of it – that this famine struck country, where millions are dependent on food aid, is actually exporting food to the western world,” outlined film director Demmer.

It’s no wonder that anger has spread among Ethiopia’s ethnic farming region.

“The anger also came over the ignorance, cynicism and sometimes pure stupidity of international societies like the EU, DFID, World Bank etc., whose intentions might mostly be good, but in this case, ends up supporting a dictatorship and a disastrous development with our tax money, instead of helping the people…,” continued Demmer in his recent Kickstarter campaign.

“What I found was that lives were being destroyed,” added Demmer in another recent March 28, 2017 interview with the Raoul Wallenberg Institute. ”I discovered that the World Bank and other development institutions, financed by tax money, were contributing to these developments in the region. I was ashamed, also ashamed that European and American companies were involved in this.”

“Yes. And yes again,” concurred Atsede in her discussion with me as we talked about big money, vested interests and U.S. investors inside Ethiopia, including other interests coming from the UK, China, Canada and more.

As regional farmers are pushed from generational land against their will, in what has been expressed as “long term and hard to understand foreign leasing agreements”, ongoing street protests have met numerous times with severe and lethal violence from government sanctioned security officers.

Ironically some U.S. foreign oil investments in the region vamped up purchasing as former U.S. State Department Deputy Secretary Antony Blinken showed approval of the Dijbouti-Ethiopia pipeline project during a press meeting in Ethiopia in February 2016.

In April 2017, as anger with the region’s ethnic population expands, Ethiopia has opted to run its government with a four month extension as President Mulatu Teshome Wirtu announced a continuation of the “State of Emergency.”

“How long can Ethiopia’s State of Emergency keep the lid on anger?” asks a recent headline in The Guardian News. Land rights, land grabs and the growing anger of the Oromo people is not predicted to stop anytime soon.

The ongoing situation could cost additional lives and heightened violence say numerous human rights and land rights experts.

“The government needs to rein in the security forces, free anyone being held wrongfully, and hold accountable soldiers and police who used excessive force,” said Human Rights Watch Deputy Regional Africa Director Leslie Lefko.

“How can you breathe if you aren’t able to say what you want to say,” echoed Atsede Kazachew. “Instead you get killed.”

___________________________________

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VOA

Labsiin Yeeroo Hatattamaa Itiyoophiyaa Dheeressamuun Maal Jechuu Dha?

WAASHINGITAN, DIISII — Mootummaan Itiyoophiyaa labsii yeroo hatattamaa baatiilee ja’aaf biyyattii ittiin bulchaa ture baatiilee afur ka biraaf dheeressuu isaa torban dabre beeksisee jira. Labsii yeroo hatattamaa sana Onkoloolessa bara 2016 labsuun isaa eega mormiin guddaan guutummaa Oromiyaa fi naannoo Amhaaraatti gara waggaa tokkoof geggeessamee turee booda ture. Yeroo mormiin sun geggeessametti, namoonni dhibba shanii ol ta’an humnoota mootummaan ajjeesamu isaanii gareen mirga dhala-namaa Hiyuumaan Raayits Waach gabaasee ture. Booda mootummaan illee kanuma dubbate.

Kan torban dabre labsiin yeroo hatattamaa sana ilaalchisuun mana-maree Itiyoophiyaaf ibsa kennan – ministarri ittisaa Itiyoophiyaa fi itti-gaafatamaan waajira Taask Foorsii labsichaan hundeessamee, Obbo Siraaj Fageessaa, “dhimmoonni akka humni ittisa biyyaa ajaja tokko jalatti bobbaasamu taasisan guutummaatti hin dhabamne. Amma illee farreen nageenyaa, kanneen wal-falmii bulchitoota naannoo gidduutti uumametti dhimma ba’uun wal-dhibddee sana babal’isuu fedhan ni jiran” jedhan.

Kanumaa labsiin yeroo hatattamaa kun maali? Dheeressamuun isaa moootummaa fi uummata biyyaattiif bu’aa maalii qaba? Yokaan dhiibbaa maalii qabaata?

Kana irratti ka biyya Briteen jiru, Kiil Yunivarsitii irraa hayyuu seeraa, Dr. Awwal Aloo, ka kutaa Teksaas jiru, Kaatoolik Yunivarsitii of Daalaas irraa immoo proofesara dhimma dirnagee fi dorgomaa Seneetii Yunaayitid Isteets duraanii, Mohammed Xaahiroo dubbisnee jirra.

Kana cuqaasuun dhaggeeffadhaa

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WAASHINGITAN, DIISII — VOAMana murtii olaanaa kan Lidataa duratti har’a kan dhiyaate fi galmee Dr. Mararaa Guddinaa jalatti mootummaa garagalchuuf shiran, hojjatan akkasumas himatii yakkaa ka biroon kan irratti dhiyaate Dr. Biraanuu Naggaa, Obbo Jawaar Mahammed Televiziyoonni Isaat (ESAT) fi Oromiyaa midiyaa Neet Woork Gaazeexaa mootummaa Itiyoophiyaa kan ta’e Addis Zaman irratti beeksiisa maxxanfameen dhiyaatanii himata irratti dhiyaate akka falmatan gaafatee jira.

Abukaatoo Dr. Mararaa keessaa tokko kan ta’n Obbo Wandimmuu Ibsaa akka jedhanti Dr Mararaan kanneenti hidhata tokko waan hin qabneef jecha qophaatti akka ilaalamuuf gaafannee jedhan.murtii kennamees himatamtoonni ka biroon ykn bakka butoonni isaanii eega dhiyaatanii booda gara fuula duraatti kan ilaalamuu ta’a kan jedhu ta’u hubachiisan.

Dr Mararaan yeroo darbe wabiin gadhifamuuf iyyatti dhiyeessan fudhatama eega dhabee booda abukaatoon isaani mana murtii walii gala kan Federaalaatti ol-iyyannaa kan dhiyeeffate yoo ta’u kunis har’a waaree boodatti bellamamee kennee ture.Deebii argamees Wiixata dhufu abukaatoon dhufee deebii kennamu haa dhaga’uu ka jedhu ta’u Obbo Wandimmuu Ibsaa dubbatanii jiru.

Gabaasa guutuu kana cuqaasuun dhaggeeffadhaa

Dr. Mararaa Guddinaa Har’a Iddoo Lamatti Dhimmi Isaanii Ilaalamee Jira

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April 10, 2017

Organizing Committee of GGO

Dear Sirs:

Thank you so much for inviting us to your Global Gumii Oromia founding Conference.  Our organizations always attend and take part in any genuine, valuable, important and worthwhile Oromo conferences that advance the Oromo struggle, Oromo interests, and the Oromo unity.  We always value the coming together of the Oromo nationals to discuss the Oromo issues.  However, we decline to attend your conference based on four important factors that you have been advancing that violate the interest of the Oromo people and incompatible and in contradiction to Oromo nationalists’ unity, and the Oromo wishes and aspiration.  Here are four factors for our decline to attend your conference.

1. The GGO as an organization has no specific objective to achieve.  It is unclear to us whether GGO is a political organization or non-profit organization.
2. GGO has no specific program except duplicating the OLC’s program.  We believe this action divides the Oromo nationals. Neither our organizations nor the Oromo people want divisions; and
3. The statement made by the Chairman of GGO, Dr. Asseffa Jaalata on Radio Finfinnee falsely accusing and labelling the Oromo nationalists and patriots as enemies, ”gantuu,” meaning betrayers, traitors and turncoats; galtuu meaning uncultured and “gurgurtuu,” meaning sellouts; ergantuu meaning messenger of enemy is not statement of calling for unity.  It is a statement of generating doubt, hostility, antagonism and divisiveness within Oromo nationals.  We are disappointed and indeed offended at such uncalled for negative and polarizing campaign targeting the Oromo people, the Oromo nationalists and patriots.  

Furthermore, Dr. Asseffa Jaalata told Radio Finfinnee that according to his research the Oromo’s problem in this national liberation struggle is based on “political ignorance.” This statement of “political ignorance” means that the Oromo people do not known or do not understand why they have been in this struggle sacrificing their lives and the lives of their sons and daughters.  Such statement undermines the wisdom of the Oromo people.  Hence, we found this statement of  “Oromo’s political ignorance” as an insult to and a condemnation of the Oromo people and to those Oromo nationalists and patriots who had sacrificed and still scarifying their precious lives in this national liberation struggle.  We believe this is not a right approach to bring people together.

For the above reasons, we decline to attend your conference to be held in April 14-16, 2017 in Minneapolis, MN.

Above all, it is our organizations’ and the Oromo people’s interests that GGO and OLC merge.  It is only in this way the Oromo people and their struggle will be served well.  This to be materialized, our organizations are ready to be a vehicle to help to bring the GGO and OLC to merge.  We believe both of you- GGO and OLC will take this seriously.

Sincerely,

OLF

KWO

FIDO

UOPLF

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Ethiopia’s prime minister has for the first time rejected calls by the UN and EU for independent investigations into the deaths of hundreds of people during months of anti-government protests.

Hailemariam Desalegn has said that Ethiopia is able to carry out the investigations itself.

Protesters from the Amhara and Oromia regions have been complaining about political and economic marginalisation.

The government has imposed a state of emergency in response to the protests.

The country was hit by an unprecedented wave of demonstrations, which began in November 2015.

• What is behind Ethiopia’s wave of protests?

• The Oromo protests and Ethiopian unity

International rights groups have said that hundreds of people lost their lives in incidents where police and protesters clashed.

In the past, the government has disputed the figures and said that the security forces were responding to what were described as “anti-peace forces”.

Mr Hailemariam told the BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza that an investigation by Ethiopia’s Human Rights Commission, a body created by the constitution, was the only way of dealing with the issue.

Image copyrightREUTERS

He said that the commission was an independent institution but admitted that it “lacked capacity” and said that it could be strengthened.

He said Ethiopia’s sovereignty should be respected and rejected the call for external investigations.

Zeid Raad Al Hussein, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, had on August last year called for international observers to investigate the killings after accusing security forces of using live ammunition against protestors in the Amhara and Oromia regions.

A call that was reiterated by the EU in October and repeated last week.

The prime minister also defended the state of emergency, imposed in October last year, saying it has brought “normalcy” to the country.

He said the recent four-month extension of the emergency law by parliament was “necessary to consolidate some of the gains that the state had achieved in instituting reforms”.

Mr Hailemariam said that the government has been focussing on solving the unemployment issue, especially among the youth, which he admitted had “brought resentment”.

He also said that there are ongoing talks with other political parties to ensure inclusivity in running country affairs, a main concern, since his EPRDF has an overwhelming majority in parliament.

He said that the thousands who were arrested in a nationwide crackdown were still being held in prison and will have to go though the judicial process.

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