Staging Solidarity Hunger Strike to Protest Massacre, Torture, Detention of the Oromo People by the Ethiopian Government

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

RE: Staging Solidarity Hunger Strike to Protest Massacre, Torture, Detention of the Oromo People by the Ethiopian Government

Dear Mr. President

On May 9, 2014, the Oromo Community Organization of Washington D.C. area (OCO), the Oromo Youth Self-help Association (OYSA) and the International Oromo Women’s Organization (IOWO) held a large demonstration in front of the White House and State Department to express our deep concern and outrage about the massacre of Oromo students in April and May just for peacefully demonstrating against government land grab; some as young as nine years, from Ambo and other towns of Oromia Regional State by the TPLF aga’azi force and army of the Ethiopian government. Similar demonstrations were held in many state capitals of the United States, Europe, Australia, Middle East, and Africa to condemn the callous crime of the Ethiopian Government. Candle light vigils were also held in front of the White House on May 22, 2014, and in many states of the U.S and other countries, at different times, where Oromo communities reside.

According to partial reports received, 61 students were shot dead, 903 students are detained and still being tortured. The massacre of Oromo students by the Ethiopian regime is parallel to the 1960 Sharpeville massacre of 69 black people by the Apartheid regime of South Africa for demonstrating against the Pass Law. The blood of the black South Africans led to the abolition of Apartheid and creation of Democratic South Africa with the support of democratic nations of the world. We hope the blood of the innocent Oromo students will not be ignored and left in vain but motivate the leaders of the democratic nations of the West to help bring justice, liberty, peace and democracy in Ethiopia in general and Oromia State in particular.

Today, it is estimated that there are more than 50,000 Oromo political prisoners in Oromia in various concentration camps and prisons. Although it is difficult to know exactly how many Oromos have been killed or massacred by the regime, mass graves have been discovered in many places, including Hamaressa in eastern Oromia. The annual reports of the U.S. Department of State and other credible sources regarding human rights abuses in Ethiopia indicate that the Department is familiar with the massive human rights violations that have been committed by the Ethiopian government on the Oromo and other peoples in the country.

During our demonstration in May, we submitted appeal letter to the State Department to use their leverage to make a difference in the social, political, and economic crisis perpetrated by the Ethiopian regime against the Oromo people and others in Ethiopia. In response to our appeals, the State Department units handling Ethiopian affairs have jointly granted us audience to discuss the problem of human rights abuse, detentions without warrant, extrajudicial killings, torture, land grab and eviction without appropriate compensation, lack of freedom of expression, right of assembly, justice and democracy. Though they have the information, we have given them additional extensive dimensions of the problem.

The State Department has also replied to our appeal letter expressing their concerns about human right abuses in Ethiopia. Similarly, United States Senators, Honorable Al Franken and Honorable Amy Klobuchar representing Minnesota State; and Honorable Patty Murray and Honorable Maria Cantwell representing Washington State have written letters to Secretary Kerry expressing their deep concerns of Ethiopian government violence against its citizens. They asked the Honorable Secretary to use his influence for the respect of rule of law and human rights in Ethiopia. They stressed the Ethiopian Government’s equal treatment of all ethnic groups and implementation of democratic system must be central to their relationship with the United States. A member of the Parliament of Australia also has tabled the Oromo plight in Ethiopia for debate and asked his government for action to curb the Ethiopian government violence against peaceful citizens.

Dear Mr. President

We also sent Your Excellency a copy of the appeal letter submitted to the Honorable Secretary of State on our demonstration day. It is also to be recalled that an Ethiopian born journalist Abebe Gelaw voiced his appeal to you while you were making speech at a Democratic Party gathering to stress the magnitude of lack of freedom and liberty in Ethiopia. You told him that you will consider the issue

Despite concerns expressed by many countries, groups, and individuals in the world that the Ethiopian government end violence against the citizens, all kinds of human right abuses have been intensified. The planned expansion of the city of Addis Ababa into Oromia Regional State, which led to state wide protest and massacre of students, has continued under the guise of establishment of industrial zone. The so called “integrated development master plan”, if implemented, increases the current size of the capital by 20 folds, from 54, 000 to 1.1 million hectares. It is designed to incorporate 36 Oromian towns into Addis Ababa. Six million farmers will be evicted due to the government action.

Recent graphic information printed by the Ethiopian Review shows appalling pictures of 3000 Oromos in a desert concentration camp, with more than 100F heat, in the Afar Regional State in Ethiopia away from families and friends to deny them any visitation, put them under hard labor and starving them to death without food and medical treatment. The Ethiopian regime response for any public question is crackdown and show of force instead of peaceful resolution of the demand of the people. Information of more detentions, disappearances, torture and killings is reaching us through our contacts daily. There is no access for national and international journalists. To work as a journalist in Ethiopia, they should propagate the government instructions without any freedom. Recently 20 journalists were dismissed from Oromia Regional State Television and Radio Services. Their crime was refusing to justify all the injustices of the government against the Oromo people. The Ethiopian regime system of domination is the worst in the world. There is only one opposition party member in the parliament. When countries like North Korea and Zimbabwe are condemned for their despotic oppression, Ethiopians wonder why the crimes of the Ethiopian government are ignored

The majority of Oromos and other ethno-national groups in Ethiopia live in absolute poverty because they are denied free participation in markets and generation of wealth and public resources, open access to finance and the utilization of economic resources for the purpose of production, consumption or exchange, and basic economic security and entitlement. Tigrayian state elites and their supporters are becoming rich through theft, corruption, financial irresponsibility, dispossessing others of their lands and resources while the majority of Oromos and others have been left unprotected from poverty, starvation, disease, and pre-mature death. Specifically, most of Oromo farmers who have been evicted from their ancestral lands are impoverished and becoming homeless and beggars in garrison cities.

The Ethiopian economy is monopolized by two conglomerates. TPLF conglomerate known as EFFORT, holding 16 companies across all sectors of the economy is working for the benefit of the Tigray people. The other crony business empire called MIDROC running 16 companies is owned by Mr. Al Amoudi, a Saudi businessman. MIDROC controls 16 companies like the EFFORT, and holds 60% of the total FDI in Ethiopia. The two companies are controlling the land of Ethiopia through their government. The Ethiopian people are landless and devoid of all rights. It is the business of these two entities which foreign observers ascribe to the Ethiopian Economic development. 95% of Ethiopians live below the poverty line. The World Bank and the IMF who regularly report on the Ethiopian economy are silent on the crimes of the regime. We are wondering why.

We, Oromo-Americans, respectfully request that the U.S. government immediately stop supporting the tyrannical Ethiopian government financially, militarily and diplomatically and side with the people who are struggling for self-determination, and the promotion of human rights and democracy in Oromia and Ethiopia. We believe that this is the only way that the region will develop political and economic stability that the peoples of Ethiopia will live in peace and with security, and that American national interests will be served.

Dear Mr. President

Seen by the West as a partner in the war on terror, Ethiopian regime has used the leverage to weaken and eventually decimate dissenting voices since the minority Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) usurped power in 1991. Dictators come to power by force and leave by force. The people are permanent. It is logical, moral, and rational to side with the people than with a gang for temporary alliance.

The EPRDF regime has changed the Ethiopian people into tenants and serfs without any economic, social and political rights. The Oromo and other Ethiopians are now demanding their natural and political rights. We the Oromo- Americans are appealing, on their behalf, to your Excellency to use your leverage to pressure the Ethiopian regime to respect human rights in Ethiopia in general and Oromia in particular before the country and the region fall into uncontrollable crisis. The era of accepting unbridled oppression and subjugation is over in the enlightened world of technology and social media. To bring to the attention of the American people and the Administration, the plight of the Oromo and other peoples in Ethiopia and help alleviate their burden we are holding a Solidarity Hunger-Strike in front of the White House from July23-25, 2014.

We earnestly ask the US government to use its influence to urge the Ethiopian government to respect the right of the Oromo people and other Ethiopians and rule of law. We specifically request that the US government:

• Demand an immediate stop to the unlawful so called “Integrated development master plan” and the unlawful eviction of Oromo farmers and the illegal selling of Oromo land under the disguise of such “development”.
• Ask the Ethiopian government to stop killing and arresting unarmed Oromo school children and other civilians.
• Demand that an independent commission be appointed to investigate the mass killing in Oromia regional state
• Request that the Ethiopian government bring to justice those who are involved in the massacre of Oromo students and other cities.
• Demand the unconditional and immediate release of Oromo students who are jailed for exercising their constitutional right and all political prisoners languishing in jail.
• Insist on the release of all political prisoners and respect the rule of law before providing aid to the regime.
• Demand the repeal of all new laws that violate the fundamental freedom of citizens.

Sincerely,

Desta Yebassa, Ph.D.
Board President, Oromo Community Organization of Washington D.C. area (OCO)
6212 3rd ST NW Washington, DC 20011
ydesta9@aol.com

Abebe Etana
Chairman, Oromo Youth Self-help Association (OYSA)
6212 3rd ST NW Washington, DC 20011

http://washington.gaaddisaoromo.com/

Dinknesh Kitila
International Oromo Women’s Organization (IOWO) Board Director
6212 3rd ST NW Washington, DC 20011
email iowo@iowo.org