The following is a commentary by Woyanne ambassador Samuel Assefa that appeared today on Washington Times. Hodader Samuel accuses the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) of being a terrorist group. The fact, as reported by several credible human rights groups and media, is that Woyanne is committing unspeakable atrocities in the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, including mass murder, rape, displacement of civilians, burning of villages, etc. In the Google Search, TPLF (Woyanne) is ranked first as a terrorist organization (search TPLF in Google). Here the opportunist ambassador (hodader) is just doing his job on behalf of the Woyanne tribal junta — tell lies.
Terrorism double standard?
By Samuel Assefa
Washington Times
Imagine for a moment that a military group — aligned with al Qaeda and supported by a bordering hostile nation — slaughtered 74 workers at a business in America or Europe.
How long would it take for this group to be declared a terrorist organization by Western governments and widely condemned in the media?
On April 24, 2007, my country, Ethiopia, suffered just such an attack. Yet Western governments have not labeled the perpetrators as terrorist and the media has been largely unsympathetic. Is there a double standard in what constitutes terrorism depending upon whether the victims are Western? Certainly there is no double standard under U.S. law. The Foreign Relations Authorization Act says “terrorism” is “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.”
In Ethiopia a group calling itself the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has committed numerous acts of violence against civilians, Ethiopians and non-Ethiopians alike. The ONLF’s goal is to forcibly separate Somali-speaking Ethiopians from the rest of Ethiopia.
In April, the ONLF attacked a Chinese oil exploration facility in this region and proudly claimed credit. In this single attack the ONLF murdered 74 innocent Chinese and Ethiopian civilians, including a 3-year-old child, many as they slept.
The talents of the ONLF extend beyond slaughtering innocents. The group is remarkably adept at public relations and has romanced some Western journalists with the notion its members are modern-day Che Guevaras. The New York Times recently called them “Rebels with a Cause,” and its correspondent praised their boldness.
Yet they are, plain and simple, terrorists. The ONLF has killed local elders opposed to its policies, attacked people in markets and religious institutions, killed mourners at funerals of ONLF victims, bombed a stadium, planted bombs near a railroad, assassinated local businessmen and government officials and kidnapped foreign workers and staff of humanitarian organizations. Just recently, the ONLF threatened violence against any oil company that seeks to work in the Somali Regional State.
The ONLF has also allied itself with al Qaeda-aligned terrorist groups operating in Somalia. These groups have a common state sponsor in Eritrea. A recent United Nations report concluded that Eritrea has armed terrorists in Somalia with weapons including suicide belts and anti-aircraft missiles.
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Click here for some information on the crimes of Meles Zenawi’s regime that Samuel Assefa is defending.
10 thoughts on “Woyanne ambassador tells more lies”
Mr. President:
Look at the Picture. On what is he staring at? I am sorry, but she seems tooooooo young for you!!!!!!!
Mr. Prime Minister and the Mr. President:
Please stop selling eveything that is uniquely Ethiopian. Dinknesh (Lucy) is our treasure and should never have left her natural home (Ethiopia). You have sold enough of the country’s treasures including chunks of land and a province.
How do you get to sleep at night after so much crime and plunder committed against your own birth land?
You do not make sense on this one. Just because TPLF has committeed crimes doesn’t make ONLF innocent. You are defending ONLF the same the ambassador is defending tplf. ONLF is not good for Ethiopia….
Dear Elias,
The Disgust in which we view the ruling party should not cloud our judgment. ONLF is a terrorist group. Its declared intention is to fragment Ethiopia at any cost. According to the ONLF this is not a negotiable position. Please let us not fool ourselves.
Daniel Assefa
Double standard On terrorism!
Wow! Mr. Samuel Assefa complains about double a standard?
I a way I agree with him. When his government was killing 197 innocent civilians, wounding 867 and rounding over 30,000 opposition supporters and incarcerating all opposition leaders, activists and journalists putting a nation of 70 Million under police state, the USA was quiet. That is what a double standard is. That is when Meles’s regime got a free pass to terrorize its own people. Now double standard makes sense; Right?
Mr. Samuel I hope you have a good heart but just loayal to a cruel master.
Yohannes
In word history worst dictators has come to power and has destroyed their nation and their people.
Good leaders has come to power and made history to their people and nation.
The worst citizinen is engaed in killing,murdering,tourturing and inprisoning and terrorizing his own country men and women
Some citizens can also look to their own interest and to their family intrest and blined by it.
We can bring our family,we can send dollar back home or even build home their.
What makes us true human being ,good citizines and good sates men and woman and in eyes of felllow human being and God is when we care for others.
We all are represented here
Dear Elias,
what do you think of ONLF. i know what you think of weyannee. i just wanna know if your are incapable of making a sound judgement as a result of your extreme hate for weyanne.
The use of the threat of terror to win support from the Western governments is an old-fashioned common tactic by dictatorial regimes and their representatives.
The tactic had been used by many dictators and their servants like Samuel Assefa for too long. The nonsensical attempt to use an old fashioned tactic by the confabulated representative of undemocratic regime is based on a self-fulfilling desire and it is intended to shamefully mislead the Western governments about escalating armed struggle against his masters.
The dictatorial regime in Ethiopia is responsible for growing instability in the region because it continues massacring people and committing heinous crimes against humanity. The root causes of extremism in Ethiopia and the region is the atrocious crimes committed by regime against humanity. It is very clear to the world (including the US) today that countries such as Ethiopia are the place to breed extremism and violence as result of repression and despair caused by the thugs where Samuel is a proud member. The international community should make its commitment to take regimes such as Ethiopia’s responsible and accountable for crimes against humanity ,destabilization of a region and terrorism. Ethiopian in the Diaspora will continue to expose the atrocious deeds by Samuel and his masters to the world and bring those criminals to justice! The day is coming…
EthioSun
Mr.Assefa,the biggest terrorist group in the horn of Africa is the TPLF led by your boss Meles.Your lies and name calling are not going to cut it.Your sordid brutality in Ogaden are not secret any more.One day,you and your savage Woyyane will face your victims(the people of the horn Africa)and justice will be done.