International Oromo Youth Association
PO Box 14668, Minneapolis, MN 55414
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Continuing its Nazi style agenda, the TPLF government has introduced its next tactical chapter on systematic massacre of Oromo civilians. The trained commandos of the Ethiopian government, who are backed by bombs, AK 47s and other heavy artillery, have continued their massacre of Oromo civilians killing mothers, burning children alive in locked houses, amputating those they could catch alive and destroying their properties, in Western Oromia, Eastern part of Wollega.
In this area of Western Oromia, Oromos have lived side by side with the Gumuz people peacefully until recently. The TPLF regime has systematically and maliciously turned the Gumuz against Oromos. Specifically on May 17, 2008 marked the beginning of13 days and counting of violence that claimed the lives of more than 400 people in its first two days. The Gumuz militia backed by TPLF regime, attacked unarmed civilian Oromos burning down their houses while cutting open pregnant mothers’ wombs, amputating elders and children and forcing thousands to flee their homes. There have been more deaths and injuries as the issue has escalated and no attempts were made by the government to contain it.
Hospitals can only accept those who are on the verge of dying while those who are severely injured are being turned down. Thousands of people are living in an open soccer field, away from the center of the conflict areas, where they hope to seek refuge, with no money or food to survive. Most have been forced to beg on street for daily survival.
The TPLF regime trained and armed Gumuz militia with AK-47 and heavy machine-guns and ordered them to commit indiscriminate killings of unarmed Oromo civilians of East Wallagaa. The worst part of the story is the fact that the Oromos were not allowed to bear arms and those who possessed firearms in the past were forced to disarm prior to the staged incident. The Gumuz militia is said to be so heavily armed that the local police could not hold them off using their sticks and police uniform.
Ever since it came to power, the TPLF/EPRDF regime has applied the outdated ‘divide and rule’ policy to weaken peoples’ struggles for freedom and justice by sowing seeds of disharmony among friendly neighboring peoples. The TPLF regime’s track record of the past 17 years of tyrannical rule is full of such evil intrigues that instigated bloody conflicts among people of Ethiopia. It has become a common living situation for Oromos to be terrorized by the government for being nothing other than Oromos.
It was just about a year ago when the government sponsored a daylight killing in Easter Oromia, in a place called Gaara Suufii, where civilians were indiscriminately massacred and their dead bodies were fed to hyenas. Who could forget the daylight killings of Oromo refugees in Kenya by the Ethiopian government agents to suppress the opposing voices that fled their homeland and live in refugee camps to start over life?
Fresh in our memories is also are the outrageous story of the heinous crimes committed against Oromo refugees in Puntland’s Bosasso city of Somalia on February 5, 2008, where 65 Oromo refugees were bombed to death in daylight, while over 100 were also wounded, sponsored by no one other than Ethiopian government.
From time to time, over the last 17 years, the TPLF regime instigated a series of disputes between Oromos and Sidamas, Oromos and Somalis, Oromos and Gedaos, Anywaks and Nuers, Oromos and Amharas, Oromos and Oromos, now Oromos and Gumuzis.
The International Oromo Youth Association (IOYA) deeply condemns the massacre of Oromo civilians by the TPLF backed Gumuz militia.
Therefore IOYA:
1. Calls on International community to pressure the Ethiopian government to help stop the massacre of civilians and bring to justice those who are responsible
2. Calls on the International Red cross and other humanitarian agencies to provide food and shelter for those who have been displaced as a result of the conflict
3. Calls on Ethiopian government to allow the Oromos to arm themselves in order to defend themselves and keep their families safe
4. Calls on all Oromos and friends from around the world to come together and join hands in an effort to support the devastated communities overcome this ongoing nightmare
Justice for the Oromo People
Justice for All
International Oromo Youth Association
8 thoughts on “IOYA condemns massacre of the Oromos in Western Oromia”
Woyane is not arming Oromos any time soon. Believe me. Woyane will side with the strong, the armed Beni Shangul. That is how TPLF operate, side with the strong, weaken the weak and when the strong is weakened a little, then attack it.
Now the problem is not the problem of TPLF. We ourselves are the problem because we see the problem and instead of organizing ourselves to get rid of TPLF,we point fingers to each other. Weather we like or not the TPLF will come down,that is a historical fact for every dictators. But it needs our unity which can accelerate the fall of satanic TPLF. For every thing there is a End,but what they are doning now remains in Ethiopian History for ever. UNIY is POWER ,POWER is ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE.
This is a question of tribalism. You yourself(OLF) are a tribalist organization who supports hate between people and tribes. First, change yourself, blame yourself, avoid your primitive political agenda. Then try to find the right, modern strategy to solve your community’s problem. believe me you can’t succeed with the strategy and goal you have now. Because it is not correct. Please read if you can the recent resolution of the KWGASH(Keffa,Wollega,Gujji,Arsi and Shoa Oromos). They believe that they have problems, but similar with all the tribes they are living with and they believe that the solution comes from the struggle conducted by all the poeple of that country, Ethiopia. Besides that they believe that there is no need to isolate themselves from others instead they want to live and work together for a great, developed, democratic country Ethiopia. Anyhow please read their paper. They had their underground annual conference in April 2008 in Nekempt.
Bye.
Had all Oromo organizations and parties united and remove their differences first and then come to consensus with the Amhara people, the Anuaks, non TLF Tigrayans, Sidamas etc. who are suffering dearly like the Oromo people, “Weyane” have had long gone! I think as long as OLF is associated with “Shaebia” who do every thing to disintegrate Ethiopia and destroy her, it is hurting the very Oromo people whom OLF preaches to defend. Don’t worry “Weyane” is the extention of “Shaebia” (remember the “genuine Weyane” who fought for the freedom of Tigrayans but believed on its one Ethiopian ness has long been taken by “Shaebian Weyanes”) no matter what their differences (“Shaebia” and “Weyane Shaebians”) may be their goal is one, and that is how to destroy Ethiopia and live in prosperity by using Ethiopian peoples wealth and humiliate its citizens. The solution to this is one – UNITY! My advice to my Oromo brothers and sisters is (I am talking here as a halve OROMO citizen), UNIT under one Ethiopia and let us live together in harmony under federation or confederation! That doesn’t mean to stop struggling for the rights of OROMOS and like wise every tribe or nationality could have peacefully struggled for their own interest and gradually for individual’s rights no matter who is from which tribe or nation. UNITY is the means out from such misery and humiliation!
Long live united but diverse and beautiful Ethiopia!
Shames of the TPLF gangs have no bounds. TPLF gangs will NOT stop directly or indirectly killing innocent civilians until they live the Menilik Palace. TPLF gangs and their hired hodams are cruel blood-thirsty beasts. They have no human feelings to cause pain on the Ethiopian people. It is curse to be ruled by TPLF gangs.
This is terrible citizen against citizen, these people have been living side by side for many centuries. So why they like to pull a gun to their brother? those people are innocent peasant they did not do anything to eachother. I Hope things will change very soon! If this thing doesn’t get a solution within short time, it will be the worst crime gainst humanity.
Really,we are all Ethiopian.There is no first class and second class Ethiopians as the some remainants of chauvinstst think. If you reglect the all ethnic groups in our country,and then forget about Ethiopia.Ethnic groups lived in this area before the creation of Ethiopia. Any way Ethiopia is our country, everyone wants to live in it in peace and harmony.Some agressive elements schow that they are the best Ethiopians. In fact since the creation of it Ethiopia served only this chauvist group.
Live free or die trying, the TPLF regime is an evil regime
and wants to keep killing Oromo people until there
is few of them left then they would not be consider
the majority of the country, the only people who
can do something about it is the Oromo people themselves
before it’s too late to do something about it.