The government of Kenya has launched a full scale attack against the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and according to human rights groups, Oromo refugees through out Kenya, including the capital city Nairobi, are currently being harassed and abused by Kenyan security forces, a UN news agency reports. Read the full report below.
MOYALE, ETHIOPIA (IRIN) – The presence of an Ethiopian rebel group in northern Kenya, coupled with operations by security forces from both countries, has caused numerous casualties and displacement among local residents, who also complain of arbitrary arrests.
“They are a menace,” Moyale District Commissioner David Rotich said of the secessionist Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), which first rose up against Ethiopian authorities three decades ago.
“They pose a major threat to security and development and are linked to a group of gun dealers and poachers across the region,” he alleged.
Residents of Moyale, Isiolo and Marsabit districts told IRIN that civilians were often detained by security agents who accused them of belonging to the OLF, or harassed by the rebels on suspicion of collaborating with the authorities.
A trader at Walda centre in Sololo, Moyale district, said several business people had to close their operations because of a wave of terror acts allegedly arising from the OLF presence in the area.
“Walda trading centre is a risky and difficult area to do business because it is considered the main military base for OLF rebels; Ethiopian Woyanne troops frequently attack us while pursuing the rebel fighters who also attack, abduct, kill and threaten local residents,” the trader said.
Identifying himself only as Wario, a hotelier at Turbi – where at least 80 people were killed four years ago – said the OLF, often comprising Kenyans and Ethiopians, once ordered him close his restaurant business because of his ethnicity.
“Our county council and government issues permits and licences for all traders to conduct business but [I believe] OLF makes the final decision; I was forced to close my restaurant because my crime was simple, I am a Gabra and therefore considered an enemy,” Wario said.
Most of the OLF fighters in northern Kenya are from the Borana community.
A retired chief from Sololo said: “The OLF was at first a pride to the Borana community but it is now a monster; it has killed many of our neighbours.”
On 15 December, 15 people died in Moyale and Marsabit districts after fierce fighting between the OLF and a splinter group in Badarero, Walda and Kate areas.
A Turbi resident, identified only as Ndege, said hundreds of families from his Gabra community remained displaced.
“We have suffered greatly at the hands of OLF; many people have been killed, many families are poor after losing their livestock to OLF, many have moved far away to look for manual work, other are recipients of relief food, beggars in towns and some young orphaned girls have been forced to work as commercial sex workers,” Ndege said.
Police operations
In November, Kenya police launched an operation to flush out the OLF rebels. However, residents said dozens of innocent youth were netted in the operation.
Moyale police commander Nathaniel Langat, told IRIN: “We have intelligence reports, what we are doing now is very different from the past operations, it has achieved a lot, the rebels have fled, many have crossed to Ethiopia, the government could not just sit and watch its citizens being killed, abducted and threatened by this bandits.”
Wenslas Ong’ayo, the Upper Eastern province regional commissioner, said the operation was being conducted “with a human face” and that no incidents had been reported so far. He added that all those arrested were found with weapons and had no permission to be in the country.
However, Wajir human rights network official Mukhtar Nur said an assessment conducted by the group established that local residents were living in fear of security forces and rebel fighters roaming the area.
“Young herders are no longer going out to look after their animals for fear of arrests,” he said. “Women are also afraid to go out to look for water or firewood because some have been arrested along the way, held the whole day and accused of ferrying supplies to the rebels.”
• Meanwhile, in Nairobi, some 200 ethnic Oromos from Ethiopia complained of police harassment at a protest rally on 23 December.
“The police come to our houses in the middle of the night, abusing women, ripping up our refugee documents,” Tsegaye Gudeta, spokesman for the Oromo Refugee Community Welfare Association, told IRIN.
“Besides detention, some of us are facing daily disappearances and abuse. We were afraid for our lives, have no other place to go and we couldn’t wait any more,” he added.
The protest was held outside the UN Refugee Agency, which Gudeta said should work with Kenyan police to increase awareness of refugees’ rights.
38 thoughts on “Kenya in a large scale war against OLF”
Now because you are pissed with OLF for mere mentioning that your allegation against Genral Kemal was out of wack ..now you are engaged in propoganda against OLF by sensetionalzing the the article by giving catchy title…Eliase…just relax and take few days off!!
Kenyians better to leave OLF alone. It is too dangerous for Kenya attacking Oromos. We are neighbors and our people will stay together as they used to be. But governments will change and tomorrow is a new and bright day to the todays destitute oromos that are being harrassed by Kenya. The result is a future revenge and retaliation. We will never stop fighting for freedom. Kenyians k ow what colony means so better so them not to attack our freedom fighters. By hook or crook we will regain our liberity.
This all report is prepared by woyane money. The reporter has been told whom he ask.Those individuals are trying to create choas among the tribes(Borana and Gabra) as the woyane is doing in ethiopia. But it will not succed. Please, the Gabras don`t be Woyane mercenaries. The woyane defeat is inevitable. Kenya officials have your money as ususal you do for the last years.
OLF is anti Ethiopian harass them and kill them.
OLF must throw away its secssionist agenda.It must heed the advice of Obbo Bulcha Demkssa.
OLF has noting to do with Ethiopian Oromos it is a collection of Kenyan nomad oromos. In the future there will come a time where all oromos might be forced to take DNA test to distinguish the real Ethiopian oromos from the nomad ones which is OLF. Then we will through them out of our country for good.
Since the main goal of OLF is to divide Ethiopians as Isyas and Meles have done, I care less to what happens to OLF, ONLF and TPLF. I don’t see any difference between TPLF, EPLF, ONLF and OLF. Go EPPF!!
This is nothing new, the corrupt Kenyan regimes have been hunting Oromos and other Ethiopian refugees for a long time. Just reading this doctored report should make every Ethiopian sick to their stomachs. The corrupt Kenyan regime doesn’t know that they are sawing the seeds of hatred for the long term. Like most corrupt African regimes all they care about is short term gain they get from brutalizing defenseless people to satisfy the needs of their western benefactors.
Ethiopians in the diapsora should drop their narrow ethnic thinking and stand up for every Ethiopian regardless of their ethnic background. It is the Oromos that are being brutalized today, next time it will be other ethnic groups. If you don’t speak up now, tomorrow it will be your family memebers that will be massacred in broad day light.
Now if you visit the olf websites they will be complaining and threatning to kill Amharas, thanks to TPLF, they have divided them in to 1000 pieces and use them to do their barbaric acts against the innocent oromo people.
How could someone who openly preach to kill others win a game? No wonder why they have been there for over 30 years and the only thing they have achieved is loosing 30% of their support from the Oromo people every year.
First of all you the OLF are the most confused group of people I known. You have to believe that with a long and protracted liberation struggle a lot of things can work against you. The strength of an organization is measured by how much it with stand such difficulties. No, No when it comes olf they are acting like little kids and blame every body. Elyas is right to report as what is happening on the ground. I remember on e eriterean friend was saying as a jok, “in stead of training one olf fighter on gorella tactic it is easier to train a dog to fire AK 40” He is right you are not a fighting material. You did not know on how to work on the deplomatic front.
wipe out all rebel group
OLF = Organization of Lazy Farmers
Elias,
Can you carb some demagogues preaching their hate on your forum?
ethiopianreview become a dog house now. Elias, you used to claim that woyanne instigates ethnic fighting, but you turn to be worst than them. Free speech has a limit. Simply allowing so many idiots to post their hate message, does not make you to be a natural, but share their views. I guess this is the reason why EPPF kicked you out.
We do see nothing new. What has happened to Somali and ONLF fighters is happening to OLF. It is an organized attack involving TPLF, Kenyan security, and the West. It is in only in common front that we can win this formidable united, intellegent, and resourceful enemy.
In today’s Ethiopia, Oromos are even at the apex of the throne- they are the president(Girma), speaker of the house(Ababa Dula), mayor of Addis(Kuma), army commander(Bacha Debele),a hand full of ministers, etc… why do they still consider themselves as an opressed group?
On the other hand, Amharas are the one particularly targeted by TPLF for every kind of attack that is stretched up to genocide(if they are able to realize) but still Amharas are stand firm for the unity of Great Ethiopia.
Melkam yeferenje Genna to all Ethiopians.
Bati#14,well said.
First and foremost, we all need to understand that OLF is a political party that was created by the two evil cousins, Isayass and Meles to cause chaos, distractions and divisions among Ethiopians so that United Ethiopians don’t come after them. During Haile Selassie the majority Ethiopians struggle to make ends meet, with the exception of a handful of Amharas, Guragaes, Oromos, Eritrians, Tigreans and some other ethnic groups that had enjoyed life to the fullest. Unlike the made up stories that have been told and preached against Amharas to create division and hate, Amharas and the rest of Ethiopians still struggling to make ends meet now under tyrant Meles and during Haile and Mengestu. OLF stop crying foul and pretend to be the only victim while every ethnic Ethiopians are being mistreated, looted, tortured and killed by the current regime. Please stop tribalism and start fighting to get rid of Tyrant Meles and his cronies for the sake of all Ethiopians and all God’s children.
Comment #6 is right. Todays OLF(Organization to Librate the Fools) is composed of 97% zoomalians and 3% poor eritreans, both law-less places. This is why OLF still has no clue why it is fighting, for what reason and vision.
Some years ago when olf had some borena supporters, I had a chance to ask a former olf fighter who was a refugee in USA, what olf stands, and his answer was “I don’t know what olf stands for, we are just fighting since menelik killed our people eventhough zewditu menelik told him not too ”
Me: oh wait, menelik is oromo himself, how could you be liberated and from who ?
And his replay was: that is the 1000000 dolar question, which made me throw my Ak47, followed with all of my borena countrymen just after a month or so. He added, you can’t get a single borena man in today’s olf. They are all foreigners, which most of them are somalian and eritrean.
This is why olf is rejected by oromos kiln long ago.
Amazing story, trully amzing, what one neighbouring country does to another. Kenay should have sympthaised with the plight and sarrow of the Ethiopian people, but as we can clearly see, they are helping the Governement of Ethiopia that is commiting crimes against humanity, truly sad. And I look toward my Government and am just amazed by the total kindness, jenuin desire to help Ethiopians get the respect and human dignity that they truly deserve, especially those who have been marignalized for years, like our african brothers the Oromo people, the Ogaden people and many others that have been subjecated to no less than slavery in their own country. This people are our brothers and yet only one country has come to their plight, ofcourse Eritrea. And what does President issays gets for this?? truly nothing but headaches and all kind of name calling from disrespectiful, disgrantled and an appericative group of people, who always think that the reason Eritrean Governement is helping this poor people, must to do with some sinister grand plan that to destroy and dismantel Ethiopia. O my ethiopian brothers, wake up and smell the coffe. please, Eritrea gains nothing by the disntgeration of ethiopia if any thing if that happens, you would be a secuirty treat to eritrea. So it is actually in the very best interest of Eritrea and the horn country to help you guys so you stay strong and united, then we can do buissness and all of us can make money, that is what ISSays thinks and wants, but you fools never get it. Any who, my heart on this xmass days goes to all my African brothers in the horn, who are subjecated to less than a human in their own home land and, facing all kind of persecution even in a sisterly country such as Kenaya. I hope my goverement countinues to help you people and hopefully you all marginalized and operssed people of Ethiopia get the libirty and freedom they so deserve soon. Just remeber, when you are down and out, Eritrea got your back always as usal, all we ask is, don’t be like the woyane forget which camel back you got your librity from. Well as we say in Eritrea, No matter what the adversities in life one faces, “the camel marches on….” stay strong, victory is on the horizon, stay the course and you shall too get what is inherently your birth right, to live and be free in your land, with out being evicted from your land while it is being leases to the forien investors.
Eritreawi on #8,
Stay out of this. This is non of your bussiness. Mind yours in the North.
#14, Bati,
Atizelabid!!! Doma Tigre!
Bati, Those you metion{Girmaa, Minase, kuma, Bacaa etc) are Afaan-oromo speaking Tigrean donkeys.Those are the one who present Oromos for slightening by Woyane.Those are more enemy to oromos than anybody on this planet.
OLF is an organization with no clear vision.even the leader do not know where he is going.It is a disgrace for the oromo people.you yourself are working against oromos.when somebody believes in OLF he is known to be shallow and retarded.you create a wrong image for the smart oromos who are working day and night in every component of government and societal structure.why don’t you guys drop OLF altogether?funny!
OLF is a looser because of never have had a good dream for Freedom fight.They are traying to get power by short cut and this is the main reason and never achived. Also, OLF should learn from past poletical exprianses and they better joins to the true Ethiopian oppesition before their life end. However, OLF leaders age is over due. Thy must think about it what to do. Have a wonsderful holiday!!!!
#19, God Bless You! I can not expect more than that from you, you people are suffering from inferiority complex. that is why easly tend to cry, weap, sob, brag, detonate, insult…
But let me tell you, the land/territory currently infested by Oromo people do not belong to them; the oromos invaded it only during the 17th century while the Abyssinian king with all his Christian people were fighting against Ahmad Giragn. so, at a given time in the future, oromos will be sent back and contained to their original teritory. what I mean is you can not talk about operation, independence or whatever rather than kindly requesting for refugee status in Abyssinia.
Dear the number “2” commentoter it is beter if you read human right “ABC””before
you comment
Hmm, I wonder—–. Elias I thought you are a brave guy. Why you didn’t post my comment? It was just a complement to you that you came a long way for the last few weeks.
To me there is no organization like OLF that distorted the image of oromo ppl. Today it is clear olf leaders don’t know why they are olf and why they are fighting. Even after 40 yrs they didn’t get it,this is complete stupidity and ignorance by olf which some relate it with bieng oromo. Actually as half oromo interms of inteligence all ethiopians are equal but what matters is the orgainization represented .
Advice, just join hands with other ethiopian pple and fight agian.
no wonder why the so called ethiopia remained the poorest of poor in every thing, because she is the mother of retarded creatures…
#27 mizan i like it.it is truth!no more no less!
OLF is not only a representative but also the same as the oromo people. Our enemies know how much OLF unified oromos all over the world. That is why they try to divide oromos along religion lines. They sometimes try to divide oromos into shewa oromos and other oromos. Neftegnas like Lidetu wants to a federal system in which shew ormos are being ruled by shewa Amharas. They want to kill other oromos by using shewa oromos as a tool. This is not a new strategy. Their father, Minlik did the same. He used Ras Gobena against other oromos.
Neftegnas should know that shewa oromos are not only oromos but the founders of our liberation movement. Find and read the history of General Tadesse Birru. read the following passage taken from Wikipaedia:
Modern Ethiopia and its current borders are a result of significant territorial reduction in the north and expansion in the south toward its present borders, owing to several migrations and commercial integration as well as conquests, particularly by Emperor Menelik II and Ras Gobena.
Yes Gobenna(Shewa Oromo)and Minilik (Amhara) conquered many kingdoms. But Minilik become Emperor. Oromos were helping their enemy to bring enemey into power. This is what OPDO is also doing today. They helped Melles come to power.
This will never happen by OLF. OLF is the most wise oromo organization (for oromos) and the most disliked by oromo enemies. This itself shows its acceptance by oromos.
#28-Obsa: You think your fiction about Ethiopian history and about Oromos with the sole intention to divide is going to materialize? Like any OLF sympathizer, you are a freak who wants to see Ethiopians to separate and stay divided.
However, this dream of yours and that of the OLF is not going to be realized, as you have no base support from Ethiopians in genearl and Oromos in particular. So, the only chance you have is to vent your venom here on cyber space or on OLF website.
#19 Bati,what you said about the Oromo expansion is autentic history.
1st, Bati, you nailed the history right on the spot. The Oromos are not originally from Ethiopia, they come from other regions of Africa and settled in Ethiopia mainly and Kenya. If oromons don’t like to live in harmony with the rest of the Ethiopian’s, they can go back to wherever they come from. Ethiopia have history in her side to back her claim that the so called Oromo land belongs to the True Ethiopian’s.
2nd, you Eritreans, specially idiot like #19, who works for Isayass, please leave us alone, we don’t need any of your comments. It is very laughable for #19 to say that Isayass has no desire of seeing a divided Ethiopia, and you also said he gets all the name calling for what he did not do, very funny. Issaya is a lunatic you foolish, read the current story on wikileak about Isayass.
Habashas need to change their ignorant mentality soon than before things change to the worst. South Sudan is going to conduct referendum and next will be Oromos turn. The only way Oromos can consider living with Habashas, if we have a new country USE, United States of Ethiopia and new flag to represent all of ethnics in the country. The green, yellow, red flag doesn’t represent Oromos. Habashas unwillingness to compromise on these two main issues will lead to the disunion of the country.
Today OLF and its supporters, and tomorow others Ethiopian organizations and their supporters. The corrupted Kenyans will do that so long Mele’s agents can afford to bribe the corrupts. Ethiopia is facing a very testing time in history which has been created by two diffirent typ of danger. Namelly, they are the very dangerous radicals who do not want to hear the names of Ethiopian ethnics, except the Great Ethiopia. And also those who are radical and do not want to hear about Ethiopia, except the name of their own ethnics. Both of them are very dangerous for the existance of our country. That is why our peoples have left their country and suffering at the hands of corrupted Kenyan officials.
To Tigreans,
We understand that you are acting like scared mouse since you know very well that you are not welcome in Oromia. Things are going to get hotter than what you think. It is easy to ullulate to a computer screen. For your information, you have made life easier for the OLF by your saddistic behaviour. We have shown the descent side of our humanity when we fought in Tigray. You have not seen the ugly side of humanity yet. We are not bred to hate, but you have shown us the way. Thanks.
Meles has told the Ethiopian people with his callous remark that if you expose the skin of every oromo you would find an imprint of OLF underneath. And so we say proudly that we are all OLF. IF detractors are happy at what is happening to genuine Oromo refugees in Kenya, wait to see when the tide turns. Oh, by the way we will kill the attempt of your refugees (Tigreans and Amharas) seeking refugee status under the banner of being Oromo. We will block it.