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80 Oromo students arrested at Bahir Dar University

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) reports that the brutal {www:Woyanne} regime in {www:Ethiopia} has arrested 80 Oromo students who are attending Bahir Dar university.

The Woyanne gunmen took the action following a protest by Oromo students against ethnic slurs by supporters of the regime.

A report by OLF said that the Woyanne regime’s Federal Police are currently hunting down more Oromo students in Bahir Dar, the capital city of the Amhara killil (region).

It has to be noted that almost all of the Oromo students who are now assigned to the Amhara regional state for university education were educated in Afan Oromo and English alone, and hence do not speak Amharic at all, and even those who can barely speak Amharic can easily be identified and are seen as aliens in the Bahir Dar town and in the entire Amhara regional state, according to the OLF News. Consequently, the students have nowhere to escape and are being brutalized by the regime’s security forces.

46 thoughts on “80 Oromo students arrested at Bahir Dar University

  1. OLF it is really exagurated to say that the students do not speak amharic You are arguing that they should be assigned only in Oromia? you should understand that the media of instruction is in English in all Universities. I dont know in Wollega University.

  2. Agazi does not speak neither Amharic or English and poor Oromos speak only English and Oromifa. Beware of the woyane “Adenqureh giza” or “kefafleh giza” policy.

  3. Elias you forgot the rest of the article:

    It is to be recalled that the current TPLF led Ethiopian government is notoriously known for harassing Oromo students for asking the right of the Oromo nation. Several hundreds of students were killed and tens of thousands jailed and brutalized since 2005 when a popular protest known as “Revolt Against subjugation” or “Fincila Diddaa Gabrummaa”, which had rocked the entire Oromia regional state, flared up and continued all over Oromia for about two years.

    It is also to be recalled that the Ethiopian government discriminately dismissed 330 Oromo students in 2004 for peacefully protesting the decision made by the so called Oromia regional state, which is a puppet of the TPLF led government, to move the capital of Oromia from Finfinnee to Adama.

    http://www.oromoliberationfront.org

    GUD EKO NEW! I DONT SEE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OLF OR TPLF

  4. The innocent Oromo students are always trapped by the Woyanne divide and rule strategy. They read or heared derogatory words..then no reasoning, as per Woyanne Startegy they go to conflict. The very sources of the Conflict are Woyanne and academically dismissed Students who still live in the University and needs any reason to hide their academic dismissal. :(

  5. I can sense some lines of utter lies in this news article. The lies are about the inability of the alleged students to speak Amharic. That is a totally misrepresented story. They just do not want to speak Amharic. I have encountered some of such pretenders in the 80’s in the USA. Some Oromos whom I knew here and back home refused to answer me in Amharic. I speak Oromifa as fluent as any Ittu can speak but found it nothing wrong having conversation in Amharic. Nothing at all!!! I take myself as someone pragmatically more proud than them. If I refuse to speak Oromifa, then that is wrong. They refute Amharic but they bend over for Latin symbols. These are a disgrace to my Oromo heritage as much as these narrow nationalist miscreants from Aduwa and Aksum or Makele for that matter. I hope they all burn in hell.

  6. Dear Elias,
    You are the only professional journalist who did his job and report the inciedent as it happened. that is what jouralism is all about. others websites are very baised and they don’t report any inciedent when it has Oromo viticm. out of tens of ignorant web site hoseters you are the only person who believe in the freedom of information and the people has the right to know what is going on in their country regardless of their race, ethnicity and political view. Keep up the good things and you deserve the reward for the best ethiopian web site presenter.
    By the way I have the dream and the plan to evalute and reward those website reporsting on Ethiopia issue which present fair and balanced news and work under the frame work of their profession/jouranlism. Not like that of Ethiomedia which is baised toward ethnic Tegres.

  7. Is OLF trying to escalate ethnic conflict in that region? We have already more than enough divisive politics injected into the society. This kind of provocative news from OLF has no place in Ethiopian community. OLF does not speak for majority conscious Oromo people!
    God bless Ethiopia.

  8. I don’t know what is currently happening there in Bahr Dar but I can assure you that the Oromo students are not seen as alien in side Bahir Dar as indicated in the report. Rather the people of Bahir Dar is known for its welcoming and respectful act to all peoples leave alone Oromos who are the respected ones. Former Oromo students who studied there can witness. You Politicians (reporters), please don’t deny facts. Whenever you write some article please take a sense of responsiveness. This issues are useful neither to Oromos, the Ethiopian people nor OLF rather this is fertile ground for Woyanie.

  9. I heard today from a friend of mine that the conflict was between Amhara and Tigrie studnets, he didn’t mention involvment of Oromos..but whatsoever understandbily i wasn’t surprised….

  10. This is all orchestrated by TPLF, The enemy of Ethiopia to create conflict and further destroy the unity of the great people of Amharas and Oromos. But history showed us again and again they uphold their unity and interest and ultimately will defeat TPLF and other anti-Ethiopian elements. The holly sprit of Menelik and Balcha are with us.

    Victory for Ethiopia (victory for the allied forces of Amharas, Oromos and all other brotherly ethnic groups)

    Kidus

  11. The Woyane regime has intensified its clamp down of Oromo nationalists recently. It has been going on for few months now. Why does it surprise us when people turn into OLF sympathisers? As far as I am concerned the solution for Ethiopia’s problems will not come from the “LFs” (be it TPLF, OLF, ONLF, ELF…etc). They are part of the problem rather than the solution. We need to develop a mentality that respects all human beings (for we have all been created in the image of GOD)irrespective of ethnic affiliation. All the “LFs” stand for their own ethnic group. We have seen the consequences of tribalism in Ethiopia in the past two decades. Unless each and every one of us is ready to exorcise the demon of tribalism, the sun will never shine on Ethiopia.

  12. “The Woyanne gunmen took the action following a protest by Oromo students against ethnic slurs by supporters of the regime.”

    What language was used for the slurs? English or Oromiffa? Evidently it can’t be Amharic since these poor Oromo kids don’t understand it.

    How ironic: in the epic power struggle between the Amharas and the Tigreans, the major looser is the Oromo people, again! Imagine, a whole generation doesn’t speak the language used in the government or in any of the bantustans except Oromia. When these Oromo kids finish school, can they one day work outside their kilil? For them, studying in Bahir Dar or in Mombasa must be the same thing as they sure feel alienated in both places.

    Bravo Meles, bravo ethnic politics. Congrat immature politicians with half baked ideologies!

  13. Gabra,

    You are totally detached from reality. In Oromia region since 1992, the majority of Oromo student have opted not to learn Amharic. If an Oromo from Ambo who has never spoken Amharic at all joins Bahir Dar University, do you expect him to learn the language in just few weeks because he is Bahir Dar? The individuals you met in 1980 have definitely learned Amharic in those days – Amharic was compulsory just like Maths and if you have passed in any school system, you must have learned Amharic. If you fail to obtain a passing mark for Amharic in ECLSE, you are unlikely to join a University. Thus the folks you mentioned presumably did not want to speak Amharic due to unfair advantage given to the language. Partly this is one cause for revolt in Oromia for several decades and the current appalling misery the country is facing! Developing Amharic language and Amhara culture at the expense of others was completely wrong. The way out of the current predicament for the whole country is to acknowledge the past mistakes and find a lasting solution for all, namely- no enforcement of one language, culture etc… on others whether by TPLF or any other force! You are also consumed by the fact that Oromo have adopted Latin script. Do you really think this process that has spilled the blood of thousands of Oromo is reversible by your desire? Oromo will do everything to prevent it. Today’s miscreants were also created by a miscreant system.

    Nope replies:

    The problem of Ethiopia at the moment is woyane!Is that it is big?Not at all but ethiopians have no unity.they are kicked one by one.Unity is the power of anything.tigres used oromos to destroy amara.i.e for their stuupid propagana in the expense of oromos, they want to asure their power. tell you the truth, any tigre in tigre region speaks amharic language although they are narrow very tribal.but oromos were jumping up when amharic was dismissed from oromia.can oromo works in south region?no!woyanes game comes more worse on oromos.because all knows the genocide of amara in oromia region and any other places. but amara has been very aware of such narrow cell dogs and left for the sake of future generation and the country. In derg time, he mengstu abolished amharic in many regions due to his barbaric Ideology to the emperors and political propaganda. Then somalia war was started and soldiers from all regions and tribes were required. to say left, right, left right training, they catch potato on one hand and chille on the other and the unity of the soldiers were very horrible and can’t understand each other and every thing was foorsh! Mengistu was forced by himself and his political power to use one means of communication. Then they just give all them amharic course for 3 months and all the soldiers show a magnificent rally in addis ababa. I really support oromo self determination and the people should decide what they want.the fall of woyane consquences in two out comes:1. ünity of ethiopians based on equality and justice for all 2. the selfdetermination of oromia.

    anyway both oromo and amhara students and peoples are in big problem. May God save them.One big truth is that Oromo and Amhara are always peaceful and compassionate! They both are not snakes like the tigres.

    sad replies:

    I am obssessed by the situation of the students and may God save them.
    English and Amharic were compulsary subjects:english for international access of education and books, amharic for the unity of the people.tplf has been doing long year horrible assignment.Nigeria has many tribes with their respective languages, but when they want to form a country the didnt have one common thing to communicate. Then they used their harasing colonizer’s language, english as official language.

    In the future, i hope amharic and oromigna will be given in all schools and used in parallel!God save all of us and our country.

  14. sometimes please advocate unity. From the OLF website the article below was available but you select to report the worst condition only. Please read how the Oromo and Amhara students live in harmony.

    Source:OLF
    In Oromiya regional administration, west Shawa Zone, government forces killed Wondimu Damana, a 12th grade Gedo High School student. The soldiers also injured Belay Motuma and another female student.

    “During the shooting incident, one student was killed, two were injured; and over 30 students, 1 teacher and 1 development assistant of Oromo national origin were taken into custody,” MP and leader of the Oromo People’s Congress Dr. Marara Gudina told the VOA.

    Asked about the cause of the attacks, Gudina said that students discovered a derogatory letter written in Amharic in the school.

    Students said the letter was intended to incite conflict between students of Amhara and Oromo nationalities.

    Upon the realization of the denigrating nature of the letter to the Oromo people, students from both groups requested the school director to investigate the source of the letter.

    On 3 March 2009, the students gathered in the school to hear the outcome of the investigation from the school director, when the elite force suddenly surrounded the school and opened fire.

    Chaliya district’s local administrator, Mr. Galata Nagasa commented that government forces took the action to “protect the constitutional order”, which is always cited by government officials to justify violence.

    “Fatino Darash” is the name for locally stationed government elite/special forces, established to squash dissent and disband rallies. They are notorious for taking similar actions against students and peaceful dissidents in west Shewa zone in particular and Oromiya in general.

    Ethiopian soldiers enjoy impunity after carrying out brutal and segregationist attacks. In fact, they are known to have been rewarded for discriminating and killing Oromo students and opponents of the Ethiopian government over the last 18 years.

    The rewards take forms of promotion to higher military ranks, salaries and reassignments to other areas.

    The 2009 US State Department report on human rights in Ethiopia, documents widespread extra-judicial killings, arrests, and imprisonment of Oromo students and dissidents in Oromiya regional state in Ethiopia.

    See the 2008 State Department country report on Ethiopia

    Source: VOA Afaan Oromoo Program on March 5, 2009.

    Opinions published on News and Views section of this site are those of the authors and not necessarily that of OLF.

    Copyright ©2005 ABO/OLF All Rights Reserved | Email Webmaster [email protected]

  15. Hopefully, they all speak amaharic but they are unfortunately obssessed with hatred to amaharas and and are victimising themselves to such an unfortunate experiences. it is very sad for the so called “liberation fronts” to arrive at such disgraceful results. Shame on narrow nationalists like OLF and others.They will never ever be successful with their narrow nationalism political formulas. Rather they will harvest their endless fears here and there in the upcoming hundred years. What i am advising to all ethiopian narrow nationalists is that …..you better give up your backward rather savage and raw political formulas and come back to your senses by emaracing Ethiopiyawinet. Don’t confuse your brothers and childerens to be narrow minded and hunted here and there like alien dogs in their own country. Let God give the capcity to OLF leadership think like a civilised citezen and see the Grand Picture. Infact, OLF is committing costly mistakes since its inception by being head strong to accept Ethiopiywinet.Regrdless of all odds Ethiopia Shall prevail.Death to all Narrow Nationalists.Last but not least i am really sorry for what has happened to those innocent victimes of the situation in Bahir Dar for they are deliberatly targeted or taken advantage of by the Ethinocentric system.It more commendable for OLF cadres to think once again about the results of their wrong political calculations in the country.

  16. We are now exercising the bad education policy of TPLF. It has been seventeen or so years since TPLF stated to implement the wrong education policy only for its political benefit.

    This time the OROMO student can not speak Amharic this is simply because they were not able to know the languge in the last seventeen years. You see how TPLF is killing generation?

  17. Gabra you have put it right. These fools are victimes of Narrow nationalism. They are paying it expensively. OLF is destroying its ordinary followers by hiding itself behind the curtain. Its wrong political calculations will end up in total failure.

  18. Gabra,

    You seem miserably out of touch to compare these students with the “pretenders” you met “in the 80’S in the USA.” Those people CHOSE not to speak the language.

    Right now in Oromia, kids are thought in Afan Oromo and only one period of Amharic, which starts in fifth grade after the children have passed through the early ages when they can learn a language. They start studying all subjects in English when they reach 9th grade, which is a disadvantage as well. So, not only do these kids not speak Amharic, they can hardly write and fill out a form thats in Amharic.

    This is a new phenomenon with students of the TPLF era, specially those affected by the new education policy which was implemented a few years after TPLF came in.

    Children are purposely being thought to be marginalized in their own country. It will be extremely difficult for a child from Oromia to get a job elsewhere. It will be hard for him/her to seek national office if he/she cannot communicate his/her cause effectively to people of other areas.

    Forget about competing internationally. Although there is a period of English thought starting from first grade, the quality is very low. In the old days, English used to be medium of instruction starting in middle schools. Now, they have moved it to 9th grade, which means a student only has two years to study in English before taking the national exam, all of which is in English.

    Speaking of English, the Addis Ababa city administration just passed a regulation banning English as a medium of instruction for private primary schools. Source: http://www.ezega.com/News/NewsDetails.aspx?Page=heads&NewsID=1370

  19. as far as me is concerned most of the the OLF people and members believe as if they were colonized by the Abyssinia people that is the Amhara and Tigrie. therefore they dont want the heritages of these Abyssinian nations. but this mindset is not right.we are living today! that was the past! of course we have to take lessons from our past mistakes. but holding inside our past resentments will not benefit any one instead it hold’s us back from living together with love and peace as one pride nation. Divisive messages are rt now helping the tyrant Meles to sustain his power. Please let us not be identified with specific tribe, and let us do something for the common cause of our poor nation. we are human beings! that is a higher being.

  20. Thank you, Thank you, Gabra. You make a great sense. I have oromo heritage, but I speak Amharic. I am proud of speaking any language. As you said, let they all burn in hell!

  21. Mr. Garba, you are out of the point which is concening the case. These students are young generetion who have compledted their high school in Oromic and English in the FEDERAL STATE OF OROMIA. Therefore they cannot speak Amharic or speak Amharic barely. That means, even they do not have any place to hide since they cannot comminicate with the local natives. As it is known ” CHAUVINISM IS THE MOTHER OF NARROW NATIONALISM “. It is the people like you who has flourished narrow nationalism in Ethiopia. If you don’t see that the Oromos are resisting the brutal system which is imposed uppon them, then you are one of those chauvinists. As the saying goes on ” A FOOL AT FORTY IS A FOOL FOREVER “, if we don’t learn from the past mistakes, we will never learn in future.

  22. “… seen as aliens in the Bahir Dar town and in the entire Amhara regional state, according to the OLF News.” This is a very good news for Woyane. The so called OLF has never and ever been successful with its racist ideology. A Comment given by Gabra #6 is a good point. There is nothing wrong to speak any language. Those who can speak but refuse to speak a language have no reason except for the trash propoganda of OLF and Woyanne. OLF is always barking as the dogs (woyanes) bark.

  23. My Ethiopian brothers and sisters please look out for all Ethiopians who are harassed by this narrow minded dictator.If not you will be the next victim.Late us save our people and our nation before we try to build another.It is as simple as one two and three.Get rid off the black Nazi and his loosers,democratic fair election and the majority rule respecting the right of the minorty.Our own short sight have created the killing fields for THE black Nazi.To those the me Polticians you are as bad as the black nazi until you throw your price tag and cross the WE side.WE all will be again one great family.

  24. Hey Gabra:

    First of all you have a right to speak any language you want or not. How come you forgot to realize that you have used Latin script to write your comment. Didn’t you bend over?

    “Yaleawaqii samii nifxi yileqeliqal” alu.

    We have a right to choose what ever we want to use, and that is why we continue to struggle.

  25. If they can’t speak Amaharic it is because they didn’t learn Amaharic, If they didn’t learn Amaharic it is because they didn’t want to learn, if they didn’t want to learn Amaharic they shouldn’t have left Oromia for any reason. And that is because of TPLF and OLF.

    If there is a country there should be a national languge if there is a national languge everybody in that country should speak the national languge. Otherwise the individual is personally responsible for the consequences of not speaking the national languge. he should stay at his tangue-region all his life. And that is because of TPLF and OLF.

    This is the result of such organisation as OLF who fall in weyane’s trap and drag the people to the trap. Sadly it is the poor Oromo children who are paying for OLF’s short sightedness. I wish the Oromo have someone like Mr OBANG METHO FROM GAMBELLA. HUMANITY BEFORE ETHNICITY, NO ONE IS FREE UNLESS WE ALL ARE FREE!!!

    SELAM

  26. To be able to speak in several languages enriches ones knowledge. We must take pride in speaking in as many Ethiopian languages as possible.

    OLF should drop its agenda of cecseion and join the rest of us in the struggle to evict the tyrant Meles from office

  27. This all orchestrated by TPLF, The enemy of Ethiopia to create conflict and further destroy the unity of the great people of Amharas and Oromos. But history showed us again and again they uphold their unity and interest and ultimately will defeat TPLF and other anti-Ethiopian elements. The holly sprit of Menelik and Balcha are with us.

    Victory for Ethiopia (victory for the allied forces of Amharas, Oromos and all other brotherly ethnic groups)

    Yes

  28. People, don’t be so fool. If we say the reality, whether it is the Oromo students or people, they support OLF than EPPF, Ginbot 7 or TPDM as the Amharas support the EPPF, Ginbot 7 or the Tigires TPLF or TPDM. Because the liberation fronts and their supporters hate each others. And for sure as we all know it, hating does not bring any solution for Ethiopia than damages. Let us clean our selves from evils and stand for all ETHIOPIAN PEOPLES, since Ethiopia concerns all Ethiopians. There are some radical elements among us ( CHAUVINISTS and NARROWISTS ) who are doing damages to the harmonys of Ethiopians as well as to Ethiopia itself. First let us clean or tame these problems mongers from among us and then come to talk to each others.
    DOWN WITH CHAUVINISM AND NARROWISM !!
    LONG LIVE THE MULTI-ETHNIC ETHIOPIA !!

  29. The dying beast has no mercy for any creature which moves around it and trys to bite and hang on as if bitting will save it from dying. TPLF’s case is the same. It thinks that arresting and killing hundreds of people will freightens the rest millions of Ethiopian people to kneel down for TPLF. And specially why TPLF is hunting down the ethnic Oromos wherever they are ? Simply, because the Oromos are great in number and occupy a large territory. And that means for TPLF, a source of economical income and human power for it’s thug army. In another words, if you controll the big ones, the small ones will submit by themselves. But this TPLF’s failed strategy will not work any more. It is fighting the unwinable fire which has already sarrounded it. Whether it is OLF or other Oromo Liberation Fronts, they are representing the Oromo people.

  30. Under tigarus,if you are not a victim today,you will be tomorrow.Trust me on this.we’ve seen it hundreds of times.So please don’t judge oromo student who can’t speak other than their language.The issue wasn’t about the language.There was clear message in the bahir dar university campus against oromo student and oromo people in general.And the student asked the the campus adminstrators for an answer and the answer was to beaten and thrown in jail and disappearance without trace.What do you do if that happens to you?why don’t you put youself in their(oromo student)shoes and try for yourself?what happened if amhara student targeted in jimma university where predominantly oromo speaker?does this justifiably?Guys the issue is not about the language.They the weyanes want to silence the oromo student and the oromo people in general.For how they can do that? for how long?what will happen tomorrow?Does oromo people live like this forever?what will happen tomorrow?May God have mercy on you the happy people of the day”THE TIGARU”.It seem to your student are the only one who goes to school without worrying what will happen in their high school colleges and universities.Remeber,there will be a time for everthing.Time happenes and time of sorrow…….

  31. To all those who concur with my comment, I say ‘All due gratitude to you!!’ and for others who disagreed with me in a professional manner, I say ‘I am very happy and lucky to have you as my friends’. But those who chose to scold me as if I have no right to ideas and opinions of my own, you know where your place in history in going to be – in the dustbin. I can sense where you are and who you are associated with. It has neither worked for you before nor will it work in the future. I used Latin symbols in submitting my comment because the medium here for the original article is English. I would be very glad to reply to you in Oromiffa but I want to be understood by not only those narrow nationalist mooncalves in Minnesota but by everyone surfing this revered website. I will reiterate again. The article was hog washed and embellished by narrow nationalist nitwits farting in their plush mansions in Minnesota. I told you this and I am going to tell you this again and again until you suffocate yourself to oblivion – I refuse to live alone. I have chosen to live in peace and harmony with the Amharas, Tigreans, Keffichos, Woliatas, Kembatas, Afars, Somalis and all those ethnic groups from Moyale to Wolkaeit from Dowelle to Assosa. Kamilasie Tegur Yinekul!!!! Mr. Elias, Please bail me out on this commitment!! Tewasegn!!! The Ethiopianist fervor in Garesu Duki, Haile Aba Mersa, Abdisa Aga, Gobena Dachie and many other Oromos who paid the ultimate price for the love of this blessed enclave called Ethiopia is boiling in my blood. I will not sell them off for some stinking narrow nationalist losers. Just tewasegn!!!! I will not let you down, Brother!!!! And nobody, I say nobody can take away my Oromo heritage only because I decided to live in peace and harmony with others. Never!!!!!

  32. lets come back to our golden history there is no Amhara, there is no Oromo there is no Tigre, there is no southern,
    There is one ETHIOPIA,all people,s are noble and civillized.
    pleas remember an ethiopian,s whos decendant,s came from amhara,oromo,tigre.etc when you argued about ethnic we confiused(yementoch enat tengala timotalech) endetebalew malet new.pleas don’t be fertil to woyane and shabia.Meles & Bereket are Eritirean.s they are not Ethiopian.so weak up guys!
    Lakomelza from canada

  33. I don’t know why all oromo people think only in 5kms radius. Even those the so called “Educated” think worse than the non-educated ones.They all do not want the unity of Ethiopia.That is why woyane is abusing Ethiopia. Had we been unified, we could have eradicated Woyane from this world. This message is to all Oromos to tell them to think out of 5kms radius.

  34. The point here is that for the new generation, who passed through the Woyanes highly ethnicized education policy, there is NO a common language to communicate and understand each other in national universities. Though learning in mother toungue in early grades is pedagogically preferable, TPLF and OLF delibrately politicize it more than needed for its pedagogical benefits. As citizen of one nation, we need to have a national language, be it Amharic, Oromiffa, or any possible language. However, the Woyane and OLF use language to divide the country into ethnic bantustan and spread haterad among the people for the short-sighted political goals.

  35. እኔ እንኳን ኣስተያየት ለመስጠት ሳይሆን፡ ኣንድ የዱሮ ጓደኛ ለማፈላለግ ብየ ነው እምጽፍ ያለሁት። ጥላሁን ፋንታ የሚባል ኣለኝ ብባህርዳር ዩኒቨርሲቲ ሌክቸረር። ባጭሩ እዛ ተምሮ እዛ እያስተማረ መሆኑን ክኤርትራው ኢትዮጵያ ጦርነት በፊት ኣውቅ ነበር። ኣሁን ግን የት እንደማገኘው ወይም ኣድራሻው ምን እንደሚል ልማወቅ ፈልጌኣለሁ። የሚያግዘኝ ሰው ቢገኝ እንዴት ጥሩ ነበር። ስለዚህ፡ የሆነ ሰው ኢንፎርመሽን ካለው በሚከተለው ኣድራሻ እንዲጽፍልኝ እማጸናለሁ።

    [email protected]
    tel: 0047 96661436

    He is my best friend and I want to meet him and visit him at any cost. Please do whatever u can to help me find him.

    Many thanks!

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