MOGADISHU (Xinhua) — Insurgent fighters took over the provincial capital of central Somali region of Beledweyn hours after Ethiopian Woyanne troops withdrew from the city, residents said Saturday.

The fighters arrived in the town early in the morning taking positions and keeping guard at the streets.

Locals ransacked the offices of the regional and municipal administration and the whereabouts of the regional Governor and mayor of the city of Beledweyn are not yet known, resources in Beledweyn, 300 km north of Mogadishu, told Xinhua.

Commanders of the insurgent fighters spoke with local residents saying they will fight with Ethiopian Woyanne troops if they returned to the city which has fallen to the insurgents early this year but the insurgents withdrew hours after they took over.

Sources in the city said that Ethiopian Woyanne troops who since they returned to Beledweyn after they left early this year had been stationed in the town with the newly installed administration trying to consolidate their authority in the region.

The new Governor had said early this year that insurgents were inside the region and had been trying to reign in. Ethiopian Woyanne troops were deployed in the town and the former governor’s forces disbanded.

Ethiopian Woyanne troops were reportedly heading to towns in the central region of Mugud. It is not clear why they withdrew from Beledweyn or went to the Mudug Region

Source: Missionary International Service News Agency (MISNA)

There are reports of clashes between the the ONFL and the regular Ethiopian army Woyanne in Ethiopia’s eastern region of Ogaden.

Local sources said that thirty people, mostly regular soldiers, were killed in the fighting near the towns of Shilabo and Warder, along the border with Somalia. The traffic, on the roads that connect the two countries, was halted in the past few hours on account of the violence.

Fighting between the ONFL and the army has increased since last April, when the ONLF fighters – armed against the central government since the early 1990s -– have attacked some oil wells managed by a Chinese company, leaving 77 dead.

The Ethiopian reaction Woyanne, involving the intervention of ground troops and aerial bombardment and prime minister dictator Meles Zenawi’s decision to prohibit access to humanitarian workers, has made the living conditions of the civilian population even more difficult.

Press Release
OROMOS IN EUROPE CALL FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ETHIOPIA

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — On Monday 30 June 2008, over one hundred members of the Oromo diaspora from across Europe will gather in the Place Jean Rey of Brussels to protest the ongoing and systemic
degradation of human rights within Ethiopia under the regime of Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia since 1991.

Oromo activists will then proceed to the European Commission Berlaymont Building. Over four hours, they to draw public attention to the human rights situation in Ethiopia and urge the European Commission to condemn the Ethiopian regime’s longstanding disdain for human rights and disregard for the international covenants which it has signed and which are intended to safeguard these rights.

The protests will also be used as an opportunity to present detailed dossiers of information regarding the abuses to key figures within the European Commission, European Council, European Parliament, and the African, Caribbean, Pacific Group of States. The dossiers will call upon the institutions to act in support of the people of Ethiopia and encourage the Ethiopian government to respect its human rights obligations.

This protest has been sparked by the most recent catalogue of abuses in the district of Oromia. In recent weeks, ethnic Oromos have been dealing with violence which has gone unaddressed by the Ethiopian government. With no protection, hundreds have been forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in makeshift camps without any meaningful aid from the Ethiopian government. This is occurring at the same time as Ethiopia is enduring a major drought and resource scarcity has become a tool of regime maintenance.

The protest will take place between 9.00 am – 3.00 pm on Monday 30 June 2008, beginning in the Place Jean Rey between 9.00am – 10.00am before moving to the European Commission (Berlaymont Building) where activists will be present from 11.00am – 3.00pm.

EVENT SUMMARY

9.00am – 10.00am
Place Jean Rey, Brussels

11.00am – 3.00pm
European Commission (Berlaymont Building), Brussels

For media enquiries, contact Andrew Swan (UNPO Project Coordinator)
+32 (0) 472 577 518 / [email protected]

Union of Oromo Students in Europe
Flories de Cuyper Straat 31/3,
2640, Morstel, Belgium.
Tel/Fax: +32 (0)34 480459
E-mail: [email protected]

Amara and Tigre of today’s Ethiopia and Eritrea, were the founders of ancient Gebts over 5100 years ago for the primary purpose of selling goods and produce. For more information and lists of ancient Amarigna and Tigrigna words written 5100 years ago,

EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL

Late on June 26, Education International (EI) received a disturbing update from Gemoraw Kassa, General Secretary of the ETA, established in 1949 and EI Member, informing EI that the court of cassation at the Federal Supreme Court ruled against the original ETA, 26 June.

Gemoraw Kassa notes the disappointment of the ETA, and the surprise not only at the content of the ruling but the proceeding itself. Surprising because during the hearing held on the 11th of June 2008, the case was postponed to the 30th of July 2008. This followed the original postponement from 7 April 2008. In the meantime, the ETA received an execution order from the Federal High Court based on its ruling of 7 February 2008 that could force ETA to hand over the property of original ETA to the ETA established in 1993. ETA (1949) then applied for the suspension of this order pending the final outcome of the court proceeedings. But, Gemoraw Kassa says, despite the provision of the law, the judges at the court of cassation have been too reluctant to respond for the last two weeks. “We have been constantly pleading with them but with no avail.”

Gemoraw goes on to say, “Finally, today (on 26 June), we were allowed to appear in a court room where six judges sat around a table and they told us that they upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court and of the Federal Supreme Court. According to their ruling, we are going to lose the property, bank assets, name and logo of ETA altogether to the surrogate ETA leaders.

“It is regrettable that by such court proceeding, the ETA court case which has been on litigation for the last 15 years has been finalized, denying ETA members of their rights to independent professional organization and property as well as bank assets accumulated for the last 59 years. Hereafter, nowhere to go to seek a high standard of justice to be practiced in this country.”

Gemoraw Kassa also informs EI that the ETA (1993) leaders accompanied by a number of policemen and officials of neighborhood office nearby ETA headquarters came to ETA (1949) premises to claim its property today. “As we were at the court of cassation of the Supreme Court, they could not achieve their purpose. They may come back tomorrow with a new order. What will follow is to be seen.”

Indeed we will keep you posted.

Please see also the Urgent Resolution on Trade Union Rights Violations in Ethiopia, adopted by the 5th EI World Congress in July 2007.

Chronology of recent events:

3-6 February: EI Delegation to Ethiopia: Steve Sinnott (NUT), Assibi Napoe, Emanuel Fatoma (EI), Teopista Birungi Mayanja (UNATU), Gemoraw Kassa (ETA).Visas denied to Jan Eastman, Dominique Marlet (EI) and Walter Dresscher (AOb).

7 February: Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court : dissolution of the original ETA, which is ordered to hand over property, other assets and its name to the ETA established in 1993. Date set by court for execution of this order is 26 June 2008.
ETA petitions the Court of Cassation.

8 February: EI Urgent Action Appeal on Dissolution of Ethiopian Teachers’ Association (EI member).

25 February: EI letter to Ethiopian PM, asking once again for dialogue with Ethiopian authorities.

5 March: Responses to the UAA sent to ETA, embassy in Brussels, embassy in Geneva, Ethiopian PM.

7 April: Court of Cassation hearing is adjourned because one of the judges was also at the Supreme Court which delivered the verdict against the original ETA.

10 April: Audience with ambassador of Ethiopia in Brussels.

18 April: Hearing of Court of Cassation: proceedings are adjourned until the 12th of June 2008 for further investigation.

6 June: Meeting with CETU.

9 June: ETA (1949) commisionned report on tortures of members sent to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Ethiopian Embassy in Brussels. Supplement to EI/ETA Complaint n°2516 to the ILO CFA.

11 June: Hearing of Court of Cassation postponed to 30 July. New ETA has processed an order for EI’s ETA to vacate the ETA headquarters.

26 June: 30 July Hearing of Court of Cassation moved forward with no notice. The Court upheld the ruling of the Federal High Court and of the Federal Supreme Court.