EDITOR’S NOTE: Somali parliamentarians are currently hiding in Kenya fearing that the puppet regime is about to collapse.
MOGADISHU (Xinhua) — Sheik Adan Mohamed Madoobe, speaker of the Somali national parliament, called on lawmakers on Monday in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, to return to the southern Somali town of Baidoa, the seat of the legislative body, “in order to save the country and the government”.
Most of the Somali parliamentarians have remained in Nairobi following a meeting there in late October with leaders of the regional body, the Inter-governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), on the situation of Somalia.
The meeting called by IGAD was attended by all Somalia’s top leaders including the entire parliament and heads of state and government of the regional body, but since the end of the meeting,few lawmakers have returned to Somalia because of lack of adequate funds or for security considerations.
“The deputies should all return to Baidoa in order to save the country and the government,” Madoobe told reporters in Baidoa. “You have been hearing what was going on in Nairobi. That is not good for the country and the people who want us to bring peace and stability.”
The call by the speakers came as the rift between Somali’s top leaders widens after their failure to form a government.
On Saturday, Somali President Abdulahi Yusuf Ahmed [the puppet of Meles Zenawi’s regime in Ethiopia] told lawmakers in Nairobi that there were “no functioning government” in the country which he said was mostly controlled by Islamist insurgents.
The president refused to endorse a list of ministers appointed by Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein. He described the new ministers as “destructors”.
In their October meeting, the IGAD leaders issued recommendations for Somali officials to form a government within fifteen days, which expired last Wednesday, and urged them to draft a constitution for the war-torn country during the remaining ten months before the Somali government transitional term expires.
Ethiopia: Arbitrary detention/torture or other ill-treatment
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
At least 15 members of the Oromo ethnic group, including those named above have been arrested in the Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and also reportedly in eastern and western parts of the Oromia region of Ethiopia, since around 30 October 2008. Most are reportedly held incommunicado in detention facilities in Addis Ababa, including Maikelawi, where torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners has been reported in the past.
1. Bekele Jirata (m), General Secretary of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) party
2. Asefa Tefera Dibaba (m), university lecturer at Addis Ababa University
3. Bekele Negeri (m), a businessman
4. Dejene Borena (m),
5. Fiqadu Jalqaba (m), college student
6. Eshetu Kitil (m), owner of the Hawi Hotel
7. Desta Kitili (m), his brother
8. Kebede Borena (m), assistant manager of the Hilton Hotel in Addis Ababa
9. Leslie Wodajo (f), a journalist
An unknown number of other members of the Oromo ethnic group
Some of those detained were reportedly briefly brought before a primary court, accused of financially supporting the OLF. Some were also paraded on state television on 5 November. Amnesty International believes that those detained are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
The Government of Ethiopia, including the National Anti-Terrorism Taskforce, has reportedly claimed that those detained had links to the armed opposition group, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and a previously unknown armed group, Kawerj.
Bekele Jirata is General Secretary of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) party, a small registered political party in Ethiopia that holds seats in parliament. Others arrested include Asefa Tefera, a lecturer at Addis Ababa University, and a number of students. Leslie Wodajo is a journalist who worked for the Oromo television programme on Ethiopian state television. On 12 September, the airtime of this programme was cut, a move the OFDM and another opposition party, the Oromo National Congress, claimed was politically motivated. Sixty staff members of the Oromo television programme were also removed from their jobs, many of them placed under security surveillance while their movements in Addis Ababa were restricted.
The OFDM has strongly denied that Bekele Jirata, or the party, has had any links to the OLF. In April, the party accused the Ethiopian authorities of intimidation during local elections, the first held since the post-election violence of 2005 which killed some 187 civilians.
This wave of arrests follows on a series of suicide bombings in Hargeisa, Somaliland, one of which targeted the Ethiopian consulate, killing several Ethiopian officials and a number of Somalilanders queuing for visas.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Thousands of members of the Oromo ethnic group have been detained, and many of them tortured, in recent years on suspicion of links with the OLF. The OLF has been fighting the Ethiopian government in the eastern and western parts of the Oromia Region and other areas since 1992. Among detainees held on these grounds have been people who Amnesty International considered to be prisoners of conscience who had not used or advocated violence.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:
– calling for formal charges to be brought against Bekele Jirata and other Oromo citizens, including those named above, who were recently arrested, or their immediate and unconditional release;
– expressing concern that those detained are being held incommunicado and are at risk of torture or ill-treatment;
– urging the authorities to bring all those detained before a court with a guarantee of fair trial, and allow them access to their families, legal counsel and medical treatment;
– expressing concern that those detained may be prisoners of conscience who have not used or advocated violence.
APPEALS TO:
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minister
PO Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 11 1552020
Salutation: Your Excellency Dedeb Woyanne
Minister of Justice Berhan Hailu
Ministry of Justice
PO Box 1370, Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen (Photo: YLE)
Foreign Trade and Development Minister Paavo Väyrynen embarks on a five-day visit to Ethipia and Kenya from Monday. Väyrynen will discuss Finnish development cooperation with the Prime Ministers of both countries.
Väyrynen will also discuss {www:development} policies in the host nations as well as Finnish efforts with regard to poverty reduction and sustainable development programmes. The Minister’s agenda also includes discussions on economic issues.
In Ethiopia, Väyrynen will meet Prime Minister dictator Meles Zenawi as well as African Union chair Jean Ping. He will also familiarize himself with ongoing development cooperation projects.
In Kenya Minister Väyrynen meets with Prime Minister Raila Odinga and will visit medical facilities supported by Finland. He will also visit the Meru dairy and forestry project.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Ethiopian authorities arbitrarily arrested 94 opposition members and Oromo nationals in different towns of Oromiya region but mainly in the capital Addis Ababa, confirmed two oppositions parties today.
Recently the Oromo Parliamentarians Council in a joint statement said that Meles-led government has put under unlawful detention to more than 100 Oromo’s of different background using the pretext of supporting the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) as of October 30, 2008.
The council also said it has received the list of some of the arrested Oromos including university lecturers and opposition members who has been detained over twice in the past, and tortured to the level of disability.
Two Oromo opposition parties, The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) and the Oromo Peoples Congress party confirmed the mass arrest of opposition members and Oromo nationals in different town of Ormiya region mainly in the capital, Addis Ababa.
“So far we have confirmed the illegal arrest of 94 Oromo nationals including our opposition members” Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement chairman Bulcha Demeksa told Sudan Tribune.
Bulcha says what going on now is an attempt to jeopardize Oroms people political movement in such away and close their legal political institutions by such means” he further said
“Few says ago our parties higher representative was illegal snatched by government agents from his friend’s car out side Addis in the highways of Nazeret ,south of Addis & kept in Jail for hours received threats as well” he Added
There are unconfirmed source putting the number of detained Oromos to at least 200
“Though we couldn’t confirm it at this point, medias are putting the figure to over 200” says Merarra Gudina, Oromo Peoples Congress party’s chairman but says the report is likely and has no surprise.
“It is very easy to illegal arrest any Oromo national” Merarra said adding “If you are an Oromo ethnic and you don’t support or oppose the ruling government in a way then you are considered as illegal and linked to “terrorists” like Oromo Liberation Front so you are always in the hunt list by government agents”
The Oromo Parliamentarians statement called on the international community to take action in no time.
“It is the high time for all the concerned body to interfere in the gross human right violation against the Oromos from all walks of life and secure their constitutional freedom,” it said
The opposition board urged a number of governments, international institutions and human rights organisations as: European Parliament, European Commission, USA, AU, UK and the human right groups Amnesty International, Human Right Watch, International Red Cross, UNPO, UNHCR “to speak up on the injustice carried against the Oromo people for being Oromo alone by the Meles Zenawi government.”
Recently, Ethiopian authorities warned of a possible terrorist attack and urged citizens to collaborate with security forces. The caution has led into the arrest of a number of suspects including opposition members.
EDITOR’S NOTE: These are opportunist cowards. Why don’t they speak up when the Meles dictatorship is turning the country into a vast prison camp for Oromos?
By Tsegaye Tadesse
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – An Ethiopian rebel group must listen to its people and start talks with the government to end a 15-year insurgency in the Horn of Africa nation, elders from the Oromo ethnic group said on Saturday.
Ethiopian Prime Minister dictator Meles Zenawi, the main U.S. ally in the turbulent region, is opposed by a range of rebel groups from remote regions, including the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) which has fought for autonomy for its southern homeland since 1993.
“We strongly demand that the OLF leadership heed the genuine desire of the Oromo people and enter into negotiations with the Ethiopian government without further delay,” a group of 125 Oromo elders said in a statement.
It said the guerrillas should respect a pact with Meles’ administration dictatorship reached in the Netherlands in January under which the rebels agreed to accept Ethiopia’s constitution in principle and start talks.
The government blames the insurgents for several bomb blasts targeting the capital, Addis Ababa, in recent years, and last week it said its forces had killed a senior OLF commander after luring him to a farmer’s house in the west of the country.
Ethiopia {www:Woyanne} accuses arch-foe Eritrea of backing the OLF and other rebels. Asmara denies it, and accuses Meles of oppressive policies that have triggered resistance movements. From 1998 to 2000, the two nations fought a border war in which 70,000 people were killed.
(Writing by Jack Kimball; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
RANDOLPH TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY – Paul Michael Designs, 477 Route 10 East, will hold a holiday open house fundraiser to benefit Ethiopian orphans from 5 – 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13.
The event will feature jewelry made by the children of the Orphans and Vulnerable Children Program of the Medhan Social Center in Addis Ababa.
Sale proceeds will be donated to the program through the township-based Medhen Orphan Relieef Effort (MORE).
Founded eight years ago, the non-profit organization has raised over $100,000 for the program. For more information, call (973) 989-3993.
