Federal police detaining youth suspected of links with GPF

     ESAT News
Federal police officers have travelled from the Capital to a town in Northern Ethiopia, Merawi, 35 KM far from Bahir Dar city, to arrest several University students whom they suspected of having links with the newly formed Ginbot Seven Popular Forces (GPF).
It has been confirmed that one student was severely beaten when the officers were kidnapping the students. The youth have been taken to Addis Abeba.
In a related report, ESAT has learnt that Major Mesafint Tigabu, who has been an Intelligence Official of one of the member parties of the ruling Front and also of... the Ethiopian Defense Forces has joined GPF.

Major Mesafint has conducted an interview with ESAT regarding the nepotism within the Defense Forces, grievances within the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM) and related issues. The full interview will be aired over the coming days.

See More

የማረሚያ ቤቱ ድራማ በርዕዮት እምቢተኝነት ከሸፈ

Print PDF

ከፍኖተ ነፃነት ጋዜጣ
ባሳለፍነው እሁድና ሰኞ በቃሊቲ ማረሚያ ቤት የምትገኘውን ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙን ለመጠየቅ በዛ ያሉ የሞያ አጋሮቿና አድናቂዎቿ በስፍራው ተገኝተው ነበር፡፡ የጠያቂዎቹ በዛ ብሎ የመገኘት ዋነኛ ምክንያት ደግሞ ርዕዮት በቅርቡ የዩኔስኮን የ2013 አለም አቀፍ ሽልማት በማግኘቷ እንኳን ደስ አለሽ በማለት የደስታዋ ተካፋይ መሆናቸውን ለመግለጽ ነበር፡፡ የባልንጀሮቿን የደስታ ምኞት እየተቀበለች ለሁሉም ሽልማቱ የእርሷ ብቻ እንዳልሆነም ትገልጽ ነበር፡፡
ርዕዮት ጠያቂዎቿን በመቀበል እያነጋገረች በነበረችበት ሰዓት(ሰኞ ዕለት) የቪዲዩ ካሜራ በመደገን ለመቅረጽ ይሞክር የነበረ አንድ ሰው በጋዜጠኞች እይታ ስር ይወድቃል፡፡ ርዕዮት ላይ ያነጣጠረው ካሜራ የፈለገውን እንዳያገኝም በስፍራው የነበሩ ሰዎች ጋዜጠኛዋን በመክበብ ምስሏን እንዳይቀርጽ አድርገዋል፡፡ በጠያቂዎቿ እንደተከበበች ርዕዮትን መቅረጽ ያልሆነለት ስውሩ ጋዜጠኛ በመጨረሻ ርዕዮትን ነጥሎ ለማናገር ይሞክራል፡፡ በዚህ ወቅት ግን የጠያቂዎች ሰዓት በማለቁ የርዕዮት ጠያቂዎች ማረሚያ ቤቱን ለቅቀው እንዲወጡ ተደርገዋል፡፡
የፍኖተ ነጻነት ምንጮች እንዳረጋገጡት ጋዜጠኛው ርዕዮትን በማግኘት ‹‹አንቺ ጋዜጠኛ አይደለሽ፣ በራስሽ የምትተማመኚ ከሆነስ ለምን ለመቀረጽ እምቢ ትያለሽ›› ይላታል፡፡ ርዕዮትም ‹‹ከአንተ ጋር ከመነጋገሬ በፊት የማረሚያ ቤቱን ሃላፊዎች ማነጋገር እፈልጋለሁ›› በማለቷ ሃላፊዎቹ ይመጣሉ፡፡ ርዕዮት ቀጠለች‹‹ይህ ጋዜጠኛ የሚፈልገውን ቃለ ምልልስ የመስጠት ችግር የለብኝም፣ ነገር ግን የተናገርኩትን ቆራርጦና ጨማምሮ ሊያቀርበው የሚችል በመሆኑ የነጻ ሚዲያ አባላት በቃለ ምልልሱ ወቅት እንዲገኙ ይደረግ፣ ከዚህ ውጪ ግን ለጥያቄው ምንም አይነት ትብብር እንደማላደርግ ይታወቅልኝ›› በማለት አቋሟን ግልጽ አድርጋለች፡፡
እንደሚታወቀው መንግስት በሽብርተኝነት ከስሶ በእስራት እንድትቀጣ እያደረጋት የምትገኘው ጋዜጠኛ የጤንነቷ ሁኔታ አሳሳቢ ደረጃ ላይ እንደሚገኝ መገለጹን ተከትሎ በአገር ውስጥና በውጪ መንግስት ላይ ከፍተኛ ጫና እየተደረገ ይገኛል፡፡ የጋዜጠኞች መብት ተሟጋቹ ሲፒጄን ጨምሮ የአውሮፓ ፓርላማ አባል የሆኑት ሚስ አና ጎሜዝ፤ የአሜሪካ ስቴት ዲፓርትመንትና ሌሎች አለም አቀፍ ተቋማት ጋዜጠኛዋ ተገቢውን የህክምና ክትትል እንድታገኝ መጠየቃቸው አይዘነጋም፡፡
ከዚህ ቀደም ፖለቲከኛና ዳኛ የነበሩት ወ/ሪት ብርቱካን ሚዴቅሳ በታሰሩበት ወህኒ ቤት ለህመም ተጋልጠዋል የሚሉ መረጃዎች በመውጣታቸው ጫና የተፈጠረበት መንግስት ብርቱካን በጤንነት ላይ ይገኛሉ ለማለት በኢትዮጵያ ቴሌቪዥን አማካኝነት አንድ ዘገባ መስራቱ አይዘነጋም፡፡ርዕዮት ማረሚያ ቤቱ ያስገባው ስውሩ ጋዜጠኛ ከእውቅናዋ ውጪ ሊሰራው የነበረውን ድራማ ቀድማ በመንቃቷ ሊሳካ አልቻለም፡፡
ባሳለፍነው እሁድና ሰኞ በቃሊቲ ማረሚያ ቤት የምትገኘውን ጋዜጠኛ ርዕዮት አለሙን ለመጠየቅ በዛ ያሉ የሞያ አጋሮቿና አድናቂዎቿ በስፍራው ተገኝተው ነበር፡፡ የጠያቂዎቹ በዛ ብሎ የመገኘት ዋነኛ ምክንያት ደግሞ ርዕዮት በቅርቡ የዩኔስኮን የ2013 አለም አቀፍ ሽልማት በማግኘቷ እንኳን ደስ አለሽ በማለት የደስታዋ ተካፋይ መሆናቸውን ለመግለጽ ነበር፡፡ የባልንጀሮቿን የደስታ ምኞት እየተቀበለች ለሁሉም ሽልማቱ የእርሷ ብቻ እንዳልሆነም ትገልጽ ነበር፡፡
ርዕዮት ጠያቂዎቿን በመቀበል እያነጋገረች በነበረችበት ሰዓት(ሰኞ ዕለት) የቪዲዩ ካሜራ በመደገን ለመቅረጽ ይሞክር የነበረ አንድ ሰው በጋዜጠኞች እይታ ስር ይወድቃል፡፡ ርዕዮት ላይ ያነጣጠረው ካሜራ የፈለገውን እንዳያገኝም በስፍራው የነበሩ ሰዎች ጋዜጠኛዋን በመክበብ ምስሏን እንዳይቀርጽ አድርገዋል፡፡ በጠያቂዎቿ እንደተከበበች ርዕዮትን መቅረጽ ያልሆነለት ስውሩ ጋዜጠኛ በመጨረሻ ርዕዮትን ነጥሎ ለማናገር ይሞክራል፡፡ በዚህ ወቅት ግን የጠያቂዎች ሰዓት በማለቁ የርዕዮት ጠያቂዎች ማረሚያ ቤቱን ለቅቀው እንዲወጡ ተደርገዋል፡፡
የፍኖተ ነጻነት ምንጮች እንዳረጋገጡት ጋዜጠኛው ርዕዮትን በማግኘት ‹‹አንቺ ጋዜጠኛ አይደለሽ፣ በራስሽ የምትተማመኚ ከሆነስ ለምን ለመቀረጽ እምቢ ትያለሽ›› ይላታል፡፡ ርዕዮትም ‹‹ከአንተ ጋር ከመነጋገሬ በፊት የማረሚያ ቤቱን ሃላፊዎች ማነጋገር እፈልጋለሁ›› በማለቷ ሃላፊዎቹ ይመጣሉ፡፡ ርዕዮት ቀጠለች ‹‹ይህ ጋዜጠኛ የሚፈልገውን ቃለ ምልልስ የመስጠት ችግር የለብኝም፣ ነገር ግን የተናገርኩትን ቆራርጦና ጨማምሮ ሊያቀርበው የሚችል በመሆኑ የነጻ ሚዲያ አባላት በቃለ ምልልሱ ወቅት እንዲገኙ ይደረግ፣ ከዚህ ውጪ ግን ለጥያቄው ምንም አይነት ትብብር እንደማላደርግ ይታወቅልኝ›› በማለት አቋሟን ግልጽ አድርጋለች፡፡
እንደሚታወቀው መንግስት በሽብርተኝነት ከስሶ በእስራት እንድትቀጣ እያደረጋት የምትገኘው ጋዜጠኛ የጤንነቷ ሁኔታ አሳሳቢ ደረጃ ላይ እንደሚገኝ መገለጹን ተከትሎ በአገር ውስጥና በውጪ መንግስት ላይ ከፍተኛ ጫና እየተደረገ ይገኛል፡፡ የጋዜጠኞች መብት ተሟጋቹ ሲፒጄን ጨምሮ የአውሮፓ ፓርላማ አባል የሆኑት ሚስ አና ጎሜዝ፤ የአሜሪካ ስቴት ዲፓርትመንትና ሌሎች አለም አቀፍ ተቋማት ጋዜጠኛዋ ተገቢውን የህክምና ክትትል እንድታገኝ መጠየቃቸው አይዘነጋም፡፡
ከዚህ ቀደም ፖለቲከኛና ዳኛ የነበሩት ወ/ሪት ብርቱካን ሚዴቅሳ በታሰሩበት ወህኒ ቤት ለህመም ተጋልጠዋል የሚሉ መረጃዎች በመውጣታቸው ጫና የተፈጠረበት መንግስት ብርቱካን በጤንነት ላይ ይገኛሉ ለማለት በኢትዮጵያ ቴሌቪዥን አማካኝነት አንድ ዘገባ መስራቱ አይዘነጋም፡፡ ርዕዮት ማረሚያ ቤቱ ያስገባው ስውሩ ጋዜጠኛ ከእውቅናዋ ውጪ ሊሰራው የነበረውን ድራማ ቀድማ በመንቃቷ ሊሳካ አልቻለም፡፡

የህወሀት ደህንነቶችን ጤና የነሳው የፌስቡክ ጦማር

በህወሀት/ኢህአዴግ ውስጥ መግባባት ጠፍቷል፣ የወያኔ ቁንጮዎች ወዴት እንደሚሄዱ አያውቁም። እንደው በደፈናው “የመለስ ዜናዊ ራዕይ” ይበሉ እንጂ ራዕዩን እነርሱም አያውቁትም። ካድሬውም ሹማምንቱም እርስ በርስ ተናንቋል። በዚህ ሁኔታ ላይ እያሉ ሁኔታቸውን ህዝብ እንዳያውቅባቸው እያደረጉ ያሉት ጥረት እምብዛም የሰራ አይመስልም። የሙስሊሞች ተቃውሞ እንደቀጠለ ነው፣ በአማራ ብሄር ተወላጆች ላይ የሚደርሰው ግፍ ህዝቡን ከዳር እስከዳር አስተባብሯል/ቀስቅሷል፣ ምርጫውን ምርጫ ለማስመሰል ያደረጉት ጥረት አልተሳካም፣ ጋዜጠኞች እና የፖለቲካ እስረኞች እንዲፈቱ አለማቀፉ ማህበረሰብ እና ኢትዮጵያውያን ከፍተኛ ጫና ፈጥረዋል። ለዚህም ይመስላል የወያኔ የደህንነት ሹሞች የሀሰት ዜናዎችን በፌስቡክ እያሰራጩ ፋታ ለማግኘት የሚጣጣሩት። ከዚህ በታች አብረሃ ደስታ ከመቀሌ በፌስቡክ የለቀቀውን ጦማር፣ የህወሃት/ኢህአዴግን ወቅታዊ አቋቋም እንደወረደ አቅርበነዋል።

በህወሓት የጉባኤ ኣጀንዳ ዙርያ ስብሰባ ሊጠራ ነው

አብረሃ ደስታ፣ ከመቀሌ
ከኢህኣዴግ ጉባኤ በኋላ መሪዎቻችን (ከበፊቱ ብሶባቸው) መግባባት ኣቅቷቸዋል። በፌደራል ደረጃ የሚደረጉ ስብሰባዎች ያለ ዉጤት ይጠናቀቃሉ። ለምን ኣይግባቡም? (‘ቀሽም ጥያቄ’)። የሚያግባባ ነጥብ የላቸውማ። ድሮ (ከ‘ባለራእዩ መሪ’ ዕረፍት በፊት) ሁሉም ነገር እሳቸው ይሰሩት ስለነበር) በመሪያቸው ነበር ‘የሚግባቡት’ (አብረው የሚጓዙ)። በሰው ‘ይግባባሉ’ (ሌላ ሊያግባባቸው የሚችል ሓሳብ ወይ መርህ አልነበራቸውም፣ የላቸውም)። አሁን ታድያ እንዴት ይግባቡ?
‘ባለራእዩ’ ሰውዬ መመርያ ይሰጣል፣ ‘ፖሊሲ ነው ተግብሩት’ ይላቸዋል፣ እነሱም እሱ የተናገረውን ‘ቃል’ እየደገሙ (ከላይ እስከ ታች) ይዘምራሉ። ስሕተት መሆኑ (ሊተገበር የማይችል መሆኑ) ሲረዱ ‘ስሕተቱ ያለው አፈፃፀም ላይ ነው’ ብለው ራሳቸው ያፅናናሉ። ህዝቡ በማይፈፀሙ ፖሊሲዎች ተስፋ እንዳይቆርጥ መሪዎቻችን ሁሌ ስለ አዲስ ፖሊሲ ወይ አሰራር ይሰብካሉ። ሁሌ ስለ ‘አዲስ ኣሰራር’ ወይ ዕቅድ ሲወራልን ለውጥ የመጣ ያህል እንዲሰማን ለማድረግ ያህል ነው።
አሁን ሰውየው ‘አርፈዋል’። ለተከታዮቻቸው የተውት መርህ መሰረት ያደረገ የፖለቲካ አቅጣጫ የለም። የኢህኣዴግ ካድሬዎች ታድያ አሁን የሚግባቡበት ቋንቋ የላቸውም። የኣምስት አመቱ ‘የዕድገትና የትራንስፎርሜሽን አቅድ’ ይዘት ወይ መሰረታዊ ፅንሰ ሓሳብ ምን እንደሆነ የሚያውቀው የለም። በዚህ ጉዳይ ተደጋጋሚ ውይይት ተደርጎ ያለ ዉጤት ተበትነዋል። (ዕቅዱ ግን ድሮውም ቢሆን ምንም የሚጨበጥ ሓሳብ አልነበረውም ….. የሚሰማን አጣን እንጂ)። ዕቅዱ ‘Ambitious’ ብለን በተደጋጋሚ አሳስበን ነበር (‘ሊተገበር የሚችል ዕቅድ አሳዩን’ ብለን ተማፅነን ነበር)። አሁን ግን ካድሬዎቹ ራሳቸው (በተለያዩ ስብሰባዎች) ‘የተለጠጠው (ዝተለጠጠ)’ ዕቅድ ማለት ጀምረዋል።
በኢህኣዴግ ደረጃ ያለው ችግር የስልጣን ሽኩቻ ነው (የባለስልጣናቱ ዓላማ ስልጣን ነው)። ህወሓቶች በኢህኣዴግ የነበራቸው ሚና ማጣት አይፈልጉም። ግን ይህንን ሚና ሊጫወት የሚችል ደህና ሰው የላቸውም። (ዓቅም የነበራቸው የፓርቲው ሰዎች በተለያየ ምክንያት እንዲጠፉ ተደርገዋል ) ። ራሳቸው በራሳቸው ችግር ፈጥረው (በሁለት ተከፍለው፣ ጓደኞቻቸው ኣባረው) ተዳክመዋል (አሁን ትግራይ እንኳ መቆጣጠር በሚችሉበት ሁኔታ ኣይገኙም)።
በኣሁኑ ግዜ በኢህኣዴግ ዉስጥ የተሻለ የስልጣን ተፎካካሪ ብአዴን ነው። ግን ብአዴን ከሌሎች ሦስቴ የኢህኣዴግ አባል ድርጅቶች ተቀባይነት የለውም። የህዝብ ድጋፍም በሰፊው የለውም። የሚጠበቀው ያህል (ኢህኣዴግ ለመቆጣጠር የሚያስችል) ጠንካራ አባላትም የሉትም። ግን በኢህኣዴግ ስርወ መንግስት የህወሓት አልጋ ወራሽ ብአዴን ይመስላል። በህወሓትና ብኣዴን ከፍተኛ ውዝግብ አለ።
ኦህዴድ በኢህኣዴግ ዉስጥ በጣም ያኮረፈ ቡድን ነው። የተለያዩ ምክንያቶች እየደረደረ ስልጣን ለኦህዴድ መሰጠት እንዳለበት ይወተውታል። ግን ኦህዴድ ሁለት ችግሮች ተደቅነውታል። (አንድ) በኦህዴድ ውስጥ መግባባት ብሎ ነገር የለም። (ሁለት) በሌሎቹ የኢህኣዴግ አባል ድርጅቶች እምነት ባለፈው የኦህዴድ ጉባኤ ወደ ሓላፊነት የወጡ ሰዎች ከኦነግ ጋር ግንኙነት አላቸው። በነሱ እምነት ኦነግ የኦህዴድ መዋቅር ተቆጣጥሮታል። ስለዚ ለኦህዴድ ስልጣን መስጠት እጅግ ያስፈራቸዋል።
ሌላው ደኢህዴን ነው። ደኢህዴን ጠንካራ ኣይደለም። በሁለት ቡድኖች ተከፍሎ ትርምስ ላይ ነው። ከቡድኖቹ አንዱ ከህወሓት ጎን መሰለፍ ይፈልጋል። ብቻውን (ህወሓት ከዚህ በፊት እንዳደረገው) የኢህኣዴግ ስልጣን መቆጣጠር የሚችልበት ዕድል የለውም። ህወሓትም ቢሆን ደካማ ሁነዋል። ዶር ደብረፅዮን ገብረሚካኤል በኢህኣዴግ ጉባኤ ሲናገር “በቃ ወድቀናል” ብሎ ነበር። ይሄ ከህወሓት ጋር መጠጋት ለሚፈልግ ቡድን ራስ ምታት ነው።
ህወሓቶች ጉዳዩ ኣስጨንቋቸዋል። የነ አባይ ወልዱ ቡድን የነ አርከበ ዕቁባይ ቡድን ካባረሩ ወዲህ የባሰ ንትርክ ዉስጥ ገብተዋል። እርስበርሳቸው አይግባቡም፣ ይናናቃሉ። የኣሁኑ መሪዎች ማንም አያከብራቸውም። በህወሓት ጉባኤ የተሳተፉ አባላት በነ ኣባይ ወልዱ የተመለመሉ ቢሆኑም በጉባኤው ወቅት በነኣርከበ የተወሰደው እርምጃ ግራ አጋብታቸዋል። ጉባኤተኞቹ ‘እነ ኣርከበ ከውጡ ህወሓት ከማን ጋ ትቀራለች?’ የሚል ጥያቄ ነበራቸው።
የፓርቲው ሊቀመንበር የሚመረጠው (በፓርቲው ደንብ መሰረት) በጠቅላላ ጉባኤ ነው (በቀጥታ ግን አይደለም)። እንዲህ ነው። ጉባኤተኞቹ አርባ አምስት የፓርቲው የማእከላዊ ኮሚቴ አባላት ይመርጣሉ። በውጤቱ (ባገኙት ድምፅ) መሰረት በቅደም ተከተል (የተመረጡት ሰዎች) ስማቸው ይገለፃል። የማእከላዊ ኮሚቴ አባላት የፓርቲው ስራ ኣስፈፃሚ (ፖሊት ቢሮ) ይመርጣል። ፖሊት ቢሮ አባላት ደግሞ የፓርቲው ሊቀመንበርና ምክትል ይመርጣሉ።
በምርጫው ከፍተኛ ስልጣን ያለው (በመርህ ደረጃ) ጉባኤተኛው ስለሆነ ከፍተኛ ድምፅ ያለው (By Default) የፓርቲው ሊቀመንበር ይሆናል። የማእከላዊ ኮሚቴ አባላት ይሄንን አውቀው ባገኙት ድምፅ መሰረት ዘጠኙ (Top Nine) ለፖሊት ቢሮ ይመርጣሉ። ፖሊት ቢሮ አባላትም በተሰጠው ድምፅ መሰረት ከፍተኛውን ያገኘ የፓርቲው ሊቀመንበር አድርገው ይመርጣሉ።
በጉባኤው የተሳተፉ አባላት ሊቀመንበር (ከተሰጣቸው አማራጭ) አድርገው የመረጡት ዶር ደብረፅዮን ነበር። ዶር ደብረትፅዮን የኣንደኛነት ድምፅ ሲያገኝ አባይ ወልዱ ሁለተኛ ነበር። (ደብረፅዮን ለኣባይ በ23 ድምፅ ይበልጠዋል)። ውጤቱ ግን ጉባኤተኞቹ እንደጠበቁት ኣልሆነም። የፖሊት ቢሮ አባላት ሁነው የተመረጡት (top nine) ዘጠኙ ኣልነበሩም። በውጤቱ መሰረት የህወሓት ሊቀመንበር መሆን የነበረት ዶር ደብረፅዮን ሲሆን ዉጤቱ ተገልብጦ አቶ ኣባይ ተመረጠ። ይሄ የሆነው የኣቶ አባይ ቡድን አብዛኛው የማእከላዊ ኮሚቴ ወንበር መያዝ በመቻሉ ነበር። (ጉባኤተኞቹ የነኣባይ ቡድን ደጋፊዎች ሲሆኑ አባይ ፓርቲው ይመረዋል ብለው ግን አያምኑም። ስለዚህ ጉባኤተኞቹ ደብረፅዮን ሊቀመንበር አድረገው መርጠው እንደሄዱ ነው የሚያውቁ)።
ይሄን ዉሳኔያቸው ታድያ በጉባኤተኞቹ ጥሩ ስሜት አልፈጠረም። የኣሁኑ መሪዎች የህዝብ አመኔታም የላቸውም። ይሄን ችግር ለመፍታት ሲሉ ከነገ እሮብ (ሚያዝያ 16, 2005 ዓም) ጀምሮ ጉባኤው በተመለከተ በመላው ትግራይ (በየደረጃው ከከፍተኛ የክልል ቢሮዎች ጀምሮ እስከ ቀበሌ አስተዳደር ድረስ) ስብሰባ እንደሚደረግ ታውቋል። ለስብሰባው ማስኬጃ ብዙ ሚልዮን ብር ተመድበዋል (ከመንግስት ካዝና መሆኑ ነው)።
ኣየ ህወሓት! በቃ ስብሰባ ነው። እኔ ደግሞ ስብሰባ ስጠላ! (እንኳን የህወሓት አባል አልሆንኩ)።

Ethnic Cleansing in Ethiopia: Letter to Ban Ki-moon

    

April 19, 2013
His Excellency, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the United Nations
Dear Your Excellency,
Subject: Ethnic Cleansing in Ethiopia

UN Chief Ban Ki-moon

First, we, the leadership team of the undersigned Ethiopian civic and political organizations, present our compliments to Your Excellency. It is with deep anguish and regret that we should like to alert you and appeal to your office, and through your office, to the Security Council of the United Nations concerning the unprecedented level of human displacement and ethnic cleansing that is currently taking place in Ethiopia. You will agree with us that ethnic cleansing is an affront to human worth and dignity and endangers peace and stability in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. It must be halted without any delay. These recurring and well documented violations of fundamental human rights are perpetrated by the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) the ethnic-elite coalition government that has been ruling Ethiopia for the past 21 years.
Your Excellency,
As you know, Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country with an established history of peaceful coexistence, mutual acceptance and tolerance. This tradition is being torn apart by the governing party. There is disturbingly accumulated anecdotal evidence which shows that ethnic cleansing is planned systematically by the governing party and executed at the regional or Kilil level by officials who are accountable to the central government. The specific incident in the Benishangul-Gumuz regional state involved an estimated 8000 people of the Amhara nationality, the second largest ethnic group in the country. This latest unprovoked removal and displacement of innocent families from their farms and livelihoods follows a similar and large-scale ethnic cleansing of the same Amharic speaking population from the Gura Ferda District of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) regional state. Displaced Ethiopians have no legal or constitutional recourse to secure their livelihood, personal safety, personal property and or to seek compensation. On the contrary, they are forced to expend their meager savings for transport and to support themselves in temporary shelters.
The fundamental principle we should like to flag is that such a deliberate form of ethnic cleansing against any specific ethnic, linguistic or religious group is a violation of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and must cease in order to avert escalation of conflict in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Your Excellency is fully aware that the Horn of Africa is one of the most conflict ridden and prone regions of the world. In light of this, we are deeply concerned that, unless the attention of the UN family of nations under your leadership is drawn and responds to this ongoing crisis, we fear that the world is about to witness, once again, another cycle of violence in one of the oldest nations of the world and one of the founding members of the United Nations. Your Excellency will agree with us that the world cannot afford another Somalia or Rwanda. Such an occurrence should be averted before it is too late.
Your Excellency,
The collapse of the Military regime in May 1991 and the cessation of hostilities, albeit temporarily, had raised hopes for peace, stability, democracy and inclusive development in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. These expectations have been dashed by a dictatorial regime that is determined to remake Ethiopia by tearing it apart along ethnic and other sectarian lines. The current administrative structure is much more akin to the defunct Apartheid system of South Africa than a genuine federal system of government. The governing party’s core ideology was founded on ethnic-based divide and rule, hate, prejudice and narrow ethnic elite rivalry for riches and resources. Its international diplomatic facade has been camouflaged by its opportunistic pretentions of respecting international law on paper rather than in practice. Inadvertently, the United Nations itself has used the services of this sectarian regime and paid huge sums of money for peace keeping in various parts of Africa.

Video: Displaced ethnic Amhara children

 

Ethnic Cleansing is going on in Ethiopia against the Amhara ethnic group. Ethiopian government officials are refused access for journalists and politicians to visit the displaced ethnic Amharas. Recently ‘blue party’ members were arrested while attempting to visit the displaced Amharas. This is a rare video to sneak out so far.

US-BACKED EGYPT MILITARY “TO CONTROL NILE” | ISRAELI MEDIA

April 23rd, 2013 –
Egypt’s military, financed by the United States, has been preparing for what could be a war for control of the Nile.
Western intelligence sources said the military command has urged President Mohammed Morsi for a buildup meant to block any attempt to divert the Nile. They said the military envisioned a crisis with Ethiopia that could threaten water supplies to Egypt and Sudan.
“For the Egyptian military and government, this is perhaps the most burning security issue today,” a source said.
The sources said Morsi has sought to form a military alliance with Sudan to prevent Ethiopia from constructing a dam along the Nile. The Renaissance Dam was meant to draw 84 billion cubic meters of water from the Nile, sufficient for hydroelectric power.
“The military has been preparing for the prospect that air strikes would be ordered to stop construction or simply destroy the Ethiopian dam,” the source said.
Egypt, which receives 60 percent of the river’s water, has insisted on preferential rights to the Nile. The sources said the Morsi regime was expected to issue a stark warning to Addis Ababa during its next session of the Egyptian-Sudanese-Ethiopian technical committee in late May 2013. The Nile is shared by 10 countries.
“Certain measures have to be followed to make sure that Ethiopia gets the water necessary for storage in the dam in line with Egypt’s consent and needs,” an Egyptian official told the state-owned Al Ahram daily on April 18.
The sources said Egyptian military planning was based on the delivery of the new F-16 Block 52 multi-role fighter from the United States. They said the Egyptian Air Force, expected to receive 20 such aircraft in 2013, has determined that the latest F-16 variant, which included extended fuel tanks, would enable an attack on the Ethiopian dam.
Egypt has determined that the Renaissance Dam would comprise a loss of between eight and 18 million cubic meters per year. The sources said Cairo has repeatedly warned the United States of the danger of the Ethiopian project.
“The U.S. input here is crucial, because its aircraft would be used for any military operation against Ethiopia,” the source said.
***********
Acknowledgements to AmharicTube.com who bought the news from MiddlesEast Newsline for $8 USD. Originally titled “Egypt Military Gears For Water War”.
Source: dailyEthiopia.com

Atlanta raises fund to keep Ethiopia's only opposition party newspaper alive

By Mahidere Andenet
April 25, 2013

(Atlanta, GA)-- The Honorable Ato Girma Seifu, the only representative of the opposition party within EPRDF- controlled parliament said last Sunday here in Atlanta "in order to bring the long awaited change in Ethiopia, mobilization of the entire sectors of the society is paramount" adding that political parties by themselves are unable to realize this goal. Ato Girma, who is also vice chairman of Andinet Party,emphatically affirmed that the current situation in Ethiopia is very conducive to bring about change. Referring to multifaceted dissatisfaction by the people, the Parliamentarian said "Ethiopia has now became a country where its young generation opted to board in desperation, onto the sinking yacht rather than staying at home. It is not uncommon to wait for 6 months to acquire a passport and if such situation is left unchecked, the demise of Ethiopia could be much faster than expected in 2030, said Ato Girma.With respect to the ever growing of fear and passive attitude by the general public, the MP said, the people have become more and more submissive and "in fact, more than the ruling party's ability to silence the masses." He further noted that such lack of courage has made the people more vulnerable and weak in the face of the sinister plots by EPRDF. Citing an example from his party's experience, the vice chairman said, hotels and printing companiesrefuse to provide them assembly halls or print the party's newspaper, Finote Nesanet, with a single telephone call from government officials. The most challenging and tough homework that Andinet currently facing, he said, is to disengage the people from sudden and unnecessary bondage of fear.Regarding the constitution, he said Andinet Party advocates for the respect of the constitution particularly by members of the ruling party while at the same time rejects government's interference in religious affairs, promulgating other decrees that over ride the constitution. "Government officials have never been accountable for various offences they commit. It is only when certain friction appears between and among the ruling class that we see an official being dismissed from his/her portfolio" he added.
Ato Girma also touched upon the various strategic plans of the party and threw a piece of advice for Ethiopians throughout the globe to continue their two-fold struggle until victory is achieved. He went on to say that as part of its strategic plan, Andinet Party envisages to work closely with the Diaspora for the common cause.The other agenda for the day was to raise funds for the revival of the official organ of the Party, Finote Nesanet. Pre-printed tickets of different denomination, (ranging from $100-$1000) were bought by participants in addition to auction of Ato Girma's necktie that fetched one thousand dollars. Later the organizing committee announced that about $ 6000 was collected during the fund-raising drive.Earlier, Ato Girmaye Gizaw, Chairman of Andinet Atlanta Support group addressing the gathering pointed out that Ethiopia is now at the most critical stage in history. After posing a question as to how the Ethiopian people could attain freedom, he asserted that it is only when the entire society, from farmers to industrial worker, from students to teachers and professors stand in unison for the respect of their rights as well as when all political parties form a common front that the nation could only enjoy freedom and democracy.A number of issues were raised during question and answer session. Arguably, knowing the nature of the beast,what would be the chances for the paper to survive even after a printing machine is bought, was one of the questions raised by many participants. Unlike the majority of the audience, the MP reflected optimistic feelings saying that the worst thing to do is doing nothing. The party expects, according to the vice chairman, all kinds of obstacles by the ruling party including exorbitant cost of printing paper. The newspaper which at one time has 30,000 circulation, reaching up to 120,000 readers is currently available only on line, Ato Girma disclosed. Some members of the audience felt uncomfortable with opinions aired by Ato Girma regarding certain pertinent issues. In fact, many were stunned especially during the discussion over dinner at Ghiion Restaurant and wondered whether that was his personal view or that of Andinet-- the party which he leads as vice-chairman.At the beginning of the meeting participants observed a moment of silence in honor of those Ethiopians who sacrificed their lives while fighting for justice and rule of law in Ethiopia as well as for those who were unlawfully evicted from their generation-old inhabitants and for all those prisoners of conscience currently facing untold misery and hardship at the hands of EPRDF. The initial venue for the meeting was cancelled due to unforeseen problem, according to the manager of the Jade Event Hall. However, the hard-working support group in a very short period of time, has done a commendable job in fixing an alternative venue and be able to run the show.

Malawi Police arrest six illegal immigrants from Ethiopia in Karonga

Six illegal immigrants from Ethiopia are under police custody in Malawi’s northern border district of Karonga following their arrest on Friday.

Chief Immigration Officer Hudson Mankhwala

The arrest comes few days after the police in the district nabbed 35 illegal immigrants from the same country.
Karonga Police Officer In-Charge Forster Mangani blames the influx of the illegal immigrants into Malawi on porous borders which the country has.
“These illegal immigrants use unchartered routes but they also take the advantage of our boarders which are very open such that they easily enter into our country which is a security threat,” Mangani says.
Mangani also says another problem is economic hardship facing the country which he says is crippling effort to combat illegal immigrants as members of the public hide the foreigners in order to earn a living.
“These immigrants have a lot of money and they corrupt Malawians to hide them in their houses” says Mangani.
One of the illegal immigrants Mitiku Merego an Ethiopian says they run away from their country because of hunger.
“We are harmless all we are looking for is refuge in Malawi,” he says.
But Mangani warned people to be careful saying most illegal immigrants have military background which he says is a challenge to the country.
Besides Ethiopians other immigrants who illegally enter Malawi include Somalis and Tanzanians.