Oromia-Ethiopia: more Tigrayans using Oromo names (Blog)
Jimma Times, Ethiopia - October 19, 2007

Yesterday another new Tigray-Ethiopian official using Oromo name came to our district. (I am not going to name specifics for obvious reasons) Apparently, the local government still doesn’t think people know about the regime’s ploy. Do they think we are stupid? It has become an annoying and endless strategy to make Oromia towns be governed by proxies and government agents.

I would like to go up to Tigray one day and check if they give some kind of Oromiffa language classes. I would not be surprised if they have Oromo language academy stationed in north Ethiopia because there is literally a mass of Tigrayans with Oromo names speaking perfect Afaan Oromo! They also bring few northern Amharas to Oromia, especially those far north Amharas who were very loyal to TPLF/ANDM party.

Yeah, this is the ethnic federalism Meles has been talking about. Its a shame. This is the reason why there is a lot of Oromo dissidents. The goverment’s policy on paper is perfect. Actually, the constitution was crafted with the collaboration of OLF with TPLF. For Oromos like me who have no interest in the separation of Oromia from Ethiopia, it is sad to see the failure of the current ethnic federalism that could have been the best way to make Ethiopian unity based on ethnic self-governance possible. Policy wise, a poorly implemented ethnic federalism is worse than living under the pre-1991 Neftenga system ...

Ethiopia to ease Ogaden aid delivery-UN
Reuters - October 18, 2007
Ethiopia has agreed to work with the United Nations in delivering humanitarian aid to its Ogaden region, where a crackdown on rebels had impeded the flow of supplies, the United Nations said on Thursday.
The U.N. and Ethiopia's disaster preparedness agency will soon establish joint centres in the worst affected areas of the arid, ethnic Somali region to facilitate shipments of food, medicine and veterinary support, the U.N. said.
"The Ethiopian government has assured the U.N. that humanitarian activities within Somali region will be unrestricted," said Fidele Sarassoro, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Ethiopia.
Ethiopia had said it was clamping down on aid shipments to make sure they were going to the most-affected people and not Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebels ...

Ethiopia opposition out of jail but in disarray
Sudan Tribune, Sudan - October 17, 2007
When Ethiopian opposition leader Hailu Shawel was freed from jail, hordes of relatives and supporters swarmed his gated mansion in Addis Ababa to raise a dram of whisky to his liberty.
Such was the euphoria at his release — and that of 37 other opposition figures — after almost two years in a maximum security prison for allegedly inciting their followers to riot in protest at a disputed 2005 election.
Western donors hailed the release as a sign Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government would revive its push to foster democracy in Ethiopia, the dominant power in the explosive Horn of Africa and a top ally in Washington’s war on terrorism.
But three months on, the opposition Coalition of Unity and Democracy (CUD) is divided and demoralised. Its battle for change is being fought, instead, by members of the U.S. Congress who passed a law linking democratic reform to future security aid.
"Prison didn’t weaken CUD, they weakened themselves. The CUD was an amalgamation of different groups, different ideas and different personalities so it was weak by its very nature," said Yoseph Tesfaye, an international relations teacher ...

Ethiopia's 'own Darfur' as villagers flee government-backed violence
Independent, UK - October 16, 2007
Early one June morning, in Kamuda, a village of 200 families in the remote Ogaden region in eastern Ethiopia, 180 soldiers announced their arrival by firing guns in the air.
The village, they said, had been providing food and shelter for the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a separatist rebel group . As the villagers froze in horror, the soldiers plucked out seven young women, all aged between 15 and 18, and left.
The following morning the youngest girl was found. Her body, bloodied and beaten, was hanging from a tree. The next day a second girl was found hanging from the same tree. A third suffered the same fate. The others were never seen again.
Shukri Abdullahi Mohammed, 48, a mother of seven children, lived in Kamuda. As she describes the fate of the seven girls – "the most beautiful girls in the village" – she tightens her headscarf around her neck to indicate the way they were killed. "I will not forget it," she says.
Days later, a 12-year-old boy from the same village was kidnapped by soldiers and gang-raped. Every night, soldiers would knock on doors looking for women to rape. "I did not want to wait until it happened to my family," said Mrs Mohammed. They left Kamuda and made their way across the porous border with Somalia, before travelling a further 300 miles by foot to the hot and humid port town of Bosasso ...

Bekele ready for rematch in Edinburgh
Scotsman, United Kingdom - October 16, 2007

KENENISA Bekele will face fellow African superstars Zersenay Tadese and Eliud Kipchoge in next year's Great Edinburgh International Cross Country.

Bekele, who will be chasing a third successive victory at Holyrood Park on 12 January, will hope to exact some revenge on Tadese, who prevented him achieving a record sixth IAAF World Cross Country Championships success in March.

Matthew Turnbull, the event's elite athletes director, said: "The deal was done and dusted within five minutes - his agent told me he was eager to have a cross country race against Tadese as quickly as possible."

Tadese successfully defended his IAAF World Road Running Championships last Sunday and is looking forward to proving he has the upper hand on Bekele.

He explained: "I'm looking forward to returning to Edinburgh. It will be great running again there, particularly as it will also stage the World Championships next year" ...

Beware of Mediator Bias and Mediation as a Tactic: A word to the Wise
Oromo Affairs - September 30, 2007
So, who is Prof. Ephrem Isaac? Imagine this.
It is the 1940s. You are born from an Oromo mother. You are uprooted from your birth place in a small town in Oromia at about 13 years of age and taken away to Finifinnee for “education.” At the educational institution you joined, you are probably the only Oromo boy. You are forced to learn the Amhara language because it was the medium of instruction and without it you cannot communicate with others around you. You look all around you and find out that no one speaks your language. Those that you hear speaking it once in a while are ridiculed and laughed at. At such a tender age, you are not old enough to have formed and be comfortable with your identity. You grow up with the feeling that your culture and language are not as good as theirs. No mention of your people’s history in your history class while the Habasha history is glorified. Then you start believing your people have no history or you find your people’s history embarrassing. You want to be like “them.” You try as hard as you can to dissociate yourself from this “embarrassing” history, culture and language. Before you know it, you have become an assimilado. You have become more Habasha than the Habashas around you. They, the habasha masters, are so happy with your performance (academic and assimilation wise) they ship you off to America for further education. You are very grateful and want to make them happier. Once in America you “fall in love with Ethiopian [habasha] culture” all over again. To you Ethiopian costume is the Habasha shammaa, Ethiopian history is Habasha history, Ethiopian food is the Amhara dooroo wax, Ethiopian dance is the Amhara skisttaa, etc …

USAID Supports Efforts to End Child Marriage in Ethiopia
USAID (press release), DC - October 12, 2007
The American people, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), awarded CARE, an international non-governmental organization, more than $1.3 million to implement a three-year program in Ethiopia focused on ending child marriage in the country. The program is specifically designed to educate and encourage change within communities regarding the harmful traditional practices of bride abduction, bride price and early marriage. The Healthy Unions program will be carried out in the Oromiya Region of the country, where 80 percent of the marriages result from bride abduction.
Bride abduction is a traditional practice in which a girl, sometimes as young as 10 years old, is kidnapped by a group of young men and then raped by the man who wants to marry her. After the rape, community leaders from the man's village ask the girl's family to accept the marriage. Since the loss of a girl's virginity significantly damages her ability to marry in the view of the community, the family often agrees. The resulting early marriage has devastating effects on the young girl, including an end to her education and exposure to serious health risks such as HIV/AIDS and potentially deadly complications from early pregnancy. Even young girls who are able to avoid bride abduction are significantly affected by the practice, since the fear of bride abduction prompts many parents to withdraw their daughters from school after they reach 10 or 11 years old, ending any hopes of continued education ...

UN faults Sudan for deporting Ethiopian refugees
Sudan Tribune, Sudan - October 11, 2007
The United Nations refugee agency criticised Sudan on Thursday for deporting at least 15 Ethiopian refugees back to their homeland, saying it had breached international laws.
The deportation took place on Sept. 27, but only came to the attention of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this week, the Geneva-based agency said in a statement, citing concerns about the refugees safety in Ethiopia.
The 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention prohibits the forced return of people to countries of origin where they could face persecution.
The UNHCR said Sudan had previously pledged to stop deporting refugees back to Ethiopia after the agency raised concerns about a set of similar deportations in August.
"UNHCR was alarmed to discover that this commitment was not respected," it said, adding that the Sudanese government had not responded to repeated requests for information about the fate of up to 20 other Ethiopian refugees jailed in Sudan ...

The United Nations at St. Anthony Avenue
Twin Cities Planet, Minnesota - October 9, 2007
Skyline Tower is a massive building that accommodates more than 500 tenants from different countries with varied ethnic backgrounds. Built in the 1970s, Skyline Towers, also known by many as the "United Nations," has been home for immigrant families from Asia to Africa. It is sometimes overcrowded.
"My sister used to live here about 20 years ago. I like working here, learning all these different dialects and cultures" says Yvonne Brazelton-Singleton, program assistant with CommonBond Communities which took over the Skyline Tower a few years ago.
Over the past years, 1247 St. Anthony housed thousands of foreigners from all over the world. These days, many Somalis live at the Skyline Tower, becoming the majority of its tenants. In the 1970s, mostly Asian tenants, especially from Vietnam occupied it. Since the 1970s, not only the residents, but also the building management have changed.
"Many families like the Skyline Tower for various reasons" says Bekama Mohamed, from Somalia. It is the first stop for many Somali immigrants and many have learned to compromise with their neighbors. Many agree that it is one of the places in the Twin Cities where foreigners with little or no English language skills can live and slowly adjust to life in America ...

Ivuti and Adere clinch Chicago Marathon victories with dramatic sprints
International Association of Athletics Foundation, Monaco - October 7, 2007
The 30th running of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon turned into a sprint as both the men's and women's winners won in dramatic, but very different ways.
Men's winner Patrick Ivuti of Kenya won a see-saw duel with two-time World Marathon champion Jaouad Gharib of Morocco by finding just enough to surge past Gharib at the tape in 2:11:11. Both were given the same time with Ivuti's margin of victory being five one hundreths of a second. Defending women's champion Berhane Adere of Ethiopia made up 30 seconds in the last two kilometres, most of it down the 385 yard finishing straight to blow past a shocked Adriana Pirtea of Romania in the final 50 metres to win by three seconds in 2:33:49.
Pirtea seemed to be on her way to a comfortable victory in her debut marathon, waving to the crowd and oblivious to the fact that Adere was sprinting at top speed down the homestretch. On her toes and in full flight, Adere, flashed past the celebrating Pirtea, passing several men in the process and missing the finish tape that had been stretched out for Pirtea. By the time the Romanian, who had attended the University of Texas, El Paso in the US, realized that Adere was anywhere near her, it was too late ...

Ethiopia Democracy & Accountability Act is a major step: OLF
Sudan Tribune, Sudan - October 5, 2007

To read H.R. 2003 click here.

On HR 2003, the "Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007"

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) welcomes the passage of H.R. 2003, "The Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007" by the US House of Representatives.

The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) has been struggling, since its inception in 1973, to end the marginalization of the Oromo people, who make up upwards of 40% of the population in Ethiopia, and realize their inalienable political, social and economic rights. We believe the Oromo people would have everything to gain and nothing to loose from the advancement of human rights, democracy, independence of the judiciary and the supremacy of the rule of law and freedom of the press, which H. R. 2003 calls for.

The passage of H.R. 2003 is a major step in the right direction. The Bill brings to the forefront the political crisis in Ethiopia and the Ethiopian government's large-scale human rights violations. Moreover, the Bill sends a clear signal that promoting democracy and human rights are the ways to defeat international terrorism. To the contrary, the support of undemocratic regimes actually creates conditions on which extremism could thrive.

We are particularly heartened by the H. R. 2003's call for the unconditional release of all political prisoners, over whom 80% are Oromo detained under fabricated charges of being members or supporters of the OLF. There are currently over 40,000 Oromo political prisoners in Oromia and Ethiopian regime's federal prisons. Many of these prisoners have been in detention for over 15 year without charge or trial ...

Abyssinian's Ethiopian Visit
Black Star News, NY - October 5, 2007
... One wonders as to the level of openness accorded the group. The University is extremely divided ethnically, especially with Tigreans and Oromos. Police in the past have targeted and arrested students. The belief is that there some students who keep tabs on others on behalf of state security agents.
The university president, Indrias Eshete, is unpopular and students talk about deteriorating education conditions. Even though the trip was billed primarily as a spiritual, cultural and historical journey, prominent Americans can't come to Ethiopia and completely avoid the political minefields. Although Butts tried to stay clear of politics, there were many unanswered questions.
Despite some undeniable achievements in this country, like infrastructure and the industry sector growth, there is still a lot do as far as human rights are concerned. Independent groups such as Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO) have done a brave job documenting conditions, including in Oromiya. Some staff were even detained for four months, then released.
An urbane and well informed pastor, he must be aware of the political situation here. One might wonder why, given the clear need for more outside pressure, the reverend would be against the Congressional Bill that calls for democratization, leveling the playing field for the opposition and even a visa ban for officials suspected of human rights abuse ...

REPORT ON IREECHA FESTIVAL
Oromia Times - October 5, 2007
The Oromo, the largest population in Ethiopia with about 40 million populations have their own distinct cultural ceremony. Irrecha is one such ceremony which takes place every year, after the big rain in the month of September just before the beginning of the harvest season. It is a combination of New Year and thanksgiving festival.
The Oromo people from the time of immemorial had recognized Waaqa as the only supreme reality, the creator of everything. They could be one among the earliest peoples of the world to develop the doctrine of monotheism. Waaqeffannaa is Oromo traditional religion and manifested by Oromummaa as part of the cultural domain of the Gadaa Oromo Society. Since the emergence of Waaqeffannaa as public religious affairs, the Oromos have been organizing the Irreecha ceremony near a body of water (lake, spring or stream) every year.
The Irrecha ceremony is conducted by offering thanks and greeneries to Waaqa Who helped them pass through the 'dark' rainy winter season to the bright sunny season which begins to shine in the month of Birraa(September), the time crops and plants are furnishing colorful flowers.
Although most Oromos celebrate Irrecha in their localities, the main event takes place in Bishoftu, Oromia. Like always, the 2007 Irreecha ceremony was colorfully celebrated near Har-Arsadii Lake of Bishoftu on September 30. In spite of the problems confronting them in the Ethiopian empire, Oromos from far and near poured into the area like abundant rain.
The Irreecha festival remains the only occasion that bring all Oromos together as the TPLF has banned Oromos from meeting and discussing their affairs. Ever since the Matcha-Tulama association was banned, the intolerable TPLF regime tried in vain to take over the Irrecha festival and make it an OPDO event instead of Oromo national holiday ...

OSG reports 3,981 extra-judicial killings & 943 disappearances of civilians
OSG - October 3, 2007

Killings reported: Disappearances reported:

According to anecdotal accounts from refugees and visitors and according to reports by investigators from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, the widespread detention and mistreatment of civilians who criticise or oppose the government in Ethiopia continues, undiminished. Prisoners of conscience remain in detention without trial, accused by the government of supporting the Oromo Liberation Front, or other opposition groups. A large amount of information regarding abuses following post-election disturbances and related arrests is available. Although fewer reports of abuses which have taken place in remote areas are received by OSG than hitherto, reports which have been received suggest that this is not because of any reduction in the prevalence of abuse.

The Oromia Support Group is a non-political organisation which attempts to raise awareness of human rights abuses in Ethiopia.

OSG has now reported 3,981 extra-judicial killings and 943 disappearances of civilians suspected of supporting groups opposing the government. Most of these have been Oromo people. Scores of thousands of civilians have been imprisoned. Torture and rape of prisoners is commonplace, especially in unofficial detention centres, often in military camps.

Lack of democracy and accountability of government in Ethiopia is the single most important factor in the poverty, under-development and low quality and length of life in Ethiopia ...

Gebrselassie Sets World Marathon Record and Wami Defends Her Berlin Title
New York Times, United States - September 30, 2007
Cruising alone for the final seven miles on the Berlin city streets lined with damp, golden leaves Sunday morning, Haile Gebrselassie shattered the world record in the marathon by 29 seconds, securing a mark he has coveted since he was a teenager in Ethiopia.
The rain and wind had stopped by 9 a.m. after a soggy three days, and, along with a flat course and five pacesetters flanking him, the conditions were ideal for Gebrselassie’s record run of 2 hours 4 minutes 26 seconds for the 26.2 miles.
It was 29 seconds faster than Paul Tergat’s previous world record on this same course in 2003. To the 34-year-old Gebrselassie, this world record, his 23rd in distances ranging from two miles to 5,000 meters to the marathon, this record was the most satisfying ...
As Gebrselassie repeated as champion (besting his 2:05:56 time of last year), his friend and neighbor, Gete Wami, defended her Berlin title by leading from start to finish and winning in 2:23:17. Irina Mikitenko of Germany finished far behind her in second, in 2:24:51.
This victory may have been eight minutes off world-record pace, but Wami had a different goal, establishing plenty of intrigue for a women’s duel in New York five weeks from now. Wami, 32, will attempt to win the New York City Marathon, hoping to capture the $500,000 prize for the first World Marathon Majors series that concludes on Nov. 4.
Wami moved into first place with 65 points, ahead of the two-time defending New York champion, Latvia’s Jelena Prokopcuka, who has 55 points. A victory in New York would give Wami 25 points; second place is worth 15 and third place is worth 10.
Wami acknowledged that she eased up the pace in the final seven miles. “Yes, I was thinking about New York,” she said. Running with a male pacemaker the entire distance had aided her victory, she said.
“Now I can prepare for New York,” she said ...

Oromia-Ethiopia: Addis Ababa is not a “Habesha city” -(blog)
Jimma Times, Ethiopia - September 27, 2007
There are many things that annoy the oppressed southern people of Ethiopia and one of them is the Abyssinian (habesha) renaming of historically Oromo towns. One example is Adama, renamed Nazret by the Habesha colonizers. The other one is Finfinne, renamed Addis Ababa by the Habesha colonizers.
During the last few years, most of the Oromo towns renamed by Abyssinians have been fortunately restored back to their old historical names. This was seen as a positive step in Ethiopia. One of the last remaining cities still baptized with an Abyssinian label is “Addis Ababa” city. Despite being located inside Oromia regional state of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa is mostly populated by Abyssinians (ethnic Amharas, Gurages and Tigrayans.) Only 1/5th of the residents are ethnic Oromos, but that should not give people permission to treat the city like a 100% Abyssinian (Habesha) land!
Most Oromos I spoke with say they don’t mind swaping names sometimes to call Finfinne with its new "Addis Ababa" name, but they are very angry when the city is portrayed as a “Habesha city.” The worst case has been the new tourist bus roaming around Addis Ababa. For some odd reason, the owners of the bus named it “HABESHA CITY TOUR.” What a slap on the face of the non-habesha people residing in Addis Ababa ...

Dedicate October to be the Oromo Nationalist Prisoner of Conscience Month

Dedicate October to be the Oromo Nationalist Prisoner of Conscience Month Click the link to read the entire petition.

Ethiopia Legislation Moves Forward in US House of Representatives
Voice of America - September 26, 2007

After the Ethiopian government released some jailed human rights activists and journalists this past July, U.S. House lawmakers postponed consideration of the legislation by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Sponsored by Africa subcommittee chairman Donald Payne of New Jersey, it would authorize $20 million in each of the next two years to promote human rights, democracy and economic development in Ethiopia.

The measure would restrict U.S. security and other assistance because of Washington's concerns about human rights.

With the exception of funds for Ethiopian participation in peacekeeping and joint counter-terrorism operations, aid would be prohibited until the U.S. president determines that Ethiopia's government is taking a number of steps.

These include credible efforts to release political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, ensuring an independent judiciary and free print and broadcast media, and punishment of security personnel involved in unlawful killings ...

Oromos rebels condemn Ethiopia control of press
Sudan Tribune, Sudan - September 26, 2007

The Fascist Meles Zenawi Regime of Ethiopia Should be denounced by all on International Freedom of Press Day

Editorial Statement of the OLF

On September 28, 2007, the world celebrates International Freedom of Press. September 28 is celebrated every year by all countries of the world as the International Freedom of Press Day or The Right to Information Day. This day is the day where countries and governments of the world pledge to respect the rights of their citizens of speaking and writing and of getting and exchanging information in general. On this day governments investigate those who violate these rights based on international laws and the law and constitution of their respective countries. It is a day where those governments who respect freedom of press are commended and those who violate those rights be condemned.

The current TPLF/EPRDF regime of Meles Zenawi is known for suppressing freedom of press and journalism in its 16 years of holding power. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports every year that this regime considers freedom of press and free media as number one enemy of its tyrannical rule and existence. In today’s Ethiopia all free media such as radio, TV, newspapers, websites…etc. are non-existent and/or closed except for those who are affiliated with the TPLF regime and its members. Websites of opposition parties such as that of OLF, ONLF, SLF and many others are blocked by Meles’ tyrannical regime and cannot be accessed in Ethiopia. Currently the government is sabotaging and/or attempting to jam the functioning of radio programs such as VOL (Voice of Oromo Liberation), Radio Huriya (ONLF), Tinsae (CUDP), including the independent and internationally known radio programs such as SUBE, VOA, and DW ...

Dedicate October to be the Oromo Nationalist Prisoner of Conscience Month

This Month (October) in Oromo History: On a cold October day in 1986, long-time Maa'ikalaawii (Central Prison) Oromo prisoners of conscience: Gezahegne Kassahun, Kebede Demissie, Muhee Abdo and Yigezu Wake, were dragged out of their cells and executed by cold-blooded security officers of the Derg regime inside a military intelligence compound in Kotebe, a Finfinne suburb.

According to an Amnesty International Report, in addition to being ardent Oromo nationalists, the four executed prisoners were:
Gezahegne Kassahun - former first deputy chairman, All Ethiopia Trades Union
Kebede Demissie - former Ministry of Agriculture official
Muhee Abdo - civil servant and university graduate
Yigezu Wake - former army lieutenant

And, their "crime" resulting in this cold-blooded extrajudicial execution was being Oromo.

Their fellow prisoner of conscience, Ibsaa Guutama, recounts that October day in 1986 in his book, titled Prison of Conscience, as follows:

"From the Upper Compound, Muhee Abdoo and Gazaheny Kaasaahun were called [out]. It was already heard that several old prisoners from the Karchallee had arrived presumably to be released. Gazaheny informed this writer [Ibsaa] about their arrival, shortly before he himself was called out. The subsequent addition of the two comrades [Muhee and Gazaheny] raised doubt. After some time, the Administration sent for their belongings. That was an enough clue for something bad [had happened to Muhee and Gazaheny.] All their comrades were numbed. They did not know how to respond." (Source: Guutama, Ibsaa, "Prison of Conscience: Upper Compound Maa'kalaawii," Gubirmans Publishing, New York, 2003.)

Ropes used to strangle & execute the October 1986 Oromo martyrs: Gezahegne Kassahun, Kebede Demissie, Muhee Abdo & Yigezu Wake. Source: Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team (Viewer Discretion Advised)

In a similar account, the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, that worked with the Special Prosecutors Office (which was set up in 1992 to investigate and prosecute former Derg officials), reports the following:

"The former Makalawi prisoners that we interviewed said that late on the night of October 7, 1979 [Geez Calendar, 1986 in European Calendar], a truck arrived in the prison compound and twenty prisoners were offloaded. The night was cold and many of the new prisoners had wrapped themselves in blankets. They were put in holding cells apart from the main cellblock. The next morning, at 10-20 minutes intervals, the guards called out each of the twenty new prisoners by name and, one by one, they were marched away. Ten Makalawi prisoners were similarly called out and taken away. The thirty men never returned, and by late afternoon rumors began to circulate that they had all been executed." (Source: Reports by the Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team)

Extrajudicial imprisonments and cold-blooded executions against Oromo nationalists were not limited to the four October 1986 martyrs and to the Derg regime. Just a few days ago, the Oromo Support Group reported 3,981 extrajudicial killings and 943 disappearances. In addition, it has been reported by former inmates that the Qallitti Prison Camp alone had 85% Oromo prisoners of conscience. This is despicable and outrageous by all human rights standards.

Tortures, illegal imprisonments and killings of Oromo nationalists are the tools deployed by the Abyssinian System of Domination to intimidate and exterminate the Oromummaa movement. It is, therefore, imperative that all independent Oromo nationalist institutions declare October as the Oromo Nationalist Prisoner of Conscience Month to honor the October 1986 martyrs, to bring about awareness about the hundreds and thousands of Oromo prisoners of conscience languishing helplessly and awaiting extrajudicial executions in prison camps of the Empire today, and to invigorate the campaign for the unconditional release of all Oromo prisoners of conscience!

Help spread this noble cause of dedicating October to be the Oromo Nationalist Prisoner of Conscience Month: EMAIL HERE.

Cleaning the Chemical Past
Addis Fortune, Ethiopia - September 25, 2007
Seka Chekors is not too different from many other similar towns as it struggles to pull itself out of the poverty that grips much of one of the poorest nations on the planet. One additional challenge to the town's residents that puts it in a unique category of towns is resurfacing after being relegated to bad memories for many old enough to recall.
One of the 230 districts within Jimma Zone in the Oromia Regional State, the township Seka Chekors is Located 347Km southwest of Addis Abeba. Twenty-thousand people inhabit this rural town 20Km along the main road from Jimma township.
Springtime in 1991 not only brought the normal belg rains but also the overthrow of the Derg military regime in power since 1974 and installation of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Forces (EPRDF). The ensuing power vacuum rendered government facilities vulnerable to looting and general insecurity of property.
In Seka a number of the residents stormed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD) warehouses removing whatever their hands and shoulders could bear.
Ibrahim Abageno, a 50-year-old resident of Seka and father of three who earns a living growing chat and corn as well as cattle ranching, vividly recalled what went wrong back then.
"The change in government left the warehouse unguarded," Ibrahim told Fortune.
Some of the materials were a rather nefarious bounty and turned out to be more of a curse than a treasure ...

Reigning Berlin Champion Gete Wami to Run ING New York City Marathon
ING New York City Marathon - September 25, 2007

Wami, 32, will be attempting an almost unprecedented feat at this level, as she returns to compete at New York only 35 days after defending her title in Berlin on September 30.

Wami has plenty of incentive to win her first New York crown, including the $500,000 champion’s prize purse that will be awarded to the winner of the inaugural 2006–7 World Marathon Majors series, which will conclude this year in New York. Currently ranked second in the WMM points standings behind Prokopcuka, Wami will have a chance to vault into first place in New York, regardless of her performance in Berlin.

“Gete’s decision to take aim at the World Marathon Majors crown a mere five weeks after Berlin didn’t surprise me,” Wittenberg said. “She’s a tough, seasoned, wily competitor who knows how to prepare and how to run to win. While most others would be on vacation five weeks after a marathon, I expect Gete to be in the hunt for gold.”

Wami, a three-time Olympic medalist on the track, has a marathon personal best of 2:21:34, set in Berlin in 2006. She placed second at the 2007 Flora London Marathon and was seventh in New York in 2005, her only previous appearance in the race ...

Ethiopia: Politics - Encouraging Reconciliation
The Reporter - September 24, 2007

The release from prison of former Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) leaders on July 20, where they spent nearly two years, was welcome to Ethiopians. Many were grateful for the crucial role that traditional elders played in securing their release ...

Accordingly, the panel of elders, who had already secured the release of CUD leaders, have now their eyes on bringing the government and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) together and start a dialogue. Prof. Ephraim, for the moment, seems to be content that there is a willingness on both sides for dialogue. Although he declines to give details, he has already established contact with both sides and disclosed that he has received some sort of support from people in Ethiopia and abroad ...

Defar Wins 3K at the World Athletics Final
IAAF - September 23, 2007

Right from the start of the 3000m Meseret Defar seemed intent on impressing her rivals. The Ethiopian, who had clocked the first sub-nine minutes time for Two Miles nine days earlier in Brussels, sprinted away in the first 200m and then passed 400m in little over 65 seconds. This was almost World record pace, but Defar had already dropped the pace significantly. Kenyans Vivian Cheruiyot, who had won the 5000m the day before, and Priscah Cherono (Kenya) came closer again but Defar kept full control.

In the last lap she stormed away again to win in 8:27.24, which was still a WAF record. Cheruiyot took second (8:28.66) and Cherono third (8:29.06). “It was a nice race today but without a pacemaker it is difficult to run fast. I expect to run 8:20 for this distance next year”, said Defar ...

Unrest in Ethiopia Worries Local Oromo
Minnesota Public Radio, MN - September 21, 2007

Robsan Itana directs the Oromo-American Citizens' Council. This year the organization hosted an Oromo Human Rights Conference. (MPR photo/Roseanne Pereira)

Minnesota has one of the largest Oromo populations in the country. The Oromo is an ethnic group from Ethiopia. The estimated 10,000 to 15,000 Oromo in the Twin Cites are trying to make new lives for themselves. But they say, their thoughts are often elsewhere -- as they monitor what's happening to family and friends in Ethiopia.

St. Paul, Minn. — Birhanemeskel Abebe sits alone at a table with his laptop. Behind him, towers a massive whiteboard crammed with writings in black marker.

Every square inch seems to have another fact -- the percentages of the different ethnic groups in Ethiopia, words like 'cell phone' -- to remind him to mention the government's restrictions on text messaging.

The board is like a map of Abebe's mind. It's overflowing with vital information about the Oromo and their sometimes violent troubles with the Ethiopian government.

"The regime is following a kind of ethnic apartheid policy, which is very difficult probably to understand in the United States, because the politics here is more along racial lines, black and white," says Abebe. "But in Ethiopia, we don't have racial line divisions, we have ethnic divisions."

The Oromo make up 40 percent of Ethiopia's estimated 77 million people. The ruling party of Ethiopia, on the other hand, is made up of people of a different ethnicity, the Tigre. They make up about 7 percent of the country's population ...

Why are we ignoring Africa's floods?
Reuters AlertNet, UK - September 21, 2007
The devastating floods that are sweeping east, central and west Africa have been met with a curious silence in the British media.
Scanning the broadsheets this week, there's been plenty of coverage for Prime Minister Gordon Brown's escalating spat with Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe. But the small matter of swathes of a continent under water has gone largely unnoticed.
A day after Reuters released the latest facts and figures on a growing African flood emergency, only The Independent covered the disaster.
A page in the world news section on September 18 with maps, flags, statistics and photos showed that people are affected in at least 15 countries. According to the paper, that's 64 dead in Sudan and more than 250,000 left homeless in Khartoum, 17 dead and 183,000 affected in Ethiopia, 21 dead and 150,000 displaced in Uganda, 12 dead in Kenya and 15 dead and 500 homes washed away in Rwanda.
It is hard to imagine how the Guardian, the Times and the Telegraph could have missed this. Instead, the one story that made the foreign pages of all these papers, (and appeared as a "News in Brief" in the Independent) was about a city crackdown ...on pigeons in Venice ...