The Basaso Massacre of Oromos by the Ethiopian Government
COPLF/GABUO Press Release - February 17, 2008

It is has been over a century since the Oromoland (Oromiyaa) was militarily conquered and occupied and, ever since then, the Oromo people have been suffering under the dependent colonial rule of the Abyssinians. Since day one of the Abyssinian intrusion into Oromiyaa, the Oromo have persistently fought to regain their sovereignty despite all odds and under all severe conditions. The struggle for freedom has certainly and always been difficult. What makes the struggle uniquely difficult for the Oromo is not just the military might of the Abyssinians as such, rather the additional involvement of foreign forces on the Abyssinian side of the equation.

Since the beginning of the last quarter of the 20th Century, the Oromo struggle has gathered much needed momentum and entered a higher phase. To counter this, the Ethiopian government has been resorting to all means of annihilating the Oromo. The extrajudicial killings, disappearances and mass detention of the Oromo continue unabated to the extent that the prisons and detention centers of Ethiopia are filled and overflowing exclusively with Oromos. This is attested unequivocally by various sources.

Life is agonizing and has proved brutal for the Oromo in their own natural environment, as being Oromo in itself has become a crime. Literally, there is a manhunt going on in Oromiyaa. As life has become unbearable in Oromiyaa, many flee their beloved homeland crossing the unforgiving deserts to the neighboring countries in order to save their lives, leaving their livelihood behind. Ironically, Oromos aren’t safe anywhere: not at home nor are they in the neighboring countries where they have sought refuge ...