ጋድሰ ራባ ዶሪ Dec 6, 2016: Competing Nationalisms And The challenges of Transformation In Ethiopian Politics

#OromoRevolution U.S. Senator Cardin Statement on Arrest of Dr. Merera Gudina in Ethiopia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 2, 2016

CONTACT:
Sean Bartlett, 202.224.4651
Sue Walitsky, 202.224.4524

Senator calls for immediate release Oromo People's Congress leader, opening up of political space in Ethiopia.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, released the following statement Friday after Dr. Merera Gudina, leader of the Oromo People’s Congress and one of Ethiopia’s opposition leaders, was arrested earlier this week after returning home following his testimony to the European Union parliament on the current political crisis in the country:

“Dr. Gudina’s arrest appears to be based solely based on the fact that he is a member of the opposition who has spoken out publicly against the regime, and as such he should be immediately released.  He is not the only member of the opposition to be arrested for speaking out, and his detention signals a disturbing lack of commitment to the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Ethiopian constitution. 

“The government’s crackdown on Oromo protesters over the past year have resulted in very troubling allegations of torture and extrajudicial killings by security forces with little in the way of meaningful accountability.

“The Ethiopian government should release all journalists, members of the opposition and civil society activists who have been detained, and take meaningful actions to open political space, starting with lifting current restrictions on social media.

“Ethiopia and the United states are close partners.  As such, I call upon the government to take actions which demonstrate that it is sincere about making political reforms toward an inclusive, truly representative government.”

Background:
Senator Cardin introduced a bipartisan Senate resolution in April that condemns government crackdowns on and violence against civil society, opposition leaders and the media, as well as asks the Secretary of State to conduct a review of U.S. security assistance to Ethiopia.

Source: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10102717756970043&id=215693

Ethiopia Criminalize Watching Esat and OMN, Diplomats Cannot Travel Out Of Addis Abeba Now

De Birhan

Under The State Of Emergency, Diplomats Cannot Travel Out Of Addis Abeba Now
15-10-2016
The specifics of the Ethiopian regime’s Command Post State of Emergency state that diplomats cannot travel outside of Addis Abeba, maximum being 40 km radius, without the knowledge of the Command Post. If this ban applied to diplomats, it is possible  that it will also affect tourists who wish to travel outside of the capital.
The declaration contains around 30 articles. It could now be soundly claimed that the Ethiopian Defense Forces, dominated by one ethnic group, has taken over by conducting a negotiated or silent coup. The names of the members of the new Command Post has not been made public but the faces being shown on TV include Siraj Fegessa, Minister of Defense and the Attorney General, Getachew Ambaye and “PM” Hailemariam Dessalegn. These three individuals are being used as PR by a secret team of TPLF military personnel, who form and lead the Command Post.   Some of the main articles include:
- Fifty km inside the borders  of the country have been flagged red zones.

-All major roads leading to regional cities and borders, except to Mekele/Tigray region, have been marked red zones.

- A curfew has been imposed after 6pm and before 6 am on all private and government investments, projects and institutions.

- All political parties are banned from issuing pressers that may contain any sense of incitement.

- Watching listening  or reporting to diaspora based Ethiopian media outlets such as ESAT, OMN  is banned and vaguely called “other radio stations.”

- Communicating with outside groups/forces using social media such as Facebook has been banned.

- Security forces cannot seek resignation or an annual leave during the period of the State of Emergency.

- Terminating or shutting own’s business or service has been banned.

- Demonstrating inside educational institutions is banned.

- Religious leaders are banned from speaking about political issues or current affairs.
To cover and implement the curfew and SoE, the regime’s army will be stretched and this will loosen the border security. The curfew will also cripple businesses, education, and government’s own services.It is difficult to even imagine if this declaration would bring about the intended purposes or rather have unexpected and indirect consequences on national security and economy.

Source: http://debirhan.com/?p=10646

Ethiopia Declared state of emergency for the first time in 25 years amid security deterioration in oromia state

By abenezer_a

Addis fortune reported that The Ethiopian government declared state of emergency amid security deterioration in the oromia state. It was declared on an urgent meeting the prime minster cabinet conducted on Saturday afternoon.This is the first time in 25 years declared state of emergency  According to the article 93 of the constitution.    "In the exercise of its emergency powers the Council of Ministers can not, however, suspend or limit the rights provided for in Articles 1, 18, 25, and sub-Articles 1 and 2 of Article 39 of this Constitution.  " "The state of emergecy will last for 6 months or could be shorted"  a senior government official told Addis fortune


Security forces have killed more than 500 people during protests over the course of the last year as though the country is in state of emergency. With in one day, on October 2, 678 people were killed on ireecha celebration according to Oromo Federalist congress, the government lower the number to 55. UN human right council has multiple times  called for independent investigation but Ethiopian government has been declining requests. More killings  and arrests are expected in the coming days. State of emergency is already on effect as of saturday evening oct 8, 2016.

#OromoProtests:Soldiers brutality in Robe on Aug6 @getachewkreda said protesters were violent on #AjinsideStory pic.twitter.com/3tFnFYqfTl

— Ethiopian Press (@abenezer_a) August 17, 2016

Ethiopia declares state of emergency

By Elias Meseret |
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The Ethiopian government has declared a state of emergency effective immediately following a week of anti-government violence that resulted in deaths and property damage across the country, especially in the restive Oromia region.

“The Council of Ministers has declared a state of emergency that will be effective as of Saturday evening so as to deal with anti-peace elements that have allied with foreign forces and are jeopardizing the peace and security of the country,” the state Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation announced Sunday morning.

It added that that the Council of Ministers discussed the damage by the protests across the country and declared the state of emergency in a message delivered to Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/ethiopia-declares-state-of-emergency/2016/10/09/8279b452-8e09-11e6-bc00-1a9756d4111b_story.html