OMRHO Press Release on Oromo Refugeen in Kenya

OMRHO Press Release 29 Sept 2008

(from information received 25 September)

Press release on Oromo refugees in Kenya

It is very well known that Oromos are the most persecuted people in Ethiopia under the EPRDF regime. The underlining reason for this fact is just the demographic strength of the Oromos, who constitute about 40% of the entire Ethiopian population in contrast to the tiny minority of the Tigrean ethnic group which only amounts about 7%. EPRDF’s rule is best characterized by its ethno-centric ideology of using brute force in subduing all the rest of Ethiopian peoples with the aim of establishing Tigrean hegemony.

What makes the plight and suffering of the Oromos even more unique, is the fact that their lives is not safer in foreign countries like in Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and the Sudan than in their home country from which they flee for survival. There has been enough documentation on EPRDF’s trans-boarder persecution, abduction and killings of the Oromos in these countries for a number of times in the past.

Very recently, the Ethiopian security agents started another cycle of hunting Oromo refugees in Kenya. According to the first hand information OMRHO received, the following individuals have been abducted by the Ethiopian security agents from Gidorahi section of Nairobi and their whereabouts remain unknown:

1. Mr. Seifu Magarsa

2. Mr. Mika’el Gabre Bayyisa

3. A pilot who recently fled to Kenya, whose name was not specified.

OMRHO received further information that another two persons are under the surveillance of the Ethiopian security agent for further abduction. These are:

Girma Ittafa and his friend, whose name is not yet specified.

OMRHO pleads all concerned human right organizations and democratic forces to trace and rescue the lives of the mentioned persons.

30 September 2008

In Ethiopia violations of human rights has continued unabated. This is truer particularly as far as the Oromia region is concerned, as new spiral of mass harassment, detentions, torture and systematic uprooting of the Oromo people is taking place in the region. The recently well concerted massacre of the Oromos in Western Oromia by the militia from Gumuz ethnic is a case in point, which left about 400 civilian people dead, 40 injured and about 12000 displaced.

Since then the Federal Police Force was stationed in the region with the pretext of maintaining order and security. But instead of safeguarding the lives of the victims, the federal police started to engage it self in harassing, abducting and torturing the Oromo victims themselves. OMRHO e.V. recently received an authentic report from Eastern Wollaga, Sassiga district, Anger Haro Wata, Oda Guddina and Mada Jala qabelles that the following individuals are only some of the Oromos who are abducted, jailed and tortured by Ethiopian federal police:

1. Ittafa Dheressa

2. Temesgen Birratu

3. Hambisa Badhasa

4. Bogale Ofga'a

5. Iddosa Waqgari

6. Gamme Nagari

7. Bantihun Shure

8. Caalaa

9. Xilahun

10.Barka Dereje

11.Sintayehu Basha

12.Gutama Biranu

13.Beqele Zewude

14.Dula Gammada

15.Sintayehu Aragawu

16.Hambisa Beqele

17.Dhibbirra Badhasa

18.Mulugeta

19.Badhasa siyyum

20.Mulugeta Siyyum

21.Temesgen Hambisa

22.Mitiku Abdissa

23.Tsegaye Oli'ana

24.Seifu Awwal

25.Desaleny Mallasa

26.Hirpha Tujuba

27.Waqjira Xafa

28.Dingata Beyene

29.Zelalem Beyene

30. Faris

According to the information OMRHO e.V. received, all the mentioned individuals were picked up by the federal police in the mid night from their home under extremely frightening and terrorising atmosphere for their families. No legal explanations or judicial order were given for their imprisonment. Our source further confirms that all the jailed individuals have been severely tortured by the federal police to the extent that some of them developed Haematuria (urinating blood).

As a result of this overall condition, many Oromos continue fleeing their home. The OMRHO e.V. urges all human right advocating agencies, organizations and governments to use all their influential powers to stop the Ethiopian government from such gross human right violations.