Once Again, A Political Stunt:

Tigre Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) Style

The (TPLF) clique has been brutalizing the non-Tigre peoples of Ethiopia since seizing power with the help of the Senior Bush administration in 1991 and has continued its rein of terror against innocent people with impunity. This murderous group has been able to hoodwink three US administrations: the Senior Bush, Clinton, and the present Bush administration in the name of “war on terror”. In December 2006, the present Bush administration financed and equipped this brutal regime to invade Somalia. This invasion has produced nothing for the US and the Ethiopian people, except death and destruction to a neighborly people whose country was already reeling from 16 years of civil war following the downfall of dictator Said Barre.

Sensing that it would be held responsible for committing War Crimes in Somalia and Ethiopia itself, the TPLF gang now wants to hoodwink the new US administration into believing that it has to continue to be financed and equipped since it alone is democratic government that is a trusted partner to fight terrorism. To get the attention of the new US administration, the clique has already started to “cry wolf”. A case in point: all of a sudden, out of the blue, the regime first announced that there would be “an imminent terrorist attack and then, before too long, concocted that it “lured an OLF commander and killed him and captured his accomplices”. In addition, in the past two weeks, the TPLF regime of Meles Zenawi has been rounding up innocent and peace loving Oromo people. These include members of its own so called parliament, business people, teachers, students, journalists, farmers. Among them, we have learned the detention of

Mr. Bekele Jirata, secretary of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), a registered legal political party,

Mr. Eshetu Kitil, owner of the famous Hawi Hotel in Addis Ababa (known to Oromos as Finfine),

Mrs. Lalise Wadajo , a well known journalist,

Mr Asefa Dibaba, Professor at Addis Ababa Univercity,

Mr. Kebede Borana, Manager (Hilton Hotel),

Mr. Desta Kitil, businessman ,

Mr. Warqineh,

Mr. Namoomsa Warqineh (teacher),

Mr. Getahun (Professor ),

Mr. Balay Korme (pharmacist),

Mr. Kabada Bulti (businessman),

Mr Negusie Dhaba,

Mr. Fiqadu Jalqaba ( university student),

Mr. Baqala Nagari,

Mr. Dejene Dhaba (businessman),

Mr. Qajela Abdata (OFDM party member),

Mr. Tokkon Mardasa(OFDM member),

Mr. Bulti Jalata (OFDM member).

This list is just the tip of the iceberg, as this mass imprisonment is widespread and on going. We urge the international community to demand the release of the above victims, including 80-90 year old men, already imprisoned for many years without charge.

We strongly believe that all these new mass arrests that are directed against all these innocent Oromo individuals is part of a planned TPLF’s political stunt to mislead and deceive the international community in general and the new American administration in particular. It is unfortunate that the out going US administration has supported this brutal regime in Ethiopia in the name of “war on terror”. We strongly believe that the regime is responsible for radicalizing otherwise peace loving segment of Ethiopian population. This is why we opposed the invasion of the nation of Somalia in the first place. We are afraid that this trend will eventually spill over to Ethiopia itself, whose Muslim population is considered to be about 50%.

We urge the international community at large and the President-Elect Obama administration to advance the cause of Human Rights in the Horn of Africa rather than appeasing the brutal regime in Ethiopia. It is the best way to safeguard democracy and its principles of human rights, peace, equality, and justice. In addition, we appeal to all peace loving people and organizations to support the just struggles for democracy of the Oromo people and all other Ethiopians and demand the unconditional release of hundreds and thousands of all political prisoners languishing in TPLF torture chambers.

Advocacy for the Fundamental Rights of

Oromos & Others (AFRO-O)

P. O. Box 422

Burtonsville, Maryland 20866

Website: www.afro-o.org