Killing, Arresting and Torturing of Oromo Youth Men and Women Will Not Stop the Struggle of the Oromo People for Justice and Freedom – Statement of the National Youth Movement for Freedom & Democracy (Qeerroo Bilisummaa)

The following is a statement from the National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy (Qeerroo Bilisummaa).

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August 29, 2014

The Tigrayan minority TPLF-led Ethiopian regime has continued arresting and torturing of the Oromo nationals in an attempt to stop the struggle of the Oromo nation for freedom, democracy and justice. Currently, the atrocities committed by this regime on innocent Oromo civilians have escalated to an unimaginable scale. Hundreds of Oromo students, teachers, farmers, daily labourers, and civil servants are languishing in prisons located at several places in Oromia. The overwhelming majority of those who are sent to detention centres are subjected to severe and inhuman tortures.

Some have died in prison cells, or thrown out of jail and left to die in hospitals, simply because they could not stand the torture. Oromo nationalists Wako Tola (teacher), Usmayyo Musa (singer), Alamayehu Gerba (handicapped university student), Nimona Tilahun (former University student), Tesfahun Chemeda (engineer), Aslan Hassan (university student), and many others were all killed by the regime’s police as a direct result of torture while in prison cells. Those who survive the brutal torture will be subjected to trumped-up charges and will be brought to judges of the kangaroo court of the regime. Before bringing to the court, false witnesses are prepared and “evidence” is planted at their homes by the regime’s police, and get convicted based on these fake testimonies and made-up and planted “evidences.” Others are kept in prison indefinitely without any charge at all. In few cases, judges render “not-guilty” verdicts after the prisoners have already spent several years in jail and let them go “free.” In some of such cases, the police arrests them back before they even leave the courthouse and prepare other made-up charges. This has been a well-known and established norm of the judiciary system of the current regime in Ethiopia. Oromo students are subjected to such police brutality and unjust judicial process, and branded as “terrorists” for no crime other than raising the rightful and legitimate questions of the Oromo people in a peaceful and non-violent manner. It is not an exaggeration if we say this regime in Finfinne (Addis Ababa) is a mafia regime, brutal than the former apartheid regime of South Africa.

It is to be recalled that on July 7, 2014, Qeerroo Bilisummaa has compiled a partial list of 61 Oromos who were brutally murdered, and 903 others who were thrown into jail and tortured as a result of the Oromo students protest of April and May 2014, mainly in opposition to the controversial Finfinne (Addis Ababa) so-called “Master Plan.” Most of these Oromo nationals are still languishing in prison and still under brutal torture. Currently, the reports we received indicate that, among those arrested in April/May, 2014, some 25 Oromo nationals are intensely brutalized in the notorious “Maikelawi” prison and Dire Dawa prison. Our reports reveal that these prisoners could not stand the torture and are extremely weakened to a point that they are unable to stand or walk. Just like many others before them, these nationals are also at a risk losing their lives in the prison cells of the regime. Qeerroo Bilisummaavehemently condemns these callous atrocities of the regime and asks the regime to stop such unlawful, cruel and barbaric practices perpetrated on lawful and innocent Oromo civilian citizens. The TPLF regime should have realized from its own experience with the Derg regime that arresting and brutalizing active members of a nation under occupation will not stop the oppressed nation from struggling for their inalienable right. Past and current history tells us that it will rather intensify the struggle and ultimately freedom, democracy, and justice will prevail over tyrannical rule.

Chaltu Dhuguma – Teacher

The names of the 25 Oromo nationals currently going under severe and intense torture, and at risk of losing their lives are as follows.

Oromo Nationals under brutal torture in “Maikelawi” Prison, Finfinne
1. Chaltu Dhuguma – Wollega University (female teacher)
2. Teshale Bekele – Jimma University
3. Nimona Chali – Haramaya University
4. Bilisumma Gonfa – Haramaya University
5. Abebe Urgessa – Haramaya University
6. Gemechu Bekele – Jimma University
7. Lenjisa Alemayehu – Jimma University
8. Bilisumma Dandana – Adama University
9. Adunya Tesso – Adama University

Student Bilisumma Gonfa

Student Derartu Abdeta

Oromo Nationals under brutal torture in Dire Dawa Prison (all students from Dire Dawa University)
1. Derartu Abdeta Ararso (female)
2. Lencho Tewodros Deksisa
3. Efa Getachew Ibsa
4. Bacha Bezu Balda
5. Tagel Gulumma Olqaba
6. Musa Umar Tusa
7. Tadele Bekele Tolasa
8. Abulsalam Hussein Ganna
9. Moti Bandu Ayyano
10. Gada Banti Gannabi
11. Dereje Tesfaye Mekonnen
12. Amanuel Etefa Terfasa
13. Dessaleyn Korifu Lateny
14. Milkessa Qato Galasa
15. Gadisa Asfaw Retta
16. Olyad Bulbula Indalew

Qeerroo Bilisummaa appeals to all national and international governmental and humanitarian organizations to exert pressure on the Ethiopian regime to stop torturing and brutalizing these Oromo nationals.

Victory to the Oromo People!

Qeerroo Bilisummaa

August 29, 2014
Finfinne, Oromia