Welcome to the First Oromo Webzine!

June 2004, Second Edition

Dedicated to the Oromo Men and Women Martyred for Peace, Equality and Fraternity!

::Feature:: 

Oromo Personalities of the Month

Diribe Demissie

Obbo Diribe Demissie, President (the Mecha Tulama Association (MTA))

Obbo Gemechu Feyera, Vice-President (MTA)

Obbo Sentayehu Workneh, Treasurer (MTA)

Obbo Dechassa Benti, Board Member (MTA)

Obbo Shane Korma, Board Member (MTA)

Obbo Legesse Detti, Former Secretary (MTA)

Obbo Dabassa Wakjira, Journalist (ETV)

Obbo Shifferaw Insermu, Journalist (ETV)

Obbo Ashebir Kebede, Employee (Hundee)

Adde Lelisse Timkata, Employee (Hundee)

Obbo Fikreselassie Bulcha, Employee (Hundee)

Obbo Dirar Abdissa, Employee (Finfinne Oromo Self-Help Organization)

and the countless other Oromo Prisoners of Conscience in Ethiopia

AI Index: AFR 25/006/2004
21 May 2004

UA 180/04

Diribi Demissie (m), President of the Macha Tulema Association (MTA)
Gemechu Feyera (m), MTA Vice-President
Sentayehu Workneh (m), MTA Treasurer
13 other members of the Oromo ethnic group, names not known

Fifteen members of the Oromo ethnic group, including the first two men named above, were arrested on 18 May in the capital, Addis Ababa. Sentayehu Workneh was arrested on 20 May. They are reportedly held incommunicado at the 3rd police station, the Central Investigation Department ("Maikelawi"), where torture and ill-treatment of political prisoners has been reported in the past. Amnesty International considers them to be prisoners of conscience.

Sentayehu Workneh was reportedly beaten at the time of his arrest.

Diribi Demissie is the President of an officially registered Oromo community welfare organization, the Macha Tulema Association (MTA). Gemechu Feyera is the Vice-President of the MTA and Sentayehu Workneh is the treasurer. Others arrested reportedly include university students. The police have alleged that they were suspected of involvement in a hand-grenade attack at Addis Ababa University on 29 April, which killed one student. Police reportedly accused the MTA of links with this incident because they had given financial support to students expelled from the university in January. The police claim they are linked with the armed opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), based in Eritrea.

Amnesty International believes Diribi Demissie, Gemechu Feyera and Sentayehu Workneh are prisoners of conscience who have not advocated violence or supported the OLF. The MTA is a non-political organization which has been working for over 40 years, despite frequent government harassment. It has recently been raising funds to assist over 300 Oromo students arrested on campus on 21 January when they protested about the earlier arrests of eight Oromo students accused of damaging university property, including breaking windows. The 300 were released after a few days, and the eight were later also released on bail. The 300 had been taken to Kolfe police training centre, forced to crawl on stones and beaten. Most were later suspended and 25 expelled from the university. (See UA 30/04, AFR 25/003/2004, 23 January)

Dozens of Oromo Demonstrators

Dozens of Oromo students at Addis Ababa University were arrested on 4 January at a peaceful demonstration by members of the Oromo ethnic group or "nationality". The students were taken by police and security officers to an undisclosed place of detention, where they could be at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

The demonstration was organized by the Macha Tulema Welfare Association, a non-political Oromo community welfare organisation which has been established for over 40 years. The demonstration is estimated to have attracted over 3,000 people to Meskel Square in the national capital Addis Ababa. They were protesting against the Federal Government's order that the offices of the Oromia Regional State administration be transferred from Addis Ababa to Adama (also known as Nazareth), a town 100 kilometres east of Addis Ababa.

Despite claims by the Macha Tulema Welfare Association that it had fulfilled official requirements for holding the demonstration; the police declared it illegal and arrested the association's president, Diribe Demissie, other association officials, and over 100 other people. They were taken to the Third Police Station in Addis Ababa, but were released on the same day without charge after being warned against any future demonstrations. The police dispersed other protestors by beating them.

Other arrests connected to the demonstration were reported in Ziwai, western Oromia, where school students were said to have been arrested, and in eastern Oromia, where Adama residents were said to have been arrested while travelling to the demonstration.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in English or your own language:
- calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Macha Tulema Association officials Diribi Demissie, Gemechu Fayera and Sentayehu Workneh, who Amnesty International believes are prisoners of conscience who have not used or advocated violence;
- expressing concern that they are held incommunicado and are at risk of torture or ill-treatment;
- urging the authorities to bring all 16 prisoners before a court and allow them access to their families, legal counsel and medical treatment and the International Committee of the Red Cross, which visits prisons in Ethiopia;
- calling for urgent investigation into the arbitrary detentions of other MTA officials or former officials, such as Dechassa Benti, Legesse Detti and Shane Korma, and others accused of similar offences also held incommunicado without charge (naming some of those mentioned above), and pressing for them to be allowed access to their families and legal counsel, and immediately brought before a court and either charged with a criminal offence or released.

APPEALS TO:

Prime Minister
His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Office of the Prime Minister
P O Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telegrams:Prime Minister, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax:+251 1 552020
Salutation: Your Excellency

Minister of Justice
Mr Harke Haroye
Ministry of Justice
P O Box 1370
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax:+251 1 520874/517775
Salutation:Dear Minister

Commissioner of Police
Mr Workneh Gebeyehu
Ministry of Federal Affairs
P O Box 5068, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Telegrams:Police Commissioner, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax:+251 1 552020
Salutation:Dear Police Commissioner

COPIES TO:

Head of Security
Mr Getachew Assefa
Office of the Prime Minister
P O Box 1031, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: +251 1 552020

and to diplomatic representatives of Ethiopia accredited to your country.

ETIOPIENS AMBASSAD
BOX 10148
115 50 STOCKHOLM
FAX 08-660 81 77
E-post:ethio.embassy@swipnet.se

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the International Secretariat, or your section office, if sending appeals after 2 July 2004.

Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat

1 Easton Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom