HRLHA URGENT ACTION
October 5, 2012
The Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) is highly concerned about the safety and wellbeing of hundreds of Oromo Nationals who were arrested by the Ethiopian Security forces on the annual Irrecha Festival (Oromo Traditional Thanksgiving) Holiday in central Oromia Regional State in Ethiopia.
According to the information obtained by HRLHA through its correspondents in central Ethiopian, over two hundred Oromo nationals, almost all of whom were the youth, were arrested in a surprise crackdown by armed government forces around the end of the Irrecha Holiday ceremony at Hora (Lake) Arsadi in the Central Oromia City of Bishoftu/Dabra-Zayit on the 30th of September 2012, and taken away to Maikelawi Investigation prison and to unknown destinations. The allegations were that the holiday celebrants chanted some kinds of political slogans along with Irrecha Festival songs.
HRLHA’s informants from Western and Southern Showa also reported that many Oromos who were on traveling to attend the Irrecha Festival Celebration at Bishoftu were pulled out of their Buses on September 29, 2012 by the Security forces in towns of Guder, Ambo, Ginchi, Shashemene, Sebata, Dukem and other towns and taken to unknown destinations.
The very ambiguous question, as it has been the case in Ethiopia’s political environment in the past fifteen to twenty years, is as to why political opinions and expressions, if any, become a crime in a country that claims to be democratic. It is very unfortunate that the Oromos and other nations and nationalities in Ethiopia are not able to see signs of democratic political changes even following the change of top political leadership. Among the hundreds of arrestees and detainees, the whereabouts of whom were not yet known, the HRLHA correspondents have been able to get the names and some other relevant information of the following:
|
No |
Name
|
Age |
Gender |
Education Level/Status |
Place of Birth |
|||
| Region/Zone | City/Town | |||||||
|
1 |
Alemitu Lemi Jabessa | 19 |
F |
10 | West Showa | Bishoftu | ||
|
2 |
Jafaro Shalama Fida |
25 |
M |
Student | West Showa | Finfinne/Lideta | ||
|
3 |
Mamo Lemmi Terefa |
20 |
M |
10+3 | West Showa | Gindabarat | ||
|
4 |
Tesfaye Duguma Didha |
22 |
M |
10+3 | West Showa | Ambo | ||
|
5 |
Yadessa Negero Wagari |
27 |
M |
– | West Showa | Bakko/Tibbe | ||
|
6 |
Boja Shibbiru Dheressa |
25 |
M |
10+3 | West Showa | Bakko/Tibbe | ||
|
7 |
Ayantu Mohamed Mumme |
22 |
F |
10+3 | East Hararge | Haromaya | ||
|
8 |
Kitessa Alamayehu Ayana |
19 |
M |
8 | East Wallaga | Nekemt | ||
|
9 |
Abdi Ibrahim Said |
25 |
M |
BA | East Harerge | Haromaya | ||
|
10 |
Dadhi Gudda Balcha |
25 |
M |
– | East Showa | Dukam | ||
|
11 |
Eliyas Bacha Amenu |
24 |
M |
10 | Arsi | Shashemene | ||
|
12 |
Gadissa Kaba Waggari |
26 |
M |
BA | West Showa | Gedo | ||
|
13 |
Motuma Lemi Jabessa |
22 |
M |
10+3 | East Showa | Bishoftu | ||
|
14 |
Ashenafi Angessa Kotta |
22 |
M |
Farmer | West Showa | Tole | ||
|
15 |
Diriba Tumsa Chibsa |
22 |
M |
10+2 | West Showa | Ambo | ||
|
16 |
Shimelis Aboyu |
25 |
M |
10+3 | East Wallaga | Horro Guduru | ||
|
17 |
Sanyi Jabessa Dube |
22 |
M |
12 | West Showa | Tole | ||
|
18 |
Lelisa Lache Taressa |
25 |
M |
– | West Showa | Alfata | ||
|
19 |
Samu’el Fekadu Kalbessa |
22 |
M |
Employee | East Wallaga | Nekemt | ||
|
20 |
Abdi Kajela Soboka |
21 |
M |
Employee | West Wallaga | Jarso | ||
|
21 |
Badhassa Tadesse Aba Ware |
27 |
M |
BA | Jimma Zone | Jimma | ||
|
22 |
Gemechu Habtamu Tafesse |
20 |
M |
12 | West Wallaga | Jarso | ||
|
22 |
Firomsa Rabirra Jirata |
24 |
M |
BA | East Wallaga | Jarte Jardega | ||
|
23 |
Gemechis Girma Garassa |
22 |
M |
10 | West Showa | Tokke Kutayye | ||
|
24 |
Dame Tufa Roba |
19 |
M |
8 | East Showa | Lomi, Ingumi | ||
|
25 |
Bulti Getahun Barkessa |
18 |
M |
10 | West Wallaga | Alaltu | ||
|
26 |
Tomas Amante Ijaro |
25 |
M |
BA | North Showa | Kuyu | ||
|
27 |
Badhassa Teshome Oljirra |
35 |
M |
Employee | West Wallaga | Nejo | ||
|
28 |
Oluma Sufi Kajela |
23 |
M |
– | East Showa | Ziway | ||
|
29 |
Shimelis Abebe Tesso |
26 |
M |
12 | North Showa | Kuyyu | ||
|
30 |
Fayera Abebe Yadassa |
23 |
M |
12 | West Showa | Ambo | ||
|
31 |
Girma Chimdessa Oluma |
25 |
M |
10+3 | East Wallaga | Shambu | ||
|
32 |
Zalalem Bayissa Irreti |
24 |
M |
10 | South Showa | Goche/Awash | ||
|
33 |
Chala Tolessa Badhadha |
23 |
M |
12 | West Showa | Inchini | ||
|
34 |
Geremew Dhaba Bayisa |
25 |
M |
BA | West Showa | Tokke | ||
|
35 |
Badhasa Gamada Chukala |
27 |
M |
– | East Showa | Limban | ||
|
36 |
Gamachis Lamessa |
26 |
M |
– | East Wallaga | – | ||
|
37 |
Bulki Getahun |
27 |
M |
– | East Wallaga | Nejo | ||
|
38 |
Dana Tufa Roba |
25 |
M |
– | East Showa | Lume | ||
|
39 |
Dachasa Kebede |
28 |
M |
– | North Showa | Abichu | ||
|
40 |
Dibbo Shumi |
30 |
M |
– | East Showa | Bishoftu | ||
|
41 |
Badho Melka |
– |
M |
– | East Showa | Abu Sera | ||
|
42 |
Njgatu Legesse |
– |
M |
– | East Showa | Sabata | ||
|
43 |
Ayele Bayi |
– |
M |
– | West Showa | Meta | ||
|
44 |
Jafura Shelema |
– |
M |
– | West Showa | Inchini | ||
|
45 |
Sanbatu Regeassa |
– |
M |
– | North Showa | Garba Guracha | ||
|
46 |
Ibrahim Kala’e |
– |
M |
– | Arsi | Asela | ||
|
47 |
Tekilu Fromsa |
– |
M |
– | East Wallaga | Nekemt | ||
|
48 |
Abayi Gosa Balcha |
– |
M |
– | East Showa | Bishoftu | ||
|
49 |
Olana Chala Hirpa |
– |
M |
– | West Showa | Ambo | ||
| 50 | Lalisa Luche Talila | – |
M |
– | West Showa | Alfata | ||
|
|
The HRLHA strongly condemns the violent actions of the Ethiopian Government, be it federal or regional; and requests that the arrestees are released unconditionally. HRLHA also calls up on all local, regional, and international human rights, democratic, and diplomatic agencies to exert pressure on the new Ethiopian head of state so that the new Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn starts re-examining the overall political courses of actions that have been very unfriendly to the majority of Ethiopians during the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s leadership.
