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Oromia/Ethiopia: Adama University’s Student Resistance Against Regime
The following news briefs are from the National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy (Qeerroo).
Angry Adama University students have rejected the mediation by Minster of Civil Service, Junedin Sado
(Qeerroo News – Adama, Oromia – May 23, 2011) Students’ anger ignited by the food poisoning, as a result of which many have been admitted to hospital, is mounting to full-scale student resistance to the regime on power.
A mediation attempt by the former president of Oromia Regional State and current Minister of Civil Service, Junedin Sado, was rejected by angry students at Adama University.
Mr. Junedin arrived after the army had raided the campus, students had been hospitalized due to the poisonous food and an attack had been carried out by security people.
Accordingly, when he tried to convince students, the angry protesters responded saying “after poisoning us, invading our campus and putting in place the marshal rule, what do you want from us?”
The puppet of the TPLF- led EPRDF government, Mr. Junedin, was shamed by further comments like “thief, thief” and “Go away, Go away.”
The students were also protesting and chanting about the food crisis and the cost of living in the country.
The angry Qeerroo group in Adama has risen up with determination against the regime
(Qeerroo News – Adama, Oromia – May 23, 2011) In a serious of protests ignited by food poisoning, inflating food prices and cost of living, and human rights abuses in the country, many were imprisoned, other hospitalized, but the rest are keeping up the pace of their protest against the regime.
The communication infrastructures were taken down by the regime, and it was impossible to communicate on the internet and the phone. Due to the high tension, it was also difficult to go out of the campus.
On Friday May 20, 2011, around 12AM, when the angry students demonstrated in the campus. Immediately, 5000 federal police force, outnumbering students, broke into the campus arresting many of the students. Many were beaten, and more than 20 were imprisoned. Students, when taken by the police cars, were heard chanting for freedom and their cause.
Students continued chanting “thief, thief government …” while Oromo students chanted “OLF, OLA, Raise Up Qeerroo,” the voice and picture of the scene was also recorded.
Qeerroo, a Gadaa-based National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy, is a group of young pro-freedom, democracy and human rights activists, who came together in order to support each other, build solidarity, and develop sustainable democracy and human rights movements by empowering the younger generation in democratic rights and value.
- More News on Qeerroo.Wordpress.com
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The Demands of Qeerroo Oromia, the National Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy
1. Whereas the TPLF/EPRDF regime has been ethno-centric both in its Stalinist organizational structure and the socio-political agendas it promotes; Whereas its loudly self-eulogised federal structure of the country has become nothing, but only a divide and rule system; Whereas it has mainly been targeting the oppressed nations and nationalities like the Oromo, Ogaden, Sidama and other peoples of the south as its primary enemies.
Therefore, we demand that the regime immediately stop the twenty years of continued military campaign in Oromia, Ogaden and other oppressed areas to forcefully silence the legitimate demands of these peoples.
2. Whereas Meles Zenawi has managed to cling onto power for the last two decades only through mass repression and oppression; Whereas Mr. Zenawi’s system of rule has been marked by unparalleled massive and persistent human rights violations (mass harassment, displacement, torture, imprisonment and killing of citizens); Whereas there are still tens of thousands of individuals languishing in Meles Zenawi’s prison as prisoners of conscience.
Therefore, we urge for an immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners. We demand that especially the prison Maikelawi (central investigation prison), a traditionally established central chamber of torture, mutilation and slaughtering of human beings, be immediately dismantled and closed for ever.
3. Whereas Meles zenawi’s government continues to be bragging about an unseen rate of economic growth, sheer existence has virtually become impossible for the majority of Ethiopians; Whereas today inflation and scarcity have become acute to the extent of making life impossible even for the so-called urban middle class society as a result of misguided economic policy of the regime; Whereas disease, illiteracy, hunger and famine remain to be the mark of Ethiopian overall social economic life.
Hence, we urge for an immediate supply of basic goods, such as sugar, oil and bread, for the people by the government while in the meantime the market and all related economic policies be corrected and rectified.
4. Whereas there is no a sphere of social life that Mr. Zenawi’s regime has not encroached into, more so with the economy; Whereas it is a public secret that virtually all major economic institutions are owned by TPLF’s oligarchy known as EFFORT and controlled by Azeb Mesfin, the wife of the Prime minister.
We demand that all the so-called private properties of Zenawi’s family be confiscated and further investigation be undertaken into the yet unknown level of corruption by the family and close associates.
5. Whereas Ethiopia is an agrarian society where more than 90% of the population earn their means of life through farming; Whereas the motto “Land to the Tiller” has been the major rallying and unifying political demand of the entire Ethiopian peoples in the 1960s and early 70s that culminated in the 1974 Ethiopian Revolution and hence brought about the demise of emperor Haile-Sillasie and his dynasty; Whereas once again, we are in a Zero-sum-Game situation as the TPLF regime started pursuing what is known as the Land-Grabbing policy; Whereas the currently and widely practiced Land-grabbing policy of the TPLF regime would lead to mass dispossession, displacement, unemployment, socio-economic alienation and modern slavery by global economic powers.
Therefore, we demand that the policy immediately be stopped and that all international agreements made so far be annulled in effect.
6. Whereas Ethiopia has been downing from bad to worst in its overall political, social and economic system for the last 20 years; Whereas the political system is marked by a Stalinist conception of a holistic state, where power division is utterly absent and hence no real distinction between the legislative, judiciary and the executive bodies; Whereas Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is the melting pot of all those powers as a person, as the case has always been with all Stalinist regimes; Whereas Meles Zenawi has never been elected, but only selected by the Stalinist state apparatus he himself created.
Therefore, we demand Prime Minister Meles Zenawi immediately leave his office and relinquish his state power.
7. Whereas the TPLF/EPRDF ruling party claimed in the last May 2010 election a landslide victory with 99.6% in a country where there have been more than 90 legally registered and competed opposition parties; Whereas the election board is just an extended hand of the ruling party; Whereas the national treasury, the media, the federal police and security forces have always been directly used by the ruling party for facilitating the landslide victory the regime claimed; Whereas, in the face of all these, electoral politics have been nothing, but a mockery and sham.
Therefore, we demand that both chambers of parliament be immediately dissolved. We want a transitional government be constituted from all major liberation movements and opposition political organizations towards instituting social justice and democracy.
Freedom, Liberty and democracy shall prevail!
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