Ethiopia: Oromo Conference Examines Impacts of Land Grabbing on People and the Environment
The following is a press release from the London International Oromo Workshop Organizing Committee. Click here for the pdf version of the press release.
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Email: oromo.international@yahoo.co.uk
London, 3rd July 2010
PRESS RELEASE
“THE SCRAMBLE FOR LAND AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION IN OROMIA: Consequences for the Future”
The 4th annual London International Oromo Workshop (LIOW), held in London on the 3rd of July 2010 and attended by researchers, human rights activists, journalists, NGO representatives, and delegates from Canada, USA, Finland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Italy, Africa, France, Switzerland, and the UK, examined land grabbing and its impact on the environment, food sovereignty and security.
Panelists explored history of land use and abuse in Oromia, drivers of the land grabbing, Ethiopian regime’s land sale policy, mining and environmental degradation, land rights and identity and the threat posed by foreign investment to the future survival of the indigenous population.
Farming practice in Oromia has been in existence for many centuries and is contributing substantially to the global crop biodiversity. The large scale industrial farming practice being expanded in Oromia threatens to wipe out unique produces including coffee, Eragrostis tef /xaafii/, sorghum, and barley.
Ethiopia is the only country that does not allow anyone to see the records of what is being sold and who is buying the farmlands. No consultation takes place with the local farmers on the process of land lease and compensation is nominal if any. The Ethiopian land lease price is by far the cheapest in the world at $1/hectare/year for 100 years. Fertile lands of Oromia, Gambella and Benishangul are exclusively targeted.
Rice and other cereals, produced by investors in Oromia, are being shipped out of the country for lucrative international markets and consumption by investors as the local farmers and their family suffer from chronic malnutrition and millions survive on food handout from donor countries. The conference concluded there can be no justification for cut flower farming in a hungry country.
Toxic chemicals from open mining pits and flower farming are left untreated to pollute the tributaries and major local rivers essential for the survival of the local population and already causing serious public health problems. Heavy metals like lead and copper as well as toxic chemicals, such as sodium cyanide, are being discharged directly into rivers used by the locals for drinking. Evidence shows there is no capacity or political will by the Ethiopian state to enforce national regulation or international conventions on the protection of the environment. Research confirms that deforestation, as a result of extensive mining, is leading to worsening of soil erosion.
It was noted that selling off millions of hectares of farmland to foreigners by displacing the local population complicated by political and economic alienation has the potential for a catastrophic social unrest and poses a huge security headache not only for the country but for the whole world.
Overall, evidence presented showed the so called win-win situation is most unlikely to be achievable due to the excess financial muscles of the so called investors who treat food just as yet another commodity and lack of participatory democracy especially in Ethiopia. Participants denounced land grabbing and agreed to co-ordinate their efforts globally to campaign to STOP the irresponsible greedy practice by the transnational conglomerates.
LIOW ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
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RELATED:
The following videos are from FarmLandGrab.org, a site containing "mainly news reports about the global rush to buy up or lease farmlands abroad as a strategy to secure basic food supplies or simply for profit."
The 4th London International Oromo Workshop was held on July 3rd, 2010. This year's workshop was entitled: "The Scramble for Land, 'Investment' and Environmental Degradation in Oromia: Consequences for the Future". Watch in Bigger Screens »»»
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Professor Mekuria Bulcha: |
Addise Dheressa: |
Dr. Bahiru Dhuguma: |
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Dr. Marco Bassi: |
Nyikaw Ochalla: |
Gosaye Fida: |
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Walfidaa said,
July 15, 2010 @ 4:50 pm
Why did these people make a separated conference from that of OSA? Such issues actually should have been clearly discussed together in the coming OSA-conference! By the way, the topic of the upcoming OSA-conference is really good! “Rethinking the Urgency of Paradigm shift for Democracy, Human Rights and Social Justice in the Age of Intensified Globalization.” But what do the concerned people mean by paradigm shift? Shift of Kaayyoo or shift of Karaa to the Kaayyoo? At which level of the Oromo political evolution are the panelists and participants moving? We like it or not, all Oromo individuals and institutions do pass through certain evolution process from level one to level five, unlike Dr Negasso Gidaada’s backward evolution move from the fourth level to the first level. Here is the Oromo political evolution:
- the first level of the evolution is that of those who do support unitary Abyssinian Empire as Oromo in Habesha organizations like AEUP, EDP, EPPF, EPRP, G-7 and UDJ are doing (they deny the existence of Oromia and do cry about only Imiye Ethiopia). Are panelists like Dr Berihanu moving at this level?
- the second level of those acting like OPDO, who do claim to be Oromo and believe in the existence of Oromia, but do accept and adore Abyssinian rule over the occupied Oromia.
- the third level of those acting like OFC, who do claim to to be Oromo and demand Oromian Autonomy at least within Ethiopian UNION. Are panelists like Jawar moving at this level?
- the fourth level of those acting like ULFO and do claim the unconditional Oromian Independence in a form of an independent Gadaa Repubic. Is there any one from such ONLY pro-Walabummaa without a possibility for a UNION of independent nations of the region in the conference?
- the fifth level of those searching to foster the Oromian UNION planned by AFD, i.e a union of independent nations in the Horn which brings all Oromo in the Horn (in Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenia and Tanzania) together. I think people like Professor Mohammed Hassen and Prof Assefa Jalata are moving at this level!
The question yet to be answered is how many of the Oromo individuals taking part in the conference and the Oromo institutions they do represent did finish their evolution process? I know there are some who already have completed their evolution, but tactically make the rhetoric of the lower levels of the evolution. But yet there are some who still are convinced to live and move at the lower level of the Oromo political evolution! Which one is the position of each panelist and participant? The position of the compelled ones, who do consider the lower levels as their tactical goal or the position of the convinced ones, who do accept the lower levels as their strategical goal?
qero falmata said,
July 16, 2010 @ 10:00 pm
Hi there,
First of all I would like to thank those people(from London) who voiced for the voiceless oromo people on the burning isuues of land grabing,deprived of thier home in which they lived and raised their children, in which they build their social image and values etc, the oromo not alone at home even in diaspora are voiceless. This is may be due to the mental torture done to oromo by different opperessive habeshas rulers which exists still. No matter what, voicing for oromo today is something anybody who is saying i am a human being should do it “Mr. Siye Abereha did it ,who is woyane, voiced for this people because he has humanly heart not power only” this people(from London) did that I realy appreciate their effort. Now on OSA confence one of the discusion as it is mentioned by walfida is a paradigm shift is that a burning issue? with out discussing the issues of oromo in ethiopia which is facing the hardest life ever, discussing to bring oromo from tanzania and othe places…” yemetlebesew yelat yemitkenanebew amarat” jedhu wara habasha, think of what does the Tanzanian gov. think, what does the Sudan gov. think, what does the Egypt gov. think etc.imagine it. Today the most improtant thing for Oromo is talking to governments to influence the ethiopian govrnment at least to reduce its opperassion, getting support for those who are fighting day to day this opperasive ruler, convince different indviduals and governments so that the problem of oromo is visible, at the same time getting help. But of all those mentioned who is doing this? who is saying i am here for you to Oromo, who is saying i am here to give support, who is saying i am here to defend you, who is saying I am here to stand for you,who is saying i am here to fight for you in international and national arena,those are what the oromo need at this time. At this time the only organization how small or big it is doing the above mentioned thing is the only organization “ABO tokkicha gachana ummata oromotii, kan of warega jiru issa qofa dha.” Ummanii oromos kanaf issatii mxanee hafe”. In the end what is the out put of the OSA discussion for Oromo people, from one discussion or conference some thing has to come out and implemented what are those?Galaatomaa. niibilisomina!!!