People are steady praising the reforms of Addis Ababa without recognizing that the state and the authorities are still violently oppressing people. The Oromo isn’t in the same regards as before, because of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Defence Force (EPRDF) have now Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed Ali, who is a Oromo himself. That is why the besieged regions of the past isn’t as much. Even as the Amhara and Ogaden, still has it coming.
The Prime Minister have made peace with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. Where the troops close to the border with Eritrea is promised to cease to exist or to be redeployed. The Ethiopian troops is steady and active within the Federal Republic of Somalia. Still, the narrative, that everything has turned funky dory in Ethiopia. Isn’t all true.
That the ones who asked for better pay and went to the Prime Minister office in Addis Ababa, the young soldiers doing so is charged with 14 years in prison. That is a proof, that the state still expect respect first and later will retaliate.
The EPRDF is also trying to make peace with opposition groups, that is to show signs of betterment, but still, there should be doubts. Since there are still violent activity and killings going on. There is steady ambushes and killings in the Ogaden Region. It has been going on all of the month of December and November. Not, that it has hit the headlines, because the agreements made with Ginabot 7 (G7), Oromo Liberation Front, (OLF), Afar People’s Liberation Front (APLF), Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Tigray People’s Democratic Movement (TPDM).
All of those agreements and movements are good news. But, likewise the sad news is that in Moyale on the 15th December, there was report of 25 Somalian killed in the town. This as Oromo militias are targeting the Somali citizens of the region and does it systematically. That should be worrying, but not like the Police either. Why I am saying it is systematic, is that on the 13th December, the same militia assaulted 60 people in the same town and killed another 17 Somali citizens there. That means around 40 people died within a week. If that isn’t striking, nothing is, but because the reforms and positive vibes comes from the capital. That overshadow the dire distress and hurt done in the Ogaden region. Which shouldn’t be forgotten in the scheme of things. Just like the distress and hurt under the State of Emergency in Oromia and Amhara of recent years. All of this should be messaged about.
Because this is lives in general, that is taken out by one group going against another. This is the group (Oromo) who was oppressed strongly during the EPRDF era. Now they are generating a para-military militia avenging their own oppression with killings in the Ogaden. This is the Oromo people attacking and killing Somali civilians. That should be told and not forgotten, as the authorities are not stopping them. The continuation of the killings should be remembered and the lost ones. Shall, not be revenged, but get justice for. So, that the ones who are in-charge and the ones who pushes this to happen. Get their punishment through court of justice.
The lives taken in Ogaden must be remembered. These lives has value and their lives deserves credit. As they were lives taken for another groups will to annex and control it.
The EPRDF if it was a reforming force, who cared about the lives in the Republic. They would have reacted and not let the continued violence happen, but they do. It continues and the Police Force, the army doesn’t stop it. Even when it persist, they are looking the other way. That is the sad reality. What is even worse. Is that the amounts of killings doesn’t make headlines or bothers any of the allies of Addis Ababa. As the villages, the border-town and other places are burning, the people are dying and the Oromo para-military groups are allowed to their part in the Ogaden region. Peace.
MinBane 