In northern Ethiopia, the Amhara resistance is getting momentum (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr8x8Aof7T4

Amhara Region President Ato Gedu Andargachew Message to the People of Mahara Rigion, Ethiopia (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyUZJfRNrt8

Zimbabwe President Invokes ‘Enough Is Enough” Slogan Back On Protestors (Youtube-Clip)

“After his long awaited return Saturday, after rumors of ill-health, Zimbabwe President called for an end to protests saying “enough is enough.” Addressing youth at his Zanu-PF party’s headquarters, President Mugabe attacked the country’s judiciary for granting permission to protestors” (VOAZimbabwe, 2016)

Letter: “Cancelation of Mira Operation” – Somalia (04.09.2016)

Miraa Statement 05.09.2016

Joint Communique by the Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan and the Members of the United Nations Security Council (05.09.2016)

Salva Kiir Poster

The Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan expressed its determination to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan.

NEW YORK, United States of America, September 5, 2016 – The Transitional Government of National Unity of South Sudan expressed its determination to implement the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, in particular the reform agenda, now that the Transitional National Legislative Assembly is in place. 

The members of the United Nations Security Council and the Transitional Government of National Unity agreed to work in a fresh spirit of cooperation to advance the interests of the South Sudanese people, particularly their aspirations for justice, liberty, and prosperity.  They agree that the humanitarian and security needs of the people are Paramount.

To improve the security situation, the Transitional Government of National Unity gave its consent to the deployment, as part of UNMISS, of the Regional Protection Force recently authorized by the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2304.  The United Nations Security Council agreed that troop contributors and UNMISS and the Transitional Government of National Unity will continue to work through the modalities of the deployment, building upon the consultations of August 25 and September 1 and anticipating further imminent discussions.

The Transitional Government of National Unity commits to permit free movement of UNMISS in conformity with its mandate, including to protect civilians.  To this end, the Transitional Government of National Unity commits to devising a plan with UNMISS by the end of September 2016 on concrete steps to remove impediments to UNMISS’s ability to implement its mandate, including reviewing procedures related to movement of UNMISS and streamlining bureaucratic processes.  UNMISS commits to inform the Transitional Government of National Unity of all movements and of other details as appropriate.

The Transitional Government of National Unity signals its readiness to implement Chapter V of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, including to work with the African Union in setting up the Hybrid Court for South Sudan as soon as the African Union provides proposals for its work as provided in the Agreement. 

The Transitional Government of National Unity commits to immediately improve humanitarian access, including by providing assistance in eliminating illegal checkpoints and by reviewing by the end of September 2016 with the UN Humanitarian Coordinator, modalities for streamlining bureaucratic processes and access to populations in need.

Audio: Statement regarding meeting between UNSC and President Kiir

SPLA-IO rebel forces back to the TGoNU Government (Youtube-Clip)

“6000 men from the SPLA – IO join to Support TGONU government in the implementation of the peace agreement in South Sudan. it is the second video of my assignment to the rebel held territory to extend government support to the initiatives of the former rebel comanda that was fighting alongside Dr riek machar to join Taban Deng in the implementation of the peace agreement designed to end nearly three years of conflict” (Arusi James, 2016)

Patson Dzamara: ‘What we want is to decapitate this monster called Robert Mugabe’ (Youtube-Clip)

“The brother of missing activist Itai Dzamara, says Zimbabwe has reached a watershed moment and the time for change has come” (Zimbabwe Newsday, 2016)

#AmharaProtests: The Western Media doesn’t care about it!

Baha Dir Snipers 02.09.2016

“We have also found evidence that foreign interests have actively been financing anti-peace elements based in the diaspora” – Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegne

It’s sad day for all the ones that are tormented by the Agazi Squad of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) in the Amhara State, as a prison in Debretator burns and inmates escapes. That the Army is using helicopter and snipers killing civilians is not appalling the Western Media anymore apparently. They are appalled by the state of affairs that the fellow demonstrators are burning down Dutch Owned Flower Factories in the area.

Not amounts of citizens killed the cut of communications like Social Media, Internet connection and telephone; as the civil disobedience that is silenced by Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and their special unit of Agazi. Together with 25,000 soldiers sent for the mission to silence them. That doesn’t the Associated Press, Washington Post or any other Western Media in general.

Like ESAT have reported:

A source from Bahir Dar who spoke to ESAT said over a thousand troops have arrived at the City Airport on Thursday and had received instructions from the Chief of Staff Samora Yunis, who established a command post in the city two days ago. The forces were warned about mingling with the public, the source said” (ESAT, 01.09.2016).

That is one city in the region that is taken over by the army as the soldiers are not supposed to engage the public or mingle with them. A thousand soldiers are occupying the local airport, not creating peace, but uncertain stability. That should make the world stutter, but for some reason it don’t.

More from ESAT:

In Amba Giorgis, TPLF forces shot and killed 26 people in the last two days alone. An eyewitness told ESAT that he suspect some soldiers were mercenaries bought by the regime to carry out the massacre. The source did say about the origins of the mercenaries but residence of Amba Giorgis believe they were Sudanese border security turned mercenaries by the TPLF. The forces went door to door, beating residents. Most of the youth in Amba Giorgis were hiding in the bushes to escape the massacre, the witness said adding that the town was under a complete siege by the forces” (ESAT, 01.09.2016).

That the flower farm burnings are worrying signs, but it is a reaction to the government violence in the region, as the citizens has no way of answering the government with force. They answer with peaceful means as their lives are on the line, the troops, heavy artillery and tanks taking over the streets. Still, the Western Media cares about the flower factories more than the dozen of lives that in the mercy of mercenaries and Agazi squad. Why doesn’t this create havoc and doesn’t make the world stunned about the shady ways of silencing the public in Amhara? Why nothing of any sort, but Dutch owned roses burning are the grand issue?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote this about it today:

The Prime Minister himself said foreign elements who do not want to see Ethiopia use its natural resources were distributing huge amounts of money to extremist Diaspora groups. In fact, this is not confined to those organizations which are given arms, money and support by the regime in Asmara, and which, like “Patriotic Ginbot”, make no secret of their aim to overthrow the government by force” (…) “Those taking advantage of the situation include critics of Ethiopia or supporters of Eritrea like Bronwyn Burton at the Atlantic Council who organized a roundtable in Washington on Wednesday this week. This offered two opposition politicians the opportunity  to discuss the current state of political affairs in Ethiopia without contradiction, allowing them to hold forth on what they claimed had been “primarily peaceful demonstrations”,  the cost of living, lack of employment opportunities and a restrictive political and media environment” (02.09.2016, Link:    http://www.mfa.gov.et/weekinthehorn/-/asset_publisher/2h3rKVhCHgKq/content/prime-minister-confident-in-the-government-s-ability-to-deal-with-problems?_101_INSTANCE_2h3rKVhCHgKq_viewMode=view).

EPRPF and PM Hailemariam Desalegne cannot be serious that snipers, mercenaries and tanks will bring peace? Giant rockets and heavy artillery to calm people down. If they wanted peace with Amhara people they wouldn’t come with troops and the strong national army they would come with dialogue and offering to justify the legitimacy of the actual government. Something that isn’t appearing or consideration, it is easy to kill the Amhara people because they are disposable; the international community only cares about the investments there anyway. That is why I am mad at the media.

This happens as the Government clearly bans and summons the business community in Finfinne. As the paperwork here shows:

Ethio Finfinne Order P1

Ethio Finfinne Order P2

There are also reports that farmers from Amhara and Oromo are planning to boycott selling food to Addis Ababa as a reaction to the oppression.

It shows the ability of resistance in the Amhara public when they do what they can to answer the central government violence. What is worrying is how little the international media cares about the military seizure of the region, how the check-points, snipers, tanks and all other equipment is used to kill civilians, but Dutch owned flowers are the step to far. Kill a few Amhara people, we don’t care, destroy Western investments in the region and all of sudden we should care. That is just cynical and damn wrong.

The Papers who has pressed the Associated Press story, congratulation for suppressing the key-issue; the reality as your looking at one piece of a giant problem that are militarized and pure violence on own citizens. It’s like looking at a dead tree near a polluted lake. Writing about the state of the tree, but not caring about the polluted lake that is destroyed the ability of the tree to live in the area. The same is the evident covering of the crisis, the massacre and the designated army attack on civilians in Amhara. Peace.

Press Statement of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Human Rights Situation in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (02.09.2016)

EthiopiaProtest

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) is deeply concerned by the events unfolding in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Protests reportedly began in the Oromia region in November 2015, opposing the Federal Government’s plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa. Reports indicate that despite the termination of the expansion plan, the protests continued due to the detention of activists, the use of excessive force, and killing of protestors by law enforcement officers.

More recently, protests reportedly erupted in the Amhara region of Gondar in July 2016 when armed police arrested members of the Welkait Committee who had rejected the Government’s decision to merge the Welkait community and its land into the neighbouring Tigray region.

Reports further indicate that from 6 – 7 August 2016, thousands of people around the country took to the streets calling for political reform, equality, justice and the rule of law. The Commission is seriously disturbed by reports which aver that law enforcement agents responded with excessive force, including firing live bullets at protestors in Bahir Dar killing at least 30 people, and beating protestors with batons in Addis Ababa. Reports indicate that nearly 100 protestors were killed from 6 – 7 August 2016.

The Commission has also received information that the Government completely blocked internet throughout the country for 48 hours in an attempt to stop the use of social media to organise further protests. It is alleged that most social media applications are still blocked, hampering communication.

Reports allege that following the first protests in November 2015, hundreds of protestors have been killed, and many more have been beaten, arbitrarily arrested and detained.

The Commission is equally concerned about reports that members and human rights monitors of the Human Rights Council of Ethiopia (HRCO) have been arrested and detained in the Amhara and Oromo regions, while allegedly monitoring and documenting the crack-down on protestors in these regions.

Without reaching conclusions on the above allegations, the Commission is concerned that if these allegations are correct they would amount to violations of Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), as well as other regional and international human rights instruments to which the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a party.

In view of the above, the Commission calls on the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to:

  • Fully investigate or allow the African Commission and other international/regional human rights mechanisms unimpeded access to the concerned areas in order to carry out prompt and impartial investigations into the allegations, so that these reports can be verified;
  • Ensure due process of law for those arrested and detained;
  • Respect peoples’ right to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and access to information;
  • Ensure that perpetrators of the alleged violations are held accountable;
  • Ensure that the victims and their families obtain full redress, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition; and
  • Uphold its obligations under the regional and international human rights instruments to which it is a party, in particular the African Charter.

The Commission will remain actively seized of this matter.