Ethiopia: Qeerroo Oromiyaa Press Release (13.02.2018)

The Oromo protest movement that is on its fourth year now is at the position where it can see the inevitable end of a dying regime. One of the success of this Qeerroo led movement was creating a real crack between the parties that make up the ruling coalition that was dominated by the Tigray People Liberation Front called EPRDF, to which OPDO is also a party. The OPDO along with the newly emerged personalities in the government of Oromia regional state felt the fever of the Qeerroo led movement and indicated an interest of joining the movement to be at the side of the Oromo people.

The movement listened to plea of the new OPDO leaders and paused its active forms of resistance to differ the tasks of presenting Oromos grievances and demands to the government of Oromia region (GOR).

However, after some visible activities that excited many Oromos, the GOR put a brake on the movement and became a unidirectional messenger of the TPLF.

Especially since TPLF started to conduct series of meetings starting with TPLF CC and EC and followed by EPRDF EC meetings, it seemed a clear mission was given to GOR to weaken and dampen the movement. TPLF being sure that GOR took the instructions seriously, started to show defiance and went on an opposite direction in dealing with the movement. That is evident from the serious of killings in Caalanqo, Ambo, Gabragurhacha, Waldiya and just recently in a refugee camp of Hamaraessa.

The fact that the GOR showing weakness in the faces of TPLF’s defiance and that leading to a fear that the movement might go in different direction, created a heightened tension in the spirits of the movement and its Qeeroo leadership. The regime was asked to stop the killings and continued jailing of Oromos for so long, in addition to releasing all political prisoners including the leaders of opposition parties like Bekele Garba and so many others.

The regime that was encouraged by weakness of GOR, wanted to show defiance that it hoped to be understood as intimidation refused to release the prisoners and even denied medical attention to Bekeel Gerba who was on the at the medically verified risk of losing his eye vision as a result of hypertensive complications that warrant emergency healthcare.

It was at this point that the Qeerroo movement decided to be reconnected to its brand form of the struggle that shook one of the strongest dictators in the world to its core.

This week, Qeerroo decided to call one of the most disciplined form of resistance on which millions in Oromia participated. The market boycott strikes called by Qeerroo was started on Monday February 12th, 2018 and aimed to be applied in the entire Oromia.

In this boycott:

1. The regime which knew this peaceful resistance could shake it to the core decided to listen to the demand of the boycott as the boycott plans were underway and being promoted days back, and decided to release Bekele Garba and other political leaders in return to the cancellation of the boycotts. Right at this point, before the Qeerroo did decide on how to respond to the offer for the cancellation, the TPLF soldiers massacred Oromos displaced from Somali region and sheltered at Hameressa camp. This changed the prospects of considering any offer from the regime as something positive, angered the whole Oromo nation and fueled the momentum of the planned strikes.

2. Oromos from coast to coast planned and executed a resistance that is highly disciplined and organized in the absence of the internet that the regime blocked to prevent this type of resistance.

3. The regime suffered a huge economic fallout from the boycott that crippled the entire import export and local markets. This was a huge blow to a regime that monopolized the entire economy. Today, it forcibly released Bekelle Gerba and his six co-defendants.

This happened because Qeerroo decided to be reconnected to its original form of resistance that put forward clear and unambiguous question for the regime to answer.

After securing the release of the said political prisoners, the Qeerroo and Qarree have evaluated on how to go about the remaining one day of the strike and boycott. It has therefore been decided to call off tomorrow’s boycotts and strikes throughout Oromia and use the day’s schedules to welcome the released political prisoners, to unblock the roads and do the clean up in cities and town where the protests went over last two days.

The Qeerroo coordinators would like to extend at most appreciations and respect to the heroic and desciplined actions of everyone who took part on these strikes and boycotts throughout Oromia.

Freedom for the Oromo people, Freedom for all people of Ethiopia!

Qeerroo Oromiyaa

Feb. 13, 2018
Oromiyaa

RDC: CLC – “Trois jounees de jeune et de priere des pretres, religieux et religieuses de Kinshasa pour la RDC (de mercerdi 14 a samedi 17 fevrier 2018) – (13.02.2018)

RDC: CLC – “Troisieme Appel du Comite Laic De Coordination Dimanche 25 Fevrier 2018 – Marchons pour Dire Non a La Dictature!” (10.02.2018)

DR Congo: Call for an International Donor Conference (09.02.2018)

By Samy Badibanga, former Prime Minister of DRC.

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, February 9, 2018 – The political conundrum of the elections has blinded us all: the emergency in DR Congo is political as much as it is human and humanitarian. Of course, everything must be done so that the Congolese people can choose their leaders at the end of 2018. But, at the beginning of 2018, the top priority is to protect the lives of 13 million people threatened by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Kasai, Kivu, Tanganyika and other provinces of the Congo. And this requires an International Donor Conference in order to raise the $1.68 billion for the United Nations humanitarian response plan for the Congo.

This crisis kills every passing second. It kills women, children, and men who have fled the violence, hidden in the forest or even further away, and have nothing left when they return. This disaster could soon claim between one and two million lives if humanitarian aid is not funded. These dizzying figures are a poor reflection of the reality of a child or a woman taking their last breath. Not killed by violence, but by famine or disease.

The Congo crisis has been neglected. Today, it is the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet, and it is also the least funded, despite being classified at the maximum level of humanitarian emergency by the United Nations. The conflict between the Pygmies and Bantu in Tanganyika alone has already displaced 500,000 people – as many as the Rohingya crisis in Burma. According to UNOCHA, as well as those in Tanganyika, there are 1.5 million displaced in Kasai and more than 950,000 in Kivu and other provinces, making a total of 4.35 million people. In Uganda, 238,000 Congolese have sought shelter to escape the violence in Kivu, and a thousand more arrive each week. 7,000 people have taken refuge in Burundi and 33,000 in Angola, to name but a few. In fact, the total population displacement in the Congo today comes to more than that in Syria, Iraq and Yemen combined. How many of these 4.35 million displaced people are joining the migration routes from the Horn of Africa to the Libyan slave camps?

Whilst the conflict born in Kasai in August 2016 has killed 5,000 people so far, two million more could die of hunger. These populations survived the conflict, and returned at the end of the violence only to be unable to find food, water, toilets, clothes, roofs or shelter, work or school or any public services, and finding in their place villages burned to the ground, health centres looted, roads destroyed, agricultural plantations ravaged and cholera?

This is the plea for help from the churches where people are taking refuge that we have been proclaiming since the beginning of November 2017 on behalf of the Hope coordination, led by Cardinal Mosengwo for the Catholic Church and the Rev. Bokundoa, President of the Protestant Church, to the United Nations, the European Union, France and the entire international community. It is on behalf of this wounded, violated, displaced and abandoned population that we are calling for the urgent organisation of an International Donor Conference.

On 17 November 2016, the International Conference for the Central African Republic raised $2.2 billion. According to the United Nations, the humanitarian funding needs in the DRC for 2018 amount to $1.68 billion. The Congo, whose population is close to 90 million, twenty times more than the CAR and its 4.59 million people, is in great need of the same level of global solidarity.

Without an International Donor Conference, the United Nations humanitarian response plan for 2018 will not be even half funded. At the end of January 2018, it was 2% financed, and the plight of the people of the Congo forgotten by a planet in crisis. Yet, strong humanitarian action can still save millions of lives and give hope for a new future for the Congolese. By adding emergency aid to action for the post-conflict rehabilitation of socio-economic infrastructure, it will be possible to envisage progress towards sustainable development goals in a country of nearly 100 million people, where any progress can have a major impact. This is where the International Donor Conference for the Congo, which we call upon the international community to organise as quickly as possible, should lead us.

The DRC crisis can no longer be neglected: goo.gl/QtAawq

RDC: Association Culturelle Ente av. Ituri – Communique Necrologique (04.02.2018)

African Union Open-Ended Committee of Ministers of Foreign Affairs on the International Criminal Court Convened its 6th Meeting on the Sidelines of the 32nd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (27.01.2018)

RDC – CENI: “Point de Presse de son Excellence Monsieur le President de la Commission Electorale Nationale Independente” (31.01.2018)

RDC – Sud Kivu: “Objet: Denonciation de l’irresponsabilite politique de Monsieur Justin Bitawira” (29.01.2018)

Ethiopia: Fatal resistance in the Amhara Region!

In Ethiopia, the problem is that you don’t know who’s who. You don’t know who to trust. You don’t have any freedom”Feyisa Lilesa

There been utter silence on the fatal resistance in Ethiopia. Where certain regions are still under fire by the central government or the Ethiopian People’s Democratic Revolutionary Front (EPDRF) or the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). They have done whatever they can to silence the oppression and the resistance in the region.

Down down with the regim, down down with TPLF. We denounce the brutal killings of protestors in Woldia, Kobo, Wello, Amhara and all across the country, ” chanted young people in Mersa as they protest against the massacre in Kobo and Woldiya that killed over 60, heavily injured hundreds, and damaged business worth of millions, according to eye witnesses” (Amhara Press, 28.01.2018).

On the 21st January 2018 in Weldiya in the Amhara Regional State during the demonstration during the festival town. The Aghazi force has killed 5 people. During the whole Festival and Weekend reports was about 20 people killed by the military, as the crackdown continued. This is the second year in the row the government attacks the religious festival of Irrecha. One of the killed people was a twelve year old boy.

On the 22nd January 2018 the United Nations Department for Safety and Security in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia sent out a Secret Memo warning the UN workers of traveling in the Amhara region. Specifying all WHO Staff from crossing from Woldoya to Mekele. That staff should take an alternative route to Western Tigray area. Also make sure WHO staff in Mekele Office needs caution in the events of revenge. This means the United Nations and WHO would know about the activity in the region. The clearest statement was this: “The events in Amhara are quite far from our office in Bahir Dir. (roughly 500 kms away), however UNDSS temporarily suspended all UN road mission inside or the Amhara Region”. This was all warnings made by Alaa Farouk.

So with the knowledge of the internal memo of the UNDSS of 22nd January, the people should know the actions of the EPDRF or TPLF is bad. As the Aghazi Squad and Tigrayan Army are there answering the demonstrations with violence.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:

“We are extremely concerned by the use of force by security officials against worshippers celebrating the Ethiopian Orthodox festival of Epiphany this weekend that left at least seven people dead and a number injured. The incident, in Woldiya City in Amhara Regional State on 20 January, reportedly took place when the security forces tried to stop people from chanting anti-government songs and allegedly opened fire on them. Protesters reportedly later blocked roads and destroyed a number of properties.”” (UN High Commission for Human Rights, 23.01.2018).

On the 25th January the reports of attacks by the government in the town of Kobo. Unclear about how many who was killed here, but their been burned state buildings and cars. As the civil unrest and demonstrations in the region is rising. Small towns in and around Kobo, the people has started to demonstrate as well. Over two days of demonstrations, the military has killed about 10 people.

In areas like Mesra, at least 16 people are killed. There been dropped bombs over the town. The Police Station, Local Court, residences and the local Administration Office was burned down. That was done on the 27th January 2018. “Everyone has boycotted Tigrain business in town as they are spying us, and leading the repression here in our city. They are in a loss. They wanted to sell their property. But, nobody is interested in visiting in their real estate show time. Arson sabotage seems to be the most revengeful and profitable way out for them,” says Kindu, a real estate agent in North Wello, Amhara, Ethiopia” (Amhara Network, 27.01.2018).

So within quick counting within a week in the Amhara region, there been killed by state security agents over 60 people. That is safe estimates, not even exaggerated or bloated. The TPLF and the Aghazi Squad could easily taken more people’s lives. This is just the safe numbers of actually deceased. It could be much worse. This regime has no scruples and showing it with sending the army against their citizens. That should be a warning and unsettle anyone. Since they are using the vile force of oppression against their own. Peace.

Statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the Democratic Republic of the Congo (27.01.2018)

The Secretary-General condemns the killing of a peacekeeper from Pakistan deployed with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) following an ambush by members of an armed ‪group today near Lulimba, 96 km south west of Baraka, in South Kivu Province. At least one other peacekeeper was wounded in the attack.

The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased and to the people and government of Pakistan. He wishes a speedy recovery to the injured and calls on those responsible for this attack to be brought to justice.

The Secretary-General reiterates his call on armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to lay down their arms and seek to resolve their grievances peacefully. He reaffirms the readiness of MONUSCO and the United Nations system to continue working with the authorities of the DRC to help address the security challenges facing the country.