May 10, 2008 (Germany) -

We, Oromos residing in different regions of Europe have participated the seminar organized by Europe chapter of Oromo liberation Front (OLF). The seminar was held on 11.05. 08 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The seminar was aimed to enhance the awareness of peoples in the Horn of Africa that the conflicts of the Horn are interrelated and needs a solution of win-win strategy. The seminar also thoroughly analysed the ongoing activities of different liberation movements and their view how to promote peace and stability in the Horn. It also facilitated in promoting ideas, and exchange experiences between various liberation movements, political analysts, human rights and Environment advocators and participants.

During these seminar representatives of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Sidama Liberation Front (SLF), Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) presented papers. Independent political analysts, humanitarian activists, ex-member of Parliaments, expert on environment and representative of Women also aired their views in relation to the Horn of Africa. After the thorough discussion and wide ranging assessment on the current social, economical, political and environmental issues of Ethiopia in relation to Horn of African countries and the World, the participants of the seminar have passed the following comprehensive resolution on various issues.

1.ON LIBERATION MOVEMENTS

It is clear that Ethiopia shares border with all Horn of African countries. This places Ethiopia at the centre of the security complex of Horn of Africa. This opportunity gave Ethiopian government to play a double standard by imposing its interest on neighbouring countries. The Ethio-Eritrean war, the frequent incursion of Ethiopian army into Kenya and the full occupation of Somalia, alignment and misalignment of Ethiopian and Sudan government all these cannot be solved without probing into the underlying causes of the problem. The problem is as Ethiopia is the core of the Horn; Oromo is demographically, Geographically and economically the core of Ethiopian Empire. It needs no prove that the unsolved problem of Oromo quest incurred always instability in the Horn. Since there is no peace in Ethiopia, the Ethiopia looks for proxy war to suppress its domestic problem. In the last seventeen years TPLF/EPRDF has been tactically engaged in instigation of ethnic discord. To this effect it apportions part of nations territory to the other, and then instigates territorial claims, which it inflames in to armed conflict. We call up on our people to be aware of “divide and rule” colonial principle.

 
We also call up on all Liberation Movements and democratic political forces to forge stronger bond of unity and stand together for the rights of peoples for self-determination. It is also timely to formulate an appropriate vision that is viable in front of world community to restore peace and stability in the horn of Africa especially in Ethiopia after fall of EPRDF. 

2.ON OROMO LIBERATION MOVEMENTS

We call up on all walks of Oromo individuals to stand together to overcome these crucial factors and co-ordinate every effort that will hasten the fall of Ethiopian regime.
Thus, we bitterly commemorate the Oromo nationalists who lost their life in the last ups and downs of Oromo Liberation struggle. The challenge ahead for the liberation of Oromia and emancipation of the Oromo people is quite immense and even more demanding.
We express our firm support for OLF’s struggle against the TPLF/EPRDF-led Ethiopian regime, to regain the legitimate national right for the Oromo Nations.
We also call up all Oromo Liberation Movements to forge stronger unity, which allow them to strengthen their combined effort on diplomatic, political and armed struggle against TPLF. The participants of the seminar also summoned to Oromo intellectuals (elites) and civic organisations to carry on forums and debates that will crate a firm ground for a unity of purpose.

3. ON HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

The TPLF has signed and ratified various covenants, Protocols and agreements on human rights, which only remained on paper and orchestrated to win the interest of Democratic governments and International Organisations. The ratified human rights covenants are put as integral parts of Ethiopian law. The regime masked its real nature behind these rhetoric democratic white papers. The true picture of TPLF since it came to power is characterised by its conduct of Human rights violation such as mass massacre, extra-judicial killings, arbitrary arrests, torture, disappearance and forced conscription of political opponents. Accordingly we strongly condemn such brutal act of TPLF and hence, we request and appeal to Democratic governments, AU, UN and EU that:

1. To publicly censure Ethiopia over its human rights records; by all possible legal measures they have as partner in various agreements

2. To exert a pressure on Ethiopian government to be held responsible for infamous mass killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment it conducted.
3. To request the Ethiopian governments to release tens of thousands of political prisoners with out preconditions.

HONOUR TO HUMANITARIAN ORGANISATIONS

The Seminar appreciates the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Oromia Support Group, Ethiopian Human Rights Council, International Commission and of Jurists and Oromo Human Rights and Relief Organisation (OMHRO) for their principled and responsible activities in exposing the atrocities of TPLF government behind the curtail. Although the effort of these humanitarian organisations are limited to exposure, as it ought to be as a matter of rule, the participants of the seminar values this contribution to be immense in bridling the militant and aggressive nature of the regime. A high regard of the seminar goes also to Oromia Support Group and Oromo Human Rights and Relief Organisation  for their  invaluable humanitarian service they rendered to the Oromo people.

5. ON ENVIRONMENTAL DISTRUCTION

 Since TPLF came to power intermittently a huge areas of virgin forests in various parts of Oromia have been set on fire. The worst has happened in 2000. Although the government always blamed and prosecuted farmers for starting the forest fires, there are ample evidences that the fires were deliberately set by squads of the Tigrean regime with the wicked pretext that the forest is an obstacle to the efficiency of its force against guerrilla fighters of Oromo liberation movements. There is nothing more criminal than a government promoting ecological destruction in a country, which it claims to govern.
 Accordingly the participants of the seminar:

1. Condemned such blind and irresponsible act of TPLF regime on Environment and
2. Appeal to UN Environmental Program and Green parties of the democratic governments to inspect such act of Ethiopian government and put a pressure on it to stop deliberate environmental destruction. 

6.ON FAMINE AND RESTELLMENT

The major famine/epidemic has happened in 1889-92 during the Empire building, in 1974 during the economic stagnation of feudalistic system of the Emperor, in 1984 during the climax of Dergue regime. And during this regime when it is waging war against rooms and border conflict with Eritrea. Through all this time it has geographical variation and all were attempted to be combated with resettlement program, which always designed for political purposes. All the famine events in Ethiopia do have some factors in common, these are, all are associated with the area of insurgence, and activities of war and mismanagements.


The fact that previously surplus producing parts of Oromia are now facing acute food shortages, and that in contrast few in the drought prone northern regions of the Empire are affected, clearly indicates the man-made nature of the famine associated with political insurgence where government opposition like Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), Ogden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Sidama Liberation Front (SLF) operate. Like its predecessor Meles government also denying food aid to suspected OLF, ONLF, SLF supporters and their families.
Finally, expressing our gratitude to all governmental and non-governmental bodies that rallied once again to save lives of millions of famine victims who were intentionally neglected by the minority TPLF regime claiming to rule them,

1. The seminar appeals to all donors to strictly monitor the distribution of aid.
2. The seminar strongly appreciate the pressure exerted by international donors which forced the Ethiopian government since May, 2004 to allow the donors directly to deliver the aid to starved people.
3. We appeal to the aiding agency to uphold such conditions of Aid on Ethiopian government.
4. We appeal to the world community to exert a pressure on Ethiopian government to implement appropriate measures that tackles against famine, poverty and backwardness of all forms than its ethnic supremacy, which is likely to be based on pride and prestige.

7. ON TPLF BUSSINESS EMPIRE

The role of integrating Ethiopian state economy in the World trade and economy requires at first and foremost peace and the unfolding commitment of state to spear head the economic renewal and rehabilitation that decades of war and insanity have prevented. However the Meles’s regime economic policy is that, it has merely transferred state held enterprise to party held enterprise. Non-governmental Organisation such as REST, TDA, EFFORT is the ruling party’s front organisation for the rechanneling of both national and international resources to the ruling Party’s coffers. This is not only stagnating the economy but also close the doors for foreign businesses. It has also serious violations of the constitution Because of this traditional trend of to get power in order to secure access of power to wealth. Thus the participants of the seminar 

1. Call the government of Ethiopia to abide to its constitution, which forbids political organisations to own businesses or to receive grants from foreign sources.
2. We appeal to the international investors not to make an agreement with these illegal shareholders.
3. We condemn the TPLF discriminatory policy by bureaucratic entanglement, over taxation; political harassment, intimidation and assassination of Oromo entrepreneurs whereas the Tigrean nationals enjoy interest free credits, international low interest loans, tax-free import-export and etc.

8. TO ALL THE PEOPLES IN ETHIOPIAN EMPIRE

The Ethiopian peoples are too familiar with the erratic politics of the EPRDF and the unsteady political stance it often adopted in the process of transforming itself from the TPLF to EPRDF and from the Tigrian Republic to Revolutionary Democratic Ethiopia, from Marxist-Leninist league of Albanian type to revolutionary democracy of nowadays Meles’s manifesto!  A cursory look at these and other facts would suffice to show and prove that TPLF had actually been inflating itself with conceit and arrogance by changing and re-changing itself only from the facade.  Such deplorable act has to be unequivocally condemned by all peace-loving forces.  Therefore, we call upon all peoples in the empire to join us in condemning this act of brutality by the EPRDF.  We also call all nations of Ethiopian empire to realise the true nature of EPRDF regime and struggle together to bring peace and justice in Ethiopia. 

9. On armed struggle and Implications conceived by International community

Freedom is the birth right of every human being. We, Oromo as our historic truck record indicates have always attempted all peaceful means to resolve our conflicts with Abyssinians however a series of abuses of our good intentions for peaceful resolution of injustices have been endured under Abyssinian colonialism for a century. Accordingly we left with no alternatives than to raise arms to defend our human dignity against alien domination in our land. Such raise of arms should not be considered as any terrorist act as TPLF wants to project to the world community. Instead we appeal to the world community to sincerely monitor TPLF-led state terrorism.
Peace and justice will prevail!

Participants of the Seminar, 11 May, 2008 Frankfurt, Germany