We, members of the Oromo Community in Seattle, wish to request immediate involvement by the governments of United States of Americas to avert further bloodshed in Ethiopia. The reasons why we believe further bloodshed and even state-failure are distinct possibilities in Ethiopia are as follows:
- Anti-government protests and the ruling party’s heavy-handed measures to suppress them have been increasing at an alarming rate since the end of this year’s controversial elections. Over a hundred persons have reportedly lost their life as the result of over-reaction by government security personnel and possibly more than ten thousands have been rounded up and are being held at various detention centres. As a result inter-communal mistrust and tension has been on the rise with devastating consequences.
- With the aim of buying time to first deal with its internal opposition by these heavy-handed means, the ruling party took the disingenuous step of announcing its preparedness to enter into talks with the leading Oromo political organization, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), without preconditions. Once it wrongly felt the situation was under control, however, it went back on its words and started seeking for pretexts to scuttle prospective peace talks. The resulting frustration felt by the OLF constituency inside the country has resulted into the staging of protests by students throughout the length and breadth of the Oromo country. The regime’s heavy-handed response to these peaceful protests has resulted in the loss of many innocent lives.
 Overall the social base of the present Ethiopian regime has glaringly narrowed as the result of the developments of recent weeks. Isolated and perceiving itself under siege from all sides, the ruling party is destined to resort to more draconian measures in order to hang onto power. This is a clear recipe for rising strife, instability and possibly the unravelling of Ethiopia as a state. We believe the Ethiopian peoples should be spared such a tragedy.
Protesters In front of the Government Building
We would like to commend EU and Norway for the strong statements it has issued against various forms of human rights violations by the Ethiopian authorities. However, we believe unless such public pronouncements are backed with practical steps the ruling party is bound to remain unimpressed. We therefore, request that the United States government to send a clear signal to the ruling party that economic assistance and cooperation would be reviewed unless it does the following:
- Halt attack against peaceful protesters in Oromia and address their demands peacefully
- Release all political detainees and create an independent internationally supervised body to investigate and prosecute those responsible for human rights violations
- Lift ban against Macha and Tulama Association and release its leaders.
- Guarantee the fundamental human rights of all the peoples in Ethiopia
- Honour its public pronouncements and enter into talks with the OLF without preconditions.
- Convene an all-parties’ conference to deliberate on and remove all obstacles to genuine democratisation and create the conditions for a peaceful resolution of the legitimate demands of all the peoples for freedom, democracy and development.
Victory to the Oromo People!
Members of Oromo Community in Seattle
December 21, 2005
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