Universities Terrorized in US-ally 'Ethiopia'

A most devastating Press Release, revealing the excruciating practices of oppression and tyranny by the Tigray Abyssinian dictator Meles Zenawi, has been published a few days ago.

The international community has to demonstrate great concern and immediate reaction against the incredible Cemetery of Peoples – Abyssinia, a colonial relic state that has been fallaciously re-baptized 'Ethiopia'. The UNESCO should particularly set up a Facts Examining Committee, and further investigate the subject, as similar practices are absolutely impermissible in our world.

The grave revelations pertain to the appalling practices customarily implemented by the successive Abyssinian tyrannical rulers in the various 'universities' of the plagued country whereby more than 80% of the local populations live under conditions of cruel tyranny worse than in Nazi Germany or Stalin's Soviet Union.

Either nations and ethnic groups, like the Oromos, the Ogadenis, the Sidamas, the Afars, the Anuak, the Kambaatas, the Shekachos, the Kaffas, the Agaws, the Wolayitas and others, or religious minorities, like the Abyssinian Amhara and Tigray Muslims, have been ceaselessly terrorized, monstrously dehumanized, and viciously deprived of all their political, social, economic, educational, religious and cultural rights.

The following Press Release, signed by Mr. Hunde Dhugassa, Ex-President of Jimma University Students and Ethiopian Higher Learning Institutions Students Union, elucidates the details of just one type of Abyssinian oppressive method, and only in one place, namely Jimma University.

Jimma is a major city in the Oromia province, and belonged to the Kaffa province in the past, as the historical city was on the caravan route between Shoa and Kaffa Land prior to the 19th century Abyssinian invasions.

Jimma University has a website; to read the texts posted there, one gets the idea that everything is human, academic, modern, and even innovative and pioneering! For your to make the striking comparison, and take note of the contrast between falsehood and reality, we republish an excerpt from the Jimma University website's home page text.

False Presentation of the Jimma University Realities

Jimma University is Ethiopia’s first innovative community oriented higher education institution committed to training of professionals in diverse fields of studies through community Based Educational strategies. The University is trying to meet societal expectations by producing competent, responsive and task-oriented professionals who are equipped with high quality problem solving skills. To achieve these goals, the university has desperately designed its programs integrating training, research and service.

http://www.ju.edu.et/index.php#

Truthful Presentation of the Jimma University Realities

Now, we publish the Press Release issued by the Jimma University Students and Ethiopian Higher Learning Institutions Students Union, leaving the conclusions to be drawn by every impartial and self-respected reader (http://www.oromoliberationfront.org/News/2007/University_jimmaa.htm?nclick_check=1).

Press Release issued by Mr. Hunde Dhugassa, Ex-President
Jimma University Students and Ethiopian Higher Learning Institutions Students Union

In my stay in Jimma University for the past five years, studying Law and serving the Students Union in different levels for two years in extracurricular activity, I have been through the horrible Human Rights abuse in Ethiopia in general and Oromiya in particular.

The trauma of the TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front)-led EPRDF government's cruel and inhuman treatment of citizens dates back to its inception to power when they killed, torched, imprisoned and dismantled families under the guise of OLF (Oromo liberation front) supporters.

Then, over the past 15 years, TPLF followed the shot to hit and different methods of torching strategy to civilians raising the question of the right to self-determination of Oromo people.

I remember the yearly students protest against this government just after it came to the power until this time, but it is always boasting on its monopolized media about the extrajudicial killings of families, every time promising some more shot for more protest; accordingly, TPLF-led EPRDF government is responsible for the death, casualties and imprisonment of thousands of Oromo students and other nations in Ethiopia. To this end, the TPLF 'homemade' party OPDO is serving in Oromiya as supporting hand of this cruel government's acts of murder, and all other inhuman acts, over the past 15 years.

Almost all schools in Oromiya at all levels have experienced the bloody hand of TPLF government at different times and in various places every year.

On the occasion of the student manifestations against the decision to transfer the Oromiya capital from Finfinne {Addis Ababa} to Adama alone, they have killed and imprisoned thousands; a decision for which they regretted later for the political benefit of getting the favor of the Oromo people in the post 2005 election. From Addis Ababa University alone, more than 350 Oromo students were fired from school; leaving other socio-economic, political and human issues aside, the ban of Macha and Tulema Oromo NGO was quite indicative.
Oromo's in different universities of Ethiopia are facing serious challenges just for being Oromo; killings, imprisonment, torturing, graduation denial – and all happens without the observance of the slightest procedure of law. Total dismissal is also one of the commonly taken measures until the day I left the university in July 2007.

There is no academic spirit and freedom in the universities of Ethiopia for other oppressed nations either; these practices are implemented against all other students who belong to Ethiopia's oppressed nations.

Forced Membership to the Traitors' Group OPDO

Forced membership in the 'homemade' OPDO (Oromo People's Democratic organization) is a hot issue now in almost all universities, as the governmental authorities hope that like this they will reduce the support of OLF among the students' community.

Denial to forced membership in OPDO automatically results in accusation/tag of OLF member which triggers by itself its own pack of inhuman treatment that can end up in incommunicado and extrajudicial killings; the least that can happen is permanent impossibility of employment after the graduation. In a country like Ethiopia, this can be a most serious punishment indeed.

'Ethiopian' 'universities' plagued with Abyssinian Secret Services' Agents

The commissioned agents of the National Service Intelligence in the universities are omnipresent; their number is currently being increased in alarming rate. Having the power to take identity cards and kick students out of the campus, they are free to take any decision up to torching students at the gunpoint within the campus.

They implement an evil strategy of creating a conflict among students of different oppressed nations, hoping lack of unity in the Student Community will minimize the questions and the pressure the students pose on the undemocratic government in one voice.

In the time of my presidency, I have tried to expose the deceptive and cruel nature of this government to influential ambassadors and other Human Rights organizations in Finfinne (Addis Ababa) on different occasions. I have also strongly criticized different unlawful acts perpetrated by the government, acting in different ways, involving strongly phrased letters sent to various authorities.

In return, I received very devastating response messages, and warning at the gunpoint from securities more than three (3) times, even when I was in Jimma, Awasa and Gondor universities for official purpose.

After my graduation, although they had understood that I did not belong to any group, they fiercely persecuted me, under the double pretext, namely that I had published an Oromo Graduation Bulletin - 2007 (which was banned by the TPLF government) and that I had endorsed in my research paper the Right to Secession in Ethiopia, more specifically for the case of Oromiya. My paper exposed the realities that they want to deliberately hide, and that is why they considered both points as pertaining to OLF agenda, while the desire for secession is overwhelming among the Oromo people at large.

However, the policy they applied in my case targeted my contribution to Ethiopian in general and to Oromiya in particular. In fact, their desire is practically impossible to be materialized, as I will go for it, even if it is not in the same way.

After this, and following other practices of severe persecution perpetrated by the TPLF government against me, I decided to fight this government joining the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) in order to bring the democratic option to the people of Oromo and the other oppressed nations of Ethiopia; this was the natural consequence of the fact that I have been denied the right to work on the idea I believe for my own people, in my country.

Lastly, I would definitely appreciate a US administration initiative aiming at fully revising the US policy in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa region; it is about time that we go beyond the honey-covered poison delivered by the EPRDF government act and propaganda.

I call upon the African Union, the European Union, as well as Human Right organizations and International Mass Media across the planet, to demonstrate a real concern for the harassment of Oromos and the other oppressed Nations of Ethiopia where are still located the headquarters of the African Union.

No matter how long the Night is, the Day will surely come!

Hunde Dhugassa, LL.B. Ex-President
Jimma University
Students Union and Ethiopian Higher Learning Institutions Students Union
November 9, 2007

Note
Picture: The tragic life at Jimma; a woman washes clothes in the same river her children caught river blindness. More details: http://josephbosco.com/2007_02_01_archive.html