A Call to the Ethiopian Regime to unconditionally stop Systematic and Continuous Violation of the Constitutional rights of Sidama People!
United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice (USPFJ)
Press Release, June 10, 2012
The Systematic and Continued Violations of Human Rights by the Ethiopian Regime
The current Ethiopian regime continues to grossly violate the rights of its citizens disregarding its own constitution that guarantees these rights. Human misery and suffering continues amid abject poverty, high diseases burden and lack of respect to fundamental human rights such as freedom of expression, assembly and continued intolerance to diverging ideas and opinions.
The complete absence of the aforementioned essential elements in a modern democratic principle makes the current Ethiopian regime the only place on the planet where the disciples of darkness lead the country towards an unpredictable end. The regime does conduct such hideous actions enjoying the support of Western powers politicians whose vested interests outweigh the sufferings of over 85 million Ethiopians although the majority of the citizens (tax payers) of the Western countries don’t share their politician’s unfair foreign policy stances.
The Ethiopian regime is so virulent to any opposing ideas contrary to its malicious ideologies of brutalizing citizens and targeting all without distinction. Due to the heinous nature, actions and behaviors of the incumbent regime, the citizens of the country live in an atmosphere where relentless intimidation and surveillance is a daily phenomenon.
The majority of the citizens of the country are collectively repressed, suppressed, intimidated, tortured, killed, imprisoned and abused for their views and political opinions. A very few cadres in each region and
administrative areas are given absolute power to do the job for the regime enjoying regime’s uncompromised protection. The Sidama people commemorated one of such heinous acts of the regime, the 10th Anniversary of the Loqqe massacre on the 24th of May 2012. Most of the architects of the Loqqe Sidama massacre were promoted to higher authorities for ordering the massacre of innocent Sidama civilians and effectively managing reactions of the Sidama people to the massacre after the aftermaths of the atrocity; and still the culprits are circulating in the society.
The state expropriates the resources of Sidama as well as other regions by leaving the majority in absolute poverty. Its political party owned trading companies have increasingly monopolized most businesses using the names of various investors. Business opportunities are increasingly interlinked with party membership and loyalty to the regime’s political cadres- as do employment opportunities at the public sectors. Religious rights are often restricted and closely supervised including recently planned religious monasteries for demolishing without being given due attention to religious freedom. The current Ethiopian Muslim’s movement for their rights is so politicized where the leaders are regarded as an anti-regime elements or terrorists. However, the demand of the citizens from all corners of the country regardless of their religious background for freedom and liberty and justice continues unabated. Several political prisoners and journalists languish in prison where kangaroo-courts exist symbolically.
Divide and Rule tactics to cause further bloodshed between Sidama and Oromo
The current Ethiopian regime continually deploys ‘divide and rule’ tactics. This involves creating artificial conflicts between the two subjugated nation’s peoples such as Sidama and Oromo, Sidama and Wolayita, Oromo and Afar, Oromo and Sumali....and others. Currently, the regime is orchestrating such conflict between Sidama and Oromo around Wondo Tiqa, Tatessa and Rimma areas of the Sidama region neighboring Oromia. The said plan is underway and is mature enough to cause further bloodshed between the two. Since 1992 such regime’s masterminded conflicts caused incalculable damages to human
lives and resources to both Oromo and Sidama peoples that peacefully and fraternally coexisted for centuries resolving minor conflicts arising and related with land grazing. The need to understand the hidden agendas of the regime is paramount as is resolving any minor conflicts in costmary manners where elders of both parties resolve issues wisely and democratically in Gadaa and Luwaa systems respectively.
Regime’s further vicious plans targeting Sidama People.
Since day one, the Sidama region remained the focal point of repression and suppression in the South from where the regime’s business companies and politicians expropriate the resources to enrich their region. Besides, the Sidama nation didn’t accept regime’s hidden policies of divide and rule since its inception. Therefore, silencing the Sidama people in the south remains one of the key objectives of the regime. The ultimate goal of stifling the constitutional rights of the Sidama people to self determination is therefore
nullifying their economic role in their own city as the regime is determined to use Hawassa city as its capital for about 56 distinct southern nations under the name of ‘Southern Ethiopia Nations and Nationalities and People’s Regional State.
The regime leaves, no stone unturned to ensure that the voice of the Sidama people is silenced. While some regions with population smaller than 300,000 are accorded regional status, the Sidama people whose population is 15 times larger than these regions remains squashed under the South region. As a result, the Sidama people continue to pay precious sacrifices of their lives seeking these very constitutional rights.
Recent development in Sidama and the Action Plan of the dictatorial regime!
Recently, about several dozens of the Sidama people are collectively imprisoned from whom none has received fair trial to date. The majorities of the said groups of Sidamas who are in jail currently were hand picked by the regime for this particular purpose and currently imprisoned under the pretext
of corruption. The regime intends to prove a fallacious point that the Sidama cadres are unable to govern the capital city of Sidama, Hawassa, therefore to justify a continued economic exploitation of the Sidama city without the involvement of its legitimate beneficiaries. The Sidama people fully recognize that this is a carefully designed plot by the regime to further undermine the continued Sidama demand for self determination.
To implement the said undemocratic, unconstitutional and criminal acts against the constitutional rights of the Sidama people the systematic preparations are almost being finalized to completely uproot the Sidama people from administering their capital city, Hawassa. This is one of the preplanned objectives of the current foreign affairs minister (former Southern regional president prior to the Loqqe massacre of the Sidama civilians and the major player of the ordering of the massacre of the Sidama civilians); the current southern regional president and the PM are tirelessly working towards the said objectives. Their scapegoats, ‘the hand picked Sidama cadres’ renegades) were already thrown into jail.
To further the above plans aimed at incapacitating Sidama nation’s all round lives, the regime recently conducted a week long meetings for both political appointees and the employees of the municipality of the city of Hawassa. The purposes of the meeting that’s started on June 4, 2012 was about systematically lobbying Sidama people to fully handover their nominal power of administering Hawassa to the rulers as the Sidama failed to develop their city as it was fallaciously claimed by the regime to substantiate its hidden agendas of uprooting them from their land. The meeting was carried on until up to the 8th of the June 2012 where the outcome was disaster for the regime’s hidden agendas & it’s a typical tale-tale sign that the regime’s totally lost in all over the country. The Sidama proved this where all cadres as well as employees those who were summoned to the said meetings unanimously rejected regime’s plan defying odds.
Most of the participants gallantly walked out of the meetings. The regime’s cadre facilitators were found soothing entire Sidama representatives of 19 Sidama districts including elders & the employees of the city of Hawassa without success. As the meetings were held separately for the regime to be able to garner support and deploy ‘dived and rule’ tactics; the representatives in all separate meetings unanimously requested for the immediate enquiry into the Loqee massacre of civilians for this very reason & for those who have ordered & carried out the massacre of the Sidama civilians on May 24, 2002 to be unconditionally brought to independent justice where the regime received an unexpected blow & the situation remains fluid.
The failure of the current regime to understand and appreciate the extent, magnitude and depth of the consequences such tragic actions produces, is a cause for alarm by all!
The outcome of such actions will be extremely dangerous to the whole region and beyond -as the Sidama people never give up their land and never give in to intimidation, torture, knell down to harassment, relentless imprisonment and killings!!
Therefore, USPFJ:-
1. Urges the current Ethiopian regime to unconditionally allow the Sidama people to exercise their constitutional rights to self determination without provoking and causing another bloodshed and massacre. The government would be reneging on its promise made by the PM himself after the failed May 2005 elections that the Sidama administration would never be moved from Hawassa and by the time the PM stated that he strongly believes that the Sidama people are constitutionally entitled to regional autonomy and therefore he agreed to fully endorse their claim that remains unresolved. The consequences of such breach of agreement would be catastrophic!
2. Unconditionally demands that the regime to stop imprisoning Sidama civilians whether they are cadres handpicked by them or otherwise to foster the unconstitutional, undemocratic and criminal agendas that aims at depriving the Sidama people of their rights to full economic involvement in their own capital city by removing their rights of administering their capital city.
3. Demands the regime to stop harassing, intimidating, imprisoning and torturing the Sidama people who raise about their legitimate rights to land ownership in their own capital & return their plots of lands they previously owned without further delay.
4. Urges the regime to stop trading the lands of all Ethiopians to the transnational companies unconditionally and return the lands to legitimate owners who are left without choices but destitute and are starving to death.
5. Calls up on all Ethiopian democracy cherishing civic organizations, political and non-political establishments to support the Sidama’s quest for self determination to avoid further bloodshed concomitant to this effect as the Sidama people never surrender their legitimate rights to their land!
6. Emphatically rejects the incumbent regime’s undemocratic, uncivilized and barbaric behaviors, attitudes and practices and unequivocally reminds the regime that the Sidama people will have no option if it doesn’t respect their constitutional rights to self determination, but they will be obliged to take measures to protect their interests and fundamental rights.
7. Requests the continued support of other Ethiopians who live in Sidama region and share their values, ways of lives and lived in Sidama region with the Sidama people peacefully and fraternally.
8. Requests the Support of all others Ethiopian nations and nationalities that believe in democratic principles, fairness and equality that the Sidama people deserve in their demand to regional self determination.
9. Also unequivocally affirms that it stands shoulder to shoulder with all Ethiopians who aspire to create just, fair, equal and democratic Ethiopia where the rule of law becomes supreme and all citizens shall have equal say and equally share the fruits of their country.
10. Once again urges the incumbent regime to unconditionally respond to the demands of the Sidama people to avoid the emergence of further demand that not only shall be unpalatable to the regime but also that might be unsettling to those with whom Sidama people co-existed and continued to do so for dozens of decades peacefully and fraternally!
11. Call up on international community, human rights organizations, Western nations and emerging economies politicians and their wider societies to urge the Ethiopian dictatorial regime to respect the fundamental and constitutional rights of the Ethiopian people in general the Sidama people in particular and further call up on them to urge Ethiopian regime to unconditionally stop selling the lands of Ethiopians for its financial gain at the expense of others’ severe pain!
12. Mobilizes the struggle of the Sidama people and asserts that these are fully materialized democratically for freedom, justice, democracy and liberty!
13. Strongly advises both Sidama and Oromo peoples to refrain from serving the hidden interests of the regime by exercising utmost restraint and working towards common interests of removing common enemy that brutalizes its citizens; and further advises other nations of Ethiopia with similar situations to understand the hidden agendas of the regime and respond accordingly.
14. Makes crystal clear to the current dictatorial regime that our struggle with likeminded democracy loving Ethiopians shall continue unabated until Ethiopians in general and the Sidama people in particular are free from persecution, imprisonment, harassment, intimidation, unlawful killings and torture where eventually they are in a position to make their own choices without coercion.
United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice, USPFJ,
June 10, 2012
The 10th Anniversary of the Loqqe Massacre of Sidama Civilians Coincides with the Formation of ‘United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice 'USPFJ'!
Press Release by ‘USPFJ’ Press Release by ‘USPFJ’
May 24, 2012 May 24, 2012 ,
The Loqqe Massacre of the Sidama Civilians,
On May 24, 2002, Sidama people of all walks of life staged on a peaceful, nonviolent and unarmed demonstration claiming their unconditional rights for regional autonomy that was accorded to the nations whose population is significantly smaller than that of theirs. The current estimated population of Sidama is over 5.5m. Despite their peaceful demand for regional autonomy, the demonstrators were met with live ammunitions from the army and the police forces that were assigned to monitor the protest. The regime’s political leadership from Sidama Zone, Southern Ethiopia Nations and Nationalities and People’s Regional State up to the central government carefully planned and managed the massacre.
Up to 100 Sidama demonstrators from whom 69 were confirmed were slaughtered in a broad day light for which neither the killers nor those who ordered the massacre were held accountable for their hideous crimes against humanity. To this date, the Sidama families whose fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, relatives, sons and daughters died continually mourn their loss, and continue to do so until justice prevails.
The Current Political Developments in Sidama and Ethiopia at large,
The Ethiopian government continues to grossly violate fundamental rights of its citizen disregarding its own constitution that unequivocally guarantees these. The basic human rights and freedom of expression and assembly are not respected. There is no serration of powers and checks and balances in state apparatus. The legislative, the executive and the judiciary branches of government do not function independently. The defence and police forces solely serve the interest of the regime. People are incriminated for their political views, opinions, and their affiliation and for being members of certain ethnic/national groups. Currently, the Sidama people are reduced to virtual slaves in their own land where a very few renegades trade by their names.
Abject poverty, deprivation, extra-judiciary arrests and killings and human misery characterize the lives of the majority of the citizens of the entire country. Sidama is not immune to the above. The security forces of the current regime indiscriminately fire into peacefully demonstrating crowds that claim constitutional rights enshrined in the constitution promulgated by the regime itself and collectively massacre hundreds with absolute impunity.
The culprits and miscreants widely circulate among the society creating unstoppable havoc. The regime is so virulent to any opposing ideas contrary to its malicious ideologies of brutalizing citizens and targeting all without distinction. Citizens of the country live in an atmosphere where relentless intimidation and surveillance is a daily phenomenon. The regime’s politicians expropriate the resources of Sidama as well as the entire country by leaving the majority with absolute poverty.
Although the degree to which the Sidama people are subjugated differs, all peoples of Ethiopia are being collectively repressed and punished by the incumbent regime for their views and for being ‘who they are’. There is no safe heaven for all who are being ruled by the incumbent regime. Thus, the need to work together to ensure the transfer of power to the people is increasingly becoming a matter of survival for all involved. Cognizant of this fact, three hitherto independent Sidama political organizations came together to form a united front for freedom and justice under the banner of ‘United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice’ (USPFJ) on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Loqqe massacre, i.e. May 24, 2012 whilst globally Commemorating Sidama victims of atrocity.
Brief Background on Sidama Resistance Movements,
The Sidama people had never accepted the conquest of King Minelik II since the early 1890s peacefully. Several initial attempts by the invading army were repulsed by the Sidama heroes and heroines. Leulesged and Beshah Aboye, the two famous war leaders of the said King, met formidable resistance from the Sidama people. The first wave of Menellik’s invading army was fully defeated by the gallant Sidama warriors led by their (Mottes) kings and Gaadana (war leaders). However, the second wave of invaders came up with superior and the then modern weaponry provided to them by their European colonial counterparts to consolidate their grip onto the Sidamaland and its resources to tame the nation for eternal subjugation. Several atrocities were committed by the invading army during pre and post WWII periods as to avenge those armed resistance movements. Some villages were totally wiped out with their entire population amounting to genocide.
The Sidama people however continued their resistance for the last 122 years albeit limited success. The current derive to consolidate the fragmented Sidama political movements signifies the importance of preserving the achievements of the liberation struggles of our forefathers and forge ahead in unison for self determination.
Sidama Opposition Parties and the Need for a United Voice,
The Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM), Sidama Liberation Front (SLF) and Sidama National Liberation Organization (SNLO) are a continuation of over 120 years of resistance movements of the wider Sidama nation for freedom, justice, and self-determination. The USPFJ aims at harnessing political, economic, social and cultural advancement of the Sidama people. It also strives to forge alliances with likeminded political and nonpolitical organizations that work towards asserting justices, freedom, liberty and equality of opportunity to all Ethiopians where the ultimate goal shall be enabling the majority to determine their own destiny.
In light of such extremely appalling situation that all Ethiopians are in general and the Sidama people are in particular are; the Sidama Liberation Movement, Front and National Liberation Organization agree to create a conceptual understanding on the need to have an Umbrella organization whose main objective is to mobilize and lead popular struggle that enables the Sidama people to exert consorted pressure to bring an end to the highly repressive and authoritarian system that reduced the lives of its citizens to a virtual slavery under its deceitful tactics of ‘Divide-And-Rule'.
Therefore, the Sidama opposition parties unanimously agree that the collective approach to bring an end to the suffering of the Sidama people primarily and the wider peoples of Ethiopia at large shall be paramount.
The need for a globally collaborative action to stop the Sufferings of Ethiopians!
In the light of the available evidences on the nature, attitude, behaviours and practices of the incumbent Ethiopian regime that depersonalised dehumanized and reduced its subjects to virtual objects where its political cadres use and throw them as perishable items:-
• The USPFJ urges all Sidama people within the country as well as in Diaspora to stand shoulder to shoulder in their attempt to work towards ending the vicious circles of injustice and systematically denigrating treatment imposed on Sidama people by the incumbent regime.
• The USPFJ calls up on international community in particular Western politicians to hold the incumbent regime solely accountable for the Loqqe massacre of the Sidama civilians on May 24, 2002 and request an independent inquiry into the massacre where the culprits are brought to an independent justice.
• The USPFJ calls up on all likeminded Ethiopia related liberation movements, democracy loving civic and political organizations and personalities, religious groups and intelligentsia to condemn the incumbent regime’s uncivilized treatment of its citizens and work towards common ground for the best interests of all Ethiopians where the fruit of struggle shall be enjoyed equally by all.
• The USPFJ calls upon UN, OAU, HRW, AI, and others organizations to condemn the undemocratic and authoritarian nature of the current regime that keeps its citizens as virtual slaves in their own lands.
• The USPFJ calls upon the International and Regional organization to support all genuine democratic movements with care and sensitivity.
• We urge the incumbent regime to unconditionally stop mass killings of Oromo, Somali, Amhara, Sidama, Afar, Gambella’s Agnuak, Kefa Shaka….and all Ethiopian nations that raise the issues of their fundamental rights to freedom and self determination; and requests to stop stifling freedom of expression and unconditionally release all political prisoners and journalists.
• Finally, the USPFJ calls upon all Ethiopian related democracy cherishing organizations, establishments, fronts, movements and others to put their differences aside and stand shoulder to shoulder to fight common enemy to genuine democratic principles, justice, liberty, freedom and equality of opportunity to all Ethiopian without distinction.
May the souls of innocent Sidama victims of the Loqee massacre as well as victims of similar other atrocities carried out across the country by the incumbent regime rest in peace until justice prevails on their behalf!! We salute you all who have paid and are paying precious sacrifices of your lives for liberty and justice in the country!
United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice (USPFJ) May 24, 2012
The Sidama Nation, a Brief Overview,
The Sidama Nation is one of Afro-Asiatic origins that is located in the North East Africa also known as 'the horn of Africa' in today's South Ethiopia. The Sidama nation is the third populous nation which is over 5.5 million an independent census and 3.4 highly reduced official census- in today's Ethiopia. The Sidama nation has got a long history, vibrant culture and democratic systems of governance based on periodic election to authority. However, these egalitarian and fair systems are currently at stake due encroached injustice on the nation by the successive rulers including the current regime!
The Sidama also have got a well known gerontocratic social structures based on a generational class system called 'Luwa' which rotates every 8 years and involves both administrative and cultural aspects of the Sidama', directed toward the implementation and perpetuation of elder-hood authority. The Sidama nation was administered by 'Mote' system although they are made subservient to autocratic, unitary assimilationist rule of Abyssinia after they had fallen under their colonial yoke since 1890s. Until today the Sidama nation remains under systematic Abyssinian colonization.
Mote is the system of administration where Motichcha who is equivalent to King, is nominated by family and near relatives for the position. The nominated Mote is presented to a 'Fichche', the Sidama new year celebration, for 'Qeexala', popular demonstration which serves as both approval and mass media to communicate the decision to the general public. Then the Motichcha starts to carry out his duties and responsibilities. The Motichcha is the head of political and administrative structure and is assisted by 'Ga'ro' which is next to the former in politico-administrative authority.
The Mote and the Ga'ro rule in consultation with the council of people's representatives known as 'Songo'. The Songo is similar to the modern day Parliament. The defence side of the administration is handled by 'Gaadana' or war leader.
The links below by Sidama's highly regarded Sidama intellectual Dr. Wolassa Lawisso Kumo, briefly but excellently hilights about the fact how the Sidama nation and wider Kushites evolved in the periods of past millennia. http://amchron.soundenterprises.net/articles/view/98270. The following is also the continuation to part I which is part II, http://amchron.soundenterprises.net/articles/view/98399.
Additionally, there are a lot of articles supporting the above account on Sidama nation's links with Kushites civilisations.http://www.sidama.org/kushitic_civilization_of_nor.htm
USPFJ
United Sidama Parties for Freedom and Justice (USPFJ) is the continuation of century old Sidama nation's opposition political parties currently decided to work together for the best interests of the Nation. The over all objectives of USPFJ is coordinating non-violent and peaceful resistance movement within the scope of Sidama and out of its region reaching to global scale with aspiration of creating Just, Fair, Equal and Prosperous Sidama region where the rule of law becomes its integral part.
The USPFJ also aspires for the Democratic Sidama region to live with others Ethiopian nations and nationalities fraternally and peacefully. USPFJ also may establish a working partnerships with others like-minded Ethiopian opposition parties wheterh they are within the country of in Diaspora-that aspire for common good for all Ethiopians. USPFJ also would like Ethiopian to be the land that belongs to all Ethiopians without slightest distinctions where the rule of law becomes supreme ruler.
There are several Press Releases since the USPFJ was established on the 10th Anniversary of the massacre of the Sidama civilians on May 24, 2002 at the outskirts of Sidama capital city known as Hawassa. The village where the massacre of the innocent and armless Sidama civilian demonstrators took place is Loqqe, about 3 km from Hawassa city.
In addition to appalling economic and socio-cultural injustices the successive Ethiopian regimes case to Sidama nation, the regimes continually massacre Sidama civilians purely targetting the Sidamas with genocidal intents on various occasions. The current incumbent regime also repeated these acts of utter brutality deeper than the previous ones.
The USPFJ and the wider Sidama community within Sidama region and from all over the world beg global democracy loving nations and organisations including democratically elected leaders of the Western countries and tis peoples to hold the Ethiopian authorities into account for the Civilians massacre committed by the direct order of the current Prime Minster (Hailemariam Desalegn- the then South Ethiopia's regional president who has directly ordered and stage managed the massacre of 69 confirmed Sidama civilians seriously wounding over 200-for the crimes no one held responsible to this date!
The USPFJ is an out come of such century old injustices committed by the successive regime including the current regime against the fundamental rights of the Sidama nation .
The Leadership Of USPFJ
