By David Merga– One year has passed since the Tigre Ethnic Apartheid Regime of Meles Zenawi, which represents less than 6% (estimated 4 million of the 85 million Ethiopian populations), has shutdown Afan Oromo Television Programs, Afan Oromo Radio stations and all Afan Oromo news papers to silence 40 milllion Oromo people of Ethiopia.
For one solid dark year, 40 million Oromo’s in Ethiopia are living and continued to live without any access to news and any form of information including the internet which is blocked by the Tigre ethnic minority regime.
The great and virtuous Oromo people of Ethiopia, who contributed much to the world including the most democratic form of governance ever invented by humans – the Gadaa System, is suffering untold misery under the ethnic apartheid Nazi regime of Mr. Zenawi.
For over a year now, the only sources of news for 40 millions Oromo’s in Ethiopia is the Afan Oromo service of the Voice of America (VOA) radio station broadcasted from Washington D.C. The VOA radio is broadcasting half an hour daily program five days a week.
Currently, as estimated 13.5 million Oromo’s are dying of famine in Central, Eastern and Southern Oromia, Ethiopia, access to information and news is extremely critical to save lives of millions of Ethiopians by providing humanitarian aid. Unfortunately, as well know to Addis Ababa based Western Embassies and Journalist including reporters of the BBC, Associated Press, and Reuters the Tigre minority regime is denying access to most of Central, Eastern, Southern Oromia where famine is killing thousands daily.
It is also important to note that over the last three months, the racist and ethnic apartheid regime run media outlet’s known as “Ethiopian” Television, “Ethiopian” Radio, “Ethiopian” News Agency, Walta Information Center, “Ethiopian” Herald and Addis Zemen News papers have never reported on famine situation in Oromia, Somali region, also known as Ogaden, and most of the South.
Worse enough, even the BBC, Reuters and Associated Press reporters stationed in Ethiopia were taken to Tigray, the ethnic homeland of the ethnic Apartheid regime, to document the 25th anniversary of the 1984 Ethiopian famine caused by Tigre Liberation Front(TPLF) civil war under the leadership of none another than Africa’s Nazi— Mr. Meles Zenawi.
The world should note that none of the famine situation in Oromia region of Ethiopia is reported by any major international news agency to date. It seems that Western journalists based in Ethiopia have made strategic decision of keeping their licenses rather than reporting the famine situation in Oromia and lose their license given to them by the apartheid regime. Their act is not simply unethical but an act of accomplice to crimes against humanity being committed by regime against the Oromo people and the rest of the Ethiopian people. These journalists should be ashamed of themselves when they compare themselves with those heroic Western journalists reporting from war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan.
We appeal to all donor countries, international organizations, and their media outlets particularly the government of the United States and the United Kingdom put pressure on the Tigre apartheid regime of Mr. Zenawi to allow journalists to gain access to famine affected regions of central, Eastern and Southern Oromia, and other part of famine affected regions of Ethiopia other than the Tigre ethnic homeland — Tigray.
We further appeal to the United States government and the Voice of America Radio to increase the Afan Oromo program to at least one hour a day, and allow its fine journalists in the program to cover the famine situation.
We also extend our plea to the government of the United Kingdom and to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to start Afan Oromo Radio and Television program to reach 40 million Oromo people in the Horn of Africa. It is to be noted that BBC is broadcasting in Somali language to reach estimated ten million Somalis in Somalia.
I could be reached at davidmerga@gmail.com
November 1st, 2009 at 7:27 am
“The great and virtuous Oromo people of Ethiopia, who contributed much to the world including the most democratic form of governance ever invented by humans – the Gadaa System,”
So shameful, if you have the chance, you would say “the golden people of oromia”, as did the TPLF. Can’t you transmit your message without an excessive self-aggrandization? These kinds of thinkings are dangerous, whether pronounced by TPLFitis, OLFitis, or AEUPitis.
November 1st, 2009 at 7:29 am
What a tragedy? What a sad story. What happen to heroic Oromos, Amharas and many other Ethiopians? How on earth a minority and racist ethnic group destroy our people and our social fabric? God help us to dust up ourselves and get rid of this cancer that is killing our people.
Just asking, is there any Tigre who have common sense and value living with the rest of the Ethiopian people? Do they know that this also will end? Why they wish it ends bad way for the Tigre?
November 1st, 2009 at 10:04 am
PLease everyone think about Ethiopia & Ethiopian.
This is the time to liberate all Ethiopian Nations from the Fascist TPLF-WEYANE racists Hands.
some people comments do not have any difference, When we are comparing with the weyane DEDEBIT Ideology based on racial politics.
“Ethiopia streches her Hands unto GOD” -Salms 67:31
November 1st, 2009 at 11:01 am
Merga, thank you for your article. But the ETV Oromo program was not serving the Oromo people except listening to some Ormomiffa musics. It was used to brainwash the Oromos and putting insult to its wounds by their propoganda. So the closure of the Oromo TV is not the question of the Oromo people if not mistaken. Actually I agree with you the western based media outlet and others to cover the daily suffering of the Oromos and other Ethiopian brothers and sisters sufferings.
November 1st, 2009 at 11:06 am
David, Geda was a very good system bu that does not make Oromo special. Every society has its own good and bad systems. So do not take the Geda system as such something always to cry about. Having Geda sysetm 600years ago does not make Oromo special. Everybody is evaluated by what he/she is now not by his ancestors deeds.
But would like to thank you for your fine article
November 1st, 2009 at 11:30 am
Wube,
You did not spend a second to the content of the message except to jump to a conclusion of ethnic slur. That is precisely why we say we have no coomon ground in our priorities in your so called Ethiopia. There is one thing I agee with you. What is the purpose of trying to persuade people of your kind?
November 1st, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Tola,
why do you use Oromo name while you are a chauvisnist Amhara.
November 1st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
The EPRDF/TPLF Regime Closed The Afan Oromo TV Program From ETV: 60 Oromo Journalists Expelled From Job.
(OLF News, September 16, 2008) A report we received from Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) confirmed that the Ethiopian Woyane/TPLF government has shut down the Afan Oromo TV program of ETV that is used to transmit to the general audience of the empire as of September 12, 2008, once again revealing the at most hatred and contempt the regime has for the Oromo people and their language Afan Oromo, which is spoken by over 50% of the entire population of the empire. About 60 Afan Oromo journalists who were used to be working in these programs for a long time are reported to have been fired from their duties.
Although Afan Oromo is the single largest language in the Ethiopian Empire, which is a house for about 80 or so different languages, it is also the single most suppressed language during all the Ethiopian successive regimes in the empire. During the Hailesillasie monarchic regime there was no radio or TV program in Afan Oromo. The military junta of Mengistu Haile mariam opened a two hour radio program in Afan Oromo, but there was no TV program in the Oromo language during this regime. When the current TPLF/EPRDF regime came to power in 1991, OLF became part of the government forming the then called “Transitional Government of Ethiopia”. As a result of the pressure from the Oromo people in general and the OLF in particular, the regime opened a one hour TV program for Afan Oromo as a gesture of attempting to restore freedom and justice for the suppressed Oromo nation. Although this was seen as one positive step forward when compared to the previous Ethiopian regimes, it was clear for the Oromo people that this was no justice yet since the same amount of air time was given to the Tigre language which is spoken by less than 7% of the population of the empire simply because the current rulers come from Tigrai region. A real justice for the Oromo people is to give the maximum air time for Afan Oromo, radio or TV, than any other language, including Amharic, which is spoken by only about a third of the population of the empire but unjustly designated as the “official language” of the regime on power.
Despite the fact that all government controlled media in Ethiopia are propaganda outlets for the TPLF-Woyane regime, some of the Afan Oromo TV programs related to culture, recreation, education, linguistics, and international news are loved by millions of Oromos and non-Oromos who can understand the Afan Oromo language. These programs are now eliminated as of Semptember 12, 2008 and replaced by a local program known as STVO, completely prepared by unprofessional OPDO cadres and used by the regime for propaganda purpose. The Oromo people are now denied access to information and international news and are forced to listen and watch only the propaganda of the OPDO, which is a puppet Oromo organization completely controlled by Meles Zenawi and the TPLF. It is clear that the decision to shut down the Afan Oromo TV program from the federal level ETV programs is made to limit the growth and radius of influence of Afan Oromo making it inaccessible to non-Oromos and Oromos living outside of Oromia, once again an attempt to reduce or eliminate the Oromo people and their language Afan Oromo from the empire and the face of the earth.
It is reported that the 60 Afan Oromo TV journalists, who are expelled from job and are denied entrance to the office of the Ethiopian Television Station, are opposed to the unjust decision and appealed to PM Meles Zenawi’s office, to the Ethiopian Parliament, to the OPDO office and to the so called Oromian president Minasse Woldegiorgis for the reversal of the decision. Disappointed by the appeal of these Oromo journalists, the regime is reportedly following these journalists denying them movement outside of Finfinnee due to the fear that they may incite resentment on the regimes’ decision to shut down the TV program.
The expelled journalists also appealed to the Oromo people at home and abroad to stand on their side and oppose this unjust decision and restore freedom, justice and equality through a liberation struggle
Source: http://www.oromoliberationfront.org/News/2008/TVAO_closure.html
November 1st, 2009 at 6:17 pm
every ethiopian must work together for common enemy that is TPLF
what does it has to do with ethiopia. we, ethiopian must focus
what we ethiopian got to do is fight weyane by all means. 3.8 Million Tigrayans in Ethiopia (Though the Woyanes do usually triple this number for many sinister motives), and there are about 80 million Ethiopian. [size=150]If one day, in the morning, without using any arms and unthreateningly, every two Ethiopian approaches one Tigrayan and wrestles him down, The RULE of the Woyanes will abruptly over !
http://www.ethiopianreview.com/content/8353
November 1st, 2009 at 7:31 pm
Another Neftegna trying to fool the Oromo people with his usual propaganda.If you have some respect left,stop pretending as if you care for them.
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 am
40 ሚሊዮን ኢትዮጵያዉያን ብሎ ክማለት ኦሮሞ ብሎ መጻፉ ለሚያነበዉ ያሳዝናል፤ መገናኛ የተነፈገዉ ሁሉም የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ነው ፡ በዉጭ ያሉ የፓለቲካ ድርጅቶች አላማቸዉን ስተዉ ዲሞክራሲ እያሉ በየፈረንጁ ደጃፍ ፀህይ ክሚሞቁ ፡ ለብዙሀን መገናኛ ነጻነት ብለዉ ቢታገሉ ብዙ አድማጭ ሊያገኙ ይችላሉ ብዮ አምናለዉ ዲሞክራሲም የሚጀምረዉክዚሁ ስለሆነ ነዉ
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:06 am
Racists! please wash up & down your Brain and think about your precious, Lovely Country Ethiopia. Please think your Brain to think, not your race.
In the civilized society, No one will turn back in ancient people fighting based on racial background.
ONE PEOPLE, ONE COUNTRY ETHIOPIA!
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:18 pm
I follow up the opinion on this forum. I am among the silent majority.
Results of my continuous observations:
1. There is a huge manipulation by woyane cadres
2. There is a blind hatred against the Oromo (the elephant in our room)
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 pm
It is sad to notice openly that many Amharas hate Oromo. I would not be surprised if Oromo People leave apart from these racists.
It is not hard to notice Ethiopia is code word for ethnicity for Amhara and Tigre.
Heroic Oromo men and women died in the name of Ethiopia for nothing.
No Oromo should associate with this racist and criminals any more.
Is news and information for our people a plan and obvious request we all support.
Shame on Racist and backward Amhara and Tigres.
I just want to thank the Editor for post all important issues.
Please dont allow those haters and racists to post on here. They are dividing our people.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:35 am
There is no neede for ethnic based media. We should have only a nation-wide ethiopian media. We should once and for all destroy all ethinic based media. We could agree which alnguage to use as a medium of comunication. Maybe the Oromo Language can be adopted as our national language and we use Geez alphabet nation wide. But the point is we should think of only one country and we should build one nation. Back tou ancient history and we have to continue building our society based on that. We do not need to forign religions like Catholic, Pentecostals, Protestant for they are destructive in the end. We have to modernize the Ethiopian Orthodox Church - which is the Church of Africa and the Black Diaspora in Brazil, North America and elsewhere. The Shaebya-Woyane maffia is a destructive force in Africa and will soon be thrown to the dustbin of history. OLF, ONLF and others should join hands in rebuilding ONE Ethiopia.
One Ethiopia, One People, One Love
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
Hagos,
You just echoed (above) is what your forefathers have been preaching to you all along. That is,
Ethiopia = {One people [Habesha or Abyssynia], One language [Amarinya, perhaps few years later Tigrinya], One Alphabet [Geez], One religion [Orthodox christian]}.
It is amazing to see you fooling yourself that Oromos and other cushitic people of the South, who have NOTHING in common with you will accept your diatribe and wishful thinking. You are pathetic. You live in your dream world and have no idea how the general public has been transformed at home and abroad. Why don’t you show up in some of the meetings of the Oromo people and try to convince them, rather than sitting behind your computer and make yourself happy by writing such nonesense? But I can not guarantee your ASS will not be kicked by angry mob.
Who knows you are a TPLF agent, trying to create havoc by disseminating this old and outgated philosophy of former “Amhara naftenya” hyenas (while you could be the new “Tigre naftenya” hyena).
I don’t mean to disappoint you but I would like to say: Go hell with that imaginary Ethiopia of your’s. If you can’t update your obsolete philosophy, trust me you go to your grave with it, without changing anything on the ground.
I wish you rest in peace in your grave with your fantasy.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:39 am
The majority of Ethiopians are of mixed race of mostly oromo and amhara who have the same right as any full blood.,and believe in one strong Ethiopia. To talk about race in this time and age should be permanently abandoned and instead roll up our sleeves and get reed of this common enemy once and for all.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:19 pm
the tigrain will pay price for dividing ethiopia
http://eppfonline.org/index/
November 6th, 2009 at 8:09 am
to get answer for this you have to come together with the rest of ethiopian for the right and freedom to have a power.to give a leson to wayane leaders with out fingers and hand no fist to work together whole ethiopia let as a single unity like any tour bumps in the road are unavoidable slings and arrows of outrageous.we belive and understandwhat is the bumps in the road?
united respect is aclear indication of good faith in the intentions of each other for effective change in our country and the life of our peoples