Train
ferrying war
materials was blown up...a
cargo train transporting military supplies
from Djibouti to Finfinnee (Addis Ababa) was blown up in the midnight of
May 27, 2000...full text
Systematic
Genocide on the Oromo People
Statement
by Oromo Liberation Front National Council (May 28, 2000)
The
Ethiopian state was created by war of conquest and subjugation. Ever since
its creation war, famine and destruction have been its hallmark. All the
regimes that came and went fought one kind of war or another. There has not
been time when Ethiopia experienced peace and stability. In the wars ignited
by the ruling class, it was the oppressed peoples who become victims.
Minilik and Hayile Sillasse used war decree to forcefully rally the
population to war. The military regime and now the TPLF regime are using
militia, national military service and forceful conscription as methods of
rallying the oppressed into their unjust war meant to strengthen their
power. What is disturbing and annoying is that these regimes are either
encouraged and/or are left unopposed by super powers or governments when
they lay out their anti peoples policies of war and destruction.
From
the day Ethio-Eritrea conflict erupted, the OLF publicly stated its position
without any reservation. The OLF clearly put that the war is going to be
bloody and that there won’t be winner and looser. Above all, it warned the
Oromo people and others to stay away from this so called border conflict,
which is being used as a cover to reverse political progress in the region
as well as satisfy the war ego of the TPLF cliques. True enough, today we
have lived to witness that the conflict is not only border issue but also
has multiple targets in the first place, it is a war to reverse the hard won
independence and sovereignty of the Eritrean state and peoples, secondly it
is a war to crash national struggles of the oppressed peoples with the
pretext of protecting national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Eye
witness from the war front clearly tell that the TPLF is using this border
war as a cover for the war of genocide it is conducting against the Oromo,
Amhara, Ogaden, Sidama and other peoples. TPLF army officers, who are
totally Tigrean nationals, are deploying Oromos, Amharas and others in the
forefront line of the war with heavy machine gun fire from their back. Any
soldier who tries to retreat from the battle front is automatically gunned
down without any question. That was how on 15/5/2000 TPLF wiped two brigades
of its army. Innocent Oromo youth are being driven into their death ground,
with Eritrean armed forces fire from the front and the TPLF commanders fire
from the back, to fall like leaves without any sympathy from the Tigrean
officers. According to reports released by the Eritrean government, in 12
days fighting only, over 64 thousand Ethiopian troops were put out of
action. There is no doubt that from these troops more than 50% are Oromos.
Ironically, back at home fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers of the Oromo
soldiers dying at the war front, are being harassed, imprisoned, kidnapped
and killed. Millions are left without assistance to die of famine. All this
summed up; clearly prove that the TPLF is waging war of genocide on the
Oromo people.
The
TPLF regime is carrying out this systematic genocide before the eyes of the
regional, international organizations and governments. The OLF has
repeatedly reported that the TPLF regime is using the inhuman tactics of
human waves to clear minefields and break well-built trenches. Again, the
OLF warned the international public that the TPLF is diverting development
assistance and humanitarian aid to finance its war. The Oromo Liberation
Front vividly spelled out that the TPLF regime is the sole source of the
chaos and instability prevailing in Ethiopia and the Horn region. Despite
all these warnings, the Organization of African Unity, the UNO or other
governments like the USA, Great Britain, and France … etc. did not dare to
pressurize the Ethiopian government to refrain from the dangerous steps it
is taking. Even though the blame for the distraction and human tragedy
caused by this war policy squarely goes to the TPLF regime, the regional,
international organizations and governments cannot be free from sharing the
responsibility.
The
TPLF regime does not show the sign of returning to path of peace and
stability. TPLF is opting to continue the war it has started. If this is
left to continue as the wish and desire of the TPLF regime, the human and
material disaster is going to be immense. The TPLF has already started to
forcefully conscript elderly Oromos to the army. This is a systematic and
calculated plan of action to exterminate the able and cream once of the
Oromo society. This is no less than what has happened in Rwanda and Burundi
in 1994.
We
once again, call on peace loving organizations and individuals to show
urgent concern to pressurize their governments to act immediate to avert
sufferings and death of millions of peoples in the region. Above all, the
Oromo people and all the peoples in Ethiopia should work in unison and
exploit all possible means to avert this dangerous policy of genocide.
Victory
to the Oromo People!
OLF
National Council