Ethiopia : Unknown assailants stab Oromo youth wing chairman

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 5, 2005 (ENA) — A former member of the Oromo National Congress (ONC) and chairman of ONC’s youth wing said he was stabbed by four unknown individuals.

The member, Deyasa Leti, told journalists here on Friday 5 August that he was stabbed at his back at 9:00 p.m. local time yesterday evening.

Deyasa has been struggling for ensuring the rights of the people of Oromo for a long period of time.

He said an agreement was reached between ONC and the youth wing when it merge with ONC after reaching an agreement that the political problem of ONC should be corrected as it was having problems.

Deyasa said due to the failure on the parts of ONC to correct problems in its political programme and the difference that arose between the wing and ONC regarding the 2005 national elections, the youth wing had been forced to detach itself from ONC. Though the wing has become a faction now, it has not stopped fighting for promoting the causes of the Oromo people, he said.

The youth wing had also informed that Oromo youth enrolling in the Addis Ababa University, Oromo intellectuals, elders and youth living in rural areas of Oromiya State in southern Ethiopia to unite and struggle for ensuring the rights of the Oromo people.

Meanwhile, police have been investigating the cause of the injury of the Deyasa, who is receiving treatment currently.