Ethiopia rebel OLF deny arrest of Oromo people in Somalia
Oromo Liberation Front
Latest fabrication of lies by the TPLF regime
April 17, 2007 — For the past 16 years, the TPLF regime has shown itself to be the mother and father of all mendacity. The regime has fabricated a great deal lies to confuse and victimize the Oromo and other peoples in Ethiopia. In the process the regime’s survival has totally depended on manufacturing lies and hate propaganda on those it believes threat to its multiple agendas. The regime has been fabricating such baseless lies primarily for the consumption of its international financiers. Thus, over the years the regime has perfected the art of deception for the purpose of obtaining financial and military support from its international backers. Recently as usual, the regime is concocting and spreading a series of false propaganda about the circumstances of the abduction of Kumsaa Gadaa and other and Oromo compatriots.
The goal of the latest fabrication is of twofold. The first is to intensively continue to confuse international community about the OLF, the Oromo people and their legitimate struggle for
self-determination, justice, and the rule of law, economic development and peace. The second is to cover the crime it is committing daily against the Oromo people, other people in Ethiopia including the Ogaden Somalis, and the people of Somalia.
A few days ago, the propaganda machine of the regime claimed that it has captured in combat a member of OLF leadership and other OLF fighters in Somalia. Contrary to TPLF regime’s fabrication, Kumsaa Gadaa and the other Oromo compatriots were not captured in combat. They were abducted in Mogadishu on January 13, 2007, during the TPLF regime’s illegal aggression and occupation of Somalia. The Kenyan Government, in violation of the Geneva Refugee Convention, has also handed over several non-armed Oromo compatriots, who are
currently in secret detention center in Ethiopia with other Mogadishu abductees.
The OLF did not engage in combat in Somalia and has no reason to do so. The OLF has been engaged in war of liberation and resistance in Oromia against the tyrannical minority rule
of the TPLF regime. It is the TPLF regime that declared war on the OLF and the Oromo people to perpetuate its illegitimate rule. The struggle that the OLF has engaged in is for just cause and the Oromo war against the TPLF rule is a war of resistance justified under international law.
Oromo compatriots who were abducted; and illegally detained are political prisons and prisoners of conscience. The OLF has all reasons to believe that Oromo compatriots are subjected to torture in violation of the Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Prisoners and the UN Convention against Torture. The statements that the TPLF tormenters obtained from Kumas Gada and the other Oromo compatriots were given under duress, torture and in situation of inhuman and degrading treatments and they should be taken in these contexts. It will not be surprising if the regime goes beyond that and use these prisoners of conscience for other degrading purposes to continue its rule.
The relationship of the OLF with the Eritrean people, EPLF and the Eritrean Government goes back for decades and it is a relationship based on mutual interests and common goal of searching for justice, peace and progress. The OLF has similar relationship with other peoples, governments and other regional and worldwide organizations that are in quest for justice peace and progress. The OLF and the Oromo people have all the rights to get help from all the people or Governments that sympathize with their just struggle. It is abominable for the TPLF regime to use the Oromo cause to wage its war mongering propaganda against the Eritrean people and the Eritrean Government. The OLF has nothing but appreciation for all who support the just cause of the Oromo struggle for self-determination.
The OLF vehemently condemns the continuation of TLPF’s inhuman and degrading treatment of Oromo prisoners. The OLF Calls upon all human rights and humanitarian organizations and concerned Governments to intervene and save the liberty of all Oromo political and war prisoners languishing in secret prisons.
Finally, we end this statement with an Oromo proverb, which says: “a person being washed away by cresting river tries to cling to life by hanging on the fluff”. The TPLF regime’s sinister fabrication about the illegally abducted Oromo nationals will not save it from facing its inevitable demise. Like all tyrannical regimes, the fate of the TPLF regime is already sealed. Meles Zenawi’s regime will soon pass into the dustbin of history.
.
Victory to the Oromo people!
The Oromo Liberation Front
April 17, 2007
– Odaa-Aboubaker
– External Information Division Head
– Foreign Relations Department
– Oromo Liberation Front
– P.O.Box – 73247
– Washington DC 20056
– Tel. (202) 462-5477 Ext. 202
– Fax. (202) 332-7011