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At least 11 ethnic Amhara farming community members are reportedly killed in the latest string of killing in the Oromo region of Ethiopia.
It happened near Ambo town, which is only about100 kilometres west of Addis Ababa, on December 20 around 6 p.m. local time in the Degelle Garati locality.
According to a report by Addis Maleda, which cited eyewitnesses, some of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, children are among the victims. Seven of the victims are adults.
The source added that it has learned the victims were killed because of their ethnic identity. All the victims are Amhara.
A week before the killing, gunmen operating in the area took 40 community members out of their houses and asked them to hand over the firearms they did not have.
“If you do not have any weapons, you have to pay 200,000 Ethiopian Birr each or you will be killed when we return in a week’s time,” was the command the threat residents were given.
Residents brought the security concern to the attention of local authorities but they were told “It is beyond our capacity to protect you.”
They were also asked if they were willing to be armed by the government.
At this writing, government media outlets have not covered the story.
The armed wing of the Oromo Liberation Front, government calls them Shane, is behind the latest killing, as has been the case in the killings in Wollega and Guji areas of the region. The armed group has contested the name Shane and has declared itself to be the Oromo Liberation Army.
The government has been claiming for over two years now that it has weakened the OLF capability to carry out attacks on civilians and pose a threat to the security situation in the region.
The reality on the ground is that the OLF military wing continues to unleash killings against innocent civilians, and most of the time the targets are ethnic Amhara communities living in the region.
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I am not sure how the government there would be able to protect every village from demons like these. I will give you an example from my own past life experience. In the areas of Western Hararghe especially along the old railway line and away from the railway stations from Afdem(Aware) to the rain shadow Gaaraa Asabot incidences of violence due to cattle rustling was not uncommon. In fact the late Emperor had created a dedicated police force to tackle the problem. I used to hear my father and uncle talking about how the Emperor used to summon tribal leaders of Afars, Issas and my own Itu’s to discuss the problem. He did that a few times during his summer break at his palace in Dire Dawa. But that did not stop hooligans to carry out raids into villages and rustle away cattle and many times killing residents in the process. That police force was always on the move going after the violent rustlers. Afars carry out such raids on Issas and Oromo clans who live in the lowlands. Issas used to do the same to Afars and rarely on the Itu clans. But none of these rustlers committed such deadly crimes on those who lived in any of those railway stations even though they were cattle to rustle because they knew that would have been stupid on their part. They knew better. But there used to be only 3 or 4 policemen at each of those stations. Several train station even never had any police station. Locals were their own peacekeepers and they will let you know who the real sheriff in charge. So I don’t buy what the local officials told the victims/besieged. I don’t think there is any government on this earth that is capable of protecting every village from thieves and robbers. Let’s look at what is going on right here in the West. I am sure it is also the case in Canada and Europe(especially UK). Here in the USA there millions who live in constant fear in gang riddled neighborhoods. Chicago, LA, Atlanta, New York and many other cities local officials celebrate when the rate of homicides and other violent crimes improve. They shout hurray when the annual homicide number go down from 950 to 850 in Chicago. They pat themselves on the back for similar drops in LA, Atlanta, New York and other metropolitan cities. But USA is the most powerful nation in the world; UK can take the lights out of every walking and breathing human being on this good earth. But violent crimes have been nagging problems for all these powerful and advanced nations. In the old country citizens used to be the primary guardians(protectors) of law and order where they lived a settled lifestyle. The time was not like now. There was no one who spewed around poison among the citizens inciting one ethnic group against another. Just look at some among us what they post on Twitter and other platforms. They call those noble people of Amhara ‘fascists’. They call my own noble Oromos denigrating names I can’t repeat them here now. All these derogatory name calling travel miles and wide to reach those who lack the sophistication to look through what they hear or read. These totally irresponsible bigots among us know what they are doing. They are lawyers, historians, engineers, medical experts and professors. They do that because they are gripped with such violent hatred for others. Their urgent objective is to pitch my Oromos against our Amhara neighbors. Bigots like them have found success in pitching those upright citizens of Tigray against their centuries’ old Amhara and Afar countrymen. It is fixable but it will take more than a generation to attain that. These bigots among us will continue to preach hatred because they know they live thousands of miles far away from the old country. They will continue to do so from their comfy homes here among us. These demons come from various ethnic backgrounds. I wish they were not even born.
This is gonig to be the rule of the day, everyday, until the end of days. It was better to shift the war against the USA; blame them for everything. Ignore the real facts and pretend the Oromo don’t exist. So when the 6 percent TPLF give up, make room for the 34 percent OLF(now with international backing like never before).
One effective method to squash and break OLF, or TPLF terrorist back is to freeze or confiscate their assets and bank accounts and sell it for retribution . Amharas who lost their family members, farm, assets and anything must be paid from OLF and TPLF sold assets.
Any one associated with such terrorists acts, friend or family member’s asset and money should also be treated the same way. OLF and TPLF main method of ethnic cleansing and Genocide on Amhara agenda is by impoverishing and massacring any human Amhara person. For such gross criminal act only retribution from the sell of asset that should be swift and painful will stop the crime faster than anything else!!.