Saturday, October 5, 2013

The late prime minister of Ethiopia "funny" response to Homosexuals የቀድሞው ጠ/ሚኒስትር መለስ ዜናዊ የግብረሰዶም አራማጆች “የመደራጀት መብታችን ይከበር” የሰጡት አስቂኝ ምላሽ


Written by  ወልደመድህን ብርሃነመስቀል
በቅርቡ አንድ የመዲናችን የግል ኮሌጅ በሥራ አመራር የትምህርት ዘርፍ ያሰለጠናቸውን ተማሪዎች ሲያስመርቅ፤ ግብረ ሰዶማዊነት በአገራችን እያስከተለ ስላለው አደጋ የሚያስቃኝ በጥናት የተደገፈ ጽሑፍ ቀርቦ ነበር፡፡ ፅሁፍ አቅራቢው፤ የግብረሰዶም አራማጆች ለኢትዮጵያ መንግስት “የመደራጀት መብታችን ይከበር” በሚል ያቀረቡትን ጥያቄና የቀድሞው ጠ/ሚኒስትር የሰጡት ምላሽ በሚል ያቀረቡት ቀልድ ለአንባቢያን የሚያስተላልፈው ቁም ነገር አያጣምና ልጥቀሰው። ጠ/ሚኒስትሩ የመብት ጠያቂዎቹን ተወካዮች አስጠርተው እንዲህ አሏቸው፡-
“እንድትደራጁ ከመፍቀዳችን በፊት ጥያቄያችሁ ከሕግ፣ ከሞራል፣ ከባህል፣ ከሥነ ምግባር…አንፃር ተቀባይነት ይኖረው አይኖረው እንደሆነ ማጣራት አለብን፡፡ ይሄን ለማጣራት ደግሞ የእናንተም ትብብር ያስፈልገናል፡፡ የመጀመርያው ተግባራችሁ የሚሆነው የድጋፍ መጠየቂያ ሰላማዊ ሰልፍ ማድረግ ነው፡፡ የሰልፉ መነሻ መሐል መርካቶ ይሆናል፡፡ ድምፃችሁን እያሰማችሁ፣ መፈክሮቻችሁን በጽሑፍ ይዛችሁ በመጀመሪያ የምታልፉት በራጉኤል ቤተክርስቲያን በኩል ይሆናል፡፡ በመቀጠል አንዋር መስጊድን ታቋርጣላችሁ፡፡ ከዚያ ወደ ጊዮርጊስ ቤተክርስቲያን ትዘልቃላችሁ፡፡ በአፍንጮ በር በኩል በ6 ኪሎ ዩኒቨርስቲና የሰማዕታት ሐውልትን ካለፋችሁ በኋላ፣ በ4 ኪሎ ዩኒቨርስቲ በኩል የነፃነት ሐውልትን አቋርጣችሁ፣ በሁለቱ ቤተመንግስቶች መሐል በመጓዝ መስቀል አደባባይ መድረስ ከቻላችሁ፣ የመደራጀት ጥያቄያችሁ ምላሽ ያገኝ ይሆናል”
ቀልድ ነው ተብሎ የተነገረው የቀድሞው ጠ/ሚኒስትር ምላሽ በውስጡ ለውይይት የሚጋብዙ ሃሳቦችን ይዟል፡፡ በአገራችን ግብረሰዶም እንዳሁኑ የተስፋፋ አይሁን እንጂ ከግማሽ ክ/ዘመን በፊት ብቅ ብቅ ማለት መጀመሩን የሚጠቁሙ የአማርኛ ልቦለድ ሥራዎች አሉ፡፡
የአማርኛ አጭር ልቦለድ ጀማሪ ተብለው ከሚጠቀሱት ደራስያን አንዱ የሆነው ታደሰ ሊበን በ1949 ዓ.ም “መስከረም”፣ በ1952 ዓ.ም “ሌላው መንገድ” የተሰኙ ሁለት የአጫጭር ልቦለድ መድበሎች ያሳተመ ሲሆን ደራሲው በኢትዮጵያ ውስጥ የግብረ ሰዶማውያንን ሁኔታ የሚያመለክት ጭብጥ በማንሳት ፈር ቀዳጅ እንደሆነ የኢትዮጵያ ደራሲያን ማህበር በ2000 ዓ.ም ያሳተመው ደራሲያንን የሚያስተዋውቅ አውደ እለት (አጀንዳ) ይጠቁማል፡፡
“ሌላው መንገድ” ስድስት አጫጭር ልቦለድ ታሪኮችን ያካተተ ሲሆን፤ በመጽሐፉ ከገጽ 55 እከ 74 የሚዘልቀው ታሪክ ዋና ገፀባሕሪ፣ ብርሃኑ የሚባል የ22 ዓመት ወጣት ነው፡፡ ታሪኩን “እኔ” እያለ በአንደኛ መደብ የሚተርከው ገፀባህሪ፣ በኢትዮጵያ ንግድ ባንክ የደንበኞች ቼክ ክፍል ውስጥ ነው የሚሰራው፡፡
ከቁመቴ ማጠር በስተቀር ደም ግባቴ በጣም ቆንጆ ነበር፡፡ ይህንንም በየዕለቱ የተለያዩ ሰዎች በተለይ ሴቶች የሚያረጋግጡልኝ እውነት ነበር የሚለው ብርሃኑ፤ መልከመልካምነቱን ሲገልፅ፤ “ቀጥ ያለ አፍንጫ፣ ትክክል የሆኑና ንጣታቸው በረዶ የመሰሉ ጥርሶች፣ እጅግም ያልወፈሩ እጅግ በጣም ያልሳሱ መካከለኛ ከንፈሮች፣ ቅንድቦቼ የተኳሉና የተቀነደቡ የሚመስሉ፣ ፀጉሬ፣ ግንባሬ፣ ጉንጮቼ፣ ጆሮዎቼ፣ እምንም ዘንድ ያልተዛቡ፤ በጠቅላላው የሰራኝን እጅ ረቂቅነት አጉልተው የሚያወሱ ነበሩ። ለሴቶችም የማይችሉት ፈተና ነበርኩ…ሲያዩኝ መተርከክ፣ ማተኮር፣ መገላመጥ ግዴታቸው ነበር፡፡”
ጥሩ መልበስ ውበቴን ስለሚያጐላው አልባሌ ነገር መልበስ አዘወትር ነበር የሚለው ዋና ገፀ ባሕሪ፤ በ1942 ዓ.ም እለተ ሰኞ የገጠመውን ይተርካል። በቼክ ክፍል ለመገልገል የመጡ አንድ ደንበኛው ካስተናገዳቸው በኋላ፣ ለአንድ ጉዳይ እንደሚፈልጉት በመግለፅ እቤታቸው እንዲመጣ ይቀጥሩታል፡፡
ሰውየው በትልቅ ቪላ ቤት ውስጥ ነዋሪ ናቸው፡፡ የግቢ ጠባቂ ዘበኛ፣ የእልፍኝ አስከልካይ ወንድና ሴት አገልጋዮችም አሏቸው፡፡ መኖሪያ ቤታቸው ዘመናዊና በውድ ዕቃዎች የተሞላ ነው። ቀጠሮ የሰጡት ወጣት ሲመጣ፣ ውስኪ እየጋበዙ ያጫውቱት ጀመር። የእጅ ሰዓት ከኤደን (የመን) እንደሚያመጡለት ቃል ገቡለት፡፡ ሁለት ሙሉ ልብስ የሚያሰፋበትን ጨርቅ በአቅራቢያው ካለው ሱቅ እንዲወስድም ነገሩት፡፡ ከዚህ በኋላ ነው ጉዱ የመጣው፡፡ “ሁሉ ሰው፣ መቼም ተፈጥሮ ሆኖ አንዳንድ አመል አለው” በማለት ፍላጐታቸውን በግልጽ ነገሩት፡፡
በቀረበለት ጥያቄ ግራ የተጋባው ብርሃኑ፤ “ምንም አልመለስኩለትም፤ ብቻ… አመዴ ቡን ብሎ ኩምሽሽ አልኩኝ” ይላል - የገጠመውን ሲተርክ። ከዚያም በብልሃት ከሰውየው ወጥመድ አምልጦ መውጣቱን ይተርካል፡፡
ነገሩ ከተከሰተ ከስድስት ወር በኋላም ሰውየው ተመሳሳይ ጥያቄ ለጓደኛው እንዳቀረቡለት ነግሮን ነው ታሪኩ የሚጠናቀቀው፡፡
“እሳት በሌለበት ጭስ አይኖርም” እንደሚባለው፣ በሕብረተሰቡ ውስጥ ካየውና ከሰማው በመነሳት ከ50 ዓመት በፊት በአገራችን ግብረሰዶም ማቆጥቆጥ መጀመሩን በድርሰት ሥራው የጠቆመን ሌላኛው ደራሲ ኃይለሥላሴ ደስታ ነው፡፡ “የሚያቃጥል ፍቅር” በሚል ርዕስ በ1963 ዓ.ም ባሳተመው ለቦለድ መጽሐፉ፤ የዚህ ችግር ተጠቂ የሆነ አንድ ኢትዮጵያዊ በጨረፍታ ያሳየናል፡፡
የመጽሐፉ ዋና ገፀ ባሕሪ ከትላልቅ ቤተሰቦች የተወለደች፣ ትምህርቷን ባሕር ማዶ ጭምር የተከታተለችና በህክምና ሙያ የሰራች ሲሆን የሕይወት ውጣ ውረድና መከራው በዝቶባት ከሐረር ወደ አዲስ አበባ በመምጣት፣ በውቤ በረሃ የሴተኛ አዳሪነት ህይወቷ ከገጠሟት ያልተለመዱ ድርጊቶች አንዱን ትነግረናለች፡፡
የድርጊቱ ፈፃሚ በአየር መንገድ የሚሰራ ኢትዮጵያዊ ነው፡፡ የግሉ ቪላ ቤትና የቤት አገልጋይ ሠራተኞች አሉት፡፡ ሴተኛ አዳሪዋን ከቡና ቤት አግኝቷት ነው ወደ ቤቱ የሚወስዳት፡፡ “ልብስሽን ሙሉ ለሙሉ አውልቀሽ ካልተኛሽ” በሚል ነው ያልተለመዱ ጥያቄዎችን ለዋና ገፀ ባሕሪዋ ማቅረብ የሚጀምረው፡፡
“ውስጥ ልብሴን እንኳን ልልበስ” ስትለው ሰውየው አይፈቀድላትም፡፡ “መጨረሻ ከሰው ቤት ነበርኩና ሳልወድ በግድ አወላልቄ ተኛሁ፡፡ ጥቂት ጊዜ እንደቆየን መብራቱ ጠፋና ‘ዙሪ’ አለኝ፡፡ በለሰለሰ አንደበት ‘ወዴት’ አልኩት፡፡ ‘ይህ ለሊት የእኔ ሥልጣን ነውና እንዳስፈለገኝ ላዝሽና ልጠቀምብሽ እችላለሁ’ አለ” እያለች የደረሰባትን ያልተለመደ እንግልትና በደል ትተርካለች፡፡
የአገር ውስጥ ገጠመኙ አይሁን እንጂ ደራሲ ስብሐት ገብረእግዚአብሔርም የግብረ ሰዶማዊያን ባህሪና አቀራረብ ምን እንደሚመስል “ማስታወሻ” በሚል ርዕስ በደራሲ ዘነበ ወላ በተዘጋጀው መጽሐፍ ውስጥ አንድ ገጠመኙን በመጥቀስ ይነግረናል፡፡
ጉዳዩ በእንግሊዝ ለንደን የተከሰተ ነው። ስብሐት በወቅቱ ተማሪ ነው፡፡
ሃና የተባለች ፍቅረኛውን የሚያስተናግድበት እርካሽ የሆቴል መኝታ በመከራ ያገኛል፡፡ የሆቴሉ ሥራ አስኪያጅ ለስብሐት “እዚህ ሴት ይዞ መምጣት ክልክል ነው፡፡ ግን እኔ ሳላይህ ይዘህ መግባት ትችላለህ፡፡ እኔም እያየሁ አላይህም” እንዳለው ስብሃት ይነግረናል፡፡
“ሃና መጣችና ገና ከሩቅ እንዳየችው በእንግሊዝኛ ‘ያንን ሰው አልወደውም’ አለችኝ፤ ‘ምን ማለትሽ ነው’ አልኳት፡፡ ‘አንተን የሚያይበት አስተያየት ደስ አላለኝም’ አለችኝ፡፡ ‘ዝም ብለሽ ነው’ ብዬአት ባለውለታችን መሆኑን እያጫወትኳት ገባን፡፡ ተመላልሳ እዛ ሆቴል ትመጣለች፡፡ ሰውየውም አይቶ እንዳላየ ያሳልፈናል፡፡”
አንድ ቀን ሚስተር ዋትሰን ‘እንዲያው ፈገግታህ በጣም ደስ ይለኛል’ አለኝ፡፡
የሃና ዕይታ ተገለፀልኝ። የፍቅር ጨዋታን ከተቃራኒ ፆታ ጋር ሳይሆን ከተመሳሳዩ ጋር መደሰት የሚፈልግ ሰው ነው፡፡ በጨዋ ቋንቋ ልተባበረው እንደማልችል ነገርኩትና በሁኔታው እያዘንኩ ተለያየን፡፡”
በሦስቱ መፃሕፍት ውስጥ የቀረቡት መረጃዎች ሁለት ቁም ነገሮችን ያስጨብጡናል፡፡ አንደኛው አሁን ለአገራችን አደጋ ሆኖ የቀረበው ግብረ ሰዶማዊነት፤ መነሻው የባሕር ማዶ ልማድ መሆኑን ነው፡፡ ደራሲ ታደሰ ሊበን፤ በልቦለድ ስራው የዚህ ሰለባ መሆኑን የሚያሳየን ገፀባህሪ፤ ለንግድ ሥራ ወደ ውጭ አገራት የሚመላለስ ኢትዮጵያዊ ነጋዴ ነው፡፡
ደራሲ ኃይለሥላሴ ደስታም የቀረፀው ገፀባህሪ፤ ለውጭ የባህል ተጽእኖ በቀላሉ ሊጋለጥ የሚችል የአየር መንገድ ሠራተኛ ነው፡፡ ስብሐትና ፍቅረኛው ተግባሩን የተፀየፉት ሰውም እንዲሁ የውጭ አገር ዜጋ ነው፡፡
ኢትዮጵያዊያን፤ ለትምህርት፣ ለሥራና ለተለያዩ ጉዳዮች ወደተለያዩ የዓለም አገራት ሲመላለሱ ብዙ ዓመታትን አስቆጥረዋል፡፡ ወደ አገራቸው የሚመለሱ ኢትዮጵያውያን ይዘዋቸው የሚመጡት አዳዲስ አፈንጋጭ ልማዶች ሕብረተሰቡ ሲፈቅድ ይስፋፋሉ። በተቃራኒው የማደግና የመስፋፋት ዕድል ያጡ ደግሞ አሉ፡፡
ከእነዚህም አንዱ ግብረ ሰዶም ነው፡፡ አሁን ግን ይሄ አፈንጋጭ ልማድ በአገራችን እየተስፋፋ መምጣቱና ለማህበረሰቡ አደጋ ሆኖ መጋረጡ እየተነገረ ነው፡፡
የቀድሞ ትውልድ የተቆጣጠረውን የማህበረሰብ ችግርና አደጋ፤ የአሁኑ ለምን መቆጣጠርና መከላከል አቃተው ብሎ መጠየቅ ተገቢ ነው፡፡ ለውይይትም ይጋብዛል። ውይይቱ ከውጭ አገራት የሚገቡ ሌሎች መሰል አፈንጋጭ ልማዶችን ለመከላከል የሚያስችል ሥነ ልቦናዊ ዝግጅት የሚሰጠን ይመስለኛል፡፡
AddisAdmassNews.com

Tesfaye Gebreab: The man who created the first Oromo main character in the history of the vast Amharic literature

By Hunde Dhugassa*
Tesfaye Gebreab
Tesfaye Gebreab
October 5, 2013 (Advocacy for Oromia) — Many individuals, journalists, politicians, historians, academicians and leaders; from Ethiopia, neighbouring countries and from different corners of the world have written about the Oromo. This includes its history, politics, ability, value and nature. The time, objective, nature and fact differ from person to person. The objective of this brief note is not to give analysis on the subject matter but rather to summarize an hour presentation of one of the most famous and controversial writer on the issue of the Oromo.
Any ordinary Oromo from Ethiopia can without difficulty name two important non Oromo authors from its neighbours, having a positive contribution on the history and visibility of the Oromo nation: Professor Asmerom Legesse and Tesfaye Gebreab. Both are Eritrean by birth, but hardly know the effort of one another until recently. The work of Professor Asmerom started almost half a century ago in the Borana region of Oromiya, while that of Tesfaye started after the fall of the Derg military junta. It is by chance that the professor started the most celebrated research on Gadaa Democracy of the Oromo people, but Tesfaye’s historical and artistic contribution has grown up in and with him in the beautiful city of Bishoftu.
Prof Asmrom Legesse
Prof Asmrom Legesse
Asmarom Legesse is an anthropologist, Ph.D. Harvard, Emeritus Professor, formerly of Boston and North-western Universities and Swarthmore College. He has conducted many years of field research among the Oromo of Ethiopia and Kenya. He is the author of several books including, Oromo Democracy: An Indigenous African Political System. He also wrote Gadaa: Three Approaches to the Study of African Society (1973). He is one of the few non-Oromo Hero to the Oromo people. We have dozens of articles, high level speeches and even Songs to honour his outstanding contribution.
After three decades, a young enthusiastic writer Tesfaye Gebreab emerged with “Yeburqa Zimita” a semi-historical novel surrounding the reflection and reaction of the Oromo people on the century old marginalization, discrimination and suppression which dates back to the annexation of the Oromo land by King Minilik II in the late 1890’s with the advice and logistical support of the then European leaders.
The book in general has resulted in at least three opinion groups as far as Ethiopian audiences are concerned. The majority who think he did what he have to do as a responsible author. The second group who think the book is correct in all aspect but fear the detailed revelation of the facts might hinder future and continued coexistence. There is also a minority third group who think he is a destabilizing agent commissioned by these who don’t like the Ethiopian unity.
Tesfaye, describes himself in almost all opportunities as “Ijollee Bishoftu” literally to mean the Child of Bishoftu. An Eritrean by birth but an Oromo by experience and attachment, Tesfaye has developed strong sense or Oromo value. Bishoftu city, his birth place; is located 47km south of Addis Ababa (Finfinnee), the capital city of the country, in Oromia National Regional State. But he clearly underlines he is not a man to compromise his profession by any attachment or fear. He firmly believes his works are only the products of historical fact, observation of the ongoing Oromo peoples struggle and channelling of these in to his professional commitment and responsibility.
At a Oromo community event organized in Harlem, The Netherlands on 14th of July 2012; Tesfaye was invited to give brief presentation of his work and his experience on the Oromo issues. He has also answered several questions from the audience. He specifically started by asking if anyone knows any Amharic literature that has an Oromo main character at its centre. After he observed a complete silence in the room, he said none have done so except his book “Ye Burqa Zimita”. That could be one of the reasons that explain partly the enormous but contradictory opinion with regards to the book.
Even though, many authors have tried to insert Oromo characters in their works none have the courage to put them at the helm of their efforts. Tesfaye admits that the time has also played a great role. He noted famous authors including the work of Baalu Girma and Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedin. Baalu has named the most beautiful character with a typical Amharic name Lulit Tadesse; at the centre of his book called “Ke Admas Bashager” which he later revealed her with her real name Chaltu Tolasa. Lulit’s self-description in the book points to the highly touching fact that from the peer pressure, she thought her sensational beauty and glamour goes only with the then kings’ languages name Lulit rather than Chaltu. That is why she calls herself Lulit hiding her identity instilled in Chaltu.
Additionally in his most read book, “Oromay” Baalu Girma introduced another Oromo character called Tadese Qoricha. Oromay has unfortunately resulted in his murder by the Derg military junta. Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedin has also described the Oromo invisibly relating it to the Awash River in his work known by “Awash”. He looks talking to the river itself, but a closer look reveals that he is referring to the Oromo as a nation. Both Baalu and Laureate Tsegaye are thought to be an Oromo in one of the other link of their family composition. The later was heard speaking fluent Oromo on one of his interview with the VOA Afan Oromo Service.
Tesfaye said he was thinking about Leenco Lata while he was framing Anole Waqo as a main Character of his book, Ye Burqa Zimita. Leenco an outspoken veteran Oromo politician at the center of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) was known in the events leading up to the formation of the Transitional Government of Ethiopian (TGE) in 1991. He has authored several books and remains a very influential and controversial figure for his role in OLF joining and leaving of the TGE.
At the Harlem event, Aster Gemeda, an Oromo heroine for her unreserved contribution in the Oromo Peoples struggle for the last three decades and describes her experience of Ye Burqa Zimita, “as the only Amharic novel she finished reading” recommended, Tesfaye deserve to be called “Obbo Tesfaye” the Oromo equal word for “Sir Tesfaye”.
* The writer, Hunde Dhugassa is a Lawyer and a Human rights activist, can be reached at jajjabee430@gmail.com

Friday, October 4, 2013

Italy boat sinking: At least 130 African migrants have died and many more are missing after a boat carrying them to Europe sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.


The BBC's Gavin Hewitt: "The survivors tell a tragic story"
From Lampedusa to Berlin
At least 130 African migrants have died and many more are missing after a boat carrying them to Europe sank off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.
A total of 103 bodies have been recovered and more have been found inside the wreck, coast guards say.
Passengers reportedly threw themselves into the sea when a fire broke out on board. More than 150 of the migrants have been rescued.
Most of those on board were from Eritrea and Somalia, said the UN.
The boat was believed to have been carrying up to 500 people at the time and some 200 of them are unaccounted for.


Italian Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the ship had come from Misrata in Libya and began taking on water when its motor stopped working.
It is thought that some of those on board set fire to a piece of material to try to attract the attention of passing ships, only to have the fire spread to the rest of the boat.
Simona Moscarelli, a spokeswoman from the International Organization for Migration in Rome, told the BBC that in order to escape the fire, "the migrants moved, all of them, to one side of the boat which capsized".
She estimated that only six of about 100 women on board survived, adding that most of the migrants were unable to swim.
"Only the strongest survived," she said.
It is one of the worst such disasters to occur off the Italian coast in recent years; Prime Minister Enrico Letta tweeted that it was "an immense tragedy". The government has declared a day of national mourning on Friday.
"There is no miraculous solution to the migrant exodus issue," said Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino. "If there were we would have found it and put it into action."

In a separate incident on Thursday, local media reported that around 200 migrants were escorted to the port of Syracuse on the island of Sicily, when their vessel encountered difficulties five miles off the coast.
Earlier this week, 13 migrants drowned while trying to reach Sicily.
'Continuous horror'
Footage from Lampedusa showed bodies being laid out on the dockside.
The mayor, Giusi Nicolini, described the scene as a "continuous horror".
"It's horrific, like a cemetery, they are still bringing them out," she said, according to Reuters.
Rescued migrants arrive onboard a coastguard vessel at the harbour of Lampedusa
More than 140 people have been rescued from the shipwreck, officials say
Body bags containing African migrants, who drowned trying to reach Italian shores, lie in the harbour of Lampedusa

Ethiopian Hydropower Dam Assessment Warns of Structural Weakness

October 4, 2013

Ethiopia’s plan to build Africa’s biggest hydropower dam on the main tributary of the Nile River must address concerns that there may be flaws in the design of its foundations, a group of international experts said.
They also called for further studies on what impact the 6,000-megawatt, $4.7 billion project may have on the downstream nations of Sudan and Egypt, the International Panel of Experts said in a report e-mailed to Bloomberg News and verified by Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for almost all of its water, expressed alarm about the dam when Ethiopia in May diverted the Blue Nile as part of the construction process.
“Structural measures might be needed to stabilize the foundation to achieve the required safety against sliding” of the main dam, according to the report. There are also “weak zones” in the rock that will support an auxiliary dam that need to be studied, it said.
Construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is part of a government plan to spend 569 billion birr ($30 billion) on infrastructure in the five years through mid-2015. The country, Africa’s second-most populous nation, targets becoming an industrialized middle-income nation by 2025.
Ethiopia is the source of 86 percent of the water that flows into the Nile, the world’s longest river that runs 4,160 miles through 11 countries from Burundi in the south to Egypt, where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea. Ethiopia has said it will take five to six years to fill the 74 billion cubic-meter (2.6 trillion cubic-feet) reservoir created by the dam.
Regional Specialists
The panel, which held its first meeting in May last year, was formed at the suggestion of Ethiopia’s government. It comprised two specialists each from Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan and four from other nations. The report, which hasn’t been made public, was submitted to the three governments in June.
Ethiopia said the report found the project to be of international standard and won’t cause “significant harm” to downstream countries, while Egypt said it was inconclusive.
Ethiopia delivered a hydrological study to the panel that analyzed the downstream impact of the reservoir-filling period given low, average or high rainfall.
The project document concluded that Egypt faces a 6 percent reduction in the High Aswan Dam’s electricity-generating capacity and no water loss if the reservoir was filled during years of average or high rainfall. If the reservoir was filled in a dry year it would “significantly impact on water supply to Egypt and cause the loss of power generation at High Aswan Dam for extended periods,” according to the document.
A “comprehensive” additional study of the dam’s impact on water resources should be conducted, the panel said after reviewing the document. “The analysis presented is very basic, and not yet at a level of detail, sophistication and reliability that would befit a development of this magnitude, importance and with such regional impact.”



Ethiopia is working with Sudan and Egypt to enact the panel’s recommendations, Dina Mufti, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, said in an interview today in the capital, Addis Ababa.


Darbaa Dabarsa Gurguramnee Dhumni Keenya Kana Ta’e

Darbaa Dabarsa Gurguramnee Dhumni Keenya Kana Ta’e

Jaallannee Gammadaa | VOA: http://realaudio.rferl.org/voa/AFAN/2013/10/03/c5b6c415-8824-4766-9942-6b36c4c1740f.mp3


WASHINGTON, DC — Daangaa yaman fi saa’udii irratti Dallaan fageenya kiloo meetra 75 kan ijaaramee yoo ta’u yeroo hojiin ijaarsaa kun xumuramu fageenya kiloo meeetra kuma tokkoo fi dhibba saddeetti daangaa biyyoota lamaan giddu kan qabaatu ta’uun ibsamee jira.

Dallaan shiboo irraa hojjatame kun lafa irraa hojjaan isaa meetra 3 ol kan dheeratu ta’uunn beekamee jira.

Dallaan kun namoota seeraan ala biyyoota gaanfa Afrikaa irraa gama yamaniin saa’uudii seenuuf yaalan ittisuuf akkasumas meeshaa waraanaa akkasumas jimaa seeraan ala deddebisuun akka dhaabatu gochuuf yaadameeetu.

Baqatoonni akka jedhanti namoota seeraan ala nama deddebisaniif maallaqa guddaa baasan iyyu dararaa reebichaa ibiddaan gubamuu akkasumas qaamaa hir’achuu adda addaa jarreenuma kanaan kan irratti rawwatamu ta’u dubbatu.

Maallaqa qabatanii jiran hundumaa saamamuu bira darbee firri iddoo fagoodhaa baqatonni qaban maallaqa guddaa akka erganiif bilbilaan dorsisuun akka jiru kun mikaa’uu baannaan carraan isaa eeggatu ajjefamuu ykn galaanati darbamu ta’u ibsan.

- VOA: http://www.voaafaanoromoo.com/content/article/1762404.html

(Suuraa: VOA)
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“Oromiyaa Tiyya” North American Tour of Haacaaluu, Nigusuu, Jaamboo and Abbush – Next Legs: Atlanta/GA on Oct. 19, 2013, and Columbus/OH on Oct. 26, 2013

“Oromiyaa Tiyya” North American Tour of Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, Nigusuu Taammiraat, Jaamboo Joote and Abbush Zallaqaa – Next Legs: Atlanta/Georgia on October 19, 2013, and Columbus/Ohio on October 26, 2013.
THE ATLANTA CONCERT
DATE: Oct. 19, 2013 @ 9pm
PLACE: 720 Hambrick Road, Stone Mountain/GA
Gadaa.com
THE COLUMBUS/OH CONCERT
DATE: Oct. 26, 2013 @ 8pm
PLACE: Santanas Party House (3569 D-K Refugee Road, Columbus, OH)
Gadaa.com
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The Historic “Oromiyaa Tiyya” in Minneapolis (Past Event):
Gadaa.com

Official Facebook page for the ‘Oromiyaa Tiyya’ Music Concert: https://www.facebook.com/events/498105713611570/
Presented by Hegeree Media, Gibee Production, FinfinneTube and OPride.com
Date: September 28, 2013
Time: Doors Open @ 9pm (till 2am)
Venue: Epic @ 110 5th St N, Minneapolis, MN 55403

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Agarii Tullu: from serfdom to a revered Oromo hero

by Mohammed Ademo
agariitulluOctober 3, 2013 (OPride) – The history of the Oromo people, Ethiopia’s single largest ethnic group, is marked by socio-political oppression and a continuous resistance against it.
Every Ethiopian ruler, especially starting with emperor Menelik II, has devised systematic campaigns aimed at making the Oromo aliens in their own homeland, impoverishing millions by expropriating their land, and denying them the most basic human rights.
The Oromo, in various locales of Oromia – the Oromo country –have also put up powerful resistance at different times. The modern Oromo movement evolved from loosely organized local resistance(s) such as the Bale Oromo movement, the Macha Tulama Association, and the Afran Qallo musical group to name just three – culminating with the formation of a pan-Oromo movement, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). However, there were also several other popular movements against imperial Ethiopia and its social injustices, albeit less known even among the Oromo or sometimes erroneously misconstrued as economic or social banditry (shifta).
In undated segment of Maaliin Beekkaman, a program on the state-run Oromiya Radio, journalist Ababa Magra profiled one of those lesser known movements: Agarii Tullu’s fierce resistance against Haile Selassie’s monarchical rule.
Agarii was born and raised in Salale, Central Oromia, near, as they call it, Leman Selassie. Born to poor farmers, the short and light-skinned Agarii grew up witnessing the Oromo people’s serfdom and their mistreatment in the hands of feudal landlords. Following his father’s untimely death, Agarii, who never set foot in school, began working as a serf at a very young age for the local landlords. He started his service first as a herder and later worked in the farm for landowning bourgeois, including some who were Oromo.
He soon began rebelling, although then only a young teenager, against Haile Selassie’s absolutist rule which ruled under the banner of Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah, King of Kings of Ethiopia, Elect of God. A great swimmer and an avid climber, Agarii knew that the Salale mountain range was conducive for resistance and the Salale Oromo had had enough of the feudal lordship imposed upon them. But he also understood that he needed some sort of military training and began devising strategies to acquire it. Subsequently, Agarii joined the imperial army in early 1950s, while he was in his late teens, and received military training – quickly becoming an armed bodyguard at the imperial palace in Finfinne (Addis Ababa), Ethiopia’s capital.
Background on Salale
Salale is home to the five clans of the Bacho Oromo tribe: Warab, Metta, Darra, Bacho, and Borana, according to Tigist Geme who conducted an ethnographic study in the area. Several Bacho subclans including Urru, Garasu, and Wajjitu also stride Salale particularly the districts of Garba Gurracha, Abote, and Goha in the North Shewa zone of Oromia region.  Following the conquest of Oromo land in the second-half of 19th century by Menelik II, Geme writes, “the Salale Oromos scattered around the Ethiopian ‘Diaspora’ uprooted from their original home.” In this context, the Ethiopian diaspora refers to areas where the Salale Oromo were forced to resettle within Ethiopia but outside of the Salale proper, according to Geme.
Although the name Salale is sometimes used interchangeably in reference to both the people and the place, the etymology of the word derives from a mountain found west of the Dagam town, Geme explains in her book length thesis, the Themes and Patterns of Traditional Oromo Marriage Counseling.
The Salale Oromo practice mixed farming by dividing their livelihood between growing crops and rearing livestock. Like other Oromo tribes, the Salale were once followers of Waaqeffannaa, a belief in a monolithic God they call Waaqa or Waaqayyoo. Today they are largely Orthodox Christians. However, Geme observes, even among the Christian populations, Waaqa serves as “a point of reference in every aspect of the Salale day-to-day life activities deemed as religion, worldview, and social and moral order.”
“Children are told not to swear by Waaqa when they know they lie. Waaqa is believed to be Dhugaa (True), hence ‘Dhugaa’ is a word of swear to show one is‘True.’”
–Full report Opride