17 members of an international drug ring busted for bringing Khat into America

The drug ring smuggled the drug from Yemen, Ethiopia, and Kenya into New York and beyond, according to a 215-count indictment unsealed Friday in Brooklyn by the state’s Attorney General.

17 members of an international drug ring were busted for smuggling tons of Khat into America, authorities announced Friday

June 28, 2018 (New York Daily News) — An international ring that distributed an illegal chewable substance called Khat has been stamped out, authorities announced Friday.
Seventeen members of the alleged drug ring that brought tons of the euphoria-inducing plant from Yemen, Kenya and Ethiopia to the city and beyond were charged in a 215-count indictment unsealed in Brooklyn by the state’s Attorney General office.
Khat’s leaves and stems are chewed in their fresh form and contains an amphetamine-like stimulant. It’s legal in many parts of the world, including Kenya and Ethiopia were it’s primarily cultivated, and has been used socially in Yemen for thousands of years.
But Khat is illegal in the United States and most other western countries, earning that designation in the United Kingdom this Tuesday.
“Khat is a dangerous and illegal drug with worldwide reach,” said state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. “Trafficking often funds other criminal activity.”
Because the substance isn’t processed, traffickers needed to operate quickly.
The ring was allegedly headed by Yadeta (Murad) Bekri, 23, of England, who would arrange for large shipments of Khat to various UPS locations in Manhattan.
His alleged cohorts, or managers, would then pick up the packages. Some were observed on surveillance carrying 25-pound boxes to Brooklyn’s Islamic Society of Flatbush and numerous storage facilities, according to court papers.

Khat leaves and stems are chewed to produce an amphetamine-like high

The drug was then sold upstate and in parts of Ohio and Massachusetts with the proceeds laundered in Minnesota — where Bekri’s girlfriend lives — and sent back to England, Dubai and other locations, the authorities alleged.
“Through the far-reaching capabilities of our joint law enforcement partners, these criminals can be tracked down and brought to justice wherever they are located,” said NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Those arrested include mostly men from Brooklyn, Queens and Rochester, NY. While 14 were collared, two have yet to get picked up.
The ringleader Bekri was on a plane to Minnesota Friday for a visit with his girlfriend Ibsitu Hashi, 34, a source said.
Marshals are expected to greet him upon arrival and take him into custody.
Source: New York Daily News

Declaration of Unity of the OLF

June 28, 2014 (Oromo Liberation Front) — It is with great pleasure that we announce to our people and the supporters of our struggle for freedom the good news that, based on the accord they made in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2012, the two organizations of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) known as OLF Shanee Gumii (”OLF National Council”) and OLF Qaama Ce’umsaa (”OLF Transitional Authority”) have resolved our differences and agreed to combine our two leaderships, unify our members, merge our organizational structures and inaugurate a reunified OLF. Although OLF has encountered many obstacles during the last forty years, there was no time when it has stopped the struggle that it was established to lead. No one can deny the fact that the national struggle led by the OLF has scored many victories and made many significant achievements that have taken the Oromo people a long way toward the national goal of independence. Among these great achievements is the level of political awareness of our people.

At the same time, we witness that the Oromo people are being targeted for extinction more than any time before. Oppression has reached intolerable levels making our people to rise up in defiance of tyranny, protesting peacefully in all corners of Oromia. But, as witnessed in the killings of students and others in many places in Oromia, the TPLF regime is responding violently to their lawful demands. Defying enemy atrocities, imprisonment, and torture the young Oromo generation are making it known to the world that they will not tolerate humiliation and oppression anymore and that they will make the necessary sacrifices to liberate their people and homeland from alien oppressors. The OLF extends its condolences to families who lost their beloved sons daughters and expresses its admiration for the courage and bravery they have shown by the young Oromo generation to defend their people’s legitimate rights. As the vanguard of the Oromo struggle for freedom, we re-iterate our determination to continue the struggle until our people become masters of their destiny.

The re-unification of the two organizations of the OLF is a great step that will strengthen the Oromo struggle for freedom. United under one leadership, we are resolute to realize the principal objective of our struggle, namely the liberation of our people and the independence of our homeland Oromia. There is no question about the popularity of the goal of OLF-led liberation struggle among the Oromo people. Therefore, it is with determination that we pledge to make the necessary sacrifices, withstand the challenges ahead and carry through the Oromo national struggle to the ultimate goal of independence.

We are well aware that there are Oromo nationals who are organized separately under other names to advance our people’s legitimate rights. We will do all we can to coordinate our efforts with them to achieve the common goal. The OLF leadership states its decision and commitment to continue to work and conclude the ongoing talks with other forces committed to the same goal. Hence we call on all Oromo organizations that uphold our people’s right to self-determination and independence to join us in carrying out this sacred mission.

We also take this opportunity to express our solidarity with the oppressed nations, nationalities and peoples who are struggling for justice against the same tyrannical regime, and call upon them to join us in the common struggle for basic human and democratic rights.

The TPLF-led regime’s violence against the Oromo people is abetted by military, political and economic assistance from external powers. The OLF appeals again to governments, both in the West and East to strike a balance between their national interests and their international obligation of protecting human rights and stop giving economic, military and political support to a brutal regime that is evicting our people and others from their land and killing innocent civilian who are peacefully demanding their legitimate rights.

Victory to the Oromo People!

Oromo Liberation Front

June 28, 2014

Were My Enslaved Ancestors Originally From Ethiopia?

Tracing Your Roots: Old family records identify Southern forebears as “Ethiopian.” How is this possible?
June 27, 2014
HENRY LOUIS GATES JR. AND MEAGHAN SIEKMAN, NEHGS RESEARCHER

Were My Enslaved Ancestors Originally From Ethiopia?

Dear Professor Gates:
We have traced our roots back to our great-great-great-great-grandfather Lar Henry Green (aka Henry G). According to family legend, he was a slave in France or Portugal, and when he arrived in the U.S., he married a 15-year-old Ethiopian girl. Lar Henry was born in July 1831 and died March 31, 1905, in Ladonia, Texas. According to recent research we have done, his wife was Jenny (Jennie/Jensy/Jensie/Jane) Trout-Green. She was born in 1856, but we don’t know her date of death.

Lar Henry gave all his children, girls included, the first name “Lar.” We guess that was a tradition from whatever country he came from. One of those children was Lar Zinnerman Green, whose daughter, Melissa (Green) Lacy, was the mother of my own grandmother Thelma Lacy.

We have tried for years to determine what country Lar Henry came from, as well as whether Jenny was truly Ethiopian. Interestingly, the World War I military-enlistment record of Grandmother Thelma’s father, John William (aka William) Lacy, lists him as Ethiopian. This is despite the fact that he was related to the Green family by marriage, not by blood.

People tell us there were no Ethiopian slaves, but I always counter with, “How do you know? Were you there?” Can you help us settle these questions? —Daniel D. Hardman

Discovering the origins of Lar Henry Green and Jenny Trout-Green starts with gathering as much information as you can about them here in the United States. Census records in particular can be helpful in determining when and where individuals were born.

Where Were Lar Henry and Jenny Born?

Your family legend tells you that Lar Henry was a slave in France or Portugal and that his wife, Jenny (Jennie/Jensy/Jensie/Jane) Trout-Green, was Ethiopian. Starting with census records for the family will also provide you with information about the birthplaces of their children, which will give you an idea of where they were living at various points in their lives, indicating where you should look for more records.

It is important to note that census records are not always accurate, since information recorded could have been told incorrectly to the census taker or could have been written incorrectly. With this in mind, census records can be powerful tools if you read them fully, since they provide clues about where to find more records on the individuals included. It is possible that the records will state that your ancestors were born in France, Portugal or Ethiopia, as your family legends claim, but you should be prepared to find out that these stories relate to earlier generations.

It is fortunate that Lar Henry lived long enough to be recorded in the 1900 federal census, since the census that year recorded the birthplace of each individual as well as the birthplaces for both parents. Since we know that Lar Henry died in 1905 in Ladonia, Texas, this census is a good place to look for information on the family. You can access the 1900 census for free through FamilySearch. If you search for Henry G. Green living in Ladonia, Texas, you’ll locate a record for Henry G. Green; his wife, Jensy; and 10 of their children living in Justice Precinct 4, Fannin, Texas.

According to the record, Henry G. Green was born in 1831, and his wife, Jensy L., was born in 1856. This matches the information you provided about the family. It further states that Henry G. was born in Georgia, as were both of his parents. In addition, it states that Jensy was born in Arkansas, her father was born in Missouri and her mother was born in Tennessee. All of their children were born in Texas, suggesting that the family had been in the state for at least 20 years prior to 1900.

Based on this record, it appears that both Lar Henry and Jensy were born in the U.S. As stated earlier, it is important to note that census records often record false information. A lot of this is dependent on who in the household gave the census taker the information.

What this does provide is some clue as to where to look for more information about Lar Henry Green and Jensy. It could be that Georgia and Arkansas were the first states they lived in when arriving in the U.S., rather than birthplaces. It is also a strong possibility that the record is correct and that your family legend may actually relate to an earlier generation than Lar Henry (Henry G) and Jensy.

What Happens When You Dig Further Into Their Origins?

When you look at census records, it is important to read them fully to gather as much information as you can to locate more records. For example, the enumerator for the 1900 census asked married couples how long they had been married. Henry G. Green and Jensy L. Green both stated that they had been married for 28 years in 1900, placing the date of their marriage circa 1872.

The census recorder also asked mothers to record how many children they had given birth to and how many were still living. The record states that Jensy had 14 children but that only 13 were still living. This tells us a couple of things. It means that the 10 children in their household in 1900 were not their only children—there were an additional three children not living in the house. It also tells us that one of their children had died, which means there may be a death record for that child.

Death records can provide information about the parents of an individual, including their place of birth. Since it seems likely that the family lived in Texas for a number of years, you can search Texas Deaths, 1890-1976 for death records of Henry Green’s family, including Henry Green himself. The way this collection works is first you search for a person’s name in the index, and the record provides the certificate number. You can then browse the collection—where it states “Browse through 4,476,649 images” at the bottom of the search screen—and browse the death certificates for the original record.

One way to determine how accurate information in the census records may be is to compare them with other records for the family, including other census records. If the information for their birth remains consistent over time, the more likely it is to be close to the truth. Since you know from the 1900 census that all the children listed were born in Texas, you can search for the family in Texas in the 1880 census. You can view the original record for this through Ancestry.com. Once again living in Precinct 4, Fannin, Texas, is Henry Green and his wife, J.L., and six children. This record also states that Henry Green was born in Georgia and that his wife, J.L., was born in Arkansas.

What Do Their Marriage Records Turn Up?

It seems likely that since all the children were born in Texas, the couple was married in Texas. A marriage record may reveal more information about the families for both Lar Henry and Jensy. Based on your research, you believe that Jenny/Jensy’s maiden name may have been Trout.

We started our search for Henry Green and Jenny Trout in the Texas, County Marriage Index 1837-1977, available on Family Search, but did not locate a record. However, if you search just for Henry Green in 1872, you’ll find a reference to the marriage of Henry Green and Jinsey Quisinbury on March 16, 1872. Based on the births of Henry and Jinsey’s children starting in 1873 in Texas, and the information in the 1900 census about their marriage in 1872, this appears to be the marriage record for your ancestors (unless this was Jinsey’s second marriage). Obtaining a copy of this marriage document might provide additional information, such as their age at the time of marriage and whether either had been married before.

This marriage document provides a different surname for Jinsey than the one you submitted, which may aid you in further searches. Based on the places of birth provided in the 1900 census for Jensy in Arkansas and her parents in both Missouri and Tennessee, you could search the 1870 census for the Quisinbury name in these three locations and see if you locate anything that looks like it may be Jensy’s family. Since the 1870 census is after the end of slavery but before her marriage date in 1872, you might be able to locate her in the household of a relative.

You could also search those three states for the Quisinbury name in the 1860 U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedules. Often, slaves took the surname of their former owner, so you may be able to locate a record for a household where Jensy may have lived prior to the end of slavery. Because the slave schedules usually listed only the gender and age of a slave under the name of the slave owner, we would suggest searching for a female born about 1856 with the surname Quisinbury. When we performed this search, we located a William Quosinbury living in Fayetteville, Washington, Ark., with a 5-year-old mulatto girl in his household. This could be a record for your Jensy Quisinbury.

Looking for probate or land records for William Quosinbury may reveal more about his slaves so that you can determine the possibility that this is a record for your ancestor. You may also want to contact the Arkansas chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society to see if it can provide any help in locating records for Jensy. You can perform a similar search for the surname Green in Georgia to see if you can locate a likely record for Lar Henry Green.

So Where Did the Ethiopian Legend Come From?

Based on family legend, Jensy was Ethiopian, as was your ancestor John William Lacy.

Slavery existed in Ethiopia for centuries as a part of Afro-Asiatic society, but the slaves were not directly a part of the slave trade to America. In fact, according to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, no slaves came to the U.S. from Ethiopian directly across the Atlantic. Given the distance between Ethiopian and Africa’s west coast, from where the majority of people were taken for the transatlantic trade, that stands to reason.

Could your ancestor have hailed from Ethiopia anyway? As the historian David Eltis told us, “Most transatlantic slave vessels from southeast Africa sold their captives to Brazil and Cuba—mainly in the 19th century—but we do have about 2,000 [slaves] from this region coming into Charleston and New Orleans between 1804 and 1808. However, their slave vessels sailed from Mozambique Island or, in one case, Zanzibar. In the latter instance, an Ethiopian [or several] may have been on board, but the direction of the Indian Ocean trade was usually from south to north [to supply Arab markets] or to the Mascarene Islands.”

Additionally, Neil A. Frankel noted in his resource on the Atlantic slave trade that slaves from the east side of Africa were often brought to Portuguese-controlled Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, citing Hugh Thomas in The Slave Trade: The Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade: 1440-1870. It is possible that this is where both stories—that Jensy was Ethiopian and that Lar Henry Green was a slave in Portugal—originated.

However, it’s important to remember that “Ethiopia” was one of Europe’s blanket names for any place in sub-Saharan Africa (“Guinea” and “Sudan” were two other blanket names), and as Eltis pointed out to us, for centuries the term “Ethiopian” was used simply to denote dark skin. Also, as the historians John Thornton and Linda Heywood told us, the state of California listed African Americans as “Ethiopian” on birth certificates as recently as the 1950s. (The historians also checked the name “Lar” to see if it is in Amharic, a language spoken in Ethiopia, but it does not appear to be.)

The best way to know if you have Ethiopian ancestry is by having your autosomal DNA tested. Several DNA companies—including Ancestry.com, 23andMe and Family Tree DNA—excel at tracing complex genetic ancestry back 200 or 300 years. Ancestry.com’s ancestry feature offers the most detailed analysis of a person’s various African genetic roots. We strongly suggest that you take one, if not all, of these tests.

Most family legends have elements based in truth, so do not be discouraged that the records we located do not seem to match the story. It could be that the basis for the legend lies further in the past.

Good luck!

Breaking News‎:Wallagga Magaalaa Beegii Keessatti Dargaggoonni Oromoo Lama Mana Hidhaa Wayyaanee Cabsaanii Miliquu Irraan Kan Ka’e Ummanni Loltoota Wayyaaneen Goolamaa Jira,Haati Dargaggoo Abush Takkaalaa fi Maatiin Isaas Hidhaan Dararamaa Jiru.

Gabaasa Qeerroo magaalaa Begii irraa Waxabajii 26,2014
Torbee kana keessa mootummaan Wayyaanee yakkaa fi badii tokko malee namoota 5n irratti murtii hidhaa waggaa tokkoo olii dabarsuun isaa gabaasuun keenya ni yaadatama. Namoota mmurtiin itti kenname keessaa Suleemanii fi Abbush Taakkalaa kan tahan murtiin hidhaa waggaa tokko itti murtaahuu isaa gabaasnee jirra. namootni kun guyyaama san erga mana hidhaa seenanii booda harka tika Wayyaanee irratti dararamaa jiraachuu irra jechuudhaan mana hidhaa Wayyaanee cabsanii baduun tasa dhabamanii jiru. Haala kanaan kan rifate mootummaan Wayyaanee guyyaa har’aa uummata magaalaa irratti dhukaasa banuun jiraatota magaalaa qonnaan bultoota hedduu mana hidhaatti naqee jira. Qonnaan bultooti guyyaa har’aa hidhaman gariin firoota dargaggoota hidhaa Wayyaanee cabsanii bahan kanaa yeroo ta’an haadha Abbush Taakkaa fi obbolaan isaa osoo hin hafiin hidhamuun dararamaa kan jiran yeroo  ta’u gariin jiraatota ammo magaalaa  haala kanaan wal qabatee har’a dhidhaman keessaa:- 1.Barsiisaa Addunyaa Nigaatuu
2.Dargaggoo Keebiroon Solomoon
3.Dargaggoo Maammush Ahimad
4.Shamarree Shaamsiyaa Ahimad
5.Aaddee Daabee Qalbeessaa- Haadha Abbush Taakkalaa
6.Naasiree Qalbeessaa-Obboleettii haadha Abbush Taakkalaa(obboleettii Daabee Qalbeessa)
7.Aadde Abebaayee Boggaalee-daldaltuudha.
Isaan kun guyyaa har’aa kana mana hidhaa keessatti reebamaa kan
jiranii fi uummata oromoo magaalichaa akka jirutti mana hidhaatti kan guuramanii fi humni waraana wayyanee dabalataan naannicha buufate kan jiru tahuu gabaasni Qeerroo Beegii irraa nu gahe addeessa.

Ethiopian Security Forces Arrest Dozens of Civilians in Degahbur

                 

By Ahmed Abdi | June 26, 2014

Ethiopian Security Forces arrested dozens of civilians in Dehehbur, about 135 kilometers southeast of the regional Capital city of Jigjiga on Wednesday, following after ONLF insurgency killed 10 Ethiopian Security forces and regional administrators on Monday. Local sources said that the Ethiopian-appointed regional President Abdi Mohamoud Omar better known as Abdi Iley ordered the arrest and killing of anyone suspected of aiding ONLF in part of security swoop.

Abdi Iley reappointed infamous Omar Gamble as the Police commissioner immediately after the administration had been sustained heavy assaults by the ONLF in a bid to strike the town residents with an iron fist.

“I have seen at least 50 people that the security forces arrested and loaded on pickup trucks,” said an eyewitness who asked not to be identified.

The source added that 20 civilians that have been transferred to Guna’gado another town near Degehbur, went missing since yesterday and their fate remains unknown.’

ONLF has been fighting against Ethiopian regimes since 1984 and wants its oil and gas-rich Ogaden region to gain full Independence from Ethiopian highlanders. Peace-talk between ONLF and Ethiopia stalled in Oct 17, 2012, after the ONLF refused to accept Ethiopian constitution which it says it says the Ethiopian constitution does not concern the Somalis in Ogaden.

Mootummaan Wayyaanee Gaazexeessitoota STVO 16 Oduu fi Dokumentarii Dharaa Dubbisuu,Dhiyeessuu Dhabuu Irraa Kan Ka’e Qorannaa Hamaan Booda Hojii Irraa Dhorke

Waxabajjii 26, 2014, Finfinnee (Qeerroo) — Mootummaan Wayyaanee bara dhufaa darbu mara Olola dharaa keessumaa ammo Raadiyoo fi Television mataa isaaf dhaabbateen dhimma bahuun ilmaan Oromoo afaanfaajjessaa, Ololaa fi Dokumentarii dharaa qopheessuudhaan bittaa Umrii isaa dheeressuuf hojjechaa ture. Gaazexeessitootni Raadiyoo fi Televiizyinii Itoophiyaas tahe Oromiyaa dhugaa argan Uummataaf himuu irra dhugaa irraa dabsuun oduu dharaa Uummataaf gabaasuu dirqamu. Sagantaan Raadiyoo fi Televiizyinii Oromiyaa dhimma Uummata Oromoo, aadaa fi duudhaa Oromoo guddisuuf dhaabbate jedhamee lallabamaa ture dhugaa Uummataa dhaloota isaa irraa kaasee osoo hin baasiin as gahe. Hojjettootni Dhaabbata kanaa yeroo mara oduu dharaa dubbisuun seenaa xuraawaa dibachuu hin barbaadne, Kan seenaan uummata Oromoo akka ukkaamamu hin barbaadne gaazexeessitootni STVO hedduumminaan Mormii dhageessisuu fi oduu dharaa hin dubbisnu jechuun wayita gaafatanitti mootummaan Wayyaanee dirqama isinitti kenname hojjettu malee kaan dubbachuu mirga hin qabdan jechuun gaazexeessitoota ilmaan Oromoo qorannaan rakkisaa turuu irraan darbee hojii irraa arii’ee jira. Gaazexeessitootni kunneen Fincila keessatti hirmaannaa qabdu, Uffata gaddaa uffattanii jirtan, dirqama keessan seeraan bahaa hin jirtan jedhamuun kan hojii irraa dhorkaman yoommuu tahu isaanis

1. Gaazexeessaa Abdiisaa Fufaa
2. Gaazexeessaa Yusuuf Warqeessaa
3. Gaazexeessaa Abdii Gadaa
4. Gaazexeessaa Darajjee Gonfaa
5. Gaazexeessaa Olaansaa Waaqumaa
6. Gaazexeessaa Baqqalaa Atoomaa
7. Gaazexeessaa Isqaa’el Aragaaw
8. Gaazexeessaa Bosonaa Dheeressaa
9. Gaazexeessaa Margaa Angaasoo
10. Gaazexeessaa Anuwaar Sirriisaa
11. Gaazexeessaa Xilahuun Magarsaa
12. Gaazexeessaa Birraa Laggasaa
13. Gaazexeessaa Zallaqaa oljirraa
14. Gaazexeessaa Abdiisaa Taganyii
15. Gaazexeessaa Ayyaanaa Cimdeessaa
16. Gaazexeessaa Kibabaw Obsaa

Yoommuu tahan Gaazexeessitootni kunneen Oduu dharaa fi olola sobaa Uummata Oromoo irratti gaggeeffamu akkasumas Dokumentarii dharaa Uummata Oromoo fi Qabsoo Oromoo irratti gaggeeffamu keessatti akkaataa dirqamni kennameen bahachuu diddan jedhamuun kan qorannoo hamaan booda hojii irraa kan arii’aman yoommuu tahu Uummata Oromoof dhugaa dubbachuuf kutannaan diina dura dhaabbachuun dirqama Oromummaa bahachuun gahee hundaa tahuu Qeerroon Bilisummaa waamicha dabarsa!

Ethiopians In South Africa Protest Rights Abuses Back Home

June 24, 2014 (Haberler) — About two thousand Ethiopian nationals protested in Pretoria on Tuesday to demand the South African government intervene to stop alleged human rights violations in Ethiopia.
“We the Oromo community in the Republic of South Africa humbly request the South African government, the African Union and European Union to use their good office to persuade the Ethiopian government to stop violations of human rights and killing of peaceful demonstrators,” organizer Abdurrahman Musa Jibro told the protesters.
According to Jibro, the Tigrean Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), a party that comes from the Tigrean ethnic group, has ruled Ethiopia for two decades.
He claimed that the TPLF had denied basic human rights and fundamental freedoms to the Oromo and other communities in Ethiopia.
“Their unwillingness to address basic demands of the people has recently caused popular uprising all over the country,” he said.
Jibro claimed that under the TPLF rule, human rights violations have intensified against the Oromo who make up about 45 percent of Ethiopia’s total population.
“Don’t kill Oromo People, Don’t kill Ogaden People,” protesters chanted as the convener spoke.
Jibro also questioned the agenda of the controversial “Addis Ababa master plan expansion”, which recently sparked protests by university students in Oromia regional state.
“The Ethiopian government’s response to these peaceful demonstrations and strikes has been brutal, marked with unwarranted cruelty,” he alleged.
He went on to say that many peaceful demonstrators were killed and thousands arrested across Oromia.
“We are gathered here today to condemn the killings of innocent civilians, and the detention of thousands of our compatriots by the Ethiopian regime simply for peaceful protesting against the violation of their human rights and suppressing of democratic rights” Jibro told the crowd.
Most of the Protesters carried placards which read, “Oromia not for sale”, “Stop killing Oromo students” and “Ogaden Darfur of Ethiopia”.
Protesters also handed over a memorandum to Melisizwe Bleki, an official from the office of President Jacob Zuma in which they called on the South African government and the international community to press the Ethiopian government to stop relocation of residents from their own lands and villages.
The memo also wants the international community to bring those responsible for the death of civilians to justice.
“Release all detained demonstrators and political prisoners immediately and unconditionally” the memo reads.
-Ogaden solidarity-
The Oromo protesters were joined in solidarity by their counterparts from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, whose people are ethnic Somalis who claim they are similarly oppressed by the Ethiopian government.
For over 100 years, the Ogaden region has remained a center of conflict, as Somalis there have fought to secede from Ethiopia and establish their own country.
“Our people joined the protest to support our Oromo brothers and sisters, because we face a similar problem in Ethiopia,” Mohamed Dahir, chairman of South Africa’s Ogaden community, told Anadolu Agency.
Hajji Swaib, an elderly protester, also called for international intervention to stop what his described as Ethiopian violations against his people.
“We hope the international community will help us to stop what the Ethiopia government is doing to its own citizens,” he said.
He said he had fled from his home in Ogaden because of alleged abuses meted on his people and family by Ethiopian government troops.
“We want Justice that’s all we are asking for,” he said.