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Baby Samuel Fenenji
August 30, 2020
Ethiopia has come a long way from the dictatorship to the establishment of a democratic system of government. Embarking on such a large project is not easy and makes it more difficult in a diverse and complex country like Ethiopia. History teaches us that the founding fathers of the United States firmly believed that democracy can flourish in small states and understood the challenge of establishing a democratic system of government in a large country. Ethiopia, with its 110 million people and more than 80 ethnic groups, is determined to reach that “promised land” despite the challenge and obstacles it faces.
It is more than 45 years of tears, sweat and blood that brought Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to power. The change that took place in Ethiopia in April 2018 did not bring Only Dr. Abiy Ahmed to power, but instead brought the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) to power. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the party that brutally ruled Ethiopia for 27 years, intentionally designed the country’s ethnic administration and ethnic constitution because it knew that only by fostering division and hatred between various ethnic groups, it could remain in the power. as long as possible. Therefore, Dr. Abiy inherited ethnic politics, by its nature, it can only flourish in contradiction between various ethnic groups.
It has become the job of the new administration not only to lead the country on a democratic path, but also to establish a unified nation that can only be governed by the consent of the people and by the rule of law. It was with that mentality; This administration allowed the return of all political parties and media to return to Ethiopia and allowed the outlaws to participate in the political affairs of our country.
Such a liberal approach allowed extremist elements to flourish in the country. Dr. Abiy’s administration tolerated many people, media, political organizations, and activists in the hope that they will learn from their mistakes and help build a nation. Instead, extremist elements took that tolerance as weakness and tried to take advantage of the situation.
Among the media outlets authorized to operate in Ethiopia was a Minnesota-based outlet called the Oromo Media Network (OMN). Although OMN is a tax-exempt non-profit organization funded by American taxpayers, many media outlets reported OMN as owned by an activist named Jawar Mohammed. Jawar took advantage of the situation and acted as he belonged. In its presentation to the IRS, OMN stated that it was established for the purpose of reporting on citizen-based journalism and educating the public; however, its main objective is to promote hatred against the Amhara ethnic group and to cleanse the Oromia region of Ethiopia of non-Oromos. This outlet invited Oromo politicians whose views are contrary to Ethiopian history and promoted their extremist version of Ethiopian history by dehumanizing Amharas. OMN began its operation in the state of Minnesota in February 2012, but gained notoriety in 2015, particularly during the government anti-TPLF movement that began in November 2015 in Oromia.
The true nature of OMN has been to start a “revolution” in Ethiopia with the aim of bringing Jawar Mohammed, OMN’s CEO, to power to rule Ethiopia. Using the facade of a non-profit organization, this organization is run by naturalized US citizens who carry out an operation that has significant implications and negative impacts on the Ethio-US relationship. Because the majority of OMN members and officials are United States citizens, they hide behind the United States flag believing that they are beyond the scope of Ethiopian law. OMN broadcasters masquerading as “journalists” have never featured an alternative goal or views on their shows. Their purpose has been to indoctrinate the young Oromos with the idea of ”the Oromo nation”. For many, these extremists are considered marginal elements that do not represent the fraction of the Oromo people, much less the entire ethnic Oromo people. Most of them make noise in the streets of America in the hope that the noise they are making will bring more funds and in the hope that it will be heard in the “valley” of extremists in the Oromia region and cause death and destruction in the minority community of Oromia.
Since Dr. Abiy came to power, these extremist elements believed they had the political capital to hold the Abiy administration hostage. They acted and functioned as a de facto government. His poisonous message caused the death of more than 30 people and the destruction of property in Burayu and the surrounding area of Addis Ababa in September 2018. The Abiy Administration tolerated such brutality, avoiding heavy-handed reactions. However, that complacency emboldened the extremists and they continued to harass non-Oromos in various parts of the country. The Oromos extremist in Minnesota continued to fund and support the idea of building an “Oromo nation” free of non-Oromos. With that wish, they wanted Jawar Mohammed to run for office. Jawar claimed that he had renounced his US citizenship and stated that he was running for office in Ethiopia. He did not provide proof that he has renounced his US citizenship. The Ethiopian Electoral Board asked him to provide evidence, but he refused to do so. OMN and Jawar Mohammed believed they were above the law and functioned as such.
In October 2019, Jawar stated that the government security forces surrounded his house when in fact the bodyguards assigned to him by the government itself were at his house protecting him. OMN stated that there was an assassination attempt on Jawar’s life. Following this false news, his supporters killed more than 85 non-Oromos in the Oromia region, burned churches and destroyed property. Such a reaction empowered OMN, Jawar Mohammed, and extremist elements in Minnesota. The OMN used the massacre in the Oromia region to raise funds from its supporters in the United States and Europe. The army of loyal fans in Minnesota was set to launch a fundraising event not just in Minnesota, but in more than 20 cities across the United States and Europe. Most of the money was given to Jawar Mohammed without responsibility to use it as he wished; It is with this background; bought his ticket into an organization called the Oromo Federalist Congress. Jawar felt like a “de facto” Prime Minister and OMN became a mouthpiece for people like Jawar Mohammed. The hope we had for democratic Ethiopia once again became an illusion.
Dr. Abiy Ahmed, became a prominent politician in the Oromo political sphere before becoming Prime Minister of Ethiopia. However, his vision of Ethiopia and the vision of Ethiopian extremists could not go hand in hand. The extremist Oromos propaganda machine declared Abiy a non-Oromo and someone who betrayed the Oromos cause. Hoping to wisely navigate the political destruction of the extremists, Abiy continued to craft his roadmap towards the establishment of a democratic Ethiopia. However, the noise in Minnesota grew louder to isolate Abiy from the Oromo people and make him persona non grata in the Oromo political sphere. Unfortunately for Ethiopia and the rest of the world, COVID 19 forced the Ethiopian Electoral Board to postpone Ethiopia’s election. Although the main international media and Ethiopian opposition politicians blamed Dr. Abiy for the postponement of the elections, the fact shows that he has nothing to do with it. It is reported that Dr. Abiy had a heated discussion with the President of the Ethiopian Electoral Board because he was upset that the Electoral Board postponed the Ethiopian elections. According to reliable reports, the president told Dr. Abiy that he operates according to the law, not his order. When the fact clearly indicates that dr. Abiy has no power in electoral matters, the extremist elements took the opportunity to declare “Abiy postponed the elections because he wants to be a dictator”.
Extremist elements in various parts of the country have done everything possible to destabilize Ethiopia without success. With the aim of overthrowing the Ethiopian government, the well-known and beloved musician Huchallu Hundessa was assassinated on June 29, 2020 in Addis Ababa. Following his assassination, the OMN and extremist elements in Minnesota declared war against ethnic amahars and Orthodox Christians. In well-orchestrated assassinations in the Oromia region, extremist elements brutally murdered more than 235 innocent citizens; women, the elderly and children were not saved. Millions of dollars worth of properties are destroyed. A city called Shahemene is destroyed. Following this incident, the government closed the OMN office in Addis Ababa and arrested many who incited such violence and caused property destruction. After the closure of OMN’s Addis Ababa office, extremists in Minnesota did their best to claim the Oromo people as victims brutally murdered by government security forces. Nothing can be further from the truth. Innocent non-Oromos, Oromos trying to save their neighbors, and Orthodox Christians were selectively killed by these extremists supported and incited by the extremist Oromos in Minnesota. As many witnesses claimed, these brutes had listed names and knew who they were going to kill. It is about well-coordinated and orchestrated property destruction and brutal killings.
The murder was inhumane, some were beheaded, a pregnant woman was allegedly killed in front of her family, five members of a family died at home; So far, the report indicates that it was a gruesome and inhumane act of ethnic cleansing. Even after this cruelty, the noise in Minnesota grew louder. They hired lobbyists to bring in people like Congresswoman Ilhan Omer; Congresswoman Ilhan Omer shamefully organized 20 of her colleagues and wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in support of these brutes. How is it possible that a member of Congress supports the group calling for the genocide and assassination of the Ethiopian prime minister?
It doesn’t take much for Congress to know the truth. All they have to do is get a report from the American embassy in Addis Ababa. For Ilhan Omer, it is too inconvenient for her political seat to make an effort to find out what the truth is. He would rather have 235 votes in his Congressional district than be the voice of 235 innocent people brutally murdered because of their religion and ethnicity as a result of violence incited by members of the group who are residents of his constituency. OMN is supposed to be a non-partisan educational medium, it is supported by United States Taxpayers. It is neither partisan nor educational; it is a propaganda machine of extremist elements and a piggy bank of few OMN officials. The question is why is this organization allowed to function when it is operating in violation of United States federal and state law? Why is noise in Minnesota allowed to continue to cause death and destruction in Ethiopia? Who is responsible for such a heinous crime? ”
Tibebe Samuel Fenenji, the writer is founder and CEO of Tibebe and Associates, a Maryland-based consulting firm.
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