Awol Allo
@awolallo
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Senior Lecturer in Law at Sheffield Uni. Interested in the relationship between power and knowledge, and the politics of the Horn of Africa. RT ≠ endorsement
Joined August 2012
HUGE respect for musician Tariku Gankisi for his uncommonly courageous act. At a pro-war rally in Finfinne today, he refused to sing: “I didn’t come to sing … I’ve nothing to sing about … let us not send more of our youths to war… enough, enough with the guns. We need peace”
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Just to note: The #NoMore campaign is not an anti-colonial, pan-Africanist or anti-imperialist campaign. It is a chauvinist pro-war group wickedly mobilizing African experiences of colonial subjugation to promote ethnic imperialism - under the guise of Ethiopia/Ethiopianism.
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Here is the authentic, unadulterated, unmediated voice of the Oromo street. Frustrated young people chanting “Down down Abiy”, “Free Jawar”, “Free Bekele” etc, denouncing the tragic and unbearable suffering of people under the Prosperity Party regime
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The US should not treat Oromos as an afterthought. Oromia is Ethiopia's center of political gravity & the country's ills could not be cured without a leading role by Oromos. Prominent Oromo politicians such as Bekele & Jawar are still in jail. Us should demand their release now
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"Nothing they can do to me is worse than what happened to my people so I will bear whatever comes with grace. I just want this nightmare to be over once and for all" - from a Tigaru friend of mine in Finfinnee.
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If you are invested in denying, even justifying, credible allegations of crimes against humanity in Tigray & then go around yelling “humanity before ethnicity” or “Ethiopia prevails” or “hands off Ethiopia”, then, I can only see you as a bigot. You have never been about humanity.
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Very thrilled to hear that Bekele, Jawar & others are released. Let us not forget that they were detained for over a year & half to clear the way for Abiy’s coronation. They brought him to power & he paid them by locking them up. The Oromo nation is grateful for their sacrifice
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Oromo Protests gearing up for a massive Twitter campaign tonight.starting at 8 PM Ethiopia time. Organisers say aim of campaign is to inform the world that the forthcoming election is being planned in an environment in which all credible opposition in Oromia are locked up.
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The truth is, Isaias Afeworki & the Amahara elite (includes those who falsely call themselves Ethiopianists) have long dreamed of bombing Tigray back to Stone Age, to humiliate its people & force them into total submission. Atrocities we are seeing are results of those deep urges.
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My latest for @AJEnglish calling for inclusive national dialogue . The violence in Tigray and the broader political crisis gripping Ethiopia is an extension of the deep ideological & structural contradictions pushing country to the brink.
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My tribute to Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, dad to Wabi (5) Milki (2 1/2), and Gifti (1 month), who witnessed becoming the definitive sound, the signature tune, of his people's revolution. Haacaaluu Hundeessaa: A towering musician and an Oromo icon @AJEnglish
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Hearing from multiple sources that Ethiopian authorities arrested Semhal Meles, the daughter of Meles Zenawi, the former Ethiopian Prime Minister . A society obsessed with vengeance while seeking renewed greatness will collapse under the weight of its own internal contradictions.
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Abiy & the Amhara elite who run Ethiopia must release Jawar Mohammed, Bekele Gerba & all other politicians jailed for political reasons. They can play a vital & constructive role at this perilous time. No meaningful conversation can be had while they remain behind bars.
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A force from a region of six million people pushing out national armies and militias from two states with a combined population of 120 million - an extraordinary achievement by any standard.
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My latest for @AJEnglish, "Abiy's vision of the future feeds off of a disturbing infatuation with chauvinist imperial nationalism & a romanticisation of a deeply problematic past". How Abiy Ahmed’s Ethiopia-first nationalism led to civil war via @AJEnglish.
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This is Amanuel Wandimu, executed yesterday by Ethiopian forces in cold blood, without any remorse, in front of spectators, in the city center, in Dembi Dollo, Western Ethiopia. We are witnessing the return of public executions as political tools in Ethiopia
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The silence of the Ethiopian PM & his Attorney General in the face of a clear, direct, and public incitement to genocide by a government official amounts to an endorsement. The crude attempt by the press officer to deny/justify his actions may amount to complicity in genocide.
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When PM Abiy calls on “every able-bodied citizen” to join the Tigray war or the Amhara regional state President calls on “all armed residents to mobilise”, their call essentially blurred the distinction between a civilian & a combatant.
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Tomorrow, some 36 million Ethiopians are expected to vote in one of the most ruinous & divisive elections in recent history. This election does not mark a new beginning for Ethiopia nor does it signify a step in the right direction. It is a stride into darkness.
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The decision by the @UN_HRC today to establish an international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia is a significant step towards accountability & justice for victims of atrocities. It will put Ethiopia on the radar of the council, puts perpetrators on notice
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Whichever way this conflict ends - negotiation, coup, war - Abiy’s fascist Make Ethiopia Great Again project is resoundingly, evidently rejected.
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Before Tigray, Abiy declared war on the pan-Oromo movement and its central principle of Oromumma. Oromia is yet to recover from the ruins of that war. Without Oromos assuming their rightful place & driving the reform agenda, Ethiopia can neither stabilise nor democratise.
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Images that will inhere in the memory of a political community and could turn out to be consequential.
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Yes, Abiy Ahmed is ethnic Oromo but the vision of a future he is offering Ethiopia is an Amhara vision, namely, Ethiopian unity under Amhara dominion. This vision is not new. It is assimilationist, supremacist and grotesquely racist.
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It takes a lot of courage to speak this truth to a largely hostile crowd that has been championing the bloody war. He is a true patriot who stood by his people, and spoke against a war that doesn’t serve the national interest.
A Tigrayan artist turns an award into a voice for his people. "Normally, I would feel joy and honor when I get awarded in such a big stage. But I can't feel so when my mother is weeping bitterly, my brother is killed & thrown over a cliff, and when my sister is being raped"
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Ethiopia lost the first phase of its pointless war in Tigray. No question about it. With Eritrea losing interest and Ethiopia’s defensive posture weakened, there really is no basis to believe that the mobilisation of untrained regional militias will make a difference.
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Jawar Mohammed is perhaps the most formidable political adversary Abiy Ahmed has had to face in his short tenure. Jawar represents a vision of the future that sharply contrasts with Abiy's. Jawar is in jail bc he is a mortal threat to Abiy's ambition to reign
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Today marks 6 months since the war in Tigray began. The Ethiopian gov't told the world that it will be a short operation with a "clear, limited, and achievable objectives". 6 months on, war still raging, Eritrea still in Ethiopia, atrocities & humanitarian crisis ongoing.
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Ethiopian authorities have been briefing Western policy people that Jawar, Bekele, Hamza etc were not or were no longer on a hunger strike. Here is a before and after photos. First, screenshot of Jawar five days before he was arrested and a recent post-hunger strike photo.
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The Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) announces its withdrawal from Ethiopia's forthcoming election. Its Chairman, Daud Ibsa, compares the harassment and intimidation OLF faces today to that of 1992, when it was forced out of the transitional gov't. History repeating itself!
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Ethiopia faces two central challenges: structural anomalies entangled with country's imperial past & an authoritarian culture. Fixing Ethiopia requires strategic foresight, knowledge & appreciation of history. Abiy has none & his messiah complex doesn't allow him to take advice.
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As Abiy Ahmed is set to be crowned as PM in early October after a fake election that excluded his formidable opponents and amid a devastating civil war, these Oromo politicians are still languishing in jail. The cases against them and many others were politically motivated.
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Ethiopia's Defense Minister, Lemma Megersa, is under house arrest. The Chief of the Army told him his services are no longer required & he should not leave his house until further notice. Nothing exposes Abiy's dangerously Machiavellian mindset than his betrayal of Lemma Megersa
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In any normal country, this headline alone os sufficient to compel the entire administration to resign or to provoke popular outrage to force them to resign. The damage done to the country’s institutions, reputation and its place in the world is just painful to watch
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There are five ethnic groups that are indigenous to the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State: Berta, Gumuz, Shinahsa, Mao & Komo. I don't know of a single individual or activist from these communities, who speaks their languages & advocates for them. If you do, please connect me.
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These are pictures from the pro-war rally by Ethiopia's right wing called to denounce the West, particularly the US. They are exploring all options except solving the political crisis plunging the country deeper and deeper into its depths.
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Ladies and gentleman, this is a great day for Ethiopia, & Africa! This is not just Abiy Ahmed’s victory. This is our collective victory as Ethiopians and Africans. Let us now hold him to live upto the standards expected of a Nobel Laurette. Congratulations to all Ethiopians!!
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Very relieved to hear that @Jawar_Mohammed, Bekele Gerba, and Hamza Borena have agreed to end their hunger strike after 38 days. While their demands have not been met, they have made their points. Highlighted how explosive the situation in Oromia is & why it could not be ignore.
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I cannot think of anything more treasonous than the relentless and brazen attacks on Ethiopia's constitutional order by the fascist 'One Ethiopia' corner, aided & abetted by the illegitimate government in office.
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Under Prosperity Party, Ethiopia has been in this 👇🏾sort of a bottomless, downward spiral - morally, politically, economically, militarily. What a shameless regime!
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Abiy Ahmed emboldened the intellectually vacuous and morally enept feudal forces who want to impose a single Ethiopian identity, a single language and culture, on one of the most diverse countries in the world. Impossible to think of anything more menacing for Ethiopia’s future.
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There can be no military solution to Ethiopia’s political crisis. Abiy & the war mongering extremists cheerleading this campaign should recognise that this war has already depleted our chances of peaceful co-existence. Further bloodshed will only make things worse. Stop the war.
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Leading Ethiopian opposition figure,Andargachew Tsige, calls on “millions” in Ethiopia to burn the US flag: “we shouldn’t hesitate to go to their Embassy & burn their flag”. Important to note: Andargachew’s party, EZEMA, is the hinge that ties Abiy Ahmed & Isaias Afeworkie
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So many actors made the colossal humanitarian catastrophe in Tigray possible, but one must single out Isaias Afeworki: Ethiopia, the country that was supposed to shield & protect Tigreans, allowed a sadist & vengeful dictator to come in & punish them, with utmost cruelty.
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Eritrea's aggressive acts deep inside Ethiopian territory constitutes a blatant violation of the UN Charter & fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. Even if Eritrea is there on the invitation of the latter (highly likely), Eritrea must answer 4 the crimes.
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This is what war does to the lives of people. And it’s always women, children, and ordinary folks who bear the brunt. These are the defining images of the Tigray war. They are part of the historical record. These are the images Tigrayan children will remember. Hate begets hate
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As Ethiopia plunges deeper into violence & chaos, concerns grow for the safety & wellbeing of Oromo political prisoners. The country is in total disarray and the gov't cannot be trusted to guarantee their security. It is imperative that the IC demands their immediate release.
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For most “Ethiopian nationalists”, any analysis that doesn’t affirm, promote, or endorse their supremacist and reactionary imperial ambition is no analysis. Anyone who opposed the war against Tigray must be a TPLF agent and an enemy of Ethiopia.
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Ethnic federalism kept Ethiopia together by providing diverse groups a framework to live together. Supremacist Amhara elites obsessed with the Amharisation of Ethiopia took country to war & made it a laughing stoke. If Ethiopia collapses, it is bc of the chauvinist Amhara elites.
Ethnic federalism is a national security threat for Ethiopia. It has made us the laughing stock of the world. Surely but slowly, we must dismantle this medieval and primitive political order! #ETH #EthiopiaPrevails.
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Oromia Media Network (OMN) reporting that Bekele Gerba, who was on hunger strike for 16 days, was prevented from receiving critical medical treatment by the authorities this evening. Bekele Gerba is a prominent and life-long advocate of non-violent peaceful struggle.
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It was a year ago today that Abiy Ahmed declared war on Tigray, driven by his delusion of grandeur & the imperial desire of MEGA elites to dismantle multinationalism. It was one of the greatest strategic miscalculations of all time.
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Too many lives tragically cut short for nothing. For absolutely nothing. In few days time, the rest of us move on with our lives but those who lost their loved ones can’t. They wallow in grief. They have to deal with the grim reality of not ever having that person in their lives.
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Muslims in Ethiopia went to the Revolution square today to hold a public Iftar. Abiy's prosperity regime sent tanks & soldiers, gassing people who were walking to the square with dates and water. Yet another confirmation that Muslims are still second-class citizens in Ethiopia
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"The Northern command was not attacked. It was humiliated. The women were raped by men but our soldiers were raped by a dagger/sword. Nobody talks about them (the soldiers)." - Abiy Ahmed Ali.
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Fascism dressed up as patriotism, imperial nationalism as pan-Africanism, hubris as history, charlatanism as insight . .
While there are many struggles and discomforts we may have to face as the nation confronts both external & internal threats, I ask all Ethiopians to stand in unity & ride the passing momentary wave. Standing together we CAN overcome! We have done it before. And we will do it now.
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According to the UN, 350,000 people in Tigray are facing 'catastrophic' food shortages. Ethiopia & Eritrean continued to reject international calls for unimpressed humanitarian access. This is intentional & deliberate starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is a war crime.
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Very troubling development … statement from families of Jawar, Bekele, and other Oromo political prisoners
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The pressure the USA & EU are putting on Ethiopia are reasonable & proportionate. Cries of interference & sovereignty by the gov't and its supporters is totally unjustified. No conception of sovereignty today allow govts to perpetrate mass atrocities against their own people.
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Ethiopia crowned Abiy Ahmed amid colossal political & humanitarian crisis. The country faces unprecedented economic hardships & international isolation. The lavish inauguration party being thrown is part of govt make-believe that would have no impact on country’s hopes and fears
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The extremist Make Ethiopia Great Again (MEGA) camp, which continued to support and defend the colossally destructive war in Tigray, are trying to bully @amnesty into silence. MEGA is an ideology that considers starving entire population into submission a fair game.
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Online abuse, troll factories, harassment & relentless disinformation campaigns are forcing people of reason & good insight to leave this space. The risks: If we given in to pressure, harassment or abuse, then, the bullies will see that harassment works.
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This lying scumbag, who served and defended EPRDF before Abiy, made his government’s totalitarian ideology quite clear. He said we share the same blood, same culture, same religion. We don’t. We are an empire constituted of distinct people, culture, & religion. We share country.
Ethiopia shall prevail! 🇪🇹 The Debate - Which way for Ethiopia? Elections expected to cement Abiy Ahmed's grip on power
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20 members of the United States Congress write to Secretary of States Mike Pompeo, expressing alarm at “security force abuses, ethnic and religious violence” and “the dangerous and unstable environment” created by Abiy’s departure from the transitional path.
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When Daniel Kibret urged Ethiopians to expunge the TPLF and its legacy from the historical record, he wasn’t just expressing a personal opinion.
First Emperor’s vision,then audacity,followed continuity:the 1st turbine is on! Congratulations!Those who resisted hardship at the cost of their health & life,negotiated with only Ethiopia’s interest at heart,who shared their meager ressources. this day is yours. Hat off to you!!.
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The 72 hours ultimatum by Ethiopia to Tigray will expire soon. Civilians in Mekelle have no way of “saving themselves”. The international community must not turn a blind eye to civilians facing a real risk of mass atrocity crimes @SAMissionNY @TnPresidency @UKRinUN @GermanyUN.
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Even ethnic Tigrayans in far away places are not spared Prosperity Party's vindictive campaign of against ethnic Tigrayans.
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Lawyers for Oromo political prisoners who are on a hunger strike for the last 12 days say that the situation of their clients is life-threatening and the government, that locked them up for purely political reasons, has ignored their demands. Jawar and others at grave risk.
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Elegant, magnificent, stunning, exquisite. The Oromo of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa is a community still facing crippling political repression but there has been a robust cultural ascendancy in recent years. #Jirra #Irreechaa2020
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Oromo political prisoners - locked up bc they happen to be popular and therefore pose a significant electoral threat to the ruling party - are on hunger strike for 15 days. The silence of the Ethiopian govt and the international community is unconscionable.
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Daniel Bekele and @EthioHRC could not credibly claim to have the independence & impartiality required to conduct a credible investigation into mass atrocity crimes perpetrated in Tigray. To suggest that they can is to misunderstand the very nature of the Tigray conflict.
"It is comforting to learn that the operation didn't result in as severe consequences as it was originally feared to be, there was a much-hyped about bloodbath, civilian casualties, breaking up of the country …. " Dr. Daniel Bekele, Comm'r of #Ethiopia/n Human Rights Com. (3/4)
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I am an academic and I call for a free Palestine and an end to the Israeli state's apartheid. This is integral to both my moral world view and my scholarship. Pass it on.
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The defining ideological battle in Ethiopia today is not b/n extremists & moderates. It’s between those who believe they are entitled to rule, dominate or control in the name of an exclusive ideology called Ethiopianess & those who want 2 break free from such control & domination.
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“Eritrea remains a one-man dictatorship under President Isaias Afewerki, with no legislature, no independent civil society organizations or media outlets, and no independent judiciary. Elections have never been held in the country since it gained independence in 1993”. HRW.
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Very alarming reports from family & lawyers of Jawar Mohammed that he is extremely sick & denied medical care by Ethiopian authorities. Jawar is the most prominent Ethiopian opposition leader & a formidable political threat to Abiy Ahmed. He is in jail facing trumped-up charges.
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Ethiopian territory now occupied by two foreign forces - Eritrea and Sudan. The humanitarian crisis and violence across the country unprecedented in the last 3 decades. The last one year under the Prosperity Party have been, without a doubt, a stride into darkness.
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Pro-democracy activists in Ethiopia are preparing for a massive twitter campaign to denounce the ways in which the neo-neftegna regime of Abiy Ahmed is artificially manufacturing crisis and blaming it on the multinational federal arrangement.
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Ethiopia’s announcement of a national dialogue is yet again another bastardisation of useful ideas by the Abiy govt. He did the same with peace and reconciliation . The window for national dialogue has passed & the country needs talks to end the war raging across the country.
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From historic Awaday in Ethiopia to cities in Europe, USA, Canada, & Australia, Oromo women march against Abiy Ahmed’s neo-Neftegna regime & the violent crackdown in Oromia. Tired of sitting on the sidelines, Oromo women are taking centerstage to realise their power & influence
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Just because they speak in the name of Ethiopia, it does not mean they speak for all Ethiopians. They don't. They are perverting Pan-African discourses for cynical ends, expropriating its history and memory to galvanize support for ethnic imperialism, couched as Ethiopianism.
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Oromo political prisoners in Ethiopia have been on a hunger strike for 12 days. Their lawyers say they are at imminent risk of death & are calling on govt & the community to help address their demands & save theirs lives. This letter written by the prisoners details their demands
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People who describe this election as a new beginning for Ethiopia must have a shallow understanding of what counts as a 'beginning' for a body-politic. For an empire founded and sustained on the exclusion & subordination of the majority of its people, this election is suicidal.
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The fascist state has been rounding up innocent civilians and parading them before TV as POWs. There is no bottom to this state
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A statement by the National Movement of Amhara trashes the fed gov't for failing to provide leadership in the war effort. Invoking a Derg era slogan, 'All things to the war front', it calls on everyone to join the war effort. Clearly, things are not going well for the govt's side.
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“A troupe of Eritrean singers and dancers visited Amhara. But the delegation included Eritrea’s spy chief, Abraha Kassa, who used the trip to meet with Amhara security … Eritrea later agreed to train 60,000 troops from the Amhara Special Forces”.
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Following Abiy's dramatic announcement last night, many are expecting to see him at the battle front. I don't think he is going to the battle front. I think he is relocating from Addis to another city, perhaps to continue the fight, as TDF and OLA forces close in on the capital.
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Rumours that Lemma Megersa is back in Ethiopia & that he is set to lead the National Dialogue Commission are implausible, highly likely to be fake news.
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When Ethiopia’s infamous fact-check account told us allegations of Eritrean presence was all lies and TPLF propaganda. It is remarkable how brazen the lies of the state and their diaspora supporters were . How can anyone now believe anything the govt says?.
የህወሃት ጁንታ በአልመዳ ጨርቃ ጨርቅ ፋብሪካ የኤርትራ መከላከያ ሰራዊትን መለዮ በማዘጋጀት ላደራጃቸው ታጣቂዎች በማልበስ ኤርትራ እንደወረረች በመግለጽ ህዝብን እያደናገረ እንደሆነ ሜጀር ጄኔራል መሐመድ ተሰማ ተናግረዋል፡፡
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Feb 22 - Day 26 of Hunger Strike by Oromo leaders. The hunger strike is a a purely moral appeal to the conscience of government & public. The public rallied & expressed its outrage. Gov't showed, once gain, its contempt for public opinion. It has lost its conscience entirely
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Unbelievable. Ethiopia’s Chief of the army hurls an extremely serious allegation against @who DG @DrTedros without providing any evidence. The anti-Tigrayan propaganda by officials at the highest level of gov’t has reached a tipping point. Ethiopia now a living hell for Tigrayans.
#Ethiopia's Army Chief General Berihanu Jula accuses @WHO Director General @DrTedros of "trying to seek military support" for #TPLF in the ongoing war in #Tigray. (Courtesy of ESAT)
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Every year on 1 March, Ethiopians of all political persuasion try to articulate Ethiopia's place in the world in light of Adwa. But what currency/meaning might Adwa have in contemporary Ethiopia and reports of Eritrean occupation, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, & weaponised rape?.
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Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew & Chief of the Army General Adem were purged bc they were not enthusiastic about the PM's war plan and his assessment of the situation, per my sources. The entire national security team now is made up of Abiy's cheerleaders and Yes Men.
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