Rumours of secret mediations between TPLF and [the Asmara Group of] OLF have been circulating for a while. Prof. Ephrem Isaac, the man who got Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP, a.k.a Kinijit) leaders to admit guilt and beg for clemency from the TPLF regime has been in the center of these rumours via his interviews in which he claimed “there is a willingness on both sides for dialogue” and that he “has already established contact with both sides.”
Oromo Affairs has now learnt that a new mediators group is put together to pursue the same end.
Reliable sources close to [the Asmara Group of] OLF inform Oromo Affairs that [the Asmara Group of] OLF has asked a group of mediators to contact Melles Zenawi to jump start mediation between the two parties.
According to this source, the group is composed of Obbo Birhanu Dinka, Obbo Alemayehu Ketema and the Rev. Itefa Gobena.
Melles’ response, as told to Oromo Affairs by this source, was that any mediation is contingent on the [the Asmara Group of] OLF “getting out of Asmara.” Melles went on to say that his “hands are tied” as long as [the Asmara Group of] OLF continues to “work for” and be supported by “an enemy of Ethiopia.” He informed the mediators that his colleagues in the government will not allow him contemplate, much less start, talks with any opposition group currently “working for” Eritrea. He ended his response by saying: “We are always ready to talk with all Ethiopian opposition groups who have accepted the constitution and have renounced violence as a means of attaining state power.”
Obbo Birhanu Dinka is a former employee of Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs who also served the UN in various capacities including as representative and envoy of the General Secretary. He is now retired and lives in Finfinnee. (Read his brief biographical note HERE)
Obbo Alemayehu Ketema is a business man and a member of OPDO who some say has very close relationship with Melles and Co. Others actually go as far as accusing Obbo Alemayehu Ketema, of helping TPLF displace our people in central Oromia by purchasing their land from the TPLF government in the name of development. (For Obbo Alemayehu's business empire, go HERE - BTW, scroll down a bit to the “Achievements” section of the page and you will see that all of the listed works are government related contracts.)
Rev. Itefa Gobena is the current president of The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.
Oromo Affairs has now learnt that a new mediators group is put together to pursue the same end.
Reliable sources close to [the Asmara Group of] OLF inform Oromo Affairs that [the Asmara Group of] OLF has asked a group of mediators to contact Melles Zenawi to jump start mediation between the two parties.
According to this source, the group is composed of Obbo Birhanu Dinka, Obbo Alemayehu Ketema and the Rev. Itefa Gobena.
Melles’ response, as told to Oromo Affairs by this source, was that any mediation is contingent on the [the Asmara Group of] OLF “getting out of Asmara.” Melles went on to say that his “hands are tied” as long as [the Asmara Group of] OLF continues to “work for” and be supported by “an enemy of Ethiopia.” He informed the mediators that his colleagues in the government will not allow him contemplate, much less start, talks with any opposition group currently “working for” Eritrea. He ended his response by saying: “We are always ready to talk with all Ethiopian opposition groups who have accepted the constitution and have renounced violence as a means of attaining state power.”
Obbo Birhanu Dinka is a former employee of Ethiopian ministry of foreign affairs who also served the UN in various capacities including as representative and envoy of the General Secretary. He is now retired and lives in Finfinnee. (Read his brief biographical note HERE)
Obbo Alemayehu Ketema is a business man and a member of OPDO who some say has very close relationship with Melles and Co. Others actually go as far as accusing Obbo Alemayehu Ketema, of helping TPLF displace our people in central Oromia by purchasing their land from the TPLF government in the name of development. (For Obbo Alemayehu's business empire, go HERE - BTW, scroll down a bit to the “Achievements” section of the page and you will see that all of the listed works are government related contracts.)
Rev. Itefa Gobena is the current president of The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.
As years go bye, Melles’ pre-conditions for peaceful talks have increased - the pre-condition to leave Asmara being the most recent one. Mean while, evidence of Melles’ lack of interest to resolve the century old political problem in the empire is mounting. Regardless of how often he pays lip service to peaceful resolution of conflicts, it is clear that Melles has no intention of holding serious mediations/negotiations with opposition groups.
What Melles is interested in is humiliation and surrender of his adversaries – the kind he obtained from CUDP with the help of a “panel of elders” led by Prof. Ephrem Isaac.
What Melles is interested in is humiliation and surrender of his adversaries – the kind he obtained from CUDP with the help of a “panel of elders” led by Prof. Ephrem Isaac.
Will he get it from Oromo groups? Time will tell.
Have your say.
14 comments:
"Former Chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (Special Committee of 24)", splended!
Money makes the world go round.Are (OLF Asmara group) not been too compromised to continue to be of any service to PM Melles? Or is there another clique within the group too close to PM and far away from the Oromo people? For any one interested,evidences are abound that firmly establish the fact that OLF,at least for the last 15 or so years, has dismantled every things that would have accelerated the struggle of the Oromo people. It is high time that members of this group come out of their hiddings and show their true faces to the Oromo people when they are embraced by their masters in public.Nothing in this world changes the mind of a poor slave raised by others from serving his masters and feeling good and better than the impoverished lot of his people.Go Asmara group OLF to your master and fare thee well!
by :Manaamtu Boruu
If I were Mr. Dinka, I would use my comfortable pension and use my diplomatic experience and contacts in the UN and be a special envoy for the Oromo people to popularize the Oromo quest for independence. Do you agree with me that Mr. Dinka's experience in implementation of the declaration on granting of independence to colonial countries and peoples would be invaluable asset to the Oromo nation? Why on earth does this man spend his talent in the wrong place in trying to be a peace maker where peace is impossible? It beggars believe.
Adios.
Gumaa Guddaa
Will he get it from Oromo groups? Is the bloger’s question.
My answer is “No” he is not going to get it from Oromo groups but he might
get it from the Ethiopian group; The other half of qinijit (shane qinijit).
Mr. Blogger,
Thank you fro informing us on Oromo related issues. The following is from Indian Ocean Newsletter N° 1224 (20/10/2007) which confirms your story.
"OLF the next target for negotiations. Now that the CUDP leaders have come back into the fold, it is the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) that is to be the target of moves to bring it to negotiate with the Ethiopian government. Norway, which has been trying to bring the Addis Ababa government and the OLF to the negotiating table for some years (ION 1211) is no longer in a position to do so now that it is on poor diplomatic terms with Ethiopia. Ephraim Isaac, who has acted as an intermediary between Meles Zenawi and the imprisoned CUDP leaders (ION 1204) would like to do likewise with the OLF. Nevertheless, contacted by The Indian Ocean Newsletter, the OLF spokesman Beyan H. Asoba categorically denied that his organisation had begun to negotiate with the Ethiopian government or that it had sent a delegation to Addis Ababa to do so. However, according to our sources a delegation of Oromo intellectuals close to the OLF faction backed by Eritrea and headed by Daoud Ibsa, had indeed arrived in Addis Ababa last week to speak to government representatives. This move would be in response to pressure from Washington which points out that the OLF could be trapped in Eritrea, in the same way that some of its elements were in Somalia at the beginning of 2007, in the event that a new border war were to break out with Ethiopia."
Keep up the good work.
Yes ofcourse,
It has been doing so since the late MESON 'joined' the Oromo struggle. Don't forget their fundamental belief has been "Turning the Cheek" if your enemy attacks, and you can see this from the composition of their 'delegates'. Their struggle is 'peaceful' and waiting waaqayyo to rain freedom on the Oromo people like mena from the heaven. That is why they dismantled WBO.
Thank you
Mr. Anonymous,
For Your Information, WBO is still in full swing if you don't know. I agree with your assertion that some Oromos with NO charisma aboard the struggle. Trust me they would exit the struggle very soon as the fight for freedom becoming harsh because they always prefer the easy way out by sacrificing the fundamental question. In my opinion, then the other camp (Non Ethiopianst camp) would strengthen and that leads our peopel to a well focused goal and destination.
Mr Anonymous, I am happy to hear that "WBO is still in full swing" but may I ask where, in which part of Oromia is the operation going on? or may be you are not telling us for security reasons.
Of course Melles can put any preconditions he wants, why? He knows the OLF in Asmara has no teeth to bite him with nor has the support of Isayas to wedge any war against Melles. The two Tigre brothers are playing chess with OLF and it is sad to end up in such pathetic situation. Not only that all those good meaning generals are with them for what? I think it is better to divise a new strategy and win the battle for the oppressed people of oromiyaa.
QC Power struggle within oromo communities is endless. What matters for QC is that they lost power, power which they think it was given to them by God. This is what makes them here and there bark instead of contributing to the oromo liberation struggle.
Obbo Anonymous,
"This is what makes them here and there bark instead "
jechuun kee "Kanatu asii fii achii kaachisee duchisiisa"
jechu keeti?
murna shanee kinjiti iffiifu caccapha jirtuu dhimma ABO firra dhiisa, issin gantoota, waa'ee ABO haasawuf mirga hinqabdan.nafxanyootuma wal aamatanniin wajjii ciisa.
hayyee
I am sorry to say but you guys are growing stupid more than ever. If you are against 'shane gumii', why don't you bring more facts to the table as opposed to throwing one article and wait for weeks and even months for a new event to unravel? What are you in for this struggle? I just wondered...
shanee kinijit got mad kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
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