Information about the construction of #Ethiopia PM's $10 billion palace is kept under wraps. "Employees say that they were given new cell phone numbers when they started work. Project managers never get back to us or cancel interviews at short notice." https://t.co/lbb1SHrSPv
So it’s being confirmed that not just those in DebreBirhan but ALL IDP’s who fled Wollega to escape genocide and mass murder at the hands of Oromo Extremist are now being told to return to Wollega in the Oromia region but without protection or assurances of safety once back in what remains of their communities. Back into the jaws of mayhem and death…@indefchristians@USEmbassyAddis@SFRCdems@OrthodoxyNews@IslamicReliefUK
We Demand Accountability Amid Controversy Surrounding @USEmbassyAddis’ Undiplomatic Rebranding of the Ethiopian Capital
The Ethiopian American Development Council (EADC) is firm in its commitment to fostering unity and inclusive dialogue within the Ethiopian diaspora, backed by a decade-long proven track record of inclusivity.
Nevertheless, we wish to highlight the deep concerns within the diaspora community regarding the Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association (@ollaaOromo)'s consistent pattern of harboring animosity towards Ethiopian identity and the growing apprehension about their apparent oversized influence as "diaspora advisors" at the @StateDept in Washington D.C.
The State Department Must Refrain from Favoritism in African Tribal Politics
EADC, in harmony with other pan-Ethiopian diaspora organizations, expressed our profound concern about Ambassador Massinga’s unnecessary and unprecedented political stance in aligning the U.S. embassy with contested claims of ethno-nationalists from one ethnic group, a stance seemingly at odds with the broader sentiments of mainstream Ethiopia.
The term Finfinnee has come to represent the notion that Addis Ababa belongs to Oromos and that the city should be annexed into the Oromia region. It also carries the Oromo nationalist's assertion that non-Oromos in Addis Ababa are "settlers."
It also gives the impression that the United States gives the green light to the ruling Oromo Prosperity Party's alleged efforts to ethnic-cleanse "settlers" out of Addis Ababa. So far in 5 years, the government has already displaced over 500,000 "settlers" in Addis Ababa through forced government demolitions of their homes.
For the State Department to take such a position and make such a significant diplomatic error on such a sensitive issue prompts legitimate questions about the undue influence of ultra-nationalist diaspora groups like OLLAA, who are posing as diaspora advisors to the State Department in Washington, D.C.
Addis Ababa serves as the unifying force for Ethiopia—don't reduce it to ethnicity!
In a world where Ethiopia stands as the sole practitioner of a divisive ethnic-based federal system, akin to a form of ethnic apartheid, the multicultural city of Addis Ababa stands as a beacon of pan-Ethiopianism. It symbolizes the convergence of diverse ethnicities, creating a city that represents the collective identity of all Ethiopians.
Beyond its pan-Ethiopian essence, Addis Ababa is the home of the African Union, holding a special continental place as the widely recognized African capital. Reducing this significant international metropolis, a vibrant melting pot, to mere ethnic nomenclature contradicts its essence as a city that unites people of all backgrounds across Ethiopia, and even Africa.
Addis Ababa, as the last bastion holding a fractured nation together, plays a crucial role in ensuring a united Ethiopia. If the State Department genuinely desires a united Ethiopia, it is imperative to uphold Addis Ababa's multiculturalism and its role as a melting pot, rather than taking a stance that ethnicizes a city known for fostering unity among diverse communities.
In light of this, EADC emphasizes the critical need for the State Department to recognize and uphold the city's inclusive, pan-Ethiopian nature. The use of highly contested informal names, such as "Finfinnee" or "Barara," risks undermining the city's harmonious coexistence and fueling divisions. https://t.co/cUIkTklSBf
Non-Oromos are not "settlers" in Addis Ababa:
Addis Ababa's profound history reaches well beyond the artificial limitations imposed by the current ethnic-based federation system in Ethiopia.
Beyond the propaganda that Addis Ababa was originally Oromo land seized by Emperor Menelik, its origins precede the 1889 formal designation as the capital of Ethiopia. Its origins also go far beyond the well-documented 16th-century "Oromo Migration," which brought numerous Oromo clans to expand north toward modern-day Addis Ababa and toward eastern Ethiopia.
Instead, Addis Ababa’s historical roots delve deep into millennia, tracing back to the time of the Axumite Empire. This enduring history finds vibrant expression in written records like the "Kebra Nagast" and ancient landmarks such as the Washa Mikael Rock-Hewn Church, which still stands in the Yeka District of Addis Ababa. https://t.co/kTJ9XBNfCJ These artifacts provide irrefutable evidence of the city's existence prior to the Oromo migration and the continuous presence of its indigenous Ge'ez and Amharic-speaking population over millennia.
However, contemporary challenges arise as Oromo nationalist groups, such as OLLAA, label descendants of these ancestors as "settlers," coinciding with efforts by the ruling Oromo Prosperity Party (OPP) to annex Addis Ababa into the surrounding Oromia region, undermining the multicultural 6 million residents of Addis Ababa.
These nuances and local sensitivities may not be fully within the awareness or grasp of the State Department. Nonetheless, taking a political stance by endorsing one ethnic nomenclature over another is a form of tribal favoritism that falls beneath the dignity of the United States.
Our ask is that the State Department refrain from making public statements that appear to favor one ethnic group over another. Simply put, the capital city of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa, and we strongly urge the State Department to refer to it as such.
#Ethiopia, #AddisAbaba, @zehabesha, @zborkena
You did not choose your
• birthplace
• skin color
• birth parents
• birth gender
• birth language
• birth name
• ethnicity
• born abilities
You can choose to be
• kind
• giving
• honest
• grateful
• respectful
• optimistic
• humble
• happy https://t.co/CrwFt8VhJi
Three years ago today in the Welkait region of Ethiopia the slaughter began. As forces of the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front attacked 5 military bases of the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Northern Command and over 100 soft targets as part of a coup attempt against the Ethiopian Government, a youth militia known as the Samri from the Tigray region began murdering ethnic Amhara day laborers on the farms on the outskirts of the town of Mai Kadra. The slaughter began in the early days of the week of the first week of November and continued until the 10th of November. It is crucial that the world not only be made aware and be educated about this but that justice is sought for the survivors and families of those murdered. Let us honor the memory of those who had their lives violently and brutally snuffed out solely because of the ethnicity they were born into.
MAI KADRA, ETHIOPIA - MARCH 05, 2021: A road sign at the entrance to town on March 5, 2021 in Mai Kadra, Ethiopia. According to interviews conducted in recent days with several dozen victims, witnesses and local officials, around 1,300 (at the time but the figure has since been updated to 1600) ethnic Amharas were killed during a series of attacks by the Samri TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front) Youth Group, TPLF militia and local Tigrayan police from November 6 to November 10, 2020. Over the course of four days, Samri youth from several towns in Tigray, in addition to TPLF militia and local police, killed farm workers on farms owned by TPLF-affiliated farmer/investors before moving onto Mai Kadra itself, conducting door-to-door searches for ethnic Amharas. Most victims were slashed or hacked; many victims who survived the initial attacks with bladed weapons were shot to death. The violence occurred during a wider conflict between the Ethiopian government and the TPLF that ignited on November 3, 2020, when forces of the TPLF attacked the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Northern Command headquarters in Mekelle and 4 other bases in the region. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
Abiy Ahmed organized a grandiose military parade in Addis Ababa with international guests in attendance, during which his army openly and blatantly chanted '𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬! 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬! 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭!'
Ethiopia is not a coastal nation. Making such inflammatory remarks is provocative, and we express our deep concern about the impact on neighboring nations situated between Ethiopia and the sea.
We recognize that Abiy Ahmed uses chaos as a tactic to rule, but his actions are causing bloodshed and instability. In #Ethiopia, his army is waging a genocidal war on the #Amhara people. And now, he's attempting to expand his warmongering to neighboring countries to presumably annex seaports.
It's clear that Abiy Ahmed is a global security threat to the entire region. This should deeply concern his funders, like the United States Congress. (@SenatorRisch, @RepJames, @VivekGRamaswamy@votetimscott)
Our unwavering desire is for peace in the Horn of Africa and solidarity with the people of #Eritrea, #Somalia, and #Djibouti. The Prime Minister's behavior is deeply troubling, and we strongly denounce it. #PeaceNotWar 🕊️