Statement on the repeated attacks on Benishangul ‘s People villages

01:47 AM September, 05 2018

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The Benishangul people has become an easy target for the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). The Oromo Liberation Front has been adopting an ethnic cleansing strategy against the Benishangul People. This Oromo centred strategy does not recognize the needs, desires, or ambitions of indigenous people of Benishangul and other minorities in Ethiopia. The central aim of the Oromo centred policy is to swallow others, which was adopted by the government under the slogan (Endamer). For years the Oromo Liberation front deliberately and repeatedly kept on attacking the People of Benishangul in their villages, and whenever they are on their way to Addis Ababa and vice versa. These attacks have increased since the new Prime Minister’s inauguration ceremony on the 2nd of April 2018, which leaves us in doubt whether the attacks are taking place in collaboration with the government. The followings are the attacks that targeted the People of Benishangul including the recent one in a village named Oda (Bel Fodi), the name which was twisted and changed by the Oromo egocentric into Daleti due to their expansion ambitions. The attacks are listed from the latest to the oldest.
• On the 1st of Sep 2018 Oda (Bel Fodi) innocent villagers were attacked in the midnight by the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), there are many casualties, villagers properties were looted and 250 cows were taken by the Oromo.
• On 26 June Assosa was attacked by strangers; youth came from other parts of Oromo to destabilize the region, spreading fear among the citizens. Many were killed and injured.
• On 25 June Tongo was attacked and a police officer was kidnapped.
• On 24 June 2018 The Oromo came out in masses demonstrating to deprive off our people of their land.
• On 14 June 2018, 4 young men were coming from Addis Ababa by bus to celebrate the Eid with their families in Benishangul, they were kidnapped from the bus in Najo. Out of the four young men three 3 of them were killed and one was released because his mother is an Oromo ethnic.The names of those who were killed are:-
o Hassan Abduljalil
o Anwar Basheer
o Jamal Dafaa Allah

The Benishangul people have believed that the new prime minister's mission was to bring peace, justice, equality and prosperity to the people of Ethiopia in general and Benishangul in particular. The previous TPLF dominated government brought chaos, endless conflicts and underdevelopments in the Benishangul region, also innocent civilians were targeted because of their ethnicity and brutally tortured and imprisoned in inhuman military centre. Although, the new prime minister promised changes in the government system, nothing has been seen in stopping calamities in Benishangul, as if the Benishangul people's suffering is not part of the prime minister's responsibility.
The Benishangul People’s Liberation Movement urge the United Nations, international human rights organisations, European Union, African union and Australia to intervene to stop the calamities the Benishangul people are going through. These Attacks on innocent villagers should be considered a clear infringement of international declaration on human rights. The movement also would like to warn the international community of the challenges that may await the world due to repeated attacks on the people. The world had enough civil wars and genocides. Therefore, the movement would not want the world to experience further genocides in some remote parts of the world as in Rwanda and Bosnia. Thus, the Benishangul people's Liberation Movement calls upon the world to act today in order to save life of children, mothers and elders from looming destructions.
Glory and eternity to our faithful martyrs
let us walk together to freedom

Benishangul People's Liberation Movement
Information Secretary