Ethiopian government mounting crackdown in Oromo region of Ethiopia

Federal government moving to quell down youth movement in Oromo region of Ethiopia

borkena
January 10, 2018

Days after the Federal police commission announced that it is working on “investigative” study of “Qeerroo youth movement” from the city of Dire Dawa, emerging reports indicate that government is mounting a crackdown on youth in Oromo region of Ethiopia.

It came in the wake of Ethiopian government promise to release political prisoners, a promise which it later disowned on grounds that the prime minister was misquoted, and close an infamous torture chamber in the capital, Maekelawi.

So far, confirmed, 16 youth are arrested in Guduru district in the past six days, reported ESAT citing sources who spoke to ESAT on the phone.

Protest in Oromo region of Ethiopia is not completely called off as some towns are still witnessing it.
Qeerroo, Oromo language speakers translate it as “Youth”, movement which is estimated to have about six million members across the region, according to information from officials from the regional state.

Pro-TPLF activists dare to liken Qeerroo movement to that of Al-Shabab – an effort to frame the movement for an attack.

OPDO leaders, who oversee the regional state and who showed tendency to not blame the popular protest during press briefing following completion of EPDRF’s meeting, seem to be in a collision course with the federal authorities regarding the move to crack down on Qeerroo as they tend to have a position that they youth do have a right to peacefully demonstrate.

The federal government and pro-TPLF bloggers, on the other hand, have been accusing Qeerroo of bypassing government structure in many small towns in the region to impose what government says is Qeerroo rule. When government officials oppose demand from the movement, goes the accusation, they end up being eliminated.

What is known to the public so far, for certain, is that the Qeerroo youth movement has been demanding change, at times openly calling for an end to the TPLF government, and it is vowing that no amount of pressure and attack from the government will make them drop popular protest for change.



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