Oromo regional sate should demonstrate its commitment to justice by providing financial aid for those whose property was destroyed
borkena
Editorial
July 8, 2020
It is now clear that the assassination of Hachalu Hundessa was a means for a bigger political goal on the part of radical forces who claim to struggle for the rights of the Oromo people.
Based on government findings from investigation into the killing of Hachalu ( whom so many Oromos consider to be the icon of resistance for equality),Oromo Liberation Front Shane, Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and an unnamed state actor (clearly Egypt) have joined hands in the planning and execution of a mission to disintegrate Ethiopia.
In the aftermath of the assassination and the unrest that followed it, which claimed 266 lives while an equivalent, if not more, number of people are reduced to disability and homelessness. Noticeable alignment and solidarity between TPLF and OLF is observed in social media activism, and beyond, which partly substantiate government claims about TPLF-OLF partnership in manufacturing large scale civil war to end the existence of Ethiopia. Since the stated goals and political convictions of these forces in relation to Ethiopia are long known, the attempt did not come as a surprise to many.
The government claims that the plan has failed. However, the number of deaths and wounded people clearly indicates that the government has failed, too, with the kind of security apparatus at its disposal, to protect innocent non-ethnic Oromos in the Oromo region. This is not for the first time. It has happened several times since Prime Minister Abbey Ahmed took power as Prime Minister in April 2018.
It is established that the kind of destruction that the city of Shashemene and Ziway saw could have been significantly reduced had the security forces acted at a time they should. On Wednesday, reports emerged that the Mayor of Shashemene and the Security Chief for the City are arrested for doing too little too late to protect investments in the city. That too is the right thing to do on the part of the government but not enough.
Oromia regional states should consider financial aid for the businesses that are destroyed by extremist forces. To do so amounts to ensuring that OLF Shane’s objective to reduce ethnic non-Oromo, whose years of hard work and entrepreneurship was targeted, to poverty and lives of despair is unsuccessful. It also gives a lesson to people living in the region a sense of duty to protect investments. In a region where youth unemployment is one of the major problems, to destroy investments is an act of insanity and of course the work of enemies. Let alone investments belonging to Ethiopians even expatriate investments need to be protected.
From a security point of view, since there are those who are working for radical groups while they are still within government structure, as Abiy Ahmed asserted on Tuesday, mobilizing the public, especially young people, to ensure that no further attack will not happen is a task that needs to be given due attention. It has to be relentless work to succeed.
On ideological level, it is important to engage the youth in the region to ensure that the OLF Shane path is destructive both in the short and long terms.
Join the conversation. Like borkena on Facebook and get Ethiopian News updates regularly. As well, you may get Ethiopia News by following us on twitter @zborkena
I think the Mayor and chief of police in Shashamene, Zeway or any city that failed or colluded or sympathized with the killer should be charged with ethnic cleansing.
Most of all, ethnic policing as well as selecting Mayors based on ethnicity should stop because it does not represent the constituents and its the primary reason for death of so many people.
No country in the world selects it police force or a mayor because of his/her ethnicity. This is a terrible idea and has no place in modern society, because disfranchising the people, it is resulting in their death and destruction of their livelihood.
Oromo state should be liable for the loss of life and property.
You are funny Oromos will not compensate a penny to u guys. And no other ethnic is allowed to govern our regions especially Amhara who like to move and and live in our regions and leech off of us. It’s funny how only Amhara can buy land in amhara regions, but not in Oromia. This needs to change soon. If u want to talk about compensation let’s start with the genocide ur ancestors committed 5million Oromos 120,000 wolaita and 70,000 harari. We will not compensate anything to amhara who disrespect us in our land and only here to benefit from us.