 says "The grand genocidal scheme to reinvent Addis Ababa will not remain invisible" Read the Press Release.){kind=link}
Addis Ababa Media Council (AAMC)
Press Release
The Addis Ababa Media Council (AAMC) is hereby established as an independent civic and media platform primarily dedicated to defending the residents of Addis Ababa against the threat of genocide posed by the hate infused ethnic politics of the Prosperity Party led regime of Ethiopia. No less, AAMC will also be an advocate for the rights and dignity of all Ethiopians as articulated by the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Ethiopia is the only country in Africa in which regional administrative lines have come to be constitutionally demarcated strictly on the basis of ethnicity. This has not only generated and institutionalized a norm of intense ethnic politics, which always degenerates to exclusivity and hate, but has also geographically placed Addis Ababa in to an enclave encircled by a region with a different language, culture and ethnicity.
Inevitably, such is the nature of ethnic politics that calls for the dissolution of Addis Ababa’s administrative autonomy, the city’s distinct linguistic, cultural, ethnic and historical genesis notwithstanding, and absorption in to the surrounding region of Oromia, the home region of PM Abiy Ahmed, have intensified by alarming degrees in pitch, fervor and menace. And thus calls by ethno–nationalists for genocidal violence against Addis Ababa, supposedly land stolen from the indigenous Oromo, has more or less been normalized and legitimized.
Of course, what any rational government should have done in this environment was to do all it can to discourage this slow motion slide to mayhem. But what the PP regime has opted to do, itself a creature of state sponsored hate politics, is to coopt extremism and accede to its endless demands.
To this end, it has embarked on fantasy driven quest to change the ethnic and religious composition of the city, razed entire neighborhoods to repossess land from “settler–colonialists, ” discouraged migration to the city from certain regions through strong–arm tactics, imposed a city government hostile to its residents and clamped down on all dissent.
The establishment of AAMC will go some way in being a voice for the voiceless that Addis Ababans have become.While its true that the rights of all Ethiopians to speak, write, organize, and protest have been suppressed, it is done so with particular emphasis in Addis Ababa.
We will confront the status quo with the truth, defending civic rights, strengthening independent media, and advocating against the politicization and weaponization of identity, particularly ethnicity and religion.We will be the voice for the separation of ethnicity and state.
We call upon the international community, global media institutions, human rights organizations, and democratic partners to stand in solidarity with our lofty ideals and the endangered residents of Addis Ababa.
ADDIS ABABA MEDIA COUNCIL (AAMC)
For Truth. For Justice. For the Right to Exist
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A government taking away private property for public use is not uncommon now or in the past. It has happened in almost every developed nation in Europe, The Americas and Asia. If you scratch the past history of these beautiful cities like Paris, London, Berlin, New York and others we all swoon looking at them were not wholly built on unoccupied fallow land. Here in USA we have what is called ’eminent domain’. It is enshrined in the constitution as the 5th Amendment which gives the right to the government to take away private property for public use provided they pay “just compensation” (fair market value). But you have to be the legitimate owner with deeds to be compensated.
In Addis/Finfinne case, what I have been hearing is there is a lot of grey area in the ownership of the properties taken away by the city’s government for ‘public use’. Many of the properties were once owned by private owners with deeds until they were summarily confiscated by the commies in the 1970’s. Many of those owners were executed by the bloodthirsty Mengistu and his commie thugs because they politely asked for equitable compensation. In a way, it is what goes around comes around. The occupants since then comprised of various ethnicity. They are not all Amharas, Oromos, Tigres or Somalis. But they somehow must be given alternative/replacements so they can have a roof over their heads. The government must pay just compensation for those with deeds. I wish we put a lot of weight on the dreaded term ‘genocide’ before using it. Did the city government summarily massacre the occupants due to their ethnicity before demolishing the dilapidated properties? Let’s not use the term at random. Otherwise it will be as the old saying goes ‘Empty vessels make the most noise’.
Supporting the mission of the Addis Ababa Media Council (AAMC) is fundamentally an act of standing for universal human rights and the preservation of civic identity over ethnic fragmentation.
The AAMC provides a critical platform for the following reasons:
1. Defending Civic Identity
Addis Ababa represents a unique cultural melting pot that transcends the ethnic federalism seen elsewhere in Ethiopia. Supporting the AAMC means protecting a vision of a city where citizenship is defined by residency and shared civic values rather than ancestral lineage. It guards against the “enclave” mentality that threatens to erase the city’s diverse history.
2. Safeguarding the “Voice for the Voiceless”
In an environment where dissent is often met with strong-arm tactics, the AAMC serves as a vital watchdog. By documenting human rights abuses, forced displacement, and the “weaponization of identity,” the council ensures that the struggles of Addis Ababans are not ignored by the international community.
3. Advocating for the Separation of Ethnicity and State
The core of the AAMC’s message—the separation of ethnicity from governance—is essential for long-term regional stability. Promoting a system where rights are not tied to ethnic territory is the most effective way to prevent the “slow-motion slide to mayhem” and potential genocide mentioned in the release.
4. Upholding International Standards
By aligning its mission with the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the AAMC invites global solidarity. Supporting this council is a call to global media and democratic institutions to recognize that the right to speak, organize, and exist in safety is non-negotiable, regardless of the political climate.
Call to Action:
We must stand in solidarity with the AAMC as they confront the status quo with truth. Protecting the administrative autonomy and demographic integrity of Addis Ababa is not just a local issue; it is a global stand against the institutionalization of hate and the erosion of urban diversity.
Would you like this support statement tailored for a specific audience, such as a letter to an international NGO or a social media awareness campaign?