An angry commenter has decided to set the record straight over a warning by Amnesty International that Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, was cracking down on opposition supporters.
The article, read by tens of thousands of people around the world and shared by more than six thousand others on the social media hit Ethiopia last week like a storm and quickly spread like a wild fire with some supporting Amnesty International’s call for respect of human rights in the East African country and others condemning Amnesty.
There were many comments, but one particular one caught our eyes and we are publishing it here in the interest of fairness.
The commenter said:
Amnesty International is playing a dangerous game of misinformation about the reality in Ethiopia.
The OLF’s armed faction led by the terrorist Jal Maro refused the Government’s amnesty and the unprecedented call for all opposition groups to join the peaceful transition to democracy led by Nobel Laureate PM Abiy Ahmed.
Once loathed Oromo leaders like Daoud returned, registered OLF as a contending party for the next elections. Even the American citizen Jawar Mohamed, owner of OMN media that incites Oromos to ethnic violence against Amhara enjoys VIP treatment while he openly accuses the PM of all evils.
This is the political landscape that Oromos have used and abused in the past 2 years. Oromo youth groups financed by American citizen Jawar have killed Amhara University students, burned churches and mosques to foment religious violence and called for ethnic cleansing of Oromia with their slogan “Ethiopia our of Oromia”.
You can’t say the same freedom of expression applied to Amhara opposition and journalist Eskender Negga’s social movement.
Things escalated with the abduction of Amhara students fleeing ethnic violence in Dembidolo University. Armed Oromo gangs operating in Western Welega have taken them hostage for 55 days. No wonder the Government cracked down on terrorist groups in Welega. No wonder Amharas protested in mass against the abduction and disappearance of the Amhara students, most of them young girls. No wonder Oromo activists are concerned about their terrorist ally Jal Maro who is trapped in Welega by the mighty Ethiopian Army.
Where was Amnesty International when 85 innocent Ethiopians were murdered by Jawar’s order because he was scared to loose his VIP escort! Where was Amnesty when Oromo mercenaries paid by Jawar and his illicit funds were roaming the country on trucks, slaughtering innocent Amharas and Orthodox Christians including priests were burned alive and chopped with machettes and nailed sticks.
No wonder Jawar, Jal Maro and Oromo extremists and terrorists feel the heat of their own fire. Yesterday Amharas demonstrated their strength and unity in their unprecedented rallies across the entire Amhara region.
They protested against ethnic violence and the abduction of the students by Oromo factions but they also protested against the deafening silence of the Government. This is a strong, determined and irreversible movement of outrage and no Amnesty biased reporting and condemnation on behalf of Oromo extremists will conceal the truth.
If you want to honor the respect you have earned as the global advocate for human rights, please check your facts or just stay out of Ethiopia because what you just reported is untrue and dangerous. We don’t need Amnesty to add fuel to the fire. We want peace in Ethiopia.
