Hearing on Human Rights and Humanitarian Conditions in the Oga-den and Somalia

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

Please, all of us, lets call the CSPAN and ask them to cover this important even. I attached their contact info at the bottom so, please call them. Thank you all very much.

 

 

Please cover this hearing:

 

Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health

Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building

 

Date: Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Subject: Ethiopia, Democracy and Human Rights

 

This is an urgent matter that affects the live of many in a remote region of Ethiopian. This is an issue that many voter care about. People are concerned that their tax dollars are going to a regime that practices torture and the suffering is inline with Darfur.

 

Please add this to your schedule for Tuesday morning

 

Here is their contact info. Tel: (765-464-3080) leave them a message.

 

Email: viewer@c-span.org & online@c-span.org

 

See the link please for more info

[Faarax-Brawn]

Thank you so much Abdiladif, I will remember to TIVO this I'A while am @Work.

 

May Allah help the ppl

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

^You Welcome FB. Please do that if you could. Now I know where to go in case I missed it. BTW, ramadaan Karim sxb waa lays waayaye.

 

 

Also, lets all forward this info to our friends and relatives and anyone else you know who cares abt the issue.

[Faarax-Brawn]

Originally posted by Abdiladiif:

^You Welcome FB. Please do that if you could. Now I know where to go in case I missed it. BTW, ramadaan Karim sxb waa lays waayaye.

 

 

Also, lets all forward this info to our friends and relatives and anyone else you know who cares abt the issue.

Dee adigaa ku noqday asalkaagi or so says your freind . Yeah,you guys got lost,you know where to find me.

 

Feel free to stop by to watch, i have already sent sms messages to all qaraabo/freinds. I'A,i will like to be a volunteer in sen.Hilary's campaing team for Somalis & this will be a perfect link.

[Nephissa]

Oh I got an email this morning regarding this same issue. I took care of it already..

[Cara.]

Maybe you could upload it FB.

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

Man, I am so excited. The bill was passed and now the next step is the senate. Its a historic day and it went far better than I have ever imagined...Allaa mahadleh.

 

Folks this is the Video and its long almost 3 hrs but its kind of sad that no one was there to represent and speak for the innocent civilians in somalia who are massacred by TFG and E.Military other the Oga-den and HRW reps. I believe the somali diaspora is not doing its job to speak for the voiceless and defenseless somalis back home. It is the least we could do. Its a shame that we cannot even do anything even in the west, so divided. Waxaan noqonay iska noolayaal!

 

Ps. Thanks for sending the letters folks, much appreciated.

 

Pps. I just realized that the link does not work because Oga-den is banned so just go to oga-den.com (no hyphen) and you will find it there.

 

 

Ladiif

[Blessed]

Great stuff! ^Mahadsanid.

[nuune]

Good developments, about time to punish the Zenawi Regime.

[Che -Guevara]

We need sustained and concerted effort to bring the Oga-den plight to life. The Sub-committee hearing is good start. Of course political unity among Somalis even it is just Somaligalbeed to bear any pressure on Zenawi regime.

 

Ethiopia angry at proposed U.S. aid sanction

 

Wed Oct 3, 2007 11:59am EDT

(Adds details on bill)

 

By C. Bryson Hull

 

NAIROBI, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Ethiopia on Wednesday strongly criticised a U.S. law moving through Congress that links future aid to democratic reforms, calling it a threat to regional stability and its close military ties with Washington.

 

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday passed the Ethiopian Democracy and Accountability Act, which demands Washington's top counter-terrorism partner in the Horn of Africa make a host of democratic changes or face security aid cuts.

 

The bill, which still needs U.S. Senate approval and a presidential signature, would also deny U.S. entry visas to any Ethiopian government official involved in what it calls human rights violations, unless the president authorised a waiver.

 

The act would bar the aid unless Ethiopia accepted outside rights monitoring, fostered an independent judiciary and media, and allowed U.S.-funded aid to those ends. In addition, the bill would direct $20 million to political parties and civil-society groups in Ethiopia to promote democracy.

 

"The legislation also would undermine regional stability in the Horn of Africa by jeopardising vital security cooperation between the United States and Ethiopia," Ethiopia's ambassador to the United States, Samuel Assefa, said in a statement.

 

He said if "the irresponsible legislation" becomes law, "it would create fresh obstacles to Ethiopia's bold efforts toward comprehensive democratic reforms".

 

Ethiopia, with the strongest army in the Horn, is in the thick of several intertwined conflicts, including its backing of the Somali government against insurgents, a border standoff with Eritrea and its fight against insurgents at home.

 

 

EXEMPTIONS

 

U.S. military and counter-terrorism leaders consider Ethiopia a critical bulwark against al Qaeda operatives known to be operating in east Africa since the 1998 bombings at the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

 

The Bush administration has requested $1.5 million in military aid to Ethiopia for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1, of which $650,000 would be directed toward military education and training, according to the U.S. State Department.

 

The congressional bill would exempt counter-terrorism and peacekeeping operations from any funding restrictions. Funds for health care and food would also be untouched. The Bush administration has requested $654 million for health and economic assistance for this fiscal year.

 

The congressional vote came two years after violent protests over Ethiopia's 2005 election results that left nearly 200 people dead when opposition protesters claiming vote-rigging clashed with security forces.

 

That, and a subsequent trial of opposition members including those who won seats in parliament, led to criticism from rights groups and the withholding of certain aid by European donors.

 

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says his government held the fairest multi-party polls in Ethiopian history. Foreign teams noted some problems but said the polls were broadly fair.

 

Addis Ababa argues it has made reforms, and could not tolerate organised protests it said amounted to treason.

 

In July Ethiopia pardoned nearly all of those convicted four days after their sentencing. Samuel said the presence of two pardoned opposition leaders at U.S. congressional hearings was proof of Ethiopia's democratic commitment.

 

The ****** National Liberation Front (ONLF) rebel group, which demands greater self-rule in its eastern Ethiopian region and accuses the government of atrocities, applauded the bill.

 

"The U.S. House of Representatives has shown that executing the global war on terrorism is not incompatible with the forceful promotion of human rights and democracy," it said.