The Oromo Communities:
Falls Church, Virginia (6/30/2021) – On June 30th, 2021, 17 Oromo Communities from the United States plus Germany, met to discuss the latest development in Ethiopia after Tigray Regional Force took control of the Mekele and the Ethiopian government announced a ceasefire in Tigray and the threat represented to the political, economic, and cultural advancement of the Oromo people.
Reaffirm the importance of peaceful and friendly relations among Ethiopia’s diverse nations and nationalities, and respect for the principles enshrined in the 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia and other international documents, including the Charter of the United Nations and the International Covenants on Human Rights,
Recall the relevant provisions of the Ethiopian constitution regarding the principles of federalism and multinationalism, equal rights and the central position of the right to self-determination as the cornerstone foundation of the Constitution and relations between nations, nationalities, and peoples of Ethiopia,
Believe that the political crisis facing Ethiopia today is exacerbated by the decision of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, to promote the Amhara centric ideology of Ethiopia First, and that the Ethiopia First ideology is incompatible with the idea of the right to self-determination of nations, nationalities, and peoples, which is the cornerstone foundation of the Ethiopian constitution,
Deeply concerned at the continuation of armed conflict in the Oromia, Tigray, Amhara and Benishangul-Gumuz regional state resulting from the government’s denial of the constitutionally guaranteed right to self-determination,
Reject June 21, 2021, the national election held at the time of great instability in the country, including the war in Tigray and Oromia, that led to nearly one in five citizens unable to vote. Vocal opposition leaders
were imprisoned or boycotted the election, there was insurgency in Benishangul-Gumuz and Amhara regions, a state of emergency in Oromia and Amhara regions. A fifth of the polling stations were closed resulting in delays and votes not being cast, stifling the citizens’ ability to represent the people of Ethiopia. Therefore, this election did not meet credible international standards.
Gravely concerned that, as a consequence of the government’s determination to impose its unconstitutional and totalitarian ideology of Ethiopia First on the diverse ethnic groups through a military means, millions of people across Ethiopia have been and are being uprooted from their homes,
Acknowledge that the continued occupation of Oromia, Tigray, and the Benishangul-Gumuz regions by federal forces, the Amhara militia, and Eritrean forces prevents the development of mutual trust and co-operation between the various stakeholders and the Ethiopian people, and impedes the prospect of a peaceful and negotiated political settlement in Ethiopia,
Welcome the news in recent days of the military and political success of the Tigray Defence Forces as a vindication of the right to self-determination, and the total rejection of the Ethiopia-First ideology.
Therefore, be it resolved that we:
1. Call upon the Ethiopian government to stop killing civilians throughout the country and allow credible independent investigation throughout the country.
2. Call upon the Ethiopian government, the Eritrean government, and the Amhara regional force to withdraw from constitutionally recognised regional states, and cease immediately their military operation, in particular the inhumane and cruel treatment of civilians including massacres and the use of rape as a weapon of war;
3. Demand the immediate and unconditional release of all Oromo and other political prisoners currently detained based on politically motivated charges;
4. Urge the United States government, the European Union, and the broader international community to continue to give special attention to the alarming developments in Ethiopia, especially the blatant and unconstitutional violation of the right to self-determination, which could lead to the collapse of the Ethiopian state and the further destabilisation of the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea regions.
Presented and endorsed parties: Oromo communities of the United States and Germany