Fearless Young Journalist

[guhad122]

If you really have the guts and are honest for your profession, you do the same thing like Jonathan Alpeyrie. This kid who was born in New York went all the way to Ogaden National Liberation Front and Oromo Liberation Front domains to report their struggle for freedom and stories. That is a real journalist!!!!

http://thefullmonte.com/ethiopia.htm
http://www.winne.com/specialsections/20 ... /index.php
http://www.oromoliberationfront.org/Ima ... .htm#_self

[Hyperactive]

Great stuff. last summer even cameras wey naga qaten.

[e!]

loooooool, are those pppl somali or jareer/oromo?

[Hyperactive]

You don't see how they look like me.

[guhad122]

e!,
I don't know how to address or deal with a sexless individual but when young fighters are in fierce battles day in and day out, they tend to look rough...They are bad boys who took oaths no to take showers until they free their land from the Tigrean creepy-crawlies.

[e!]

LMAO they are Oromo

[Steeler [Crawler2]]

Guhad
They are not fighting every day, and most of them live in towns. They conduct sporadic attacks. If you ever lived in the Ogaden (I have) you would barely notice the war.

This guy had a LOT of factual errors:

"Since 1974, the OLF (Oromo liberation front) has been waging a guerrilla war against the Ethiopian government. The Oromos are an ethnic group, which represent close to 55% of the entire population of Ethiopia, with 30 million people out of a total of 55 million, living in central and southern Ethiopia." - Not exactly. Ethiopia has a population of some 76 million plus people, not 55 million. They are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, but not a majority. They constitute about 32% of the total population.


"Their plight is a direct consequence of European rule in the East Africa during the late XIXth century" - WRONG. The Europeans NEVER ruled what is today Ethiopia, except for a VERY short stint during WW II.

"when the British put in power the Abyssinians minority, the same ethnic group in power today. Widespread abuses, and murder is still recorded daily. Thousands of Oromos, mostly students, have been arrested, some killed and beaten in the past few month."

"The Abysinnians" are not even an ethnic group. He meant Amharic, and the Europeans did not "put them in power". Kid did not do his homework.

"The international community, and specifically the United States and Europe, have been less than enthused in seeing the OLF gaining ground politically and militarily, fearing that OLF rebels would trade one dictatorship for another. The US has favored Zenawi Zenawi’s government for one simple reason, his support in the struggle against terrorism."

That and the fact that if he goes who knows what follows. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't. On top of that, the author insinuates the US or Europe or both should play a role in removing Zenawi, for which he would doubtless then complain about US interference in African internal affairs.

"Are the fundamentalists present and active in Ethiopia? We know for a fact that they have been in Kenya and Somalia, hitting American interests in the region. However in Ethiopia, no evidence has been found that the fundamentalists have been active against the West. Zenawi has promised the United States to fight terrorism in return for substantial cash subsidies. For the OLF, Zenawi is using American and European money to keep his war machine oiled."

What's going on in Ethiopia has much more to do with Sudan and Somalia than Ethiopia - at least as far as US foreign policy is concerned.

"If a democratic election was to take place, it is clear that the Oromo majority would win and change the entire political landscape of the country. This is exactly what Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, does not want. Any democratic movement would give way to a new order and power structure."

No, this is not clear. Because the Oromo do not constitute a majority. On top of that, the Oromo are very fractured. Yes, any democratic movement would give way toa new order and power structure, but don't be fooled that the CUD would be some great upgrade.

"The OLF fighter, made up of 5 to 10% women, can go without water for two days, moving quickly in the Ethiopian and Kenyan deserts. The soldiers are allowed no alcohol or drugs."

Up to two days in what kind of heat and with what kind of activity. I'll let the kid in on a little secret, human physiology is the same for all humans. There are no supermen out there.

"In the 32-year-old struggle, the OLF fighters have grown from 10 rebels to a few thousand soldiers (they wouldn’t give their exact numbers)," - They probably don't know their exact number.

"The three-decade long struggle is only a reflection of a much longer fight between the Abyssinians placed in power by the British."

WHERE DID HE GET THIS FROM?

"The right of self-determination has been central since the beginning of the struggle. The OLF and its allies want to negotiate with Addis to find a compromise to organize fair elections, something that Addis has so far rejected."

Oh, and now I am suppose to believe that somehow the leaders of the OLF are democratic and caring...........that would be an African first.

"So can the OLF be trusted if they do gain power?" No.

"Will they allow a free and democratic system to take place and allow each minority, including the Abyssinians, to be part of the democratic process?" No. And he should stop referring to the Amharic as the Abysinnians - makes him look stupid.

"The OLF’s internal political organization does tend to believe that if victory is achieved, Ethiopia would be ruled under the banners of federalism. Each ethnic groups would have a seat in the new government, dictating their own internal affairs. But that remains to be seen, somewhere far-off in the distance."

Yeah, and Dorothy will go back to Kansas with Toto, and Sade will give me a nice, slow BJ.............................