Sidama Liberation Front

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The Culprits of the Sidama Looqqe Massacre And All Civilians’ In Ethiopia Must Be Brought To Justice!

The SNLF Press Statement On The 16th Commemorative Anniversary Of The Sidama Looqqe Massacre

May 24, 2018

The killers and those who have masterminded the Sidama Looqqe massacre of May 24, 2002 remain plotting to cause and are causing further damage to the Sidama nation as the nation Marks the 16th commemorative anniversary today. To date, the Sidama nation remains relegated to the level of second citizenship in their land as the TPLF/EPRDF’s regime blatantly imposes its colonial style policy on Sidama nation in particular and the entire south in general. The sons and daughters of the nation were gunned down on the outskirt of the Sidama capital Hawassa at the village known as ‘Looqqe’ about 2 km from Hawassa, on broad day light by the TPLF/EPRDF’s army and security forces. The demonstrators met by highly mechanised brute forces of barbaric TPLF/EPRDF’s regime whilst peacefully demonstrating the regime’s denial of their constitutionally guaranteed rights to regional self-administration.

The Sidama nation has been vehemently rejecting the retraction and subsequent incorporation of its previously self-administrative region, namely ‘region 8’ into the SNNPR by unconstitutionally demolishing the previous 5, region 7 to region 11 independent regional states.  Following the illegal decisions and actions of the TPLF/EPRDF’s regime on Sidama in particular and the rest of 56 nations of the south who were involuntarily amalgamated to be in a pressure cooker known as SNNPR in general, the Sidama never stopped from demanding these to be unconditionally reversed by restoring the previous 5 regional states of the south of Ethiopia. Tragically, the response of the TPLF/EPRDF’s barbaric regime to the Sidama’s civilized and constitutionally guaranteed rights has been live bullet, socio-economic and political marginalisation as the TPLF/EPRDF imposes apartheid in Sidama land, the imprisoned south and the entire Ethiopia.

The 16th commemorative anniversary of the Sidama Looqqee massacre of hundreds of peacefully demonstrating Sidama civilians further show the TPLF/EPRDF’s inherent barbarism, anti-democratic and untrustworthy nature. Therefore, more than any other time since the TPLF assumed power in mid-1991; the Sidama nation must put their differences aside to stand united for their rights until their demands are fully and constitutionally responded. It must be clear to all Sidama people that, the Sidama has been belittled and dehumanised time and again by this regime than any the previous regimes. The Sidama has been impoverished by the TPLF/EPRDF’s regime more than any time in its history; hence the nation’s survival as a national entity is seriously threatened. The daughters of the Sidama nation are gang-raped in Hawassa industrial park by Chinese investors as part of TPLF’s plot to cause genocide and national psychological trauma on Sidama nation. The Sidama nation’s noble principle on morality, social justice, truth and democratic egalitarianism has been systematically adulterated to be removed from the politico-social, cultural and economic spheres of the society’s life to be replaced with lies and deceit of TPLF’s Sidama Cadres such as the infamous criminal Shiferaw Shigute.

Although the Sidama nation is marking the 16th commemorative anniversary of the Sidama Looqqe massacre, the Sidama to date is being massacred on daily basis in a number of ways as indicated above needing to fight in unison for its survival. The massacre of the Sidama nation is not peculiar to the Sidama nation the TPLF’s barbaric regime commits in Ethiopia. The regime persistently massacres the civilians of Oromo, Ogaden Somali, Gambella, Benshangul, Amhara, Afar, Shakicho, Konso, Hadiya …and the rest nations of Ethiopia as the country is being ruled by these legally organised Mafias who calls themselves by different names.

Therefore, the SNLF demands for an immediate and unconditional restoration of the Sidama and southern Ethiopia’s previous five regional states as per the constitution of the country as long as the constitution is relevant and has not been replaced by a different nullifying law. Furthermore, we demand the culprits of the Sidama Looqqe massacre including the infamous criminals former PM H/M Desalegn, Shiferaw Shigute and their associates from the south; former late PM Meles Zenawi in his death,  Bereket Simeon, Abadula Gamada and the rest from federal government who’ve held pre-Sidama massacre meeting in Hawassa on May 23, 2002 the order of late PM to subsequently unanimously vote to kill the Sidama civilians to be brought to justice and pay the necessary compensation to the families of 100s of Sidama victims. We urge all the Sidama people to be united and push with their struggle for justice leaving aside their complacency and silence at this historical juncture in the history of the nation.

We also share the pain and anguish of all the Oromo, Ogadenia, Amhara and the rest nations victims in the past 27 years reign of State-terrorism in Ethiopia. The civilians are getting slaughtered by the government forces in all parts of the country with focus on Oromia, Ogaden Somali, Amhara and elsewhere in the country. There is no evidence that there may be a genuine appetite for fundamental change in Ethiopia as long as the TPLF dominates all aspects of peoples’ life in Ethiopia; although the new PM has been installed by the EPRDF/TPLF’s regime that is responsible for the indicated and unindicted abhorring crimes against humanity unfolded thus far and unfolding in Ethiopia. 

Therefore, the SNLF finally calls upon all stakeholders in Ethiopia to join us in both commemorating the Sidama Looqqe massacre and the rest massacres of civilians in all part of the country in the past 27 years; and categorically condemning the TPLF/EPRDF’s barbaric regime who is sole responsible for on-going crimes against humanity.  On the occasion of the Sidama Looqqe massacre, finally, we send our deepest and sincere thoughts to the families of Sidama, Oromo, Ogaden Somali, Amhara and the rest victims and urge them to unite with us in moving hand in hand to restore democracy, justice, peace, security and the rule of law by removing the regime who has denied the indicated noble necessities for social justice of various society of the country.

May you the souls of Sidama Looqqe massacre and the entire Ethiopia victims rest in Peace whilst we stride towards asserting the cause for which you have been massacred by the government who is meant to defend and protect you all.

Justice, Freedom and Equality for the Sidama Nation and all nations and peoples in Ethiopia.   

The Sidama National Liberation Front (SNLF)