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October 23rd, 2024
Video Credit: Lualawi Media
ENDF Chief of Staff Blames Amharas for Fueling Ethnic Tensions, Absolves OLA of Crimes
Transcript:
[Sisay Agena (SA)]: One of the questions raised in the Amhara Region is the repeated mass killing of civilians in Oromia, particularly in Wollega. But as you said earlier, there were some preparing for political reasons even without these issues.
But for the majority of the people, these killings didn't have an end. The government as a government and specifically you as the Chief of Staff of the army, why was it difficult for the military to stop the killing of civilians? What were the issues?
[Birhanu Jula (BJ)]: The military was in the north in the middle of a war. When they were causing disruptions in Wollega, 95% of the military was in the north in the middle of a war.
The rest of the regions in Ethiopia were being protected by police and regional special forces.
The main force in Wollega was basically the Oromo Special Force fighting against Shene (OLA). So it is not right to ask the military why we didn't stop the killings when we weren't there.
That's one, secondly, what took place there (Wollega) is political. In this politics, you have TPLF involved, the ones with plan B (Amhara) involved, and Shene (OLA) involved.
It will be explained more in the future.
Let me give you one example, the 18 students who were kidnapped in Dembi Dolo. Who do you think kidnapped them?
Shene (OLA)
It was said Shene (OLA) at the time. But the ones with a plan B (Amhara) who created the narrative that Shene (OLA) and the Oromia Region together were the ones who kidnapped the students, were themselves the ones who kidnapped the students.
The ones with plan B (Amhara) also work within Shene (OLA). Do you understand me?
To explain this with an example, the guy who kidnapped the 18 students is named Jaal Chala. Jaal Chala is his military name. His real name is Ashenafi Gondere.
Are you getting me? He's Ashenafi Gondere.
Ashenafi Gondere is a member of the National Movement of Amhara (NAMA) who was tasked to infiltrate Shene (OLA).
These are the kinds of conspiracies we are dealing with.
SA: How did Shene (OLA) accept the Gondere as a member?
BJ: He was born and raised in Dembi Dolo, he speaks as fluently as the Shenes (OLA). And his name was called Jaal Chala.
SA: Were the Shenes (OLA) aware when he was doing this or was he coordinating with other actors when doing this?
BJ: No, he has become a leader of a Shene (OLA) group. He has his own group.
Now did he plan this in coordination with the top leadership of Shene (OLA)? We haven't got the evidence for that so far, but he is the one who kidnapped those students.
After he kidnapped them, he gave them to the people.
SA: To whom?
BJ: He gave them to the people. Then those people disappeared the students.
SA: Who did he give them to?
BJ: For the people I told you about earlier, the ones who have a plan B (Amhara).
SA: So he gave them to Fano or the Amhara nationalists?
BJ: Yes, yes.
SA: Is this the evidence the government currently has?
BJ: Yes. This is the evidence that I have.
SA: So where are the students now?
BJ: We're still looking for them. They were in Bahir Dar
SA: The kidnapped students?
BJ: Yes. They had stayed in Bahir Dar for a long time without our knowledge. Then when we got intelligence of their location and started following the lead, they moved them.
The main desire was to push the agenda of "Amhara is getting killed, Amhara is getting kidnapped" and turn the Amhara ethnic movement into an Amhara nationalist movement.
SA: To incite the people?
BJ: Yes, in order to do that. When an Amhara is killed right here in Gida Kiramu, the claim is "Oromo killed him, Shene (OLA) killed him." But the one that killed him is this group (Fano or Amhara nationalists).
This group is not one entity or political party with one structure. It comes from diverse political organizations and elite groups that come together to strategize and work to get that strategy to be accepted by the people.
Some of them (Fano leaders), are stealing while claiming to be political leaders and military leaders, and enriching themselves.
So now, this force (Fano)....
To tell you the truth, there have been armed struggles held throughout history and in many countries. The Amhara armed struggle is totally different from the armed struggles we have seen before.
For example, during the armed struggle of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the OLF leadership would take action or kill those who stole or killed without permission. They had a Code of Discipline.
The Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) had the same discipline in the past. The same with the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).
But this force (Fano) has zero discipline. They steal and buy land, they steal and buy houses, they steal and buy traitors. There has never been an armed struggle like this.
The Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) armed struggle does not have the same discipline as the OLF. At least OLF had a leadership, structure, discipline, and political questions. The political questions OLF used to ask no longer exist.
And these questions are handled through a process. What are the questions you are raising now?
If there is anyone who is saying that they are more Oromo than Shimelis Abdisa, Shimelis Abdisa is more Oromo than you. No one knows your background, everyone knows Shimelis since he is with his community.
This is not right. Fano also has to distinguish between questions that should lead to armed struggles and questions that should not lead to armed struggles.
They claim they are facing an existential threat. What does it mean to have an existential threat for Amhara? How can millions of Amhara face an existential threat? Who could be so powerful to pose that threat?
Second of all, it is not right to raise the question of an existential threat when Amharas who live outside of the Amhara Region are living, working hard and flourishing in other regions. This is to create confusion.
People might die but it is not only Amhara that are dying. Oromos have died, other people have died, a lot of people have died ever since the change.
Some of the killers are their own people (Amhara), some are external actors. So the question of an existential threat is a matter of survival.
What survival question do the Amhara have? They are living in their region, administering themselves, leading their economy, educating their students, they have representation in their region as well as the Federal Government, their language is being used, their religion is protected.
Where is the existential threat? If your question is that you're getting killed, well everyone is getting killed. In some instances those that are saying that you are getting killed are responsible for the killing. We will reveal the evidence in the future.
This is not right. If the question is let's get rid of federalism, very good let us do it. Let the people decide. Federalism cannot be removed with the signature of the Prime Minister.
The question itself is not enough to lead you to an armed struggle. If the question is let us get rid of federalism, let us get rid of regions, there are ways to do that.
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