Recently, Ethiopia’s Kangaroo court handed down an unfair verdict for innocent civilians accused of being members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Many of those who were sentenced have already spent years of incarceration in TPLF’s concentration camps. Tigabu Yilma, a former class mate for one of the victims of TPLF’s ethnic cleansing policy, recounts his time at Addis Ababa University Law School with Wabe Haji Jarso. By Tigabu Yilma*
May 23, 2014 (OPride) — As might be the case for millions of Oromos and other Ethiopians, it was a shocker for me to learn that the Tigre Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) regime of Meles Zenawi has sentenced leading Oromo intellectuals (political leaders, lawyers, engineers, professors and students) and business people to death, life sentence, and long years of imprisonment. This is the second time in less than three months that the TPLF regime issued such a verdict after the regime sentenced the leaderships of Ginbot 7 and their alleged supporters to death and life imprisonments.
After I saw the news headlines on Gadaa.com and Ethiomedia.com, quite instinctively I went on to see the names of these people. I was barely half way. I was shocked. One of my former classmates, Wabe Haji , was among the list. Wabe Haji Jarso is an Alumni of Addis Ababa University (AAU) Law School, class of 1993/4. Wabe is an Oromo from Arsi region of Oromia State in Ethiopia. Before joining AAU Law School, Wabe served in the Ethiopian Air Force. He was quite, apolitical, farsighted and very considerate member of our class. He was voice of reason and magnanimity. For these noble qualities, we all love, respect and admire him.
Ayyaantuu
May 23, 2014 (OPride) — As might be the case for millions of Oromos and other Ethiopians, it was a shocker for me to learn that the Tigre Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) regime of Meles Zenawi has sentenced leading Oromo intellectuals (political leaders, lawyers, engineers, professors and students) and business people to death, life sentence, and long years of imprisonment. This is the second time in less than three months that the TPLF regime issued such a verdict after the regime sentenced the leaderships of Ginbot 7 and their alleged supporters to death and life imprisonments.
After I saw the news headlines on Gadaa.com and Ethiomedia.com, quite instinctively I went on to see the names of these people. I was barely half way. I was shocked. One of my former classmates, Wabe Haji , was among the list. Wabe Haji Jarso is an Alumni of Addis Ababa University (AAU) Law School, class of 1993/4. Wabe is an Oromo from Arsi region of Oromia State in Ethiopia. Before joining AAU Law School, Wabe served in the Ethiopian Air Force. He was quite, apolitical, farsighted and very considerate member of our class. He was voice of reason and magnanimity. For these noble qualities, we all love, respect and admire him.
Ayyaantuu