September 6, 2008, By Rabiisa Wanjee (from Sidama-land)
Our undercover reporter from Adaare (also known as Awassa), the capital city of Sidama region, also used by the Ethiopian regime as the 'Southern Ethiopia nations and nationalities regional state's capital uncovered that Tadesse Washo, the Sidama national fled the country or made to disappear from the Sidama region some times between August 26 and 28, 2008. The exact date of Tadesse's disappearance from Sidama-land to be confirmed in due course; however, there is profound fear that Tadesse may be within the continent (or perhaps in one of neighbouring country) that may have under cover Meles's security forces those who are assigned to assassinate or cause disappearances to any potential opponents who flee the country; if he has managed to do so. We will further report about his whereabouts as we get his exact location on this web site.
Meanwhile, we would like to hear about his whereabouts and request the help of any one who can pass over any information to the Sidama community in Diaspora and to this web manager. Our huge concern about his safety remains! His family, relatives, friends, comrades and colleagues are also very distressed by not knowing where he at the moment is. Therefore, we urge any one who might have known where Tadesse might be to pass over the information as a matter of urgency so that we can communicate with humanitarian organisations those who can give Tadesse protection.
Who's Tadesse Washoe?-his role in rejecting Meles's genocidal policies imposed against the Sidama nation.
Despite torture, imprisonment, psycho-emotional trauma and relentless intimidations that the entire Sidama nation is suffering from, Tadesse remained one of the few Sidama intellectuals and others several Sidama individuals who have constantly refused to accept the unjust, illegal and unconstitutional policies of Meles's regime imposed on Sidama nation's all round life in particular, on entire southern Ethiopian nations and nationalities and the rest subjugated nations of the empire by Meles's Ethiopian regime, in general.
Tadesse with other thousands of Sidama nationals has been imprisoned, tortured, harassed and intimidated on various occasions by the authorities simply for his views and political opinions. Besides, Tadesse remained unshakable and continued to work on the human and socio-political rights of the Sidama people and emphatically resisted the policies of bogus regional authorities imposed on Sidama nation without their will. He showed his indefatigability not by his power, but by his views and by not accepting what the regime unjustly imposes on the nation. As a result, regional authorities follow Tadess's daily movements using their undercover security forces to harass, arrest and intimidate him on various occasions since May 24, 2002's massacre of the innocent Sidama nationals whose issues remained covered up to this date. The killers and those who have authorised the killings of peaceful and armless Sidama demonstrators are promoted to higher authority status enjoying complete impunity.
More over, Tadesse has been treated inhumanely for his being one of the vocals for the plights of over 5million Sidama nation's quest for regional autonomy that has been constantly stifled by Meles Zenawi's regime. About 69 peaceful Sidama demonstrators have been massacred on May 24, 2002 seeking the said constitutional and basic rights for regional autonomy that has been granted for the least populated nations such as Adere of the Eastern Ethiopia whose population is under 320.000. Tadesse is also one of those who're being victimised because of their ethnic background (being the Sidama nationals) during this turbulent time for the nation. Intimidation and harassment remained a part of Tadesse's daily life as is the case with other Sidama nationals who hold sense of Sidama nationalism.
►May 15, 2005's Ethiopian rigged election
Tadesse is also one of those who have unequivocally refused the result of the Meles's May 15, 2005's highly rigged election that subsequently resulted in his serious sufferings caused due to imprisonments and torture. Several hundreds of Sidama nationals also have been arrested and tortured with Tadesse. Others over two dozens have been killed (concealed killings to date) during the aftermaths of the May 15, 2005's election as it was the case in the capital (Addis Ababa, also called by the natives Fiinfiinee) where over 390 confirmed civilians have lost their beloved ones to the security forces of brutal Meles's regime. The capital's tragic massacre took place in front of the international diplomatic community for which the regime hasn't received reasonable response for such inhuman and cruel acts against humanity by Meles's state sponsored terrorism.
►Sidamas Resistance Movement inside and in Diaspora
Tadesse is also one of those who are a parts and parcels of the Sidama's undercover liberation movements that aims to liberate the Sidama nation from encroaching northern Ethiopian's century old socio-cultural subjugations and politico-economic dominations. Tadesse publicly advocated the plights of the Sidama nation during the return of the late Woldeamanuel D. Hakerso, the ex-leader of Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM), from the UK prior to the May 15, 2005's Ethiopian highly rigged election. After Tadesse found out that an ex-leader of SLM has agreed to work with the Meles's regime that slaughters its citizens in day lights while the Sidama people are also dying seeking basic rights for which SLM claims to be standing for. Tadesse again publicly refuted the action of ex--late-leader and covertly continued to work with the new organisation (SNLO) that has been established after the May 24, 2002's massacre of the Sidama nationals.
Until Tadesse left Abyssinian Empire, he was one of the main undercover contact people to mobilise the Sidama resistance groups to empower them with the necessary knowledge and awareness about their fundamental rights and the socio-economic and politico-cultural domination and the danger that the nation is facing if they were to continue at status-quo. He is also one of those who are covertly organised under the new Sidama National Liberation Organisation (SNLO) that was purely established after the SLM failed to discharge its duty. Tadesse believes that the objective of the SNLO satisfies the basic quest of the Sidama nation for independence and gives the nation opportunity to decide on their futurity without being constantly lectured by the rulers.
Additionally, all round life threatening catastrophic situation that surrounds the lives of the Sidama and other subjugated nations is also Tadesse's grave concern. Based on this concern, Tadesse suggests positive ways forward to the regional authorities to receive nothing, but intimidation and harassments. We find out about the fact that he remains always under surveillance through our daily communication with our contacts including with himself. He receives explicit and implicit life threatening warnings from the regional authorities on constant bases.
►Deliberately Orchestrated Conflicts between subjugated nations
Tadesse has also emphatically rejected and stood against the unnecessary conflicts that are being orchestrated and masterminded by the ruling authorities to cause animosity between two subjugated nations such as Oromo and Sidama around Malge-Wondo (also known as Wondo-Genet) area, Sidama and Wolayita ethnic groups around Lake Abaya areas to help the regime to stay on power while people are fighting with each other to use such backward and hideous divide-and-rule methods. Tadesse receives usual brutal treatments for his genuine and logical opinions all the times.
Therefore, the Sidama people within the country and in Diaspora wish for such courageous Sidama personal all the best and would like to kindly request international democracy loving countries and community to protect Tadesse's basic human right by granting him full protection wherever he goes. Additionally, we, the Sidamas in Diaspora and within the country appeal to the UN, EU, HRW, AI and other humanitarian organisations and democracy loving international community once again to see the case of over 5million populated Sidama nation with this new light and act as a matter of urgency to save the nation and its land from looming danger. We would kindly request your full support in protecting their rights until the Sidama nation fully realise its constitutional and basic rights.
We also urge Meles's regime to stop committing cultural and socio-economic genocides on Sidama people on particular, on the other subjugated nations of the empire such as Oromo, Ogaden Sumali, Afar, Kambata, Hadya, Wolayita.... in general without any precondition
By Rabiisa Wanjee, September 6, 2008
(For Sidama Nation Online and Sidama National Liberation Organisation)