Fayisa Lelisa Powerful Op-Ed in Washington Post

So who ghost-wrote this and put his name on it? Any ideas who is behind it?

The OLF has DC offices.

follow the trail wrote:

So who ghost-wrote this and put his name on it? Any ideas who is behind it?

[quote]follow the trail wrote:

So who ghost-wrote this and put his name on it? Any ideas who is behind it?[/quot

As Is the case with *any* Op-Ed piece, various hands will have played a role in editing, from the writer's own circle to the senior staff of the publication. However, this piece does not read like something that was heavily edited. Its power is in its relative lack of sophistication. The paragraphs don't particularly cohere, and it uses a more rudimentary verbiage than is customary for a Post Op-Ed. Because of this, Lelisa's editorial is unusual for its authenticity of voice. Do you read many Op-Ed pieces?

Additionally, I find it frustrating that you contend "someone is behind it". Clearly Lelisa is now part of a community of Ethiopian expats who are struggling in exile, but he is without a doubt an authentic individual actor in a national struggle, motivated by his own convictions. Individuals such as he--and their families--make choices Americans can't imagine in order to bring attention to the corruption and violence back home.

ghostly wrote:

The OLF has DC offices.

follow the trail wrote:

So who ghost-wrote this and put his name on it? Any ideas who is behind it?

OLF and their media wing OMN.

G7 and their Media wing ESAT

Black Lives Matter wrote:

ShouldReturn wrote:

Ethiopia's relative stability and safety is actually admirable considering the country is surrounded by Eritrea AKA "The North Korea of Africa", Somalia (enough said), south sudan and Kenya. Lelisa's grievances might be legitimate however, the protests were hijacked by fringe elements who are hell bent on destroying the country and advancing their secessionist agenda.

I appreciate stability but when you jail and torture journalists, bloggers led and tortured, and kill unarmed protesters you have a problem. If Ethiopian government did not serve US interests, these issues would have been a big deal.

The Ethiopian government isn't putting its military in a harms way for the sake of US interest but to safeguard its territorial integrity and keep its population safe. We have seen the horrendous terrorist acts committed by Al-Shabab in Kenya numerous times. Ethiopia has been able to protect its interest not only inside Ethiopia but around the Horn of Africa.

BTW, there are plenty of independent newspapers in circulation mainly in the capital city. Journalists aren't arrested for merely writing but for "allegedly" colluding with organizations/"Liberation Fronts" that the government labeled terrorists. These liberation fronts, supported by Egypt, work day in and out to destabilize the country in the name of those oppressed.

Here is a video of Egyptian politicians plotting ways to destabilize the country using the Oromos' (feyisa's ethnic group) legitimate grievances.

According to Human Rights Watch:

https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/06/16/such-brutal-crackdown/killings-and-arrests-response-ethiopias-oromo-protests

Security forces, according to witnesses, shot into crowds, summarily killing people during mass roundups, and torturing detained protesters. Because primary and secondary school students in Oromia were among the early protesters, many of those arrested or killed were children under the age of 18. Security forces, including members of the federal police and the military, have arbitrarily arrested students, teachers, musicians, opposition politicians, health workers, and people who provided assistance or shelter to fleeing students. Although many have been released, an unknown number of those arrested remain in detention without charge, and without access to legal counsel or family members.

...

Security forces regularly arrested dozens of people at each protest, and in many locations security forces went door-to door-at night arresting students and those accommodating students in their homes. Security forces also specifically targeted for arrest those perceived to be influential members of the Oromo community, such as musicians, teachers, opposition members and others thought to have the ability to mobilize the community for further protests. Many of those arrested and detained by the security forces have been children under age 18. Security forces have tortured and otherwise ill-treated detainees, and several female detainees described being raped by security force personnel. Very few detainees have had access to legal counsel, adequate food, or to their family members.

US interests may also be Ethiopia's interest when it comes to war on terrorism. It is not written anywhere that the interests of the two countries are mutually exclusive. It is those interests that would compel the US turn a blind eye when there are reported human rights abuses even if you deny them.

Alternatively, the Western narrative about the "brave and courageous" Lilesa in the media is journalists trying to make themselves feel relevant for this "once in a lifetime" event (haha) of someone using the Olympics as a political platform.

Lilesa himself is a complex person of course, but his ordeal should not be overblown into support of the Oromo cause without understanding what it is.

The common analysis is that the ruling government is that selling off Oromo land (all land is owned by the state in ETH) to foreign investors, and combined with general incompetence is causing the uprising, exacerbated by brutality against protesters. An alternative is that the Oromo people want self-determinism (independence), economically and socially haven't gained as much as others since 1991 (when ETH dictatorship ended) as other groups, which could largely be due to their own choices, and now are largely a real menace to regional stability (some might term them "terrorists" as Lilesa himself alludes to). 40% is much above a critical mass, and moreso since the ethnicities are geographically split. One can argue that ETH should let the Oromo people go their own way (as the Western periscope contends). Or one can look at the misery of neighboring countries and argue that central stability is better (not so popular an opinion in the West, where dead Africans from wars only register as statistics). Historical comparisons can be drawn vis-a-vis interventions, but none is of course a perfect analogue.

But to judge the situation by the notion of political protest at the Olympics is myopic.

Great points.

The oromos under previous governments were no doubt subjugated and were not allowed to use their own language. But since the implementation of Ethnic Federalism, the state of Oromia is only administered by those from Oromia and use their own language in schools and state offices. If they're being oppressed, they're being oppressed by their own people and seceding would not resolve the underlying issues. Federal government (federal police/military) is only involved at the request of the State.

As for displacement and "land grab", the country finally opened up to international investors. FDI is imperative to a nation that has declared poverty as the nation's number one enemy.

I agree. Ethiopia's interest happens to align with that of the West. My issue is with those who portray the Ethiopian government as a puppet of the West when in fact, it's the Ethiopian government that's using the West knowing very well that we're obsessed with eliminating terrorism :)

nomomiles wrote:

Wait a minute. Why would he come to the country where blacks are allegedly oppressed all the time, if he is escaping oppression?

And which honorable man betrays his wife and children like that?

He also fails to mention that his movement has been using violence.

Dear nomomiles

No disease is a choice but if you must chose between heart attack and headache, I could guess your choice. Ethiopian government is so brutal that it designs atrociously killing of thousands at a peaceful celebration of their Thanksgiving firing on them from open field making them fall off the cliff while terrorising them with low flying chopper with gun from above. Innocent people aged 7 to 78 years old, pregnant or mother with new born have no mercy. They set fire on you with intention to burn you down. I could give you more info with adequate graphics, just email me at

. By making that sign of #Oromoprotest, Lelisa made the whole world know what is going on in his country. Regarding his family responsibility - remember that this is an African man who knows that MORE THAN YOU DO! He doesn't know food stamps, or walfare, or penssion - he is EVERYTHING for them, and he is aware of that. That is why hundreds of Ethiopian runners are sent and all are going back same old way. A heroic action must be taken to save lives and he did it. Imagine this has been going on for the past 25 years and all the activist, intellectual work, political and diplomatic action worth a fraction of his achievement just by raising his hands above his head in X fashion for less than 1 minute. He did it, everyone who knows that government is clear that he will be killed and he sacrificed his family - he is our hero. Note that there is not much news about police killing in USA out there for Lelisa be scared of or make him question USAs democracy - please don't judge him or those who seek asylum in USA.