Dear next President,

I am a current high school freshman student who lives in Seattle with three siblings and my beloved parents who are currently saddened by what's happening in Ethiopia. I am a citizen but still love the part of me that's Ethiopian/Oromo because it has taught me my culture and where i stand as an Oromo teen. I don't know if you have seen or heard of the horrible crisis in Ethiopia but imagine this United States government army going around communities killing citizens and most importantly teens! well in the past two weeks alone, authorities in Ethiopia have arrested thousands of protesters, overwhelmingly young people by some accounts. However, the number of killed teens is already likely much higher than the arrested teens.  The US government needs to realize that this is a major issue and needs to help the Ethiopian people end this violence.

As my mom tells me the reason this is going on is because the protests began last November, triggered by plans made by the government to extend the capital, Addis Ababa, into Oromia. Since that plan has been shelved, but the protests have continued, with decades-old frustration and anger at the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition coming to the surface. Protests have continued in Oromia, in part motivated by the brutal crackdown up until that point.  Ethiopia and Eritrea researcher at HRW and the report’s lead author, methods used by the security forces included firing live ammunition into crowds. It’s quite often indiscriminate, randomly spraying bullets into crowds (Horne).

So basically, this shows that in Ethiopia there isn't such a thing as freedom of rights or freedom of speech. What is the United States doing to improve or working with other countries to establish a good reason for people to have the freedom they need? They have also cut internet connectivity in most of the country including Addis Ababa the capital for the last three weeks. As my mom explains to me the only reason they cut it is because the don't want people videoing what's going on and post it for help or support. "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" (Abubeker).

I think our next president should allow immigration just in case people want to migrate from their country if they are having troubles. In addition to that, we should stop going into other country's business unless innocent people are actually getting hurt or dying for doing nothing. Ethiopians are chanted "We need freedom" and "We need justice" and prevented community elders, deemed close to the government, from delivering their speeches at a religious festival, prompting police to fire tear gas that caused the stampede.

  Sincerely,

Hinari D.