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April 11, 2006
 
The Honorable Betty McCollum
U.S. House of Representative
 1029 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
 
Dear Representative McCollum:
 
We have been following with great interest the Ethiopian Freedom, Human Rights and Democracy Act (HR 4423) bill. We are writing this letter to appreciate the role you played in the African Sub-Committee when this bill was considered, and the attention you gave during the debate to incorporate Oromo issues and interests in the draft bill. We are in particular referring to your March 29, 2006, statement, entitled “Ethiopia’s Troubled Internal Situation.” 
 
We believe that the bill, as passed by the Sub-Committee, even though much better than the original draft bill, still lacks in some important aspects when it comes to Oromo, Anuak, Sidama, Somali and other minority nationality issues in Ethiopia.  We understand that this bill will now be considered by the International Committee. We are confident that you will continue to lend your voice to our cause, and continue to help in the endeavor to amend the draft bill, so that it would be stronger and correctly reflect the reality in Ethiopia. As you correctly stated in your statement, “the current leadership’s political repression, massacres and extreme human rights abuses clearly demonstrate a government that is not on the path to democracy, but committed to retaining power at any cost.”  The bill that will
finally pass should be strong enough to reflect this reality that you correctly articulated.  If we could be of any help in this regard, please let me know.
 
We again want to take this opportunity and say thank you. Thank you for lending your voice to our voiceless people who are suffering in their own land by a government that does not represent them in anyway.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
Oromo-American Citizens Council (OACC)
 

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