TO: The State Department, United
States of America, International Human Rights Organizations and International
Community.
FROM: Anuak Justice Council (AJC)
DATE: January 12, 2005
RE: The Ethiopian Government of Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi Continues Opportunistic and Multidimensional Attacks on the Anuak
of the Gambella Region of Ethiopia
Background
The massacre of ethnic Anuak in the Gambella region of Ethiopia has been
going on for a year now. The Ethiopian government defense forces, behind
closed doors, have continued the perpetration of massive human rights
violations. The crimes committed, have remained unpunished. The Ethiopian
authorities, in justifying this massacre, reconstruct a wholly different
reality, calling it a legitimate campaign against “anti-peace elements”,
thereby giving “reason” to perpetuate their attack on these
people. They have called it ethnic rivalry between the Anuak and Nuer,
but in the last year, there are no reported incidents of violent conflict
between them.
In 2004, Genocide Watch and Survivors’ Rights International conducted
two field missions to the Gambella region. They published their first
findings in February 26, 2004 report: “Today is the Day of Killing
Anuaks.” and in December 13, 2004 report “Operation
Sunny Mountain?”.
In the first report, survivors and witnesses of the massacre and other
crimes, starting on December 13, 2003, were interviewed in the refugee
camp in Pochalla, Sudan, after they had fled there for safety.
The second report involves many survivors and witnesses who remained
in the Gambella region and have experienced continued oppression from
the federal defense forces now inundating the area. This report also provides
documentation that the horrendous events of the last year were plans originating
in the top level of government well before December 13, 2003 and were
related to gaining control over the rich resources in the region, especially
oil, but also includes natural gas, gold, water, fertile land and forests.
It documents the presence of an oil extracting company, already active
in setting up operations. In fact, this report documents that this plan
carried a name, “Operation Sunny Mountain.”
The purpose of this memorandum is to provide an updated overview of gross
human rights abuses between December 11, 2004 and January 8, 2005 based
on more than thirty interviews. It was during this period that the federal
troops stepped up its efforts to suppress any public demonstrations or
services that might call attention to the tragic events of the previous
year. This report summarizes numerous violations committed by the Ethiopian
People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) forces against the
Anuak, including fifteen forced disappearances as well as many cases of
indiscriminate shootings, imprisonments and the use of force.
The Ethiopian government officials have shown a lack of commitment to
a meaningful accountability process by their public statements, by the
low number and evidently poor quality of investigations, and by the failure
of law enforcement and other government agencies to build an atmosphere
of trust among Anuak victims and witnesses. The Ethiopian government officials
continue to downplay serious abuses committed in Gambella as "incidental"
and "exceptional."
As extra-judicial killing, rape, false imprisonment, torture, disappearances,
destruction of homes, crops, granaries and the means for self-subsistence
and other actions continue to be perpetrated against the Anuak by Ethiopian
government defense troops, the risk of the Anuak taking up arms, increases.
The government may fear any reprisal attacks from the Anuak as being a
potential catalyst to more seriously destabilizing the area in that others
may join them. Perhaps this is another reason that these thousands of
troops continue to be deployed to the area in an attempt to control the
Anuak with an atmosphere of terror and intimidation as they continue their
oil operation on Anuak lands. Sources indicate threats of death or imprisonment
are made by the federal troops against anyone who would claim ownership
of the land.
The reputation of the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has plummeted
during the last year as the international community has become aware of
the gross crimes being perpetrated by the government against its own people.
In addition to the Anuak, human rights violations against other groups
are rampant throughout Ethiopia, demonstrating a generalized policy of
horror, terror and brutal governance by a dictator, shrouded in the deceptive
clothes of a “democratic leader.”
The international community has poured millions of dollars into a “black
hole”, as Ethiopia remains, despite all the help, the third poorest
country in the world. Where is the development resulting from all these
“dollars”? Where are the people who have benefited? Instead,
how much has it cost this government to imprison more prisoners of dissent
than most any other country in Africa? How much has it cost this government
to send thousands of troops to Gambella, essentially establishing military
rule in the area? Little by little, the illusion of Ethiopia being a “model
of democracy in Africa” is being shattered as the light of truth
reveals the government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to be one of the
most corrupt, oppressive and self-serving regimes of our time.
Thousands of New Troops Arriving in the Gambella
Region
The international indignation over this ethnic cleansing campaign being
waged against the Anuak people of Gambella, is increasing. Yet, as the
attention of the world has been recently directed towards the victims
of the Asian Tsunami, the Ethiopian government has quietly seized the
opportunity to make new threats against the Anuak, similar to those prior
to December 13, 2003, believing that the international community will
not pay attention.
During the first days of January, thousands of additional troops have
been arriving daily in Gambella. It is estimated that 3,000 troops surround
the city every night and are guarding all the roads into town. With them
are coming more weapons and heavy artillery, strategically placed in open
view and pointed towards homes, churches and main streets in town further
intimidating local people. Many of Anuak witnessed the massacre last year
and are already emotionally traumatized from that experience; however,
as they again see a similar buildup, they are living with fear that it
may happen again. Now, some want to flee to Pochalla, Sudan. Sources report
that federal soldiers are again making threats, telling people, “If
you think you are going to resist, we will wipe you out and finish you.”
Just as the guilty become tormented with overblown or imaginary fears
everywhere they turn, so are these perpetrators appearing to be obsessed
with the Anuak, operating as if everyone could be a suspect, capable of
being a threat to them or their plans. Stories have circulated about the
Anuak’s prowess and military ability. Commanders of regiments involved
in the previous Eritrea-Ethiopian War attribute victories to a few Anuaks
under their command. One Anuak man was said to have fought against and
killed sixteen men before being killed.
As is typical, most perpetrators of such crimes are fearful unless propped
up by many others. Does this account for the need for so many troops?
When fear takes hold of them, forceful control and repression is exercised.
Is this why so many are being threatened and arrested? However, fear is
that insatiable monster, always requiring more. Sources from within the
defense troops have shared that there is worry that thirty Anuaks are
armed and want to retaliate against the military for the deaths of family
members. Everywhere throughout Gambella state, federal troops are interrogating,
imprisoning, threatening and torturing people related to this.
It is now the dry season, making travel possible again, another reason
for the increase in activity in the region. In addition to the thousands
of troops in Gambella town and on every road leading there, three to four
thousand more have been seen crossing the Gilo River, between Pinyudo
and Tedo, close to the Sudanese border and to the refugee camp in Pochalla,
Sudan. A thousand more troops are reported to be in Jor district, looking
for “armed Anuaks”. There is concern that the troops will
actually cross the border into Sudan.
Last week, a 21-year-old Anuak man, who recently came to Gambella from
Addis Ababa, was new to the area and therefore was “suspicious”.
He was interrogated about the “30 armed Anuak” and when he
did not know anything, he was beaten in front of a crowd of bystanders
by a newly arrived, commander of the federal forces. Accounts indicate
that he was told, “Your people were whining and complaining to the
international community, making a bad image of our government. But what
you don’t know is that you are not under the international community
government, you are under the Ethiopian government. Where are they (the
international community) now?” He was then arrested and detained
for being “a suspicious person.”
One source just arrived in Gambella from Dimma district and reported
that more troops have inundated that area, blocking anyone from coming
into town that might want food or other support. Older farmers have been
threatened that they will be arrested should they provide any help.
On January 5, 2005 defense forces accused Anuak farmers of providing
food to armed Anuaks in Pukung, a small town about 70 Kilometers east
of Gambella, close to the Oromo area. Most of the residents are from the
Komo tribe, but a small number of Anuak also live there. The federal troops
burned down only Anuak homes, crops and granaries. Not a single Komo home
or property was destroyed. Approximately two hundred people have now come
to Gambella seeking food and other basic necessities.
Some Anuak have recently retaliated. On or about December 13, information
was received that several young Anuak men indiscriminately killed three
innocent teachers, all who were highlanders, in retaliation for what they
believed was the indiscriminate killing of three Anuak teens, ages 12,
13 and 17, by defense troops. The victims were on a road to Gog Depeach
when they met up with Ethiopian federal troops who told them to stop.
They did not and instead ran. They were all shot and killed. After their
burial, four or five teenagers went to an elementary school in Bate-Thatha
village and killed three highlander teachers and left a woman, the cook,
alive.
They told her to give a message to the federal defense troops that every
time they indiscriminately kill innocent Anuak that they will indiscriminately
kill the same number of highlanders. It is not morally justifiable, yet
not surprising, that some young Anuaks, have themselves taken up arms
and become killers of innocent people, considering their losses of family,
friends and life as they knew it. It is exacerbated by length of time
this situation has continued without resolution. Their options have been
reduced to living under the bleak conditions in a refugee camp in Sudan
or returning to their homes either to be killed or arrested.
However, after word of the killings became known amongst highlanders
in Gambella town, some picked up machetes and axes in anger and many feared
a repeat of the militia mobs of December 13, 2003. However, the federal
police in Gambella town told the highlanders to not retaliate or the responsibility
would fall on the federal government. They even had gone to some of the
Anuak areas to warn Anuaks to not go anywhere and to report any highlanders
to them who might go in to their area. Reportedly, the Anuak felt the
federal police were able to control the situation from escalating, something
they felt convinced would have been possible on December 13, 2003 if the
federal defense forces had not been promoting it.
In reaction to this event, on December 23, 2004, the commander of the
federal defense forces called a meeting, requiring the remaining Anuak
government workers and other educated Anuak to attend. They were then
forced to return to the rural areas, where they were originally from,
to talk to the community elders and warn them that they should immediately
report the presence of any Anuak insurgents or anti-government persons
to the government. They were to tell them that the elders and farmers
in the closest villages would be found accountable and punished should
there be any attacks on federal troops or highlanders. Over seventy-eight
Anuak men were forced to participate in this. However, the response of
the elders was for them to tell the defense forces that it would be difficult
to control some of the young people unless the government defense forces
first stopped killing the people. This group of men just recently returned.
No other attacks have been reported.
Most Anuak Children Have Not Been in School for over
One Year
The Gambella Region has one hundred and thirty-six schools; of those,
only thirty-two of them are in session. These are schools in the non Anuaks
districts, namely Godere, Jakwo, Akobo and major towns of Anuak districts,
namely Gambella town, Itang town, Pinyudo town and Abobo town. For example
before December 13, 2003, there were 16 schools in session in Gambella
district but now only 8 are in session. There were 13 schools in session
in Itang district but now only 5 are in session. There were 18 schools
in Abobo district but now only 3 are in session. There were 17 schools
in Gog district but now only 2 are in session. There were 11 schools in
Jor district but now none is in session. There were 7 schools in Dimma
district but now none is in session. In other word many Anuak schools
in the rural areas of the Gambella region are now turned into military
barracks. Where schools are in session, some Anuak children are afraid
to attend. All of the schools in non Anuak districts are in session. For
example all 13 schools in In Jakawo district for example all 13 schools
are in session and in Godere district all 18 schools are in session.
Incidents of Rape of Anuak Women and Girls by Federal
Troops Continue
At about 9:00 PM on December 31, 2004 two young girls, ages nineteen and
twenty-two, were returning home from Gambella high school when one was
attacked by three men from federal defense force. This occurred on a major
street in Gambella town. One of the soldiers grabbed the girl’s
hand, putting it behind her back and covered her mouth, as she cried out.
Her friend, instead of running away in fear, started screaming and punching
the man.
As one of the men tried to forcibly take the victim from the area, her
friend continued to scream for help before she was stabbed with knife
by one of them and fell to the ground bleeding. When neighbors heard them,
five federal police officers intervened, pointing a gun at the soldiers.
The federal police officers then handcuffed and arrested them. A superior
commander of the federal defense troops has now come to where these men
were being held and had them transferred to a military site. Now, most
believe that nothing will happen to them. This incident occurred in the
middle of the town, an area thought to be one of the safest. Many other
incidents of rape are going on in the rural areas, but the Anuak have
been alarmed that the federal troops involved in these rapes are becoming
more brazen. It may be noted that it has only been Anuak women who have
been raped, similar to Anuak men being targeted for other crimes against
their person.
Nearly 1000 Anuaks Remain in Federal Custody in Gambella;
More Continue to be Arrested
Local sources, including some from within the regional local police force,
not wanting to be identified for security reasons, stated on November
25, 2004 that nearly 1000 Anuaks continue to be detained in Gambella Regional
Prison, without charges, and without any access to the legal process as
laid out in the Ethiopian constitution. Their physical and mental status
continues to deteriorate as many of them have now been imprisoned for
over a year.
Reports indicate that medical care has been denied and that harsh conditions,
including inadequate food and sleeping conditions, further endanger the
health and survival of those imprisoned. Apparently, in a room that would
fit two or three beds, fifteen men are held. When they sleep, they cannot
all fit without being on top of each other. Drinking water comes from
the river and many have gotten cholera and dysentery. Others have gotten
malaria and tuberculosis. In addition to the poor conditions, many are
being tortured.
Obang Media, was the advisor to the former governor, Okello Akway Ochalla,
who fled the country in January 2004 and is in asylum in Norway. After
he left, Obang Media was arrested and has been detained since. He is a
diabetic. Prison officials will not allow him regular medication, but
wait until he is seriously ill before providing it. He has lost a significant
amount of weight and could barely eat. His condition was so poor that
he had to be hospitalized. After limited recovery, his request for medication
has again been denied.
Oremi Odeir used to be a driver for the regional government. Reports
indicate that he is likely to die within the next few weeks unless he
is treated. It is believed he may have tuberculosis. Last week, his condition
was so serious, he could not eat or talk. Other prisoners were so concerned
they sought help from a prison official but were refused. They then had
relatives ask the local Red Cross to intervene. The Red Cross requested
medical help for him, but was told the official had no authority to okay
the request. So four Anuak women, elders in the community, went to Omot
Obang Olam, an Anuak government collaborator, on Monday and he was hospitalized
the next day. However, after only two to three days of care, he was taken
back to the prison after only minimal improvement.
One boy, Owar Oluch Achawo, has been in prison since he was only nine
years old. His father, Oluch Achawo, was imprisoned in August 2002 after
his son, Obang Oluch, was accused by the government of robbing highlanders
in the town of Pinyudo in the Gambella region. When he could not be found,
his father was arrested and detained without charges in the federal prison
in Addis Ababa, serving as a substitute for him. After only two months,
Oluch Achawo died.
The federal defense forces then went to Pinyudo and forcibly took his
nine-year-old son to now replace his father in prison. However, the head
of the prison in Addis Ababa refused him, stating he was too young, forcing
them to release him. Two weeks later, defense forces again went back and
put him in the regional prison in Gambella instead where he has remained
since November of 2002.
Many Anuaks continue to experience torture throughout the Gambella region.
Sources describe how men are tied down and beaten with gun barrels, iron
bars and metal whips. Most arrested are beaten, often repeatedly and severely.
Some of the men interviewed, were tortured with electricity. While detained
they were deprived of food for days at a time and sometimes kept in cells
or pits so small that all of the men could not sit down.
On December 12, just prior to the anniversary of the massacre, government
authorities warned the Anuak not to participate in any public or private
commemorative events or to even mention it. Anuak churches were told not
to hold any special services. They also prohibited Anuak from gathering
in groups of more than three persons. Yet, eighty-six young Anuak men
were rounded up and imprisoned, even though they had not assembled.
One man, Omot Ojullu Abella, had been detained for the past year in Gambella
Regional Prison without charges. As three federal police with iron bars
and rifle butts beat him, they spoke of retaliating against him due to
being related to organizers of a memorial service for the Anuak in the
United States, which commemorated the one-year anniversary of this tragic
event, which has now possibly taken thousands of Anuak lives.
From the beating, Omot Ojullu Abella was critically injured and then
denied medical care. However, after his case was brought into public view
through the action of Amnesty International and through the action of
the US State Department and the United States Embassy, the Ethiopian government
sent their highest official, within the department of the federal police,
to Gambella Regional Prison, to apologize in person to Omot Ojullu Abella
for the actions of the “barbarians” who, allegedly, did not
represent their government.
Government Controlled Nominations for Regional Governor
Omot Ojullu Abella was finally provided medical care for his injuries.
He is recovering, yet remains in prison. It is well accepted that once
arrested, none of the Anuaks are ever charged, tried, convicted or released
from prison. However, there are rumors that Omot Ojullu Abella may be
the exception and end up being released. This may be due to public exposure,
but those same sources indicated that it would only occur after nominations
for the governor of Gambella are closed.
Omot Ojullu Abella is a well respected and courageous man, who may well
be the “people’s choice” for governor if not carefully
controlled. The government now has made it public that the nominating
period will end in an unprecedented three weeks. It is rumored that once
nominations can no longer be made, that Omot Ojullu Abella may be released.
At that time, due to their new policy of shortening the nomination period,
he will no longer pose a threat to the government and their plans for
who should have the job.
Currently, the “government’s choice” is Omot Obang
Olam, an Anuak man who is listed as one of the perpetrators of human rights’
crimes against the Anuak by human rights field investigators due to his
collaboration with the EPRDF government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
It is widely accepted that it was he that provided the list of Anuak leaders
who were targeted for killing. He has been heavily involved in the arrests
and torture of Anuaks.
In fact, just before a federal police officer ordered the three other
federal police to beat Omot Ojullu Abella, he had come out of a meeting
with Omot Obang Olam. This man continues to enjoy the “special treatment”
awarded to such key collaborators who serve as the “right hand”
of the Ethiopian government. His nomination is no surprise. Instead of
releasing the intellectual prisoners who may be the best candidates for
elected office, the government has imprisoned any who might challenge
them and have substituted a criminal. The blatant attitude of this government,
where they assume they can proceed with impunity, is astonishing, but
clearly visible by these actions.
Disappearances, Detention, Torture and Killings in
Military Camps
Between December 11 and 18, 2004 Ethiopian troops conducted exceptionally
harsh sweep operations in at least thirteen Anuak villages and five different
districts of Gambella. The troops rounded up several hundred Anuak men,
mostly without any form of due process, and took them to temporary military
bases in or near the villages. According to eyewitnesses, soldiers extra-judicially
executed at least four detainees, and at least six detainees "disappeared"
in detention. The four former detainees interviewed gave detailed testimony
of torture and ill treatment, including electric shock, severe beatings,
and being forced to remain in "stress positions." In independent
interviews, they said that dozens, if not hundreds, of other detainees
had also faced torture and ill treatment. Eyewitnesses gave further testimony
about widespread extortion, looting, and destruction of Anuak property.
The disappearance of detainees in the custody of EPRDF forces in Gambella
is a major human rights crisis that the Ethiopian government and the international
community must address. The discovery of the mutilated corpses of thirteen
of the disappeared Anuaks in Tircerow village on December 19, 2004, has
substantiated fears that they have been tortured and summarily executed.
The first such case dates back to December 17, 2003. The most recent
happened in January 6, 2005. The risk of disappearances affects every
Anuak in the region. Victims are predominately male and range from fifteen
years of age to sixty-five; among them have been students, farmers, teachers,
and public servants. The circumstances and manner of the arrests suggest
that they are often executed by units without any pretext of legal authority
or regularity.
Most of the individuals were arrested and detained while walking on a
road in their villages or towns, standing in their front yards, shopping
at a market, driving, crossing a checkpoint that they had navigated many
of times before, or just sitting in their homes with their families. Othow
Oboya was arrested in Gog Depach because he could not provide a clean
drinking water to EPDRF soldiers, another man Kwut Cham was arrested in
Dumbang because he protested the arrest of his son. One eighteen-year-old
Anuak boy was shot while riding on his bicycle in Pinyudo town on December
17, 2004. Another was mutilated in Gog Depach on December 23, 2004.
It is generally believed that many of those unaccounted for, have been
either killed or are being secretly detained in military camps in the
rural areas where federal troops are based. Thousands of these were young
men who had sought safety in Pochalla, Sudan a year ago when federal troops
started their rampage of killing or imprisoning Anuaks; however, due to
the bleak conditions in the refugee camp, many have attempted to seek
relief by returning to Gambella, only to be killed “for suspicious
behavior” or detained in military camps on their way back to their
homes.
In an area where communication is so difficult, public awareness of their
plight has only come to light when some of the bodies of these men and
boys were returned to their families for burial. Most had not known that
their loved one was in route back to the Gambella. As families recover
these bodies, they have seen bruises, cuts and other injuries covering
their heads, limbs and torsos, evidence of gross maltreatment. No investigations
of the cause of their deaths follow. Instead, when family members have
asked about the injuries, they have ended up being arrested and detained.
According to sources, since December 2003, there is record of 173 Anuaks
dying while in the custody of federal defense forces. This does not include
numerous others who have died in Gambella Regional Prison or in the Addis
Ababa Federal Prison. Many others remain in detention in inaccessible
military camps under unknown conditions, just how many is difficult to
determine, but it is believed to be a significant number. Federal defense
soldiers and police have reportedly arrested some who are judged to be
“suspicious” simply because they have old wounds, scars and
other injuries on their bodies from gunshots or machetes related to the
December 2003 attacks against them. They are arrested and detained as
“terrorists”, their injuries serving as “proof.”
One seventeen-year-old, Germa Ojo, is an example. He was a victim of
December 13, 2003 and had scars from three bullet wounds, one in his hand,
and another in his back. He had fled to Pochalla for safety and returned
in August with others, only to be arrested due to these scars on his body.
Approximately one hundred sixty others were arrested for similar reasons.
Anuak Leaders Remain in the Federal Prison, Addis
Ababa
In 2002, the democratically elected regional governor, Okello Niglo, and
four district governors, the mayor of Gambella town, and thirty-eight
other elected government officials were arrested in Gambella and transferred
to the federal prison in Addis Ababa where they remain even though the
Ethiopian constitution that states that any citizen arrested, should be
charged with a crime within forty-eight hours, or be released.
Information was received on January 3, 2005 indicating that the governor,
Okello Niglo, the Gambella mayor, Mr. Orite Agureria, most of the times
known as Ahelemaryarn Tekelernaryarn, Mr.Okok Ojulu former Manager of
Ethiopia Social Development Rehabilitation Fund and the former Dimma district
governor Mr. Ojulu Akwala, are all ill and in need of medical care. Family
members have obtained medication and have tried to provide it to the prison
authorities, but their attempts were denied.
Government Still Fails to Accept Any Responsibility
Since the massacre of December 13, 2003, the Ethiopian government has
failed to accept any responsibility for the massive human rights abuses
against the Anuak ethnic group in the Gambella region of Ethiopia. As
of January 9, 2005, the EPRDF forces continued to engage in arbitrary
arrests, unlawful detention, torture, murder, attempted murder, disappearances,
and bribery. Anuak men are arrested on flimsy pretexts, interrogated,
beaten, and sometimes thrown into pits in the ground. EPRDF military units
sweep through Anuak towns and villages ostensibly in search of Anuaks
arms and men. They arrest civilians, shoot into their homes and take their
property before leaving.
In the last year, there has been no independent international inquiry
into the December 2003 massacred, large-scale violations of human rights
and international humanitarian law that are perpetrated on a daily basis
in Gambella. Of the many evident cases of disproportionate use of force
by EPRDF forces, not one single case is currently under investigation.
The EPRDF military claims of jurisdiction over many of the most serious
of the reported crimes have posed seemingly insurmountable obstacles to
justice, and good faith investigations have been largely absent. None
of the commanding officers that presided over the December 2003 massacres
has been arrested nor suspended pending the outcome of investigations.
Instead of taking this kind of confidence-building measure, a general
of the defense forces who had direct oversight over troops that committed
the massacre in Gambella, was awarded the honor of being a "Hero".
Ethiopian legislation undermines the accountability process by creating
wholesale exemptions from prosecution for serious violations committed
by the EPRDF forces in the course of anti-terrorist operations.
Despite documentation from multiple sources and eyewitnesses, they even
failed to arrest perpetrators identified in their own report, completed
by their own appointed Independent Investigative Commission. They continue
to hide the facts from the donor countries and human rights organizations
instead of finding a meaningful solution that could resolve serious peace
and security issues in the region.
The Anuak who remain inside the Gambella region live under a reign of
terror, in a prison-like environment characterized by arbitrary rules
and daily violence. The destruction of Anuak homes and buildings, combined
with the atmosphere of terror and insecurity has deeply affected the health
and hopes of almost every Anuak. About 70,000 Anuak remain inside Gambella,
of whom 51,000 are displaced from their former homes.
Today, it is harder than ever to deliver humanitarian aid in the rural
areas outside Gambella, because of the deterioration in security conditions
for aid workers and the increasingly obstructive bureaucracy. In fear
of their lives and without access to assistance in their home country,
Anuaks continue to flee in massive numbers to neighbouring Pochalla, Sudan
where another 8,000 are doubled up with other families or living in camps,
and other inadequate facilities. They have suffered enormous trauma. Clearly,
the strategy of providing little assistance to the refugees in Sudan,
in the hope that this will force them to go home, has failed. Neither
have the difficult conditions halted the exodus. The reality of the numbers
of refugees in Sudan and internally displaced persons in Ethiopia must
be acknowledged, so that sufficient quantities of adequate aid may be
provided to this population.
Ethiopian Government Gives its Plan for Resources
in the Gambella Region and Warns Anuak to “Move On”
It appears the government is ready to move on with the next step of their
plan to use the resources of this area, with the exception of the Anuak,
who are being forced out at every juncture. Sources indicate that the
executive branch of the Ethiopian government which is made up of the office
of the President, the office of the Prime Minister, and the council of
ministers has held a urgent secret meeting in Addis, on January 3, 2005,
to discuses the Anuak’s legal case of crimes against humanity against
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
It was decided to send a delegation of seven top officials to Gambella
“to settle” the problem. In the history of this government,
no top officials are remembered to have previously come to Gambella. On
January 7, Mr. Addisu Legesse, the Vice Prime Minister and also the Minister
of Rural Development, Mr. Abay Tsehaye, the Minister of Federal Affairs,
Mr. Bereket Simeon, the Minister of Information, Dr. Kebede Tadesse, the
Minister of Health, Ms. Gennet Zewide, the Minister of Education, Mr.
Shiferaw Jarso, Minister of Water Resources, and Dr. Mulatu Teshome, Minister
of Agriculture all arrived in Gambella for this historic meeting with
the Anuak elders and leaders.
Two meetings were held, one on January 8 and another on January 9, 2005.
The majority of the ethnic Anuak and other indigenous people of Gambella
were hopeful that it might lead to some resolution, but their hopes were
shattered. Instead, they were told that the government was going to be
sending more troops due to the open border between Sudan and Ethiopia.
Now that there was a peace agreement in Sudan, there would be guns available
that could be used against the government in Ethiopia and therefore, the
borders would be controlled with checkpoints for those crossing over into
Ethiopia.
The second point made was that the government would be creating and training
local militias that could protect if anti-government forces attacked and
that the defense forces would back them up. They were told to not be surprised
or scared if they saw more troops coming, that it was for their own benefit.
In response to a question of security from a highlander businessman, it
was emphasized that the troops were there to ‘100% protect you and
will be opening the door to more highlanders who will be resettled there,’
(on Anuak land). They were also told that the Minister of Defense wants
to construct a dam by using the defense forces of highlanders, who otherwise,
would not have a job. They were informed that a military camp was to be
set up near the dam site in Abobo district. No manpower was needed from
local people. It became clear that the area would be dominated by troops.
Nothing was said regarding the massacre of December 13 and subsequent
actions against the Anuak.
One woman asked if the government had a plan to restore peace and justice
to the area, including the holding those involved accountable. In response,
she was told that it to the best of his knowledge, all those who committed
crimes were now in prison and that it was time to “move on.’’
He stated that the Anuak should stop exaggerating things that have come
to an end or the government will deal with those who are trying to damage
the reputation of the government. He added that the international community
was happy with the explanations provided by the government and that the
Anuak should stop bringing up false information to the international community.
Synopsis of Some Alleged Statements by Government
Delegates:
Vice Prime Minister
Vice Prime Minister Adusu Legesse indicated that “true Ethiopians”
were those who loved their country and were sympathetic to their government.
He told them that anyone who had been nominated by the government for
positions as governor of the region or districts should not be resisted,
but supported by the local people because the government “trusts”
these people and can work with them. In other words, he explained that
the government will only work with Anuaks who are “true Ethiopians.”
He told them that the local people should work with the government in
weeding out anti-peace elements, including any supporters and contacts
of these people. The local people should come forward if they overhear
anyone speak out against the government and report them to the defense
forces immediately.
Minister of Federal Affairs
Mr. Abay Tsehaye, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated that the international
community had asked them to investigate the ethnic conflict between the
Anuak and Nuer. He told them that they had done that, as a good government,
by appointing a commission to complete an independent inquiry. He said
that they had found and arrested everyone involved and that the international
community was satisfied in what they delivered and that it was now time
to move on to a different chapter that would bring development and prosperity
to Ethiopia. He said that the beginning of the prosperity may begin there
in Gambella in that they were sitting on plenty of resources, including
oil. He remarked that they would have seen the oil company and that it
will result in bringing wealth to the country of Ethiopia and to Gambella.
He warned that anyone who says things against the oil company or to individuals
working with the oil company are people who do not want Ethiopia to prosper.
He emphasized that the government understood what the international community
meant regarding an investigation and the local people did not. He indicated
that it would have a bad impact on the local people if the international
community came to investigate. He further stated that they will be talking
about us and will stop us from moving on to build the prosperity we all
have been dreaming about. He warned the local people to be cautious of
foreigners.
Minister of Information
Mr. Bereket Simeon, the Minister of Information told the people that the
Anuak should not exaggerate and if something happened, that it was not
to be shared with foreigners. Instead, if someone suspicious asked them
a question, that they should report them to the authorities. They were
told that if they saw people being interviewed or someone asked to interview
you about the ethnic conflict, that they should report that because those
are the people who are destroying the image of the country and do not
want prosperity. He stated that “we” have to control the information
that gets out from the country by not allowing it to go to outsiders.
He indicated that the Anuak who are “true to the country”
will share in the prosperity.
Minister of Health
Dr. Kebede Tadesse, the Minister of Health, lamented the lack of other
basic services such as doctors, health clinics, clean water and educational
opportunities for the people of Gambella. He indicated that he would like
to see the health clinics in Gambella improve and to see the Gambella
Nursing College upgraded into better college. He told the public that
they had a responsibility to respect their government. He indicated that
the federal government plan to improve the regional health bureau will
be held back if there are people who provide false information that destroy
the image of the country.
Minister of Education
Ms. Gennet Zewide, the Minister of Education admitted to the people that
the Gambella region had a poor educational system in relation to other
areas in Ethiopia. She indicated that she would like to see more kindergarten
and elementary schools for the children and to see the Gambella Teachers
Training Institute {GTTI} become a university. She also remarked that
she would like to see Gambella women benefit from education so that in
the future, they could be in a job like hers. She told them they had a
responsibility to love their government. She stated that their government
was the only government that would give them an education or tell them
what was right or wrong.
Minister of Agriculture
Dr. Mulatu Teshome, the Minister of Agriculture remarked on all the natural
resources they had in Gambella. He said they had fertile soil, gold, and
other resources. He told them that if they cooperated and rallied behind
the government, that they would have food available, meat, mild and fish.
He further stated that the federal troops can do the job of building the
dam and are there to bring food to the table so their children are not
hungry. He warned that if anyone was hostile to the oil company or the
federal troops building the dam, that they are people who do not want
food. He also warned them against sharing any information with outsiders.
We Will Go After the Anuak--Wherever They Are--Who
Are Against the Government
Following the meeting on January 9, the elders in the Anuak community
were asked to meet separately. They were told that there would be opportunity
to ask questions. However, during the meeting, when it was announced that
questions could be asked, only one Anuak man Mr. Obango Ogud spoke and
it was obvious to the rest that he had been bribed, threatened or both.
He spoke Anuak as Omot Obang Olom (the man who has been collaborating
with the government from the beginning) translated. He said that the Anuaks
were in the wrong and that anyone who did not like the government and
participated in any anti-government activities should be brought to the
attention of the authorities.
Following his statement, the Minister of Federal Affairs enthusiastically
clapped. When another Anuak attempted to ask a question, the question
period was ended. Instead, the Anuaks were told that they should tell
their family members in Pochalla, Sudan that they should return because
it was hurting the image of the government. It was stated, ‘We will
go after any Anuak, wherever they are who are against the government,
even as far as Pochalla. Following the meeting, the officials visited
the site of the dam before returning to Addis Ababa.
What the Minister of Federal Affairs may not have shared at the meeting
was his own experience in Washington DC in September 2004, when he was
under threat of being arrested for his crimes against humanity due to
his actions against the Anuak. Sandra Colliver, Executive Director from
the Center for Justice and Accountability, a well known international
human rights law firm in Washington DC, had contacted him in his hotel
room regarding meeting with her to address these issues. He declined.
He was also contacted by the president of Genocide Watch, Greg Stanton,
regarding his part in the crimes, which met the definition of genocide
according to this expert. He again declined. Shortly after that, he checked
out of his hotel. When his picture was posted close to his meeting at
the IMF (International Monetary Fund), instructing anyone who sighted
him to call Colliver’s law firm, he may have realized that what
he thought was hidden, may be emerging from the darkness into the view
of those who can take action against him as an individual. It may be too
late for him to keep the truth from the world.
It also may be noted that on the same day of the meeting, January 10,
Abudi Ojud, a 31-year-old Anuak woman, died. She had been tortured one
year ago and had never recovered. Her 24-year-old brother Ochugi Ojud
had been killed on December 13 and federal troops had come to her home
on January 5, 2004 to interrogate her as to where the men in her family
were. She reportedly became so upset that she started yelling at them.
She was then beaten until she was throwing up blood. Her home was then
burned down. She came from a poor family with few resources and never
was able to receive medical treatment. Her blind mother is now the only
one left. Unfortunately, this young woman has now “moved on,”
her life and future taken from her.
Ethiopia Receives Debt Forgiveness to Improve the
Lives of Ordinary Citizens
On December 30, 2004, the US rewarded Ethiopia with huge amounts of debt
relief ($100.6 million in the next two years) that essentially amounts
to 100% debt relief so as to enable Ethiopia to improve the lives of ordinary
citizens by strategically reducing poverty through education, health services
and other means. It is ironic that after destroying the homes, crops,
and properties of the Anuak, after killing the educated leaders and family
wage-earners leaving countless widows and orphans, after displacing thousands
of Anuak from their homes, after expropriating schools for the use by
federal defense forces, after raping the women and destroying the basic
fabric of the Anuak culture, that the Ethiopian government is now going
to change its direction and instead build up an infrastructure that would
reduce poverty and improve the well-being of the Anuak.
Another question is what has it cost to send and maintain the thousands
of federal troops in the Gambella region, the same troops who were responsible
for executing the crimes against these defenseless citizens? The international
community has a right to ask these questions as the truth about this government
becomes well known. The Ethiopian government should be prepared to give
the real answer this time.
Anuak Justice Council
In light of the recent events in the Gambella region, the Anuak Justice
Council, (AJC) a non-governmental, non-partisan organization, has been
established for the protection and well-being of the Anuak people. The
AJC is the umbrella organization made up of Anuak in thirty-seven different
countries, including representatives from Ethiopia and refugee camps in
Pochalla and Kenya. The aim of the Anuak Justice Council is to safeguard
the rights of Anuak in Ethiopia, in Sudan and around the world; and, in
order to accomplish that, to protect, preserve, and promote a just society
through non-violent means. Its primary goal is to work towards the restoration
of peace, security, and the rule of law in the Gambella region through
non-violent means and to see that the rights of the Anuak are protected
as laid out in the Ethiopian constitution.
In its recommendations to the international community, the AJC is calling
for the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to monitor,
investigate and publicize violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law in Gambella. The AJC additionally calls on the United
Nations and the African Union to make full use of their respective mandates
and mechanisms to establish an official record of abuses committed since
the December 2003 massacre in the Gambella region and to hold the Ethiopian
government responsible to follow an effective accountability process.
The AJC is in the process of establishing a working committee, the Anuak
Committee for Peaceful Resolution, (ACPR), who would work with the Ethiopian
government, as well as with the international community, in anticipation
of any valid opportunities for peace talks between the Ethiopian government
and the Anuak. This committee will be comprised of leading Anuak representatives,
worldwide, who are committed to seeking a non-violent, long term and peaceful
resolution to the events that have occurred in the Gambella region.
Despite the atrocities inflicted upon the Anuak people during the past
fifty years, the Anuak Justice Council is committed to a solution through
direct, honest discussions, in good faith, with the Ethiopian government
that is in the best interest of all Ethiopian citizens. They will only
engage in discussions with the Ethiopian government under the condition
that the Ethiopian government puts an end to the events occurring in the
Gambella region.
Additionally, the AJC needs assurance that the Ethiopian government will
seek to reconcile the suffering and pain caused by the massacre of over
2,000 Anuaks, the rape of over 400 Anuak women, the thousands of internally
displaced Anuak as well as Anuak refugees living outside of the country,
and the false imprisonment and torture of Anuak leaders and dissenters.
Furthermore, the government needs to provide reparations for the destruction
and pillaging of Anuak property and the expropriation of Anuak homes and
schools by the Ethiopian defense forces.
The AJC would like to enter into this dialogue with a sincere and positive
attitude and with a willingness to take into account the legitimate needs
of Ethiopia. The AJC hopes that this attitude would be reciprocated and
that a solution could eventually be found that would satisfy and safeguard
the aspirations and interests of both parties.
In order for these talks to be successful, it is imperative that third-party
mediators and observers be part of the structured talks, thereby holding
both sides to equitable standards of accountability. The AJC feels the
success of the peace process can be made more certain if the mediators
are agreed upon by both parties and the talks are held in a location outside
of Ethiopia.
The AJC regard the following as essential elements
of any peaceful solution:
- Respect for Anuak human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- Right to autonomy and self-determination.
- Hold the perpetrators of crimes against humanity accountable and
bring them to justice.
- Allow local jurisdiction over education, health, economic affairs
and resources.
- Provide for fair and equitable distribution of power and resources.
- Allow local jurisdiction over internal defense and security within
the region.
- Provide reparations to the Anuak for emotional and physical injuries,
loss of life and destruction of property.
- Release Anuak leaders, including the 44 democratically elected leaders
who are being held in the federal jail in Addis Ababa, for two years
without trial, as well as others who are being held in Gambella.
- Provide access to mass and other gravesites by international forensic
experts to exhume bodies, identify those bodies where possible and to
give those bodies back to families and loved ones for a proper Anuak
burial.
- Provide economic assistance to support services to address emotional,
physical, and psychological trauma.
- Promote local elections of Gambella regional government leaders,
monitored by international observers.
The AJC acknowledges that the negotiations will be a difficult process,
but it strongly believes that by carefully addressing these issues, peace,
security and the rule of law can be restored to the Gambella region. If
the Ethiopian Government is interested in being an active participant
in addressing the above eleven conditions of the AJC, the AJC is willing
to engage in the peace process.
In closing, it is important to note that the Anuak live in a constant
state of uncertainty, poverty and terror--with no end in sight. International
pressure is essential. International authorities must act now to secure
peace in Gambella before the Anuak way of life disappears forever. The
suffering of these endangered and forgotten people of the world has gone
on long enough.
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