Anuak Justice Council
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Most of these articles are written by members of the AJC team.

December 13, 2018

Remembering the Anuak Massacre: Begin by Lighting Your Candle and then Your Neighbor’s Until Our Candles Bring Light Over Our Nation

Today, December 13th, will mark the fifteen year anniversary of the beginning of three days of killing and destruction in Gambella, Ethiopia that was carried out by TPLF/EPRDF national security forces, backed up by civilian militia groups they had armed with machetes. The Anuak people were targeted, especially leaders and those who were against the TPLF political repression and opposed to the federal government plans to explore oil on their indigenous land without following the legal process as set up in the Ethiopian Constitution or as required in international law regarding indigenous peoples’ rights. There was also a long-term plan to exploit the abundant fertile land and untapped natural resources.

In less than three days, 424 Anuak were killed. The Anuak continued to be targeted for nearly three years.  By that time, over two thousand had been killed and many more human rights atrocities committed, including being jailed, tortured and driven by the thousands to seek refuge in neighboring countries like South Sudan and Kenya. The limited infrastructure in Gambella was largely destroyed, equipment and supplies were pilfered from clinics and schools, and homes, crops and granaries were burned.     Read...

December 13, 2016

A DECEMBER 13 “DAY OF REMEMBRANCE” FOR ALL ETHIOPIANS
Thirteen Years After the Massacre of the Anuak and Still No Justice for Any of Us!

(Vancouver, BC, Canada)--Today is December 13, a day which will remind the Anuak of the painful loss of their loved ones in Gambella on the same date in 2003— thirteen years ago. 

It is a Day of Remembrance that is not easy for the Anuak, wherever they are in the world. It is a time that brings back memories of the horrific killing of 424 Anuak in less than three days. Destruction, pillaging and other egregious human rights abuses accompanied the slaughter of these precious lives. It signaled the beginning of a three-year period of regime brutality and intimidation that resulted in the death of nearly fifteen hundred more Anuak. This is a huge percentage among a very tiny ethnic group numbering only about 100,000 people worldwide. Thousands more Anuak fled to refugee camps. At the core was the Tigre People's Liberation Front (TPLF) regime’s plan to exploit the oil found on their indigenous land. The TPLF is an ethnic minority regime in Ethiopia makes less than the 6% precent of the Ethiopian population and it controls over 90% of the Ethiopian economy.       Read...

December 13, 2015

National Day of Remembrance for the December 13th Massacre of the Anuak

It was a day of bloodshed, horror, and sorrow no one will forget.  Twelve years ago, on December 13, 2003, Anuak in the Diaspora began to receive desperate calls from family members and friends from Gambella, Ethiopia. A massacre was being carried out in Gambella town and the victims were all Anuak. 

TPLF/EPRDF defense troops with guns, accompanied by militia groups they had armed with machetes and pangas, went marching through Gambella town chanting, “Today is the day for killing Anuak.” They used a list, prepared in advance by the government, that included the names of leaders, pastors, students, and some of the most educated and influential Anuak; particularly those who had challenged the TPLF/EPRDF regime’s plans for oil exploration without consulting the people and considering the environmental impact on the land and rivers of the Upper Nile. The killing continued for nearly three days with a final death count of 424 Anuak who were slain.     read...

January 31, 2015

An Open Letter from Anuak Refugees to Jim Yong Kim, President of the World Bank

We were forced to flee our homeland in Gambella, Ethiopia because we dared to oppose the government’s forced relocation program, known as “villagization”. We Anuaks never consented to give up our ancestral lands, which is the source of our life and our identity. We only moved out of fear. When local farmers did not agree to relocate, at night soldiers came and raped the women and beat the men. Those teachers, agriculture workers and other civil servants who refused to implement this program, including many of us, were targeted with arrest and torture. This is why we are living as refugees in neighboring countries today.     read...

December 13, 2014

This year, members of the Ethiopian community in the Greater Houston, Texas, have sent a significant gift of encouragement to the Anuak who have been uprooted from their land and homes.

December 13, 2014 will mark the 11-year anniversary of the horrific massacre of 424 Ethiopians of Anuak ethnicity in Gambella, Ethiopia. Even though it has been over a decade, it still seems like yesterday to the Anuak, especially to those who lost members of their families. Some of the victims remain in unmarked mass graves. The Anuak as well as the other people in the region have never really recovered from this traumatic tragedy, let alone the fact that no justice has been done. 

Part of the reason for this is that the lives and livelihoods of the people surviving the tragedy have been in turmoil ever since. Seventy-eight thousand Anuak and others in Gambella have been forcibly evicted from their ancestral land in order to lease the land to foreign investors and TPLF/EPRDF regime cronies. The Anuak have never been consulted or compensated as would be done in a country where there was a rule of law.     read...

December 13, 2013

Remembering December 13th: Let us take this day of sorrow and make it a day of healing among all peace-loving Ethiopians.

December 13, 2013 marks the ten-year anniversary of the brutal massacre of 424 disarmed Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia by Ethiopian National Defense Forces armed with guns and militia groups armed with machetes. Not just the families of the victims, but all Anuak, will forever remember that dark day that brought so many pains, tears and suffering.

Even after ten years, some widows, some fathers, some mothers and children are still waiting to bury their loved ones properly. Some day their bodies, which were buried in mass graves, will be exhumed and buried with proper respect by their families and loved ones. Some day a memorial of remembrance may be erected in Gambella in their honor, to remind people that behind every name on that memorial, is a human life, given as a precious gift from God, our Creator.     read...

March 13,
2013

Ethiopian National Defense Forces Kill 6 Civilians, including US citizen in the Gambella region of Ethiopia

On March 2, 2013, seventeen Anuak men were ambushed by Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF), as they were sitting under a tree near Gilo river in a rural area in the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia. Six men were killed. Among those killed was a 33-year old American citizen, Omot Ojulu Odol, [B.D. 2/2/1978] who came to the U.S. as a teenager more than fifteen years ago. Mr. Odol had been visiting his homeland.    read...

October 9,
2012

Request for Inspection to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

On September 24, 2012, the Inspection Panel (the "Panel") received a Request for
Inspection (the "Request") related to "the World Bank-financed Ethiopia Protection of
Basic Services Project"1 in support of the Government's Promoting Basic Services
Program (hereinafter referred to as the "PBS Program" or "PBS").Z The Request was
submitted by "two local representatives" on behalf of 26 Anuak people from the Gambella
region of Ethiopia (the "Requesters"). The representatives have been authorized by two
groups of Anuak living in different locations to submit the Request. The representatives
and the Requesters have asked the Panel to keep their identities confidential "due to grave
concerns about our personal security and that of our relatives ."   read... (pdf)

September 16,
2012

Appeal to Stop Funding Villagization Proramme in Gambella Regional State, Southwest Ethiopia

The Anuak Community leaders are hereby addressing this letter to the World
Bank headquarters in Washington DC on behalf of the Anuaks refugees and
asylum seekers based in Kenya (Dadaab, Kakuma and Nairobi). Kenya is a
country in hom of Africa hosting refugees from different countries a(;ross Africa
base in Dadaab, Kakuma and Nairobi in which Dadaab camp is the biggest
refugee's camp in the world with more than half a million refugees.   read... (pdf)

Additional reading:
Letter to World Bank Board of Directors- Inclusive Development

Ethiopian Indigenous People Demand Accountability from the World Bank for Contributing to Grave Human Rights Abuses - Inclusive Development International

Policy and Legal Analysis of the Ethiopia PBS Request for Inspection - Inclusive Development International

May 23,
2012

Petition to President Salva Kiir of South Sudan

We in the Anuak Justice Council call on President Salva Kiir and all others in his government to not only provide safety to the Anuak from South Sudan, but to defend and protect the rights of Anuak whose indigenous land lies on both sides of the river.   read...

April 18,
2012

TPLF/EPRDF Defense Forces Brazenly Murdering Innocent People in Gambella in Broad Daylight

Today, in Gambella, there is little to no accountability for TPLF/EPRDF Defense Forces who are committing rising numbers of human rights crimes against the people of the region. It used to be that murders, beatings and torture were carried out secretly in the bush or in the rural areas, but now there is no security even in the middle of Gambella town for any but those carrying the guns. As these criminal acts against the unarmed civilians in Gambella are being so easily dismissed by authorities, it is increasingly clear they are actually being condoned or promoted by higher ranking officers and government officials—all the way up to Meles.  read..

March 27,
2012

Civilians Under Attack as Human Rights Violations Soar in Gambella

We call on human rights organizations, civic groups, media groups and donor countries to focus their attention on the Gambella region as the number of human rights violations—assaults, arrests, torture and disappearances—in the region are soaring due to an intense crackdown on the local people by TPLF/EPRDF troops.   read...

March 7,
2012

Open Letter of thanks to the International Criminal Court

The Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia and the Anuak Justice Council sincerely thank you for responding so quickly and affirmatively to our petition that asks ICC Prosecutor, Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, and the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to give consideration to opening an active investigation into the genocide, crimes against humanity and other human rights crimes directed against the Anuak people of the Gambella region of Ethiopia in concordance with the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).  read... (pdf)

February 29,
2012

PBS Newshour
Ethiopia: A Battle for Land and Water

A controversial resettlement program in Ethiopia is the latest battleground in the global race to secure prized farmland and water. Correspondent Cassandra Herrman reports as part of the Food for 9 Billion series, a NewsHour partnership with the Center for Investigative Reporting, Homelands Productions and Marketplace.   read and watch...

February 19,
2012

Cultural Survival
Ethiopia: Stop Land Grabbing and Restore Indigenous Peoples' Lands

Ethiopia receives more foreign aid than any other African nation—upwards of $3 billion a year. Western governments see Ethiopia as a strategic bulwark in the “global fight against terrorism” and point to its progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals, an international program to end poverty and hunger.   read ...

More Information for Ethiopia: Stop Land Grabbing and Restore Indigenous Peoples’ Lands   read ...

January 18,
2012

The People of Gambella Have Been Heard

(Vancouver) - The Anuak Justice Council commends Human Rights Watch for their in-depth investigation of the Government of Ethiopia’s massive resettlement program in Gambella State and its impact on indigenous populations, among which are the Anuak who have lived in the region for centuries.  read ...

January 16,
2012

Human Rights Watch
Ethiopia: Forced Relocations Bring Hunger, Hardship

(London) – The Ethiopian government under its “villagization” program is forcibly relocating approximately 70,000 indigenous people from the western Gambella region to new villages that lack adequate food, farmland, healthcare, and educational facilities, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. State security forces have repeatedly threatened, assaulted, and arrested villagers who resist the transfers.   read ...

January 16,
2012

“Waiting Here for Death”

This report in Ethiopia’s Gambella Region,” examines the first year of Gambella’s villagization program. It details the involuntary nature of the transfers, the loss of livelihoods, the deteriorating food situation, and ongoing abuses by the armed forces against the affected people. Many of the areas from which people are being moved are slated for leasing by the government for commercial agricultural development.   read ...

December 13,
2011

Remembering that the December 13 Massacre of the Anuak is Going On Throughout Ethiopia!

(Ottawa)--December 13-15th, 2011 marks the eighth anniversary of the Anuak genocide that began with the brutal massacre of 424 Anuak leaders and young students in less than three days, but continued for another two years. Up to 1,500 more were killed, many more atrocities were committed and the limited infrastructure of the region was significantly destroyed. Today we clearly understand that the TPLF/EPRDF’s intent was to take over control of the land, water, oil and natural resources from the Anuak and other indigenous people in the region—the Nuer, the Majanger, the Opo and the Komi.  read... 

December 3,
2011

Anuak Mourn the Passing of Their Anuak King in Southern Sudan

The Anuak Justice Council shares in the profound grief of all Anuak and friends of the Anuak throughout the world upon the loss of the king of the Anuak, His Majesty King Adongo Agada Akwai Cham, who died on November 30, 2011 following a serious illness. After seeking medical help in India and Kenya, he passed away in Nairobi, Kenya, only ten years after he assumed the throne of the Anuak kingdom in 2001.  read...  Amharic Link read in Amharic... (pdf)

April 10,
2011

Open Letter to Mr. Haile Mariam Dessalegn, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia

On behalf of the Anuak Community Association of North America (ACANA), the Anuak Women’s Association, the Anuak Youth Association, the Anuak Community in Kenya, the Anuak Community in Sudan, the Anuak Community in Canada, the Anuak Churches Council in USA, the Anuak Community in Australia, the Anuak Community in Europe and Anuak Justice Council (AJC), together, we are writing this notice of intended action to you in defense of the Anuak and other people of Gambella, whose land is being forcibly taken from them.      read... 

March 21,
2011

Ethiopia at centre of global farmland rush

It's the deal of the century: £150 a week to lease more than 2,500 sq km (1,000 sq miles) of virgin, fertile land – an area the size of Dorset – for 50 years. Bangalore-based food company Karuturi Global says it had not even seen the land when it was offered by the Ethiopian government with tax breaks thrown in.    read...

March 21,
2011

Ethiopia's land rush: Feeding the world

John Vidal reports from Ethiopia's remote Gambella region, where foreign investors are pouring in to exploit land the government has cleared of people    read...

View Virgin Land

January 3,
2011

Public Backlash Against Forced Evictions from Land a Certainty!

The Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia has recently acquired the Ethiopian government’s official report, “Villagization Program Action Plan,” which gives many specific details of their plan to resettle 49 villages in Gambella Peoples National Regional State in the upcoming months and year. A total of 45,000 households will be targeted to move from homes and land occupied for generations. This totals approximately 225,000 people according to government calculations of five members per household.
read (pdf)...         read report(pdf)...

December 15, 2010 Ethiopia's Land Issue
BBC Business Daily

Business Daily looks at one of the boldest land investment programmes in Africa. The Ethiopian government is aiming to lease out farmland to foreign investors. But what do the local people think?   read...

December 13, 2010

Video of Anuak Genocide Survivors

On December 13, 2003, members of the Ethiopian military from the ENDF’s 43rd Division entered Gambella town in southwestern Ethiopia. Over the course of three days, they sought out, tortured and killed 424 men, burned houses, and scattered families. Since that time, the genocide and crimes against humanity have continued, raising the death toll between 1,500 and 2,500, and causing more than 10,000 Anuak to flee. This video presents detailed accounts or testimonies of the Anuak genocide survivors.   view...

December 11, 2010 Ethiopia: The Anuak's Forgotten Genocide
The Huffington Post - Alemayehu G. Mariam

As you know, November and December are very sad months for Ethiopians. In November 2005, following the election that year, hundreds of unarmed demonstrators were massacred in the streets. The world knows a lot about those crimes. But I am not sure if too many people other than the Anuak remember what happened in December in 2003.      read...

November 10, 2010

Responses to the following statements by the Chief Executive Officer of the Karuturi Global Ltd, Mr. Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi:

 

  • No one has been displaced.
  • They chose Gambella as it is relatively thinly-populated.
  • Ethiopia has 80 million hectares of arable land and only 12 cultivated.
  • There was discussion of relocation of the people of Elliah [Ilea]

    read...
April 3, 2010 Security Forces Clamp Down in Gambella as Shootings, intimidation, rumors of large-scale arrests and more troops Threaten Region

New threats are again on the rise in Gambella as the Meles government attempts to exert increasing federal control of the region, leading to new clampdowns against civilians. Many believe that these actions are meant to suppress the deepening local protest over the increasing land-grabs, the upcoming pre-determined election—where names of election ‘winners’ have already been leaked—and to the increasing pressure by government authorities on the citizens to cover up the real perpetrators of the 2003 genocide of the Anuak by attributing the blame to the Anuak themselves.   read...

March 8, 2010

Letter to Justice Navanathem Pillay, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights
Dr. Gregory Stanton - Genocide Watch

No one has ever been brought to justice in Ethiopia for the massacre of 424 Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia on December 13-16, 2003, and genocidal massacres that killed one thousand more Anuak in 2004... A culture of impunity exists. Investigation by the High Commissioner for Human Rights is critical.    read...

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January 23, 2010 Notice to Ethiopians: You are Being Evicted from Ethiopia — You are Unwanted!

Imagine this notice being posted in Ethiopia:
People of Ethiopia:
You are hereby warned; you are being given notice of your eviction from the country. You are no longer welcome here. Find a new place to live. We do not care where. All we want is your land, water and resources. They are no longer yours; but now are ours. If you resist, you will suffer the consequences. On the other hand, if you are willing to become part of a neo-slave labor force or to silently give up any claims to anything, you may stay as long as you are useful and compliant. We and our partners stand to make millions, if not billions, from this new economic investment and we will tolerate NO interference from you!
                                               
Truly not yours,
                                                The Anti-Ethiopian TPLF/EPRDF government of the few elite and entitled
  read... 

December 13 , 2009

Remembering the Anuak Massacre of December 13, 2003 - Do Not Rest Until Justice Comes to Ethiopia

On December 13-15, 2009, it will be six years since the massacre of 424 Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia followed by nearly two more years of widespread extrajudicial killings, rape, torture, imprisonment, disappearances and destruction. By the end of this time, another 1500 Anuak from this very tiny ethnic group, numbering less than 100,000 worldwide and less than .01% of the Ethiopian population, were killed.

Wondering what thoughts were on the minds of the Anuak in Gambella at this anniversary of their darkest of days or what changes they might have seen during these years, we in the Anuak Justice Council contacted some of the Anuak to ask this question. One Anuak man said, “Thank you for asking me what has changed in the six years. The answer is not a lot. We still do not know where the bones of our people are, not one single killer has been brought to justice and we still are not free.”  read...

Listen to Voice of America radio broadcast. (Amharic)

March 24,
2009
Open Letter to Prime Minister Gordon Brown

We in the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia, and on behalf of the Ethiopian people, strongly urge you to reconsider the inclusion of Mr. Meles Zenawi as a guest at the upcoming G-20 meeting to be held in London. By inviting this man to represent the whole of Africa, allowing him to stand side by side with leaders from free countries who have been elected by their people, you are sending a disturbing message to oppressed people that brutal leaders can terrorize their people and still be rewarded with undeserved impunity in such circles of power.  read...

February 28,
2009

Address to the Ethiopian National Congress

I knew that coming together in solidarity would require that we improved our relationships and our respect for each other. I knew that such relationships could transform our society into a new, more welcoming Ethiopia. This is the kind of Ethiopia for which I hope and dream!  read...

February 23,
2009
What Price for a Reconciled Ethiopia?

The responses we received to the last article by the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia, “AigaForum versus Obang Metho: Is there Racism in Ethiopia?,” were overwhelming and it has become clear that this issue of racism is something that must continue to be addressed. The purpose of this article is to give the public information on the responses we received and to offer suggestions to help us to productively move forward in this discussion. One of our main goal is the reconciliation of Ethiopians.  read...

February 12,
2009

AigaForum versus Obang Metho: Is there Racism in Ethiopia?

On the morning of February 4 I learned that my picture was posted alongside the picture of Michael Steele, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) with the header over our pictures: “Window Dressing,” accompanied by a short article where it was claimed that we were both being “used” by our respective groups to falsely present the impression that minorities had a meaningful role within their power structures when in fact, such roles were only reserved for “insiders.” My phone has not stopped ringing ever since...  read...

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February 10,
2009
Organizing a 100,000 person Ethiopian March for Freedom, Justice and Peace in Washington D.C.

PDF In Amharic   read...

January 26,
2009

Our Mutual Challenge: Silently Becoming Our Words through Our Actions

We are pleased to know that Professor Alemayehu G. Mariam, is now publicly endorsing so many of the ideas and principles of the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia, as demonstrated in his recent article, “Close Ranks, Open Hearts and Minds, Shake Hands and Get Busy.” We hope that these ideas and principles continue to spread to others because we are convinced that it will be on such a foundation that the “NEW ETHIOPIA” will be built.    read...

January 23,
2009
Solidarity Movement Calls for Names of All Political Prisoners

We must replace the ingredients that are poisoning our society—the tribalism, deceit, blaming, sabotage, destructive competition, victim mentality and moral weakness that results in our failing to stand together in joint opposition to systemic evil. Part of standing up against such evil requires that we expose the depth, height and breadth of political repression within Ethiopia. One way to do that is to gather better documentation on the names and circumstances of all our Ethiopian political prisoners.   read...

January 11,
2009

SMNE Endorses January 14th Rallies Throughout the World to Free Birtukan, Teddy Afro, Bekele Jirata and All Ethiopian Political Prisoners!

We are pleased with the very positive responses we have received from numerous diverse Ethiopian groups who indicate a willingness to sign a collective letter calling for an end to tyranny in Ethiopia. Such a letter would be addressed to policymakers in key donor countries, to the media and to other strategic leaders asking them to stand with the Ethiopian people against the oppressive policies of the current government of Meles Zenawi.    read...

January 7,
2009
Organizing a 100,000 person Ethiopian March for Freedom, Justice and Peace in Washington D.C.

PDF in Amharic   read...

January 4,
2009

Will 2009 Become the Year of Ethiopian Independence from Dictators?

Will 2009 be different from 2008—a year filled with increasing misery, repression and violence in Ethiopia and of apathy, disillusionment and division in the Diaspora? I say, yes, but only if we Ethiopians now demonstrate that we are prepared for new solidarity around shared goals, principles and values so we can speak with “one voice” that has been missing!

Injustice in Ethiopia is everywhere and it is an astounding testimony of EPRDF arrogance—how they seem to believe they can continue to operate as they please within their self-established “culture of impunity,” even boldly imprisoning leaders on absurd grounds such as Birtukan. Let 2009 be the year we say, “We have had enough!”    read...

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December 30,
2008
The EPRDF Shudders at Truth

How many Ethiopians are dead, beaten or in prison for upholding God-given principles in defiance to a system that punishes its people for standing up against lies and injustice? ...We in the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE) condemn the recent imprisonment of Ms. Bertukan Mideksa, the chairwoman of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP), the beating of Professor Mesfin and the intimidation of the UDJP opposition party or any other political party seeking its legitimate constitutional right to freely operate within Ethiopia.   read...

December 24,
2008

Can You See? Are the Skies Brightening Over Ethiopia?

I want to extend my greetings to all of my fellow Ethiopian brothers and sisters throughout the world... Some have asked me why I am advocating for all people—including Woyanne supporters. The reason is because I do not want what happened in Gambella to happen to any other Ethiopian ethnic group. Tragically, I know that this government has purposely deepened the hostility between people and if it is not handled properly, it could get out of control and cause unjustifiable killing and misery. I do not want another December 13th anywhere in Ethiopia. I am also certain no one wants Ethiopia to be another Rwanda, yet the seeds of hate, based on ethnicity, can take many forms.   read...           read in Amharic...

December 13,
2008
Remembering December 13th: Let us take this day of sorrow and make it a day of reconciliation and healing among all peace-loving Ethiopians.

December 13, 2008 marks the five-year anniversary of the brutal massacre of 424 disarmed Anuak in Gambella, Ethiopia by Ethiopian National Defense Forces armed with guns and militia groups armed with machetes. Not just the families of the victims, but all Anuak, will forever remember that dark day that brought so many pains, tears and suffering.   read...

November 30,
2008

The Struggle of the Ethiopian People for a Voice in Our Own Future Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia: Report from London

As I looked at the Ethiopians attending the meeting, even though I did not know their names, their tribes, their religion, their regional background, their political association, their native language or any other particulars about them, I did know that they were there because they cared about what happens in Ethiopia. I also told them that I would be speaking with honesty and without any hatred ..., because hatred is what has led to our misery.    read...

November 18,
2008
Report on Solidarity Movement Meeting in Minnesota: Building Bridges of Solidarity to a New Ethiopia

Can Ethiopians come together in solidarity to build a bridge to a new Ethiopia or are we doomed to suffering, division and eternal failure? It all depends on how we build it was the consensus of the meeting held on November 16, 2008 at the University of Minnesota called by the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia and sponsored by some local Ethiopian organizations.    read...

November 6,
2008

Barack Obama has Opened Up a New Door of Opportunity and Now We Must Move Ahead!

.....If you as an Ethiopian identify with Obama’s win as signifying the importance of reaching out to many diverse groups and breaking down racial and ethnic barriers, then you too must be willing to do the same for Ethiopia. Each and every Ethiopian needs to do the same.   read...

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October 26,
2008
Obang Talks About “The Obama Factor” What Will an Obama Win Mean to Ethiopians?

Obama and his message is resonating with Ethiopians and I want to explore the pros and cons of this phenomenon for us as Ethiopians. This is not a political rally for him meant to persuade more people to vote for him. This meeting is for both Obama and McCain supporters.  read...

October 21,
2008

What Ethiopian Individuals Are Doing About the Hunger Crisis

We want to update you on the very positive response we are continuing to receive from Ethiopians who want to help their fellow Ethiopians who are in greatest need. We are also seeking personal stories as well as pictures and videos that can tell the story of the devastating starvation and need for help as well as other inspiring stories telling or showing, how average Ethiopians are helping in the lives of individual people through their gifts of compassion.   read...

October 10,
2008
What is the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia?

The Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia is a grass-roots, non-political pan-Ethiopian movement whose mission is to mobilize a viable alliance of Ethiopians, irrespective of ethnic or regional background, religious affiliation or political tilt, with the task of identifying and resolving issues and conflicts through peaceful dialogue.  read...

October 1,
2008

Ethiopians Respond to the Call to help with the Starvation at home but Many More are Needed!

read...

September 26,
2008
Open Letter to Ethiopian Concerning Starvation

I am addressing this letter to every Ethiopian, especially those in the Diaspora. A huge and urgent food crisis is endangering the lives of countless Ethiopians back home and we must wake up to the reality of it or millions of lives will be lost!    read...

September 13,
2008

Ethiopians Hunger for Compassion in the Ethiopian New Year

Only one year ago we Ethiopians celebrated the New Ethiopian Millennium with many hope-filled celebrations that the “turn of the millennium” would bring a “turn around” for Ethiopians. Unfortunately, as most every Ethiopian knows, we have instead experienced worsening conditions in Ethiopia in almost every arena, with little promise that our situation will not continue to decline.    read...

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September 10,
2008
Voting for Africa: Exercising our Influence in the Upcoming Elections in Canada and in the United States

This is a golden moment of opportunity for Ethiopians and Africans! Both Canada and the United States will have national elections within the next two months. If Ethiopians mobilize and work together, we can press candidates running for elections both in Canada and in the United States to better represent our interests both here and in Ethiopia and Africa.   read...

September 5,
2008

Symposium on Ethiopia

Symposium on Ethiopia Offers New Solutions to the Question: “Where Do We Go From Here?”

August 30,
2008
Obang's Prayer at the Solidarity symposium

We call on you today because you are our only hope for the future.... We Ethiopians are in a desperate place, resulting from our failure to listen to you. Instead, we have turned away in rebellion, pride and self-reliance, thinking we do not need you. But now, we are in the midst of such a grave crisis that it threatens our very survival as a people. We come to you for your help and guidance in leading us out from the pit of despair, misery and suffering.   read...

August 27,
2008

Ethiopians, Speak Out for Your Fellow Ethiopians! No One is Free until We All are Free!

Ethnically-based killing has now erupted in the city of Hagere-Mariam, first starting in the small town of Soyama, sixty kilometers to the west of Hagere-Mariam in the Sidamo region of Ethiopia. Reports I am receiving from people on the ground indicate that the Burji, a tiny ethnic group in the region numbering less than 50,000, are being targeted by some Guji, a much larger ethnic group, numbering over two million, who also live in the area. The local administration in Hagere-Mariam is run by the ethnic Guji.   read...

August 20,
2008
"My Journey of Faith," St. Mark's Anglican Church, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

I could never have imagined it before a life-changing event in December of 2003 threw my quiet life in Saskatoon into a journey with deep valleys, deserts and mountains that I could never have anticipated. As I stand before you today, I am witness to the truth that God dramatically changes lives when we least expect it!    read...

August 15,
2008

Ethiopia Has Leaders Who Can Build Bridges to a New Ethiopia! -

People tell me that the movement for freedom and justice in Ethiopia has died because we do not have the leaders who can give us a vision for a new Ethiopia and who can demonstrate it by their actions. I may have agreed with this statement before, but no longer do so because I have discovered that we have some of the best leaders among us that we could ever ask for—qualified, capable and full of personal integrity and character.   read...

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August 13,
2008
Invitation to Organizations Concerned About Ethiopia to Participate in a Symposium On: “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Saturday, August 30, 2008 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM Unification Church, 1610 Columbia Rd, NW, Washington D.C.   read...

July 30,
2008

How Must We Prepare for a Harvest of Freedom?

Ethiopia has become a place of massive and repetitive crop failures, both literally and figuratively. We are reaping what we have sown for years—and our harvest is inadequate to meet the needs of our people in terms of food, but our biggest crisis is the harvest of destruction, oppression and tyranny that happens when crops of hope are planted in rocky and infertile soil. The question is: how can we prepare the soil for a “harvest of freedom when most Ethiopians are sitting back expecting someone else to do the work or are actively sabotaging the work of others in order to advance their own interests?”   read...

July 25,
2008
Message to Ethiopian Muslim Leaders at the Badr 8th Annual Conference in Toronto, Canada

Challenges and Opportunities for Ethiopian Muslims as Advocates for Human Rights in Ethiopia: Ethiopia Needs You!   read...

July 22,
2008

Living in Unreality: The Disconnected World of Ethiopians

I was recently in Washington D.C. to speak at the Ethiopian Border Commission Meeting as well as to attend the Ethiopian Sport Federation sponsored soccer games, political meetings and other Ethiopian events, all packed into one week. My days were filled with intense political meetings and serious discussions regarding the abysmal condition of Ethiopia and what to do about it, but when I attended the soccer games at the stadium and the Union Station’s Nightclub event for young Ethiopians it was as if I had entered a totally different world from the first.    read...

July 2,
2008
Address to Ethiopians in Washington DC

Why Should All Ethiopians See the Border Issue as a Collective Threat to Our Existence as a Nation and People?   read...

June 21,
2008

Crisis in Ethiopia: Meles Will Ultimately Fall—Are We Ready?

The failures of the Meles regime are rapidly accumulating and not only Ethiopians know about it now... The pressing question now is whether Ethiopians are ready with solutions to the many crises facing Ethiopians should this regime suddenly fall. Unfortunately, I think we are not! We have spent far too much time concentrating on our complaints, but too little time on solutions.   read...           read in Amharic...

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June 17,
2008
Human Rights Abusers: “Watch Out, You May Not Find the West a Safe Haven Anymore!”

As pleased as the Anuak Justice Council is with the recent decision by Canadian authorities to deny entry into Canada to Omot Obang Olum, the Anuak governor of the Gambella region suspected of complicity in the Anuak massacre of 2003, we are far more pleased with the prospects of what this means to other Ethiopians suspected of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity who may attempt to seek entry or asylum in the West.   read...

June 7,
2008

Unelected Governor of Gambella, Accused of Deep Involvement in Crimes Against Humanity, has been Denied a Visa to Enter Canada

Mr. Omot Obang Olum, the Gambella Region Governor who was appointed to his position following his suspected collaboration with the EPRDF regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi in the massacre of 424 Anuak leaders in Gambella in December of 2003, has had his visa application for entry into Canada denied by Canadian government officials late on Friday, June 6, 2008.   read...

May 30,
2008
Un-elected Gambella Governor: The Choice is Yours--Exploitation or Apology?

The Anuak Justice Council wishes to make it known that the Director of International Advocacy, Mr. Obang Metho, will not be attending the meeting with un-elected and illegitimate Omot Obang Olum in Minneapolis on Saturday, May 31, 2008 or in Calgary, Canada on June 7, 2008 because it is not seen to be a legitimate venue to address the human rights crimes committed against his own people, the Anuak, over the last ten years. read...

May 28,
2008

Gambella Governor: Truth and Justice First!

Who is Omot Obang Olum? We Anuak know him to be a loyal collaborator with the EPRDF government of Meles Zenawi. He has paid dearly for his favored relationship with the Woyane with our Anuak blood. So why is he coming to Minnesota and Canada for the purpose of meeting with the Anuak? read...

May 25,
2008
The Worldwide March Committee for Freedom and Justice Follow Up Report

The Worldwide March Committee for Freedom and Justice, held from May 15-18 was a great effort by hundreds of organizers and participants in Ethiopian cities and communities throughout the world. We want to thank all of those organizers who worked so hard and devoted countless hours to bring it all together in a relatively short period of time!   read...

May 12,
2008

Worldwide March Events, May 15-18: Telling the Truth about Ethiopia

These events will publicly demonstrate that the Ethiopian peoples’ thirst for freedom, human rights, justice and democracy will not die despite the hijacking of the last election and the increasing repression within the country. This has been a huge organizational task and will not be perfect, but it is the beginning. Let the sleeping giant—the freedom loving people of Ethiopia—awaken and rise up for truth and right!   read...

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May 5,
2008
EPRDF Attempt to use Ethnic Isolation With “Incentives” to Silence Gambellans Fails

Ethnic isolation accompanied by promised development and other “payoffs” for “your group” in exchange for your compliance with the EPRDF government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is a favorite approach by this regime.   read...

April 22,
2008
Call for an Ethiopian rally for Freedom and Justice

The response to the call for an Ethiopian rally for Freedom and Justice on May 15-18, 2008 has been overwhelming! I have heard from Ethiopians in thirteen countries and in over thirty cities within these countries, all voicing their desire to participate.   read...

April 15,
2008
The Movement for New Ethiopia Begins with a Worldwide Peaceful March for Freedom and Justice on May 15, 2008!

May 15, 2008, just one month from today, will mark the third anniversary of the Ethiopian National Election of 2005 when 26 million Ethiopians came out to vote for change in Ethiopia—and won... On May 15, 2008 and the following weekend, from wherever you are, let us come together in a worldwide demonstration to show Meles and his supporters that he has NOT silenced Ethiopians despite clamping down more tightly on every one of our freedoms.  read...

March 12,
2008

Mr. Obang Metho addresses law students and faculty at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan

International Law: Does it Create Barriers in Access to Justice? The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Geneva Convention, the Rome statutes—what do these mean to the world, especially to those suffering the worst violations of these principles, laws and codes around the world?   read...

March 8,
2008
An Open Letter to Ethiopians: Concerning the discouragement that has taken such a huge toll on our movement for freedom, justice and equality.

I, Obang Metho, am writing this letter to you to address the problem of discouragement that has taken such a huge toll on our movement for freedom, justice, equality and democracy. What I am hearing in most every recent phone call, email and communication is that many Ethiopians are just too hurt, disappointed and discouraged over the failure of all political organizations to unite and move forward to bring freedom, justice, peace, stability and prosperity to Ethiopia and because of that, no one should expect them to do anything more at this time. Instead, they are giving up and have decided instead to just carry on with their own lives.   read...

February 23,
2008

A tribute to James Edward Orange!

Remembering Reverend James Edward Orange: The Dream for Justice Lives On in Us!   read...

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February 18,
2008
The Roosters are Crowing:
It’s Time for Africans to Sweep Our Huts Clean of Dirty Politics

The African roosters are crowing from the north to the south to the east and to the west as the first rays of dawn’s light are cracking through the darkness hanging over Africa. From all over the continent, Africans are awakening to a new understanding of their God-given rights, their democratic rights and with them, to the desire to rule themselves. No longer are they willing to put up with a legacy of corrupt, greedy and power-hungry dictators, no different from the colonizers, who controlled the continent for years with their evil policies of divide and conquer.   read...

January 20,
2008

Happy New Year!

A Message of Hope for the New Year from the Anuak Justice Council!   read...

December 18,
2007
What is wrong with Ethiopia?

What is becoming very obvious is that it all depends who you ask. We speak to many Ethiopians every day who tell us about the desperate conditions of the people within Ethiopia. From Ogadenis and reporters like Jeffrey Gettleman of the New York Times, we hear of the horrific human rights abuses and an increasingly worsening humanitarian crisis surpassing that of Darfur in the Ogaden.   read...

December 13,
2007

Remembering the fourth anniversary of the Anuak massacre in Gambella, Ethiopia

Four years have now passed since the Anuak witnessed a horrific slaughter of their loved ones by Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s military forces and some other pro-EPRDF government militia groups. The painful wounds from those losses will be reopened as many Anuak throughout Ethiopia and in the Diaspora observe the fourth memorial of this genocide that took place in Gambella.   read...

November 28,
2007
Address to the to the students and faculty of Bethel University, Saint Paul, Minnesota

Four years ago, when someone asked me whether I was a Christian, I said, “I’m a Sunday Christian.” In other words, I went to church, but it was only skin deep. But then, something happened and God reached out to me, and my life has changed forever. It all began with the most tragic event I have ever experienced—the genocide of my people which began on December 13, 2003.   read...

November 20,
2007

Press release for Ethiopian Human Rights in the Next Millennium event

In a historic meeting, representatives from diverse regions of Ethiopia came together at the Ethiopian Human Rights in the Next Millennium event to share their concern for the dismal state of human rights in the country.  read...

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November 17,
2007
Address to the Human Rights for Ethiopians in the Next Millennium

It is exciting for me to be here with other Ethiopians from all over our country who will contribute in their unique way in creating something much greater and grander—an Ethiopia that is not in pieces, but is one.   read...

November 4,
2007

Address to the Ethiopian Community in Los Angeles, California: at the Little Ethiopia Fifth Annual Cultural Festival

Something I have said before and that I will say again is that what makes Ethiopia, and now Little Ethiopia, so beautiful is that you are like a garden of not just one color of flower, but instead, one with many varieties and differences.... A new Ethiopia means putting humankind before Ethiopia. An Ethiopia whose identity is found in how we fear God and as result, how we truly value each other, is an Ethiopia that will emerge as a home to humanity. As Little Ethiopia is a reflection of Ethiopia, may Ethiopia become a reflection of God’s kingdom here on earth.  read...

October 24,
2007
Senator Inhofe Reports Ethiopia’s Great Progress in Democracy Building and Human Rights?

If Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe and other senators are open to listening, we know that these inaccuracies could easily be dispelled with all the evidence we have from reputable sources from the ground. However, unfortunately, most of us are painfully aware that some of our best advocates to do so-the Kinijit leaders now in the U.S., who have been locked up for the last 21 months in Kaliti prison-are embroiled in their own internal battle that has essentially disempowered not only them, but all of us at the same time. It has left many of us confused at either their reluctance or inability to settle this conflict by active unity or by clearly separating. Instead, it continues, and as it does, it daily takes on new casualties.   read...

October 4,
2007

Ethiopia in the Third Millennium—Where Do We Go From Here?

We have much to celebrate in our struggle for justice, but it is not a time to sit back and rest. There is major work still to be done and we cannot stand by and be spectators, waiting for others to do it for us. Instead, we all must get ready for what may be the most difficult part of our battle for a new Ethiopia—a movement of united people—representative of all Ethiopians—that will bring about the Ethiopia we want for tomorrow. Right now, the celebrations must be quieted and the difficult work of transformation must begin. May God be our leader, guide and protector as each of us humbly carries out whatever our part might be.  read...

September 22,
2007
Open Letter to the Kinijit or CUDP Leaders

Dear Chairman Mr. Hailu Shawel and Executive Members of the Kinijit: I am writing this letter to you with deep respect and gratefulness to all of you for what you have done for our beloved country... Many Ethiopians have been anxiously looking forward to this day after experiencing the pain and despair we felt during the past twenty months of your imprisonment. Our excitement was tempered with the realization that we had won a battle, but not the war as many remain in prison throughout our country and many Ethiopians continue to suffer.  read...

August 29,
2007

Open letter to Ms. Beyoncé Knowles

"Beyoncé, your performance at the Ethiopian Millennium Celebration is part of a larger performance put on by the Ethiopian government. Do you really want to be part of it?” (PDF)  read...

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August 27,
2007
Obang Metho Addresses Ogadenis in Minnesota:
“Let us Break Down the Invisible Fences of Ethiopia!”

The first step is for all Ethiopians to get to know each other as unique people and as fellow human beings, then to acknowledge whatever pain and suffering we have might have caused each other and then reconcile. In the case of the Anuak and the Ogedenis, we have few, if any, conflicts or hard feelings between us since we were so unaware of the others’ existence!  read...

August 4,
2007

Address to the Oromo Community in Minnesota: If Woyane Can Unify, Why Can’t We?

We can easily agree when the Oromo tell us that they have been colonized, hated and enslaved within Ethiopia. We can also agree when the Oromo tell us that they have been denied their rights and called Galla— or slaves, across the country, just like the Anuak or the other darker-skinned ethnic Ethiopian people have been called Baria—or slaves.  read...

July 25,
2007
Letter to the Ethiopian Canadians

We are thrilled with the release of the 38 political leaders, human rights defenders, journalists and political activists this past week, yet the crisis in Ethiopia remains serious despite this good news. Instead, it is time for increased action..  read...

July 21,
2007

Release of the Opposition leaders We Ethiopians are rejoicing, wherever we are—in or outside of Ethiopia, at the release on Friday of the Opposition leaders, journalists, human rights defenders, political activists and others from Kaliti prison.  read...
July 18,
2007
Open Letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations

I am writing this letter to you, not only on behalf of concerned citizens of the United States and Canada of Ethiopian heritage, but as concerned citizens of the world who are standing for justice. We call the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Relations on Africa to call a hearing to review foreign policy related to Ethiopia.  read...

July 14,
2007

European Report - Part 1 Ethiopians in Transformation: Becoming People of Action! - Part I of a report on the Ethiopian movement for peace, justice and freedom in Europe.  read...
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July 9,
2007
Ethiopians in the Ogaden need our help!

As most Ethiopians come out with outrage to the guilty verdict against the Opposition leaders and other political prisoners, we should come out with outrage to the killing going on in the Ogaden against our fellow Ethiopians living there.   read...

June 18,
2007

Stand up Ethiopians! Each one of us is now a leader against the terrorism of our people! We come out in condemnation of the unjust guilty verdict against our opposition leaders, journalists and human rights defenders! Yet, instead of it being a deathblow to our movement for freedom and democracy, we have now received our marching orders! We are declaring a new “War on Terror: Ethiopia!”   read...
May 25,
2007
Ethiopian Religious Leaders: “Call Our People to Prayer! Our People are Desperate!”

We are calling on all Ethiopian religious and spiritual leaders to rise up from wherever you are to lead a movement of prayer for our country and to take an active stand on behalf of the people of Ethiopia who are in great suffering. As people of faith, we must lead the way in kneeling in submission, humility and repentance before our God...   read...

May 4,
2007

Call to Ethiopian Canadians: We Need to Organize! We call on all Ethiopian Canadians to organize a coalition movement for the advancement of human rights for those in Ethiopia as well as for the rights and well being of every Ethiopian in Canada and in the Diaspora.   read...
April 28,
2007
Speech at Gasha for Ethiopians in Washington, DC It is a new, historic and courageous step as many Tigrayans publicly and jointly come forward as Ethiopians and are joining other Ethiopians in their struggle towards freedom, democracy, equality, peace and the rule of law in Ethiopia.   read...

April 26,
2007

Unusual Attack on Anuak Raises Questions of EPRDF Involvement On April 10, 2007, a small ethnic group from Sudan, the Murle, crossed over the Ethiopian border and killed 37 people, mostly men, and injured more than 60 others from the Anuak ethnic group. The incident occurred in the oil-rich Jor District, a remote area within the Gambella Region of Ethiopia. When regional police officers were dispatched to the area, seven of the police officers were killed—most of them also of Anuak ethnicity. When calls for help went out to the federal government for backup, they were refused.   read...
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April 20,
2007
A New Ethiopia: Calling All Youth to Join the Struggle for Freedom, Morality and the Fear of God in Ethiopia—You are Needed! A new Ethiopia is needed! We call on our youth to join us in our struggle for freedom, morality and the fear of God in Ethiopia! We have come a long ways towards achieving our goals in Ethiopia, but the last part of that struggle may be the hardest and things may get worse before they get better!   read...

April 1,
2007

Buyer Beware: Recovering Our Stolen Identity Don’t think! Ignore your conscience! Invest with quick approval- purchase land or property in Ethiopia with one simple condition – refrain from speaking against EPDRF! Help us suppress the restless poor! Forget about their rights! It’s easy- just invest your money and get rich! We will even displace the poor to help you find the perfect location for you to build your new home.    read...
February 20,
2007
Open Letter to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi I, Obang Metho, am contacting you regarding the gross human rights abuses and current crisis within Ethiopia as I want to make some suggestions to you as the leader of Ethiopia, as an elder to me and as a fellow human being on this earth. Despite our differences—of our actions, beliefs, positions, backgrounds, ages and situations, when it comes down to the basics, we are both equal in the eyes of God and both needful of His mercy.    read...
February 8,
2007
Women of Ethiopia, Ethiopia Needs You in Our Struggle for Justice, Peace, Equality and Freedom! We need your ideas, influence, expertise, compassion, strength, faith, wisdom and prayers to give birth to a new society of Ethiopia that values each human being as being precious and equal in God’s eyes. read...
February 5,
2007
Call for Urgent Action Call for Urgent Action to Address Human Rights and Justice Crisis in Ethiopia. You can help by distributing the accompanying press release before February 19. read...
January 27,
2007
UNITY is the cure for our current disease What lessons have we Ethiopians learned in 2006?... We must realize that we are infected by a widely spreading virus which requires one shot to cure--that shot is our UNITY.   read...
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January 11,
2007
Peace on Trial, - Martin Luther King, Jr. 4th Annual Human Rights Symposium,

Our mother continent of Africa remains the poorest continent in the world in terms of education, health care, income level and overall well-being, despite being one of the richest continents in terms of natural resources..... One has to ask why this is happening and when it will end, if ever! To me, it will not end without all Africans joining together and finding a meaningful ways to discover who we are.  read...

December 27,
2006
Meles Zenawi: A Terrorist Fighting War on Terror? Who is Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia? Is he the free world’s partner in the War on Terror or is he a terrorist? ...Even this week, we have received reports, yet uncorroborated, that Meles has supplied arms to a tribe in Southern Sudan with the directive of killing Anuak there.  read...
December 20,
2006
The Three Year Anniversary of the Anuak Massacre and Meles Finds Mengistu Guilty of Genocide! Only one day divides the verdict of genocide against Mengistu from the three-year anniversary of the massacre of the Anuak in Gambella. Ironically, it is Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, whose EPRDF courts found Mengistu guilty and who has imprisoned members of the Opposition Party on false charges of inciting genocide, who may some day himself face such charges of genocide against the Anuak. This is because some believe that what was done to the Anuak, under the authority of the Meles government, actually better meets the definition of genocide under international law.  read...
December 10,
2006
Betrayal Of Democracy in Ethiopia Priemere Coverage in Boston , MA - Agubida TV Introduction to the showing of the documentary, Betrayal Of Democracy in Ethiopia   view video...
December 12,
2006
Who are these people Meles is “using” to fight his war? Are they not the same people he has been terrorizing for years? Are they not the same people whom he has silenced by bullets?  read...
November 13,
2006
The International Citizens’ Tribunal for Sudan

Honorable Members of this International Citizens’ Tribunal: We are gathered here today at the International Citizens' Tribunal for Sudan to bring the defendant, President Omar al-Bashir of the Sudan, to justice. He is indicted on eleven separate charges brought by the prosecution team. read...

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November 1,
2006
Beware of the EPRDF Hate Plan to Divide Muslims and Christians!

The Anuak Justice Council calls Ethiopians to not seek revenge against Muslims or Christians for the recent religiously based killings in Ethiopia. Instead, Ethiopians are urged to exercise extreme caution as this conflict may not be about religion at all, but be about the EPRDF.
The AJC calls on all leaders, especially in the religious community, to guide your people towards forgiveness and reconciliation.  read...

October 15,
2006
Article in PDF format Mr. Metho and Prof. Mariam call on Ethiopians everywhere to get engaged and actively educate people about the human rights abuses in Ethiopia.  read...
September 29,
2006
Annual Policy Conference of the Group of 78, Ottawa, Canada

I am here before you today because of the lack of stability in Africa. In fact, most Africans who are here in Canada as refugees or new citizens, have come to this country, looking for the security and stability that does not exist in most places in Africa. As a result of that instability, I established a development agency in Ethiopia. Because of that same instability, I had to leave the work of development and become a human rights defender. It is in this capacity that I address you today.  read...

September 22,
2006
Speech at the Crown Plaza at the United Nations Hotel, New York

Even one dedicated person can make a difference as Ethiopians seek justice for their country.  read...

September 16,
2006
Premier of the film Betrayal of Democracy: Ethiopia at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Obang Metho urges love over hate at the premier of this riveting and revealing documentary film. The DVD video portrays the deepening crisis of democracy in Ethiopia under the current EPRDF government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.  read...

September 11,
2006
Happy Ethiopian New Year!

The Anuak Justice Council Wishes All Ethiopians Around the World a Happy Ethiopian New Year  read...

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August 19,
2006
News of continuing killings in Gambella... commentary

Ethiopian National Defense Forces have ordered the Anuak in over 12 villages in three districts in the Gambella region of Ethiopia to immediately leave their homes, property and crops. This causes severe hardship for families as this is a critical time for the crops, which are almost ready for harvesting. Some farmers who refused to leave were beaten and taken to detention centers.
The Anuak Justice Council has received reports that 21 more Anuak were killed in July alone. In one district alone, Abobo, since the beginning of the year, 31 Anuak have been reported missing. read...

July 27,
2006
Swift Action is Needed When the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD) was first formed, I endorsed the efforts of this group. The AFD was like the cotton white cloud in the sky over the sun-parched landscape of Ethiopia that gave us hope that more clouds would join until life-giving rains might soak the land and restore its life. I saw diverse Ethiopian groups unifying around the great principles of freedom, democracy and the rule of law. However, since that first cloud appeared in May of this year, attracting some others to it, the rain has not come.  read ...
June 25,
2006
Address to Ethiopians in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

We must build positive relationships if we are to make a difference for Ethiopians. We have problems in our communities and ethnic groups. As one person or group tries to do something, others try to sabotage it, usually not openly, but in quiet conversations with others where the truth is twisted and others are misrepresented. It is easy to be critical without offering anything better and under the pretense of some broader vaguely defined goals that do not make sense.  read...

June 24,
2006
Address to Ethiopians in Calgary, Alberta, Canada Take courage, get involved and work together as Ethiopians  read...
June 15,
2006
News of bus ambush near Gambella

The Anuak Justice Council has been researching the June 11 ambush of a bus near the Gambella region of Ethiopia. Read local testimonies surrounding this incident..    read...

June 1,
2006
View on the formation of the Alliance for Freedom and Democracy (AFD)

There is a new reason to celebrate. Something that was never expected to happen has happened. It has caused a cool, refreshing wind of change to start blowing over Ethiopia, from the west to the east, from the north to the south.  read ...

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May 23,
2006
Statement to the World Bank, Washington DC.

I am not here to defend a political party or position, but I am hopeful that as a defender of human rights and also as someone who has been involved in development in the Gambella region, that I will be able to provide a helpful perspective and vision regarding the needs of the Anuak and others suffering in Ethiopia...  read ...

May 15,
2006
Testimony to the European Parliament Committee on Development, Subcommittee on Human Rights, Commitee on Foreign Affairs Ms. Luisa Morgantini, Chair, Committee on Development; Ms. Helène Flautre, Chair, Subcommittee on Human Rights, Ms. Elmar Brok, Chair, Committee on Foreign Affairs and members of the committees. Thank you for inviting me to speak to you about the human rights issues facing the Anuak of the Gambella region of Ethiopia.  read ...
May 14,
2006
Speech to the Ethiopian Community in London, UK

Good afternoon brothers and sisters. I am very honored and delighted to be here with you in this great city of London. I am glad to be here as part of the great family of Ethiopians who want to contribute to a more beautiful Ethiopia. I thank you for inviting me to talk about the human rights abuses going on back home that most of you know about, but may not know specific details.  read ...

May 12,
2006

Ethiopian politics Blog "Mr. Obang Metho... sat down with Ethiopian politics Blog, before leaving for Europe to participate in the Parliamentary hearings, to discuss a variety of political and human rights issues concerning Ethiopia."  Listen to the interview... (42:05)
May 9,
2006
Speech to the Ethiopian Community in Atlanta, Georgia Thank you for inviting me to talk to you about human rights abuses in Ethiopia. I am thrilled to be with you as brothers and sisters. I am speaking to you in this city where one of my heroes is buried—Martin Luther King. What we are talking about today, ties us to that for which he stood for when he was alive.  read ...
May 7,
2006
Speech to the the Ethiopian Community in Dallas, Texas

I am here to talk about the injustices committed to all classes and ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Dear brothers and sisters, we are at a critical juncture of our history and it will be us who will make this history. Our country is in such chaos and crisis that if each of us does not embrace the other, working together with great tolerance, we will not get out of this mess we are in...  read ...

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April 16,
2006
Speech to “my fellow Ethiopian community” sponsored by: Upstate New York Ethiopians for Democracy Support Group
Rochester, New York

I have been invited to talk about the gross human rights abuses taking place in Ethiopia. It is impossible to talk about this without considering why we have such abuses taking place throughout Ethiopia. I come not as a member of a political group. My ambition is not to run for any political office, but is to contribute to making Ethiopia a better place for generations to come for all ethnic groups..   read ...

April 8,
2006
Open letter to Ambassador Fesseha Asghedom Tessema, Ambassador Charge d’ Affair Embassy of Ethiopia, United States, Washington, DC

Dear Ambassador Tessema: .... In a memo you wrote to Christopher Smith, Chairman of the House Subcommittee, you expressed your dismay regarding the way you were questioned and expressed your opposition to the participation of the Anuak Justice Council (AJC), pointing out that it was “an obscure organization” which “lacked credibility.”  read ...

April 3,
2006
Open Letter to Christopher Smith, United States House of Representatives, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations

Dear Chairman Smith and other members of the Subcommittee on Africa: I am taking this opportunity to thank you on behalf of the Anuak Justice Council and the Anuak people. We are overwhelmingly delighted with the opportunity you gave to the Anuak and to the other oppressed people of Ethiopia at the recent hearing regarding Ethiopia’s Troubled Internal
Situation at the House Subcommittee...  read ... (pdf)

March 31,
2006
Speech to Ethiopians at “Free Ethiopia” event sponsored by Advocacy Ethiopia Washington Marriott, Washington DC ...I am not part of any political party. I am a human rights defender. I came this week to testify for my people, and what I mean by my people, please do not think I only mean the Anuak who died on December 13, 2003, but instead I am here for all Ethiopians who have suffered from oppression throughout Ethiopia.  read ...
March 28,
2006
Testimony to the United States House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations

Mr. Chairman Smith, members of the subcommittees, Thank you for inviting me to testify on Ethiopia today. I would also like to thank you for organizing this hearing and your work over the years to bring a just, lasting peace in Ethiopia. I request that my statement be submitted into the record in its entirety.  read ...

December 13,
2005
The Anniversary of the Genocide of the Anuak: Two Years Later and Still No Justice December 13, 2005 will mark the second anniversary of the massacre of 424 Anuak educated leaders in Gambella, Ethiopia who were hacked, clubbed and shot to death by Ethiopian defense troops and some highlander militia groups in a three-day orgy of killing. Human rights investigators report that the number of dead or those who have disappeared may actually total more than fifteen hundred persons. Yet, the Ethiopian government refuses to acknowledge any responsibility...   read ...
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October 4,
2005
Master Planner of the Anuak Genocide is the New Governor of Gambella: Omot Obang Olom Is Rewarded for His Loyalty to the EPRDF ... He earned his way to power by becoming “a true citizen of the government” as he was dubbed by the Head of the Federal Government Security, Alemaw Alamiru, who congratulated him after a rigged election on Thursday, September 29, 2005. Mr. Alamiru was one of Olom’s co-partners in planning the Anuak genocide of December 13, 2003 when 424 intellectual Anuak leaders were massacred within three days. As one of the primary masterminds and executors of the genocide, Omot Obang Olom, is himself an Anuak, making him the most despised of all Anuak.  read ...
April 5,
2005
Ethiopian Government Again Attempts to Use Their “Bag of Tricks” Who really are these six soldiers who are to be put on trial?

It’s happening again. In an attempt to deny their integral role in the massacre of Anuaks in the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia, the EPRDF government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has made another attempt to dupe the international community. They market their earnestness in “dealing with the Gambella problem” while deftly executing a “bait and switch” tactic.  read ...

March 20,
2005
Human Rights violations against the Anuak people of the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia continue to occur on a regular basis. Human Rights violations against the Anuak people of the Gambella region of southwestern Ethiopia continue to occur on a regular basis. However, during the past month, a major change has occurred in that the Ethiopian Defense troops have been pulled out of the Gambella region in small numbers and are instead being deployed near the Eritrea border of Ethiopia due to the tension there. Now, militia troops are coming to replace them and have proven to be equally, if not more aggressive towards the local Anuak.  read ...
January 29,
2005
Update of Extra-judicial Killings, Torture and Disappearances of Anuak Continuing in Gambella region of Ethiopia. ...On December 22, 2004 three young men, ages 17, 18 and 20, were bathing in the Baro River about seventy-five kilometers from Gambella, when an Anuak man, fishing in the river, witnessed approximately eight federal defense forces handcuff the three men and forcibly take them away. No one knew what had happened to them until January 15, 2005. At this time, some Anuak farmers were traveling from Bonga, on their way to Kubon Village and smelled something. As they investigated, they found three men’s corpses tied with their backs against trees. It was apparent that they had been shot.  read ...
January 12,
2005
The Ethiopian Government of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi Continues Opportunistic and Multidimensional Attacks on the Anuak of the Gambella Region of Ethiopia 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.  read ...
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