By Anyuak Media
The Ethiopian authorities in Addis Ababa attempt to cover up gross human rights violations and systematic genocide against Anywaa (or Anuak) either came too late or provides very little support in convincing the indigenous people, international community and organisations amid ample evidences in the contrary. In the last few weeks, information from the region indicates and reveals a continued effort by the Ethiopian authorities to force the indigenous people to sign a document covering up the action of the Ethiopian armed forces in the region and denying the allegations of genocide committed against the indigenous Anywaa community in 2003 in Gambella town and its surroundings.
It is to be recalled that the systematic genocide that reached its climax in 2003 was responsible for lost of innocent lives, displacement of civilians from their normal livelihood into other parts of the region and as refugees into exile. The council has rejected the secret document attributing blames and responsibility for political instability and conflicts in the region to activities of one of TPLF former ally, the Gambella Peoples Liberation Movement (GPLM). In serious discussions between the TPLF agents and members of the Gambella regional council, it become apparent that the TPLF accused GPLM of killing highland settlers at Okuna village, various conflicts between the GPLM and TPLF at Abol GPLM military camp, Gambella town and Dimma district.
The following are detail accounts of points of views of the regional council members regarding the claim that GPLM was responsible for political instability and conflicts in the region according to our sources:
The killing of highland settlers at Okuna village took place in 1991 immediately after the military regime collapsed and the GPLM armed forces have not yet arrived in Gambella town. Moreover, Okuna village is located miles away from the Gambella town, which could have made it very difficult for the GPLM army that came along the Openo River to cross into the heart land of Anywaa Kingdom and killed remaining highland settlers at that time. Thus, it became very remote that the GPLM had any responsibility over the killing of highland settlers in the region.
Abol was a military base for the GPLM army following the TPLF dominated government announcement that all armed forces in the country were to be stationed in one location. According to our sources, the TPLF army as it did to other liberation groups in the country were responsible for attacking the GPLM army position resulting in the lost of lives, displacement and destruction of the military base. However, the GPLM base was rebuild afterwards when normality returned to the region.
The conflict between the GPLM and TPLF in the Gambella town was because TPLF was looting and loading important machinery vital for reconstruction of the ravaged Gambella region’s economy and infrastructure. According to our source, it was made clear that the GPLM informed the TPLF on several occasions to stop irresponsible acts of looting Gambella properties that disrespect the principle of regional autonomy. Instead, the TPLF armed forces killed a GPLM member and that brought conflict between the two armed forces. Similar conflict over irresponsible act of the TPLF took place at Dimma district. As the case in the Gambella town incident, the TPLF shoot dead innocent civilians and GPLM army members resulting in deadly conflict between the two.
The blame that GPLM forces carried out the ambush of a vehicle belonging to Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs (ARRA), a counter part of UNHCR, was disputed on the ground that until today no member of GPLM army has been brought to justice regarding the ambush that led to the death of 8 government officials on the way to Odier- a proposed Sudanese refugees camp. Neither has any militant group had claimed responsibility for such attack. Instead, the army in collaboration with some highland settlers and government officials in the region went on rampaged to kill over 424 innocent Anywaa (or Anuak) civilians in the Gambella town. So far, the participants of the genocide remain at large without anyone of them brought to justice. Thus, the regional council rejected the unfounded government claim that there was no genocide against the Anywaa people in their own homeland and the responsibility lies on the activities of Gambella Peoples Liberation Movement.
Yet, the Ethiopian authorities’ effort to make the cover up attempts a reality has been underway in the region following the failed attempt at the regional council meeting. The authorities after failing to secure any support from the regional council members have decided to force 350 young men and women from different locations of the region to sign a secret document the content of which they do not know on the meeting in Agricultural college in Gambella town. These young men and women are reported to have barely information about the history of conflict between the GPLM and TPLF. However, they would do so under duress and for fear of their lives and livelihood. Our sources indicate that so far the authorities have forced and secured 200 signatures out of the target of 2,500 under the senior military personnel supervision in the region.
A young Nuer man on the meeting who expressed his opinion against the cover up attempt that there was no genocide against Anywaa (or Anuak) and GPLM was responsible for political instability and conflict in the region has been thrown out of the meeting and perhaps will be deprived of essential survival means if not put in jail because of his opinion.
In another development, senior army officers have been conducting secret meetings in Gambella town the outcome of which, though not yet known will be devastating for the indigenous people. In the recent days, the army have been increasing their numbers in the town and for unknown reasons have relocated the military water tank at the centre of the Gambella town in front of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) where young Anywaa children are known to be playing during daylight and in the evenings.
The complexity of human rights violations coupled with land grabbing issue that will destroy the indigenous people survival continued without limit. As previously indicated, Kwot Agole, son of late Dr David Owour Ojwato, remain in critical condition in the Gambella hospital.
He awaits uncertain future upon being discharged from the hospital and these gross human rights violations and genocide campaign, a trend similar to the pre-2003 genocide campaign worry many indigenous people both in the country and in exile amid high ranking government and military officials secret meetings and land grabbing deals.
One of the government militia official and his colleague has remained in Kaliti prison accused of not telling the truth in a court of law. Kwot Agid and Omot Obang went to Addis Ababa to witness against their fellow brothers; Obang Kut, Obang Thamriu and Omot Obang(Omot Wara-Achan) who remained in Ethiopian jails since they were detained across the international border in 2009. The two government officials appeared to the court of law on Monday 28th March 2010 but the court adjourned the hearing for Wednesday 31st March 2010.
The international community and organisations concerned for monitoring human rights standards should be aware of the development in the Gambella region, southwestern part of Ethiopia. Without proper monitoring, the development in the region would overwhelm the international community and organisations in the future to come. Thus, there is a need to take notice of such serious developments in one of the remotest part of the country.
Anyuak Media
