ETHNIC CLEANSING IN GAMBELLA REGION OF ETHIOPIA
By Chuol Chigach*
The Regional Government in
Gambella, South-Western Ethiopia, has been busy in the last three
weeks or so transporting all the Nuers who have settled in and
around Gambella and Itang Towns, back to their “homeland”. According
to Mr. Goanar Yar, the Deputy Regional Chief Administrator, about
10,000 families (roughly 50,000 people) would be involved and so far
more than 10,000 people are back to their villages in Jikao, Lare,
Wanthoa and Akobo Woredas (Districts). The Region says these people
who were internally displaced (IDP) for different reasons had asked
to be returned to their original villages and that the repatriation
had been voluntary. Moreover they say programs of resettlement with
packages have been put in place and people are constructing houses
for the returnees.
On the other hand extreme
Anyuak Nationalists, some in Ethiopia but mostly North American
based Diaspora, known to influence events in the Region are telling
it black and white: the Nuer “illegal migrants and occupiers” are
being forced by the National defense force and the Federal police to
evacuate the Anyuak areas (see the following articles
Anyuak Don’t Hate the Nuer on
www.sudantribune.com
; The Illegal Nuer Nomads are Being Removed and
The Nuer Removal from Gambella and the Future on
www.anyuakmedia.com
).
The latest version is what the
IDP themselves agree with and corroborated by events on the ground.
The IDPs say repatriation is not voluntary and there is no packages
of resettlement prepared, leave alone people constructing houses for
them, as asserted by the Regional Administration. The process of
forced repatriation commenced three weeks ago in Ochum village, just
outside Gambella Town, when a group of people accompanied by members
of the National Defense Force and Federal Police, came and destroyed
the School and the Church built by the public and the Western Mekane
Yesus Synod respectively. The next day students and the teachers
were barred from going to school. One teacher who lives in the town
was assaulted and robbed by Anyuak youth while walking on his way to
Ochum. All these were preceded by group of Regional Officials coming
to inform the IDPs of the Government’s decision to transport them
back. Then the massive transportation under the watchful eye of the
military and the police followed. The removal has now extended up to
Itang Town, about 50 Kilometer away, where all Nuers including those
who have settled in the Town for the last 20 years or so are
targeted. One Regional Official, Ojulu Bach had said recently that a
similar exercise would be carried out in New-Land area of Gambella
Town. Here which Nuer will be targeted for deportation and which
will be exempted is yet to be seen. But, it’s assumed the regional
Government will decide on who among the Nuers is entitled to live in
the Regional Capital and who should not. Surely this shows the
intention of the exercise goes beyond returning IDPs voluntarily to
their villages. It looks more and more like an exercise of ethnic
cleansing.
Equally revealing about the
intention of the exercise is the manner in which these people are
bundled into vehicles and thrown in the middle of nowhere. Contrary
to the assertion of the Regional Government that these people were
being taken to their villages and that shelters were being built for
them, all the returnees disembark in no man’s land around Nyinenyang,
the seat of the Nuer Zone, with no food, water or shelter. The lucky
ones get themselves trees for shelter, but the majority tries their
luck in the smoldering tropical sun or under makeshift tens built
from any household fabrics. Lack of food and clean water is now
taking its toll and incidence of diarrhea is increasing particularly
among the children. Fearing the repercussions, the Regional
Government in an urgent meeting recently,
ordered the Aid Organizations operating in the region to provide
urgent assistance to save the lives of these people, they
deliberately subjected to the situation. In this meeting the Chief
Administrator, Mr. Omot Obong reportedly apologized for not
informing the Organizations before transporting the IDPs. Even the
Federal Disaster Prevention and Preparedness Commission (DPPC) seems
not aware of the movement of this huge population.
The reason is clear: the Regional Government did not want
these Organizations to see the circumstances and the manner in which
the deportation was carried out. Moreover its main concern is
getting these people out of Anyuak areas, not their wellbeing.
The fact that deportation was
carried out in the middle of academic year is another indication the
regional Government doesn’t care about the future of this community.
Thousands of school children including those who had registered for
8th and 10th grade National Examinations as
well as 12th grade University and College entrance exams
are also deported with their families and now languishing in the
middle of nowhere. Since there are no such schools in the villages
they are supposed to resettle, it’s the end of the road for these
children as far as education is concerned. This is what Gambella
Officials are doing to the Nuer Community in a
Country which prides itself of creating robust educational program
to provide universal access to all it citizens. This is a human
right violation with no parallel in the history of Ethiopia.
Since the fall of the Dergue
in 1991 many Ethiopian Nuer have been internally displaced and
settled temporarily in areas starting from Gambella Town right up to
the Sudanese boarder. The reason for the displacement is mainly
insecurity, particularly raids by Murle Ethnic Group and Lou Nuer
tribesmen, both from South Sudan. Last year’s raids by both groups
killed many people and led to loss of thousands heads of cattle. In
February this year, Lou gunmen raided Akobo Woreda people, who just
returned to their villages last year after six year of displacement,
killing many people and stealing thousands of cattle. Due to this
raid, the entire population of the Woreda is now displaced and
forced to stay in a small place call Burebiay.
As recently as end of March, gunmen from Lou Tribe raided Makuey
area killing two people and getting away with hundreds heads of
cattle. In the last few days there had been two aborted raids on the
returnees around Nyinenyang. So the assertion
that the security problem is resolved has no base. At best it’s a
pretext to deport Nuer from the Anyuak Land and at worst it’s a way
to push the Nuer population out of the region altogether.
The people from Makuey area of
Jikawo Woreda have additional cause for displacement that needs
political decision from the Government. Their River, Makuey which
provide water, fish and grazing for their animals is now dry
following the construction of Alewero Dam, which has been sitting
idle since the 1990’s. So even if you force these people out of
Anyuak land, you will not make them stay in their villages. They
will either find their way back or go somewhere else. I think their
case is a genuine human right issue that the Federal Government
needs to solve.
The logical question which can
follow is why would anybody wish to go back when the problems he or
she was running away from in the first place, still exist?
Even if we were to assume that some people who
were tired of living away from their original home villages had
volunteered to go back, it is hard to imagine all of them could have
volunteered to go back at this time given that the security
situation in their original homes has not yet improved. It’s equally
unthinkable for those who have settled in small Towns like Itang for
the last 10 to 20 years would want to leave now when their areas are
not yet secured. All the villages that the exercise had taken place
so far are empty and flattened, with all dwellings including
Churches destroyed. All the returnees were made to board vehicles
under the watchful eyes of armed members of the National Defense
Force and the Federal Police. Why would a person who volunteers be
watched by armed people? Even the Sudanese Refugees, currently
returning to their country are not made to board vehicles in the
presence of the Army. Dose that look like voluntary repatriation to
any one? NO!
One needs to also ask if it is
the responsibility of the Army to get involved in evicting citizens
from which ever land. The responsibility of the Army should have
been to take care of the source of insecurity that had displaced the
citizens in the first place. Unfortunately this has not been the
case; the Army has been reluctant to protect the Nuers from cross
boarder attacks by armed groups. For instance the Army did not
respond to the recent raid by Lou on Akobo Woreda people. Instead
it’s pushing out of safety the remaining IDPs from Akobo. It is
difficult to understand why this is the case. Whether the current
activity of the Army in Gambella is sanctioned higher in the command
is not clear. One thing is clear, though: The Regional Government is
using the local Army command to do its dirty job. What ever the
reason, the Federal Government needs to make its stand clear.
The massive deportation of
Nuers from Gambella and its surrounding is unprecedented in the
history of Ethiopia, a Country which pride itself of tolerance among
its various Nations and Nationalities. The way
this operation is being carried out, that is, the secrecy, the
indiscriminate nature of it, the lack of concern for the wellbeing
of the returnees and the involvement of Security forces, clearly
indicates that it is not a voluntary process. The Anyuaks extremists
are known to have been resenting settlement of Nuer IDPs in what
they consider their own land. Moreover they consider all Nuers as “Aliens-Sudanese”.
This has been said on multiple occasions by many Anyuak leaders and
corroborated by the latest rhetoric of Anyuaks internet bloggers,
who commended the regional Government for evicting from their mother
land, the Nuers they consider “aliens”.
The deportation is therefore
an attempt by the Anyuak led regional Government to clear the Nuer
from the Anyuak areas. This is a personal project of Omot Obong, the
Anyuak ruler of Gambella. During the 2003 Anyuak massacre by
highlanders, Omot was accused by many Anyauks, some in Ethiopia but
mostly here in the Diasporas, of collaborating with the culprits.
Since then winning back the Anyuak confidence has been the first
priority for him and the latest move is the most important strategy
in his arsenal. This is made all the more urgent by the fact that
Omot is said to be sending delegations to North America in the near
future to reconcile with the Anyuak Diaspora. So getting ride of the
Nuer before the missions has become absolutely imperative, in order
to win confidence and support from the Anyuak Diaspora. They will
see him as a hero who has succeeded where other Anyuak rulers had
failed. This explains the haste with which this repatriation has
been organized.
Though there had been
conflicts between the Nuer and the Anyuaks in the past, relations
had improved following the December 2003 Anyuak massacre. At the
time when educated Anyuaks were hunted down by mobs of highlanders,
many were taken in and saved by their Nuer counterparts, in Newland
(Nuer dominated part) area of Gambella Town. Those who run in the
direction of Ochum, the village just destroyed, were taken in by
Nuer families and taken care off. The Nuer did
this out of sympathy and solidarity despite the fact that only less
than six month earlier hand grenades were hurled at vehicles
carrying Nuer passengers, by Anyuak extremists. Following this
humane gesture by the Nuer, the two ethnic groups forged
understanding and mutual confidence, resulting in period of
tranquility. But the latest indiscriminate act of deportation by the
Anyuak led Regional Government has shattered that friendship forged
during the Anyuak’s hard time and will surely be replaced by period
of hostility and confrontation, with unknown negative consequences.
The Nuers like any citizens of
Ethiopia have the right to be protected by the Government. But
instead of the Regional Government resolving their security problem,
it’s pushing them away in to fire. It’s just like saying, go to heal,
we don’t care about where you live. For the Nuers, though Ethiopia
is a huge Country they have nowhere to run, because the Anyuak Land
is behind them. The only option left for them is to move forward:
fight Murle and Lou who are armed up to their teeth, with bare hands
and stay in Ethiopia or proceed to Sudan to seek refuge.
Many of them stranded around the border, confused and feel
rejected by their own Government, are taking the latter option and
crossing to South Sudan to get protection from the SPLA. This has
been the dream of the Anyuak extremists to push the Nuer and other
Ethnic groups out of Gambella in order to establish a “pure” Anyuak
Region. It’s a sinister plan which if not stopped now will continue
perhaps affecting the highlanders at a later stage. I therefore call
upon the Federal Government to condemn these actions and stop the
ethnic cleansing perpetrated against the Nuer by the Anyuak led
Gambella Regional Government, with the collaboration of the Federal
security apparatus. The Federal Government must institute an
investigation on how and who gave the order for these Federal
institutions to get involve in this illegal act. I also call on the
International Community to come to the aid of these victims.
Ethnic cleansing is an International Crime and must stop
immediately.
*Mr. Chuol Chigach is
a concerned citizen currently residing in Tyler, TX, USA. He can be
reached at
cchigach@yahoo.com