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From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Wed Dec 15 2010 - 10:26:24 EST
The Anuak's Forgotten Genocide - Alemayehu G. Mariam
Posted by <http://ecadforum.com/author/ecadforum/> ecadforum
Saturday, December 11th, 2010
A Conversation With Obang Metho[1]
Note: A report by the Harvard Law School Human Rights Program on the Anuak
concluded[2]:"From December 2004 to at least January 2006, the ENDF
(Ethiopian National Defense Forces) attacked and abused Anuak civilians in
Gambella region - wantonly killing, raping, beating, torturing, and
harassing civilians in response to ongoing Anuak rebel attacks. These abuses
left Anuak villagers fearful of leaving their homes at night, going to the
fields and farms outside of town, or fetching water from the water pumps or
streams."
These are excerpts from an extended conversation I had with Obang Metho, the
well-known Ethiopian human rights advocate, in solemn anticipation of the
seventh anniversary of the December 13-16, 2003 Anuak massacres this coming
Monday. The interview is captioned "forgotten genocide" because very few
people know what happened to the Anuak seven years ago was genocide as
defined under Art. 2 of the 1948 Genocide Convention. In the interest of
full disclosure, in September 2006, I was honored to be the keynote
speaker[3] at the University of California, Los Angeles premier of "Betrayal
of Democracy", a heartbreaking and gut-wrenching documentary on the Anuak
massacre produced by the Anuak Justice Council, Obang Metho, Executive
Director, in collaboration with the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Alemayehu G. Mariam
Alemayehu: 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. To be frank, with the
exception of some Anuak I have met, I don't recall having any serious
conversations with other Ethiopians about what happened to the Anuak people
in Gambella seven years ago. Do you think your other countrymen and women
really care about what happened at that time?
Obang: First of all, I want to thank you on behalf of the Anuak for joining
with them in remembering some of the darkest days of Anuak history and for
bringing this tragedy to the attention of Ethiopians now in 2010. I am sure
that Meles never expected that seven years after the genocide of the Anuak
that others, like yourself, would have joined together to commemorate this
day.
You ask whether other Ethiopians really care about what happened to the
Anuak. At the time of the massacre, the only Ethiopian organization that
came to the defense of the Anuak was EHRCO [Ethiopian Human Rights Council];
otherwise, it was either overlooked or was not known among most Ethiopians.
This was not surprising for several reasons. First, the Anuak were a remote,
tiny and marginalized ethnic group who were not part of the mainstream of
events in the country. Secondly, Ethiopians were very divided by ethnicity,
region, skin color, political view, language, culture and to a lesser
extent, by religion; so what was important was what happened to one's own
group and the rest tended to be ignored. Thirdly, even today, what happens
in Addis Ababa has always received far more attention than what occurs in
the rural parts of Ethiopia where most Ethiopians live. Fourthly, the
Ethiopian government does its best to cover up their crimes so it does not
get out to the mainstream media. If the news does get out, they simply deny
their own responsibility, twist the truth and blame others or try to excuse
what happened as one of the regrettable consequences of "ethnic conflict" or
use other justifications to avoid responsibility. The government even issues
a whitewashed report absolving itself of any responsibility in the
massacres.
It is true that the November 2005 killing of 194 unarmed protesters in Addis
Ababa and elsewhere in the country created a groundswell of outraged
response from many sectors of the Ethiopian community because they could
identify with the victims, and the killings were carried out in plain view.
It became impossible to hide, even to the international community.
However, this was not the case in the majority of violent incidents that
have taken place over the past two decades all over the country. We have
over 86 different ethnicities; many of them live in remote, rural and
marginalized communities and are silenced violently like the Anuak were in
2003 without too much publicity. In fact, the Anuak genocide is now much
better known and more remembered than most of the other incidents that have
been perpetrated by the TPLF [Meles Zenawi's party] against Ethiopians.
For example, in July of 2002, 200 Mazengers - neighbours to the Anuak in
Gambella - were brutally killed, but who knows about this? In 2001, 100
Sidamo were massacred. Who remembers these victims today? Ethiopians were
killed in 1992 in Badenyo and in Arba Gogu. In all few remember these
anniversaries. I say ask the Oromo about the tens of thousands of their
people who have been beaten, tortured, imprisoned and murdered in the last
twenty years by the Meles regime. How can we remember an anniversary when
there are so many incidents and they are still ongoing? Ask the Afar about
the displacements and human rights abuses they are facing right now. Ask the
Benishangul about the same displacements and human rights abuses in their
area. Ask the Ogadeni about the genocide being committed against them as we
speak. It is not all about "remembering," but about standing with the
victims against such barbaric aggression. We can keep going on for the list
is endless and many cases are still unknown.
This is why the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia (SMNE) was formed. We
must no longer mourn alone; it is time to take action. Meles' government
cannot stop on 80 million people if we all stood up for each other and
together. I believe we Ethiopians will finally come together in this way to
stop this oppression. Only then will we hear the countless stories that have
never been told of the immeasurable suffering of our people, and not just
the Anuak.
Alemayehu: Let's nail down the facts about what happened in Gambella during
the infamous three days in December in 2003, and in the days preceding and
following. What are the established facts?
Obang: Meles and those carrying out the atrocities against the Anuak
believed them to be expendable people; they thought of them as road blocks
on the way to the oil fields, the fertile lands and abundant water and rich
natural resources on indigenous Anuak land. They targeted those individuals
who were the voices of the community and have a say in the exploration and
development of oil on their land. As you might remember, when the killing
squads went through Gambella town looking for the next Anuak to brutally
kill, they chanted, "Today there will be no more Anuak," "Today there will
be no more Anuak land". As they raped the women they said, "Today there will
be no more Anuak babies." Within three days, 424 Anuak were dead.
When I received news, it was the darkest day of my life. My world was turned
upside down. Among the 424 Anuak killed, I personally knew 317 of them. They
were my family, my classmates and many others with whom I had been working
to bring development not just to the Anuak, but to the region. Most were
educated and outspoken. I have no doubts that I would have been one of the
victims had I been living there at the time.
The Anuak genocide occurred as a surreal event as no one discussed it. When
international news covered the massacre, they picked up the Ethiopian
government's spin, which described it as an ethnic conflict between the
Anuak and the Nuer. That is not true. Later on, Oromo soldiers, who had not
even been in the area, were scapegoated for the killings. When I testified
before the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights in March and
April of 2004, I did not speak only about the Anuak, but spoke of the Oromo
and others facing persecution.
However, it was only after I testified before the US Congress in March of
2006 that I became more involved in the mainstream Ethiopian community. By
that time, I had been to the capital cities of most of the donor countries
in Europe and in North America exposing the Anuak massacre and ongoing human
rights violations against the Anuak. After the November 2005 killing of
unarmed election demonstrators in Addis Ababa and other parts of the
country, other Ethiopians joined in this effort. Unfortunately, most tended
to cluster around their own individual ethnic or political party interests
rather than joining together as a whole. Sometimes we were working at cross
purposes. I often wonder where we would be today had we been willing to
collaborate then. I hope we don't have to ask ourselves that question five
years from now.
Alemayehu: I don't believe many of us in the larger Ethiopian community
adequately expressed our outrage against the crimes perpetrated against the
Anuak. Perhaps many of us did not particularly care, didn't know or were
just indifferent. After all, the Anuak are a tiny minority. Do you sense
indifference among other Ethiopians to the plight of the Anuak?
Permit me to answer this question by asking another question. How many
mainstream Ethiopian people you see writing about the ongoing genocide in
the Ogaden or about the displacements of people as foreign investors align
with this one-party government in grabbing the Ethiopian peoples' land and
resources in places like Benishangul-Gumuz, on the borders of the Amhara
region or even in Addis Ababa where graves are to be bull-dozed to make room
for someone who seeks "ownership" of the land? This is not just indifference
to the Anuak, but it is indifference to the problems our people are
experiencing all over the country. The Anuak are only one example. This is
why we need a "NEW ETHIOPIA!"
Not seeing the full humanity of each of us is the reason we have so many
liberation fronts created not simply to break away from the country, but
instead, created predominately to protect the interests and lives of the
people that are not valued by others. As long as some feel they are more
Ethiopian and see others as being of less worth, we will have indifference
to the plight of others. This is why we have formed the SMNE, to fight for a
new Ethiopia that values all her children the same way regardless of
ethnicity, gender, religion, political view or any other distinctions. The
reason why many of these separatist groups do not want to associate with
"Ethiopia" as they see it because they don't see much inclusiveness in the
larger Ethiopian community. Meles has had an easy time of dividing and
ruling; and until we all change from the heart, we will not emerge from our
collective suffering.
Alemayehu: When you came out in public in 2006 and sought help to put a
light on the Anuak massacres, did you get your much support from other
Ethiopians? Did you make an effort to mobilize Ethiopians in the Diaspora,
and if not why not?
In the midst of the genocide and ongoing human rights crimes, I sought
organizations and government officials who were in the best position to
intervene. Genocide Watch president, Dr. Greg Stanton, was one of the first
to respond to my call for assistance. At the same time, some Anuak and their
friends in Minnesota had already decided to send a team, which soon included
me, to interview Anuak survivors and witnesses to the genocide who had fled
to a refugee camp in Sudan. We hoped to gather information and evidence
while the memories were still fresh. At Dr. Stanton's suggestion, we added a
seasoned human rights investigator in our group. Following the
investigation, we issued a report, "Today is the Day for Killing Anuak." A
subsequent investigation was also completed resulting in the report,
"Operation Sunny Mountain," which linked the massacre to the top officials
of Meles in Addis Ababa.
Human Rights Watch did an investigation and issued two separate reports,
"Targeting the Anuak: Human Rights Violations and Crimes against Humanity in
Ethiopia's Gambella Region"( 3/24/05) and "Ethiopia and Eritrea: Promoting
Stability, Democracy and Human Rights"(5/5/05). The International Human
Rights Clinic at the Harvard Law School issued another report, "We Are Now
Hoping for Death", (12/14/06). In all, the Anuak Justice Council was
involved in coordinating the completion of five separate human rights
investigations on the massacres.
We did not attempt to mobilize Ethiopians until 2006, following my testimony
before the U.S. Congress when I made strong connections with other
Ethiopians. At the time, ethnic and political divisions created competition
between Ethiopians. Rather than working to advance similar goals, some tried
to hijack the work of others or refused to collaborate. Even though this
continues to be a characteristic shortcoming of many in the struggle for
Ethiopian freedom and justice, I believe today Ethiopians are discarding
peripheral differences to work together in common cause. I think Ethiopians
suffering in the country would be highly encouraged if they saw real
progress towards this goal among us in the Diaspora. It is only then that we
can work together to mobilize the people within Ethiopia towards a national
rather than an ethnic solution!
Alemayehu: How do we keep the memories of the Anuak massacre victims alive?
What can we do as individuals and as a community, that is Anuaks and other
Ethiopians together?
Obang: No one except the Anuak may have cried for them in 2003, but today,
millions of Ethiopians know about the Anuak genocide. On December 13th,
Ethiopians may remember the pain and suffering of the Anuak; speaking to
others about it, praying for the survivors, joining with Anuak they know in
a service of remembrance or calling them to personally talk. Many Anuak will
shed tears as they remember those dark days and the subsequent grief and
hardship resulting from their losses. May this remembrance be a call to all
Ethiopians to reflect on the losses of their own loved ones or those of
others in the country. We have suffered much as a country. We should try to
lift up others with similar losses and wounds.
For me, I will join with other Anuak in Minnesota in a service to remember
December 13th; honoring the memory of those who lost their lives and praying
for the future of the people and Ethiopia. For me, the pain has somewhat
subsided, but my memory of this horrific loss motivates me to work to
prevent it from happening again to the Anuak or anyone else. If Ethiopians
have forgotten the memory of the Anuak genocide in 2010, the reasons may be
somewhat different than 2003.
First of all, we Ethiopians are in great distress right now. It is natural
for memories to fade, but when we are still struggling for survival, it is
easy to become diverted with one new crisis after another. It is important
not to forget so that we can take hold of a better future, but part of
remembering "rightly" will take place when peace comes to Ethiopia, when
justice is finally served and when the perpetrators and their bosses are
held accountable.
Another reason for the memory subsiding is that the Anuak are not alone.
Many others have also suffered at the hands of this regime both before and
after the Anuak genocide. Look at the genocide going on right now in the
Ogaden. Look at the daily beatings, killings and imprisonment of innocent
Ethiopians now carried out by this repressive regime all over our country.
Due to the current dictatorial regime, Ethiopians must first become free
before official memorials will be constructed, but that time will come.
Several years ago I talked about how the death of the Anuak will never be
forgotten as long as there are those who care about justice. Even though the
current regime would like to obliterate or "whitewash" the memory of these
shameful acts, we Ethiopians must be sure they are not forgotten.
When this TPLF government finally collapses, not only do I envision a
memorial for the Anuak in Gambella, but also in Addis Ababa where not only
will the Anuak be represented, but many others known and unknown who have
tragically died at the hands of the Meles regime. At that time, Ethiopians
will build a wall of shame where we can go to remember how the government
that was supposed to protect the people turned out to be their mortal enemy.
It will serve as a sobering reminder of how we must work to preserve a
respect for the humanity in each of us.
Alemayehu: Is there anything being done to bring to justice those who
committed the crimes against the Anuak in 2003? Are there any efforts
underway?
Obang: Yes! We have a very strong legal foundation in place for that day in
court where Meles and others will finally be held accountable. This is due
to all the human rights investigations and documentation completed by groups
like Genocide Watch, Human Rights Watch and others. The case of the Anuak
alone is very strong; but when combined with others, all of this abundant
evidence may easily form the foundational basis for future prosecutions. The
case of the Anuak is before the International Criminal Court (ICC) right now
and the UN High Commissioner is looking at the case referred by Dr. Greg
Stanton regarding the pattern of human rights abuses in Ethiopia at the
hands of this government. I am confident that the time will come for
Ethiopians to finally obtain justice. Look at the case of Cambodia where
evidence collected and secured over twenty years ago produced convictions
just this year. Meles is no different than Omar al Bashir. The tide is
certain to change and we will be ready!
Alemayehu: From what you have been able to gather, is there systematic
persecution still going on against the Anuak?
Obang: The new systematic persecution has everything to do with the "new
fever" for Anuak land and resources. It is being advanced with speed and
intensity in the case of the Anuak and other indigenous peoples of Gambella,
but is also going on throughout the country; wherever there is resistance to
this plan to dispossess the people of their land and assets. People from
Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz, Oromiya, Afar and Ogaden have officially been
put on notice to move from their homes to be resettled in camps. Those who
speak out have been harassed, threatened or beaten. In the case of the
Anuak, some have turned up dead, floating in the river or have been beaten
to death. We do not know what will happen to the people if they refuse to
leave their homes; something that is a definite possibility. It certainly
could trigger fresh violence by government security forces.
How should we, as Ethiopians, work together to prevent the type of genocide
that happened to the Anuak does not happen to any other groups in Ethiopia?
December 13th should act as a reminder of the shared pain of our people and
act to bring us Ethiopians together to "mourn under one tent" as has been
done in our traditional culture for many years. Inside the tent is the land
of Ethiopia and our beautiful and precious people. The roof of that tent is
the sky over our beloved country. Because of the pain, misery and ongoing
threats to our survival as a nation, we must come together to find a common
vision and lasting solution. This is at the heart of everything the SMNE and
others have been trying to do.
Now is the time to change our thinking about each other and BEGIN to build a
healthier, more inclusive society. No one but the Anuak and their friends
cared about them in 2003, but we have a chance to do it over. The land grabs
and human rights abuses going on right now; not only to the Anuak but to all
the people of Ethiopia should sound the trumpet to gather together. Some
only want to gather if they are in charge. This attitude will surely defeat
us. We must ask ourselves how much we really care about potential tragedy if
egos or hunger for power stand in the way. I do think we are better in 2010
than we were in 2003, but we are still not where we need to be.
The many loved ones I lost can never be replaced, but I trust God that their
lives were not lost in vain. Ethnic domination and marginalization of others
due to ethnicity, skin color, culture, education, gender or religion is
unjustifiable. It was the reason the Anuak were singled out to be
slaughtered among the 50,000 people who also lived in the city of Gambella.
It was the reason why the government viewed them as a threat rather than as
valuable human beings. As most survivors among the Anuak say, the Ethiopian
government does not want the Anuak people, but only the resources. These
resources on their indigenous land remain today as the chief threat to their
survival as they stand in the way of the regime's ambitions in the area; yet
the Anuak are not alone as Ethiopians are becoming more accepting of each
other.
Over the last seven years, I have met many wonderful Ethiopians like
yourself, who have come into my life, contributing in some unique and
special ways. You asked me about a story I have told many times about my
experience in Washington DC some years ago with an Ethiopian cab driver who
could not believe I was Ethiopian. I must say, Ethiopian cab drivers today
are among the most educated and politically astute Ethiopians around. They
know about the Anuak and the other diverse people of Ethiopia. Now, when I
get in a cab in Washington DC, a more common experience I have is the driver
who refuses to accept any fare for the ride saying, "I want to contribute to
the struggle." This is not about me or the Anuak, but about caring about the
suffering people of our beautiful country. Yes, we should remember our
painful history as a lesson for the future, but we must also embrace each
other as we collaborate to create a New Ethiopia where there is room for all
of us!
Alemayehu: With all the land-grabbing and population displacement, some
45,000 plus people from Gambella being moved to make way for international
land-grabbers, do you have fears that what happened in December 2003 could
happen again?
Obang: Yes, because once again, this regime's greed for "more" is leading to
robbing the most vulnerable people of Ethiopia of their land and resources.
Because these people "do not count," they are simply in the way of what this
regime wants. If the people resist, the Meles government has been known to
use any justification to use military force to subdue them; which could
easily lead to ethnic-based killing. I do not think the people will all
peacefully cooperate in this plan to displace themselves they have lived on
for millennia. In 2003, the genocide was about oil. In 2010, it is about
land, gold, potash, natural gas and even sand for concrete.
These are the new precipitating factors that could lead to genocide, crimes
against humanity and other human rights violations. However, there is also
the passive side of a new form of "genocide" that could lead to putting at
imminent risk, large populations of some of the most vulnerable people of
our country; not necessarily in terms of direct killings, but in terms of
jeopardizing the long-term survival and well being of huge groups of people
who are being forced from their homes and land all over the country. How
will these people support themselves?
We need to care about the pain of each other more than we care about the
power and advancement of one particular group of Ethiopians for "none of us
will be free until all are free." By the time I spoke before Congress in
2006, when our paths first crossed, I had already come to the conclusion
that justice would never come to the Anuak until justice came to all
Ethiopians; that until we cared about the wellbeing of others based on the
God-given worth of every person-putting humanity before ethnicity-that
Ethiopia would only produce serial dictators who would take turns preying on
the vulnerable.
This is why when I testified I said I was not there not only for the Anuak,
but also for the Tigrayans who disagreed with the cruelties of the Meles
regime, the oppressed Oromos, the Somalis, the Afar and the other ethnic
groups throughout Ethiopia who have been targeted by this regime. I said I
was there for the Ethiopian woman whose son or daughter had been shot dead
on the streets of Addis Ababa after the national elections and for the CUD
leaders and young student protesters who had been taken away from their
families and put in prisons and detention centers. I was there for those
courageous prisoners of conscience, languishing in prisons throughout
Ethiopia. I wanted my voice to not be my own but theirs; warning others that
our country was in grave danger; that our nation was dying.
This was an effort to break out of our isolated boxes of caring only for our
own tribe or ethnicity. It was the beginning of the SMNE. Today, the danger
is greater than on that day and unless we put aside our differences and find
common ground to unite, we have no hope. This regime will kill again and are
doing so as we speak. Yet, God can help us change and I see a rising
momentum for such change coming from many different groups of Ethiopians.
In 2003, we would never be having this discussion; yet, today, you are
bringing these issues to the forefront. Both you and I have worked closely
over the past four years on many issues. Through your many informed and
insightful commentaries and analyses, you have contributed much to the
discussion of the current situation by exposing the true nature of the
regime and by creating greater international awareness and factual
understanding of the dictatorship and repression in Ethiopia. This interview
is just another example of your willingness to think beyond the ethnic-based
paradigm that has defeated us for so many years. Because of people like you,
who are willing to become the voices for a different kind of Ethiopia, a
"new Ethiopia" of the future. May it inspire others to join with us! Thank
you so much my friend!
Alemayehu: Thank you Obang for sharing your thoughts. It has been an honor
working with you all these years. They say, "If you want peace, work for
justice." We all want peace in Ethiopia and for the Ethiopian people. So,
we'll be right there with you working for justice; we are with you in trying
to bring to justice those perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war
crimes and genocide. It's only because of scheduling conflict that I am
unable to join you and the Anuak community in Minneapolis for the memorial
on December 13. But be assured that all Ethiopians join you in observing
this tragic date in spirit. I hope the Ethiopian in the Minneapolis-St. Paul
area, my old "stomping grounds", will come out in full force and attend the
memorial and show their solidarity with our Anuak brothers and sisters.
Obang: Thank you.
REMEMBER THE FORGOTTEN ANUAK GENOCIDE OF DECEMBER, 2003.
[1] Obang Metho is the Executive Director of the Anuak Justice Council and
the Solidarity Movement for a New Ethiopia.
[2]
<http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/hrp/clinic/documents/ETHIOPIAREPORT.pdf
>
http://www.law.harvard.edu/programs/hrp/clinic/documents/ETHIOPIAREPORT.pdf
[3] <http://www.ethiomedia.com/carepress/al_mariam_on_doc_film.pdf>
http://www.ethiomedia.com/carepress/al_mariam_on_doc_film.pdf
Resource links on the Anuak massacres:
<http://www.mcgillreport.org/anuak_genocide_links.htm>
http://www.mcgillreport.org/anuak_genocide_links.htm
<http://ecadforum.com/> Ethiopia: The Anuak's Forgotten Genocide -
Alemayehu G. Mariam
A Conversation With Obang Metho - Alemayehu G. Mariam
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