The remains of a Somali home in the city of Dir Dawa in Shiniile province in the Ogaden region set ablaze by Oromo paramilitary militias Abdullahi\*, a Somali who lives in a small village in the troubled north-eastern corner of Ethiopia known by many as Ogaden, raised his voice as he described what had happened in front of his eyes. He spoke of what appeared to be a well-organised ambush, the looting of houses and businesses. A father himself, he told how people, including children, were being set alight. “There were burning people, and there were children among them, locked inside [the buildings].” “I carried 18 lifeless bodies,” he said desperately. “Nobody helped.” From the other end of the phone, his voice was loud, urgent, pleading. Listen to his full telephone interview here. Abdullahi was speaking out of a media blackout – no journalists have been allowed into the heavily militarised area of Ogaden since 2007. Described by some as “an open-air prison” along the lines of Gaza and Kashmir, this north-east corner of Ethiopia is an area of immense oil and gas resources and wealth, as well as strategic military importance to the US and its allies in the ‘War on Terror’. He spoke quickly; he was telling his story at great risk to his own security, knowing full well that the call may be intercepted at any time.
Bloggers try to get the news out in a media blackout
In early August, CAGE was notified by a blogger, Mohamed Abdulkaadir, that atrocities were taking place between ethnic groups in this historically contested area. He insisted it was being allowed to take place due to the shroud of the ‘War on Terror’. He told us how Somali Muslims were facing a “well co-ordinated programme of ethnic cleansing” by Oromo militias, tacitly sanctioned and at times openly backed by the Ethiopian military. The cities of Dir Dawa and Miesso in Shiniile province, as well as the towns of Tuliguleed, Baabili, Jinacsani in Fafaan province, as well as the city of Moyale in Lebaan province were some of the localities where atrocities took place.
Read more: Ethiopia’s Liyu Police commit war crimes under banner of ‘War on Terror’
Abdulkaadir described destroyed homes, indiscriminate killings, a mother and her children burned alive, seven farmer shot dead in one frenzy - and swathes of people fleeing into makeshift refugee camps, where they are now “languishing in the hundreds and thousands” in makeshift IDF camps, being forced to drink contaminated water. There had been pictures and accounts on social media, but nothing of the disaster on mainstream news, no statements from the aid agencies. “Ethiopia is a key ally of the US in the ‘War on Terror’ in the horn of Africa region,” he said. “As a result, the US government and its allies have always turned a blind eye to Ethiopia’s war crimes against Somalis.”
Oromo militias and paramilitaries are the new oppressing force
Up until recently, the chief perpetrators of crimes against Somalis in Ogaden were the Ethiopian ‘police force’ stationed in the area known as the Liyu Police. Notorious for their brutality, the Liyu Police were essentially a paramilitary force operating under the guise of a counter-terrorism outfit, which at one point was funded and trained by the UK, until Britain realised that they were basically funding a reign of terror. Major human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported how the Liyu Police have committed atrocities under the pretext of ‘eliminating al-Shabaab’ in the region and have called for it to be disbanded. Now, it seems the violence against Somalis is being spearheaded by Oromo militias, who are also affiliated with the ruling Oromo People's Democratic Party (OPDO). The OPDO seem to be sanctioning the violence and according to another source they have even been preventing Somalis from fleeing their homes to escape. All this is happening while the Ethiopian military stands by. The Oromo are a majority ethnic group in Ethiopia, and there are Muslims among them. However, after the appointment of Ethiopia’s new prime minister Abiy Ahmed – himself an Oromo – the Oromo militias in early August began launching attacks on Somali villages in the north-east in the name of territorial expansion. As the majority group, they claim they should have access to the majority of the land, which they do not.
Read more: Britain’s war in East Africa
Ethiopia has granted its many ethnic groups and regions some degree of self-determination, however in the case of this region, the identification of people with an Islamic greater Somalia, has been problematic for the government, and for the US, whose main military base for their “African operations” is located in neighbouring Djibouti, and who are ensuring that the establishment of an Islamic power base in the region does not occur. The Ogaden region has always been a conflict zone since the mid-20th century, however violence on the scale currently being witnessed has not been seen since the height of the Ethiopian military’s counter-insurgency campaign against the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in 2007.
A new prime minister deeply linked to the Ethiopian military
Prior to the election of the new prime minister Ahmed, atrocities committed against Somalis along the volatile Ogaden-Oromo border have taken place, but nothing like the magnitude of what is happening currently. “Following the election of Ahmed in April, there has been a well orchestrated campaign of ethnic cleansing being perpetrated against Somalis residing in the border region of Ogaden, and it is being perpetrated by Oromo militias and paramilitary forces with the full backing of the Ethiopian military and government,” says Abdulkaadir. This is in contrast with Ahmed’s carefully constructed image. The son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother, he came to power and toured the country, preaching peace and dialogue. His appointment was hailed with great fanfare by the US media, which cast him as a reformer. Ahmed also removed the ONLF’s “terrorist organisation” designation. However, the prime minister hails from a military-intelligence background. He served in the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda and reached a high rank in the Ethiopian military, known for its ties to the US. He also founded the powerful Information Network Security Agency (INSA), the equivalent of Mi5 in Ethiopia. Most questionable is that the new prime minister has done nothing to halt the violence in the north-east, despite his deep influence in the military.
Ahmed, as well as Lemme Megersa, who is the president of the Oromo Regonal State, from where the Oromo militias launch their attacks, are yet to condemn, let alone take action against these forces. Meanwhile, it is up to courageous bloggers to try to get the word out: “Despite his promises of reform the status of Somalis in Ethiopia is very bleak. Ahmed has not really done anything for Somali people – he has not lifted the blockade and he is not allowing them to flourish and prosper.” The world, controlled by the lens of the US media, has turned a blind eye once again. Help on the ground is scarce and a cholera outbreak looms, despite the presence of Norwegian aid groups. “The area is under a military blockade and occupation that is being hidden from the world,” says Abdulkaadir. “I just want this to get out. I want the world to see. These people want self-determination; they want to be able to live peacefully and prosperously.” For Somalis in Ethiopia, the ‘War on Terror’, is just another phrase for oppression, and it comes in a constantly shifting disguise. \*names have been changed for source’s protection CC image courtesy of Flickr ctsnow
<em>The remains of a Somali home in the city of Dir Dawa in Shiniile province in the Ogaden region set ablaze by Oromo paramilitary militias</em>
Abdullahi*, a Somali who lives in a small village in the troubled north-eastern corner of Ethiopia known by many as Ogaden, raised his voice as he described what had happened in front of his eyes.
He spoke of what appeared to be a well-organised ambush, the looting of houses and businesses. A father himself, he told how people, including children, were being set alight.
“There were burning people, and there were children among them, locked inside [the buildings].”
“I carried 18 lifeless bodies,” he said desperately. “Nobody helped.”
From the other end of the phone, his voice was loud, urgent, pleading.
Listen to his full telephone interview here.
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Abdullahi was speaking out of a media blackout – no journalists have been allowed into the heavily militarised area of Ogaden since 2007.
Described by some as “an open-air prison” along the lines of Gaza and Kashmir, this north-east corner of Ethiopia is an area of immense oil and gas resources and wealth, as well as strategic military importance to the US and its allies in the ‘War on Terror’.
He spoke quickly; he was telling his story at great risk to his own security, knowing full well that the call may be intercepted at any time.
<h3>Bloggers try to get the news out in a media blackout</h3>
In early August, CAGE was notified by a blogger, <a href="http://halganmedia.net/">Mohamed Abdulkaadir</a>, that atrocities were taking place between ethnic groups in this historically contested area. He insisted it was being allowed to take place due to the shroud of the ‘War on Terror’.
He told us how Somali Muslims were facing a “well co-ordinated programme of ethnic cleansing” by Oromo militias, tacitly sanctioned and at times openly backed by the Ethiopian military.
The cities of Dir Dawa and Miesso in Shiniile province, as well as the towns of Tuliguleed, Baabili, Jinacsani in Fafaan province, as well as the city of Moyale in Lebaan province were some of the localities where atrocities took place.
<hr />
<h5><span style="color: #ff0000;">Read more: Ethiopia’s Liyu Police commit war crimes under banner of ‘War on Terror’</span></h5>
<hr />
Abdulkaadir described destroyed homes, indiscriminate killings, a mother and her children burned alive, seven farmer shot dead in one frenzy - and swathes of people fleeing into makeshift refugee camps, where they are now “languishing in the hundreds and thousands” in makeshift IDF camps, being forced to drink contaminated water.
There had been pictures and accounts on social media, but nothing of the disaster on mainstream news, no statements from the aid agencies.
“Ethiopia is a key ally of the US in the ‘War on Terror’ in the horn of Africa region,” he said. “As a result, the US government and its allies have always turned a blind eye to Ethiopia’s war crimes against Somalis.”
<h3>Oromo militias and paramilitaries are the new oppressing force</h3>
Up until recently, the chief perpetrators of crimes against Somalis in Ogaden were the Ethiopian ‘police force’ stationed in the area known as the <a href="https://www.cage.ngo/ethiopias-liyu-police-commit-war-crimes-under-banner-of-war-on-terror">Liyu Police</a>.
Notorious for their brutality, the Liyu Police were essentially a paramilitary force operating under the guise of a counter-terrorism outfit, which at one point <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/10/ethiopia-forces-human-rights-funding">was funded and trained by the UK</a>, until Britain realised that they were basically funding a reign of terror.
Major human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have reported how the Liyu Police have committed atrocities under the pretext of ‘eliminating al-Shabaab’ in the region and have called for it to be disbanded.
Now, it seems the violence against Somalis is being spearheaded by Oromo militias, who are also affiliated with the ruling Oromo People's Democratic Party (OPDO). The OPDO seem to be sanctioning the violence and according to another source they have even been preventing Somalis from fleeing their homes to escape. All this is happening while the Ethiopian military stands by.
The Oromo are a majority ethnic group in Ethiopia, and there are Muslims among them. However, after the appointment of Ethiopia’s new prime minister Abiy Ahmed – himself an Oromo – the Oromo militias in early August began launching attacks on Somali villages in the north-east in the name of territorial expansion. As the majority group, they claim they should have access to the majority of the land, which they do not.
<hr />
<h5><span style="color: #ff0000;">Read more: Britain’s war in East Africa</span></h5>
<hr />
Ethiopia has granted its many ethnic groups and regions some degree of self-determination, however in the case of this region, the identification of people with an Islamic greater Somalia, has been problematic for the government, and for the US, whose main military base for their “African operations” is located in neighbouring Djibouti, and who are ensuring that the establishment of an Islamic power base in the region does not occur.
The Ogaden region has always been a conflict zone since the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century, however violence on the scale currently being witnessed has not been seen since the height of the Ethiopian military’s counter-insurgency campaign against the separatist Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) in 2007.
<h3>A new prime minister deeply linked to the Ethiopian military</h3>
Prior to the election of the new prime minister Ahmed, atrocities committed against Somalis along the volatile Ogaden-Oromo border have taken place, but nothing like the magnitude of what is happening currently.
“Following the election of Ahmed in April, there has been a well orchestrated campaign of ethnic cleansing being perpetrated against Somalis residing in the border region of Ogaden, and it is being perpetrated by Oromo militias and paramilitary forces with the full backing of the Ethiopian military and government,” says Abdulkaadir.
This is in contrast with Ahmed’s carefully constructed image. The son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother, he came to power and toured the country, preaching peace and dialogue.
His appointment was hailed with great fanfare by the US media, which cast him as a reformer.
Ahmed also removed the ONLF’s “terrorist organisation” designation.
However, the prime minister hails from a military-intelligence background. He served in the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda and reached a high rank in the Ethiopian military, known for its ties to the US.
He also founded the powerful Information Network Security Agency (INSA), the equivalent of Mi5 in Ethiopia.
Most questionable is that the new prime minister has done nothing to halt the violence in the north-east, despite his deep influence in the military.
<hr />
<h5><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.cage.ngo/product/africa-review-ethiopia-report">Report: Africa Review - Ethiopia report</a></span></h5>
<hr />
Ahmed, as well as Lemme Megersa, who is the president of the Oromo Regonal State, from where the Oromo militias launch their attacks, are yet to condemn, let alone take action against these forces.
Meanwhile, it is up to courageous bloggers to try to get the word out: “Despite his promises of reform the status of Somalis in Ethiopia is very bleak. Ahmed has not really done anything for Somali people – he has not lifted the blockade and he is not allowing them to flourish and prosper.”
The world, controlled by the lens of the US media, has turned a blind eye once again. Help on the ground is scarce and a cholera outbreak looms, despite the presence of Norwegian aid groups.
“The area is under a military blockade and occupation that is being hidden from the world,” says Abdulkaadir. “I just want this to get out. I want the world to see. These people want self-determination; they want to be able to live peacefully and prosperously.”
For Somalis in Ethiopia, the ‘War on Terror’, is just another phrase for oppression, and it comes in a constantly shifting disguise.
*names have been changed for source’s protection
<em>CC image courtesy of Flickr <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ctsnow/95670106/in/photolist-9skoA-pCMH2b-9oMFmQ-9oJzQZ-qMvtgu-9snAC-4CVdac-9skJn-9skoy-9skJs-9smXt-9skJo-iikjux-bAYQDH-nyQLFZ-nz8NWv-pTyFo8-7vNBdc-7vNGF2-kGcnpH-694GQb-6C4uWM-6C8C8S-6C4uE4-nx5Xa3-nz9orW-nhDfbs-nhCZhi-nyTfRo-nhD1r2-nAUAPX-nyTvzm-nhD4L9-gPJqdr-gPDj31-8JeqXQ-2jZCkns-8JgwBQ-8HCXf5-8JbwC8-6cXdPr-8HD5rd-8HNri8-8J9XvM-8HACAT-8HS56N-4mYcVH-8JcUF5-8xQvRv-3d1wap">ctsnow</a></em>
