Neo-Nazi Methods in Use by Tigray Tyrant Zenawi of ‘Ethiopia’ in Ogaden

By Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

According to a press release, issued today by the Ogaden Human Rights Committee, the tyrannical, tribal administration of ‘Ethiopia’ deployed the most appalling methods in order to hinder the UN Facts Finding Committee that would examine grave descriptions of Human Rights violations, and issue a report on the tragic situation in place at Ogaden.

The OHRC report gets reconfirmed by the personal narrations of hundreds of Ogadenis refugees, who have arrived recently at Djibouti and have described the prevailing situation in their country that is still occupied by the so-called ‘Ethiopia’ as deeply worsened.

Daily killings of innocent people walking in the streets, numerous cases of rape of women who happen to walk alone in isolated spots, and terrorizing methods involving mutilation and sadistic acts complete a picture that represents the Mankind’s most shameful moment in 2007.

Average people and democratic administrations, NGOs and intellectuals, activists and diplomats should read the following lines with great concern, and pressurize their representatives for immediate action against Africa’s most appalling tyrant. The various ways by which Tigray tyrant Zenawi’s thugs tried to prevent the UN mission represent a blow against the international body, and the International Law.

The International Community cannot further tolerate Africa’s most criminal dictator at a moment massive support to Islamic leaders gains momentum in neighboring Somalia; in addition, the UN must bear witness to impartial treatment of similar cases, namely Darfur and Ogaden.
In this article, we will publish only the first part of the OHRC report that provides full description of the ruthless dictator Zenawi’s methods of inhuman oppression and absolute terror practiced at Ogaden.
Press Release - Ref: OHRC/PRO6/0907.

Ethiopia: Attempts to render meaningless the UN Mission’s work in the Ogaden

On September 06th 2007, U.N. aid officials and human rights investigators ended a week-long mission to the Ogaden. United Nations mission, which visited some parts of the Ogaden, was not given unfettered access to many places and was accompanied and guided by Ethiopian officials as Mr. Abdi Mohamoud Omar the head of the Somali Regional State Security and Justice Bureau told BBC Somali Service in an interview during the visit of the UN mission.

Before the arrival of the UN mission Ethiopian government took the following steps in order to confuse and render meaningless the UN mission:

Ethiopian security forces rounded up and detained some outspoken critics of the Ethiopian government’s policies in the Ogaden. They are being held in harsh conditions without charges or trial in military underground detention in Jigjiga.

Ethiopian government emptied crowded jails and police stations in Jigjiga, Dhagaxbuur, Qabridaharre and Godey taking the inmates to secret detention centres until the UN team leaves the area.
Victims of human rights abuses and their relatives have been warned not to speak of their experiences to the UN mission, or else they would be severely punished.

Many important crime scenes were not included in the itinerary of the UN mission.

Prior the arrival of the UN team in Qabridaharre the Ethiopian chief officer declared his government’s intention to punish severely anyone who tells anything bad about the government. He ordered army units to put on civilian clothes during the visit of the UN team and keep an eye on those who may disobey his orders.

Among outspoken critics of the Ethiopian government who were arrested before the arrival of the UN fact-finding mission were the following clan elders and businessmen: Suldan Fowsi Mohamed Ali, Ahmednur Mohamed Tarah, Muhumed Ahmed Nur, Sheikh Nur Jama, Hussien Isse, Mohamed Burale, Faseh Abdi Ali, Abdullahi Nur Shukri, Abdullahi Ahmed Nur and Abdullahi Sheikh Ibrahim.
On August 28th 2007, in Jigjiga, Ethiopian security forces and the local police collected Suldan Fowsi Mohamed Ali from his residence in the dead of night. And then he was transferred to underground military detention in Jigjiga. He is being held incommunicado. Suldan Fowsi is in a poor state of health, and was denied adequate medical treatment.

The Ogaden Human Rights Committee believes that he and other detainees are detained for their political views, and are prisoners of conscience.( For other detainees’ background see Ogaden: Ethiopian government forces: massacre, displace and starve out the civilian population with impunity ref: OHRC/AR/07).

To the best of the Ogaden Human Rights Committee’s knowledge, Suldan Fowsi and other detainees were not involved in any illegal activity. The Ogaden Human Rights Committee calls for them to be either charged with recognizable criminal offences and be given fair trials or immediately and unconditionally released. The OHRC is also concerned about their safety and well being, particularly in view of constant reports about confessions made under duress.

As has been repeatedly documented by the Ogaden Human Rights Committee and international human rights organizations, the state of human rights in the Ogaden has gone from bad to worse in the recent past. The abysmal track record of the EPRDF/TPLF regime has been recently aggravated by natural calamities-mostly man made- and senseless wars, which had primarily been caused by the ill-devised policies of the current Ethiopian government.

The Ethiopian government’s policy in the Ogaden is based on
-deliberate economic strangulation,
-political marginalization and
-use of brutal military force to suppress all legitimate demands from the population, including the right to self-determination.

As a part of the Ethiopian government’s policy of starving out the civilian population in the Ogaden to submission, its army has imposed an economic blockade on many towns and villages in the region. This blockade has caused an enormous human suffering.

The most affected areas by the military siege are: the regions of Dhagaxbuur, Fiiq, Qabridaharre, Wardheer, Godey, Afdheer and some parts of Jigjiga, where many villages were depopulated and razed to the ground by the government troops.

Ethiopian government has coached its officials, members of security forces and collaborators and presented them to the UN mission as clan elders and victims of ONLF alleged wrongdoing.
The Ethiopian government’s scorched earth policy in the Ogaden was in place since early 1992 when the ONLF has called for referendum on self-determination and independence for the Ogaden. But both the New York Times’ article of June 18th and Human Rights Watch’s statement on the human rights violation in the Ogaden, on June 04th 2007, put the spotlight on the slow genocide, which is going on in the Ogaden without the knowledge of the international community.

United Nation’s fact-finding mission did not visit Fiiq region and Wardheer region where sites of mass graves and many torched towns, villages and hamlets are located.

For unknown reason to the OHRC the UN mission did not visit the following crime scenes:
Toon-Ceeley, Xodayo, Lan-Jaleelo, Xero-Bilcir, Garwaan, Lix-Irdood, Samo, Masaarre, Fooljeex, Galadiid, Farmadow, Geerigo’an, Gabagabo, Dalaad, Jiica, Farmadow, Shilaabo, Madax-Maroodi,
Karin-Bilcille, Gurdumi, Maraacaato, Daratoole, Laasoole, Higlalay, Labiga, Bulaale, Dawacaale, Dharkeenley, Ceelxaar, Qamuuda, Wacdi, Jinoole, Caado, Balli-Garabey Arraweelo, Xodayo,
Taaloole, Dundumo-Cad, Qoriile, Babaase and many other places.

The Ogaden Human Rights Committee, which has requested repeatedly the UN to send a fact-finding mission to the Ogaden welcomes wholeheartedly, the visit of the UN mission to some parts of the region and deplores its inability to visit real crime scenes where gross human rights violations took place.

The OHRC requests the UN mission to meet and interview survivors of Ethiopian government’s atrocities who are in neighbouring countries such as, Ridwaan Hassan Rage who survived Babaase massacre, which took place, on July 24th 2007.
Ogaden Human Rights Committee
http://www.ogadenrights.org/
E-mail: ohrc@ogadenrights.org