Ethiopia’s refusal over Ogaden war crimes issued at 26.11.2008
Injustices and human rights abuses inflicted upon the Somali people in Ogaden dated back to the Ethiopian occupation of Ogaden at the end of World War II. This Occupation took place three periods. The last part was handed over to Ethiopia in 1954 by Great Britain. who was colonising Ogaden. Since then the Ogaden people are fighting for their rights to self-determination and Ethiopian successive governments including the current EPRDF/TPLF regime were committng war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ogaden.
On 09th June 2007, Ethiopian Prime Minister, Zenawi, declared in a news conference in Addis-Ababa that his army has launched a political and military operation to contain the activities of the Ogaden National Liberation Front. This was the beginning of the genocide and ethnic cleansing which is still going on in Ogaden. The war crimes and crimes perpetrated by the Ethiopian government in Ogaden was first time witnessed by the United Nations mission who visited Ogaden in 2007. This mission has recommended in vain an independent investigation to be carried out.
However, Ethiopia declined to implement any recommendation of this international body as UN and continue to blocked human rights organizations, international media access to Ogaden with the aim of hiding the suffering of the civilians. At the same time Ethiopian government expelled from Ogaden several NGO’s, such as ICRC and MSF while those who were allowed to go to Ogaden are confined in the Garrison town at the discretion of Ethiopian government. In addition, to the continuation of genocide in Ogaden, the Ethiopian government wants to impose a new bill which bans the international NGOs work in a number of fields, including conflict resolution, children’s rights, disabled rights and criminal justice reform.
It’s obvious, that the international community does not expect putative answer to accept the crimes it committed against Ogadeni people, instead of confessing they prepared such false report to once more hoodwink international community. The Ogaden people are not only suffering from human rights violation but also socially and economically. With no aid from the international donors, the Ethiopian authority would not be able to stay in the Ogaden and commit War Crimes.
Finally, we request the United Nations, the EU, the AU and international community to take their responsibility and force Ethiopian government to open a corridor for aid to Ogaden and allow human rights organizations and international media to operate in Ogaden freely. At the same time we request that they set up international mission to investigate human right situation in Ogaden and bring to justice the perpetrators of this heinous crimes in our country, Ogaden, crimes witnessed by the United Nations’ humanitarian mission at the end of 2007 confirmed by the Human Right Watch.
Via EPR Network
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