EPRDF MUST STOP KILLING THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF GAMBELLA

October 24, 2014

Gambella Nilotes United Movement/Army
Press Release
October 24th 2014, Gambella

“EPRDF MUST STOP KILLING THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF GAMBELLA”

Gambella Nilotes United Movement (GNUM) strongly condemns the Ethiopian government’s ethnic cleansing plans and act by creating conflict between highlanders and the indigenous people of Gambella. The massacre of Mezenger tribe since September 11/2014 is increasingly spreading to all villages of Godere zone by criminal and illegal highlanders supported by EPRDF national defence forces. Along the border between Gurafarda District (SNNPR of Ethiopia) and Godere District of Gambella all Mezenger villages were destroyed by Ethiopian National Defence following the campaign of the government to eliminate all Mezenger people from their ancestral land. Until today there is no access for independent body to visit the area to investigate the scale of damage and massacre of the Mezenger people due to presence of highly equipped military throughout the two districts.

Since 2003 Anuaks genocide in the Gambella region, the Ethiopian government has increasingly carried out several massacres and serious crimes against humanity as means to appropriate land for the northern settlers and commercial investors in Gambella. The chronological records of these massacres are still mounting.

On October 13th 2014 in Abwobo town highlanders killed innocent Anuaks and caused many injuries and stability. The killing in Abobo town spread to Gambella town as well. On Tuesday night of October 14th 2014 one Anuaks young boy was killed and another one injured. As pretext the EPRDF government is currently mobilizing illegal and criminal highlanders to own machetes and pangas to carry out a well planned massacre against the indigenous populations. This is a racist plan of the EPRDF/TPLF government to create ethnic cleansing conflicts in the region to displace and extinct the indigenous Nilotes from their ancestral lands and promote systematic settlements and occupations of Northerners in the land they don’t own in the South-western regions. We are calling up on all the indigenous people to remain alert and conscious to defend themselves against the planned atrocities of the Ethiopian government.

GNUM has been aware that the Ethiopian federal police and the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) have been very instrumental in instigating racist conflicts against the indigenous Nilotes in the region, and their role always is to make sure they flush out the indigenous populations from their ancestral lands in favour of highlanders. The indigenous Nilotes don’t enjoy freedom and equality as they continue to suffer discrimination against their colour and race in the country. They are seen inferior, less citizens, less humans of not deserving any right to acquire properties as other citizens, even in their own lands.

For this very reason, GNUM is determined to fight for the freedom and equality of the indigenous Nilotes to ensure their full recognition and identity in their ancestral land. The TPLF government beyond any doubt is a racist government that puts ethnic conflicts as means to prosper its own people from the north. It does not care for all its citizens, and it should be resisted strongly by all means.

GNUM would like to inform the Nilotic people of south-western Ethiopia to remain courageous that the TPLF government have lost support from the Ethiopians and it will soon vanish. We urge all Nilotes and Omotic people to maintain their unity and moral to fight back this dictator and oppressive regime. For all those who lost their lives in the hands of EPRDF government, we share your grief and death for your ancestral land and your bloodshed in will not be in vain; one day will change to freedom, prosperity, happiness, and equality. Your bloods cry loud for freedom and justice before God. GNUM will stand with you always.

Therefore, GNUM would like to call upon all the indigenous Nilotes to unite themselves as one people and should resist and fight the racist government plan to protect their land. Resistance should be encouraged and strengthened against this racist government to protect the livelihood of the indigenous populations. Our land, as indigenous peoples, should be known as source of our livelihood. We should be determined to protect this right at all cost.

In this particular moment, GNUM would like to call upon the international community to investigate the killings of indigenous people in Majenger Zone, Abobo and Gambella towns through neutral body, and cause the perpetrators to be brought to justice. We call upon all the international donors to stop their funding to the TPLF government to make sure their funds are not used to perpetuate the killings against the innocent indigenous populations.

We are also strongly calling upon the international community to investigate more critically the root cause of the increasing killings against the indigenous populations in southwest Ethiopia and come up with strong recommendations and actions for maximum self determination as the only lasting solution to protect the life of the indigenous populations.

In conclusion the Gambella Nilotes United Movement (GNUM) will continue it struggle for all people of Gambella and South-western Nilotes to ensure security, freedom, liberty, justice, and prosperity are brought to the indigenous peoples in their God given lands.

“Southwest Ethiopian Indigenous Nilotes Should Unite As One People to Resist and Fight the Racist Government of EPRDF/TPLF”

Gambella Nilotes United Movement/Army
Central Committee

Our contact:
gambellagnuma@yahoo.com OR gambellagnuma@gmail.com                  sourse ecadf