******: The other looming genocide of Horn of Africa Thursday 16 August 2007. By Farah A. Farah* August 15, 2007 — Over the past decades, there has been a quiet revolution occurring in Africa. One of the biggest scourges facing Africa was the sub-continent’s violent conflicts and famines. Similarly, the military involvement of mass killing has nowadays become the norm of several African regimes. Nevertheless, with the world focuses on terrorism, the Iraq war and now Iran and Middle East crises, there are some hidden critical issues in Africa. This time is another catastrophic crisis underway in ****** region of Ethiopia. As human rights organisations discover there have been the most systematic brutal ethnic cleansing a government army involved is unfolding here in the eastern fringes of the ****** desert. It’s a campaign of murder, rape and pillage, which has been carried out by Tigre dominated government troops. They have forced thousands people to flee from their villages. According to eyewitness, the humanitarian catastrophe is widely seen several districts strewn with the carcasses of cattle and camels, as well as fresh graves that are covered with brush so wild animals will not dig them up. Displaced people are all over the place and around overused wells and grazing which now run dry, and they mourn loved ones whose bodies they could not recover. While international community and African Union in particular are not doing acting to intervene urgently in Ethiopia, the culprit is the Ethiopia‘s TPLF ruthless regime, which is one of the world’s nastiest dictators have been oppressing aggressively civilians for more than 16 years to stay on power. Most recently, it have intervened the region with heavy army and daily killings of unarmed civilians is unimaginable. Many refugees have fled into neighbouring Somalia and their livelihoods are destroyed and uprooted .The army targeted the only sources of food - livestock; mainly camels and water reserves called Berkad. The government army regularly chases nomads to seize cattle all the way inside Somalia border, similarly terrorising ****** nomads and civilians in 34 villages. These skirmishes are taking place in a sparsely populated land of sand, shrubs and occasional oases. The only roads are mud tracks barely navigable by four-wheel-drive vehicles - except when the rainy season makes the area completely impassable. Similarly the presence of the international organisations is almost limited and few operating in the areas like ICRC has been expelled from the region by the government and small local NGO’s are targeted by the army. In last week Mr Sulub a head of local charity called of OWDA, has been killed by the army, in his way back from cholera break out assessment in Dhegahmadaw town. A senior New York Times journalist and other humanitarian agencies visited the region last month described the situation in an interview as humanitarian catastrophe of similar character, if not the scale to the Rwanda genocide of 1994. "This is an ethnic cleansing," they said. "This is the world’s greatest humanitarian crisis, and I don’t know why the world isn’t doing more about it." Countless of ****** civilians have been murdered and as many as 20.000 have fled to Somalia and other parts of Ethiopia and are suffering from torture and malnutrition. Those who have fled into Somalia are better off because of the magnificent response of the Somali nomads. Though are desperately poor themselves, they share what little food and water is available. "If we have food or water, we’ll share it with them," said a fellow camel herder, Guure Cali. "We can’t leave them like this." Let’s hope that the United State of America (USA) and UN will show the same gumption and compassion they offered to the Darfurian people these days. The USA should call Ethiopian government to stop these acts and allow the right of ******i –Somali people to live safely in their homeland. UN Security Council and European Union have moral duty to act now these inhumane actions. As President George W. Bush has already led the force for total peace and democratisation process in the other parts of the world, he should also show the same standard to press the regime stopping this genocide, which many Ethiopians will remember for ever.. In the 21st century no government should be allowed to carry out ethnic cleaning, driving innocent people from their homes, if the international community turn away simply because the victims are another Africans who have no phones and live in one of the most remote parts of the globe, then shame on all. “The conflict in Eastern Ethiopia’s ****** region is developing from ethnic cleansing into genocide” many exiled rights activists claim. The Addis Ababa government allegedly did this Gambella and Oromia region and now their army are massacring ******s. According to a statement by the CDRA, A human rights organisation based London “the long running humanitarian disaster in ****** "is precipitously worsening." Pointing to new massacres in the region”. Another statement issued by the Human Rights Watch says “Ethiopian troops are destroying villages and property, confiscating livestock and forcing civilians to relocate,” Furthermore a field based Organisation called OHR also describes as this: “What is going on in the ****** "is ethnic cleansing" occurred in Rwanda and ongoing presently in Darfur, which obscured genocide and justified international passivity until it become too late." The Addis Ababa government, which is dominated by Tigrayan minority, denies all reports about ethnic cleansing in ****** or army atrocities. al enemy tribes. In Misrak Iimey Woreda, the government was not doing its best to stop five year old tribal war going on and banditry raids, but watch and arms the minority tribes to fight against ******. Speaking with the journalist CDRA researcher Isse “Tribal fighting is not new in this part of Ethiopia” he says”It is a fragile nomadic area were pastoralists are prone to conflict, because they share pasture and water resources, but never been this scale, unless the army are arming to fight each other” The Majority of people in the ****** and Diaspora communities interviewed believe that the regime is planning "to systematically driving out of their land in punishment of ONLF’s opposition to the regime” according to Mr. Sadi, A former Regional President under the EPRDF regime, now living exile in London, Since 2001, the Government army has been accused of killing innocent civilians and harshly torturing thousands for not cooperating with them or accusing rebel agents. Diaspora groups believe that the regime is engaged state terrorism and are working out legal action against their senior officers in Europe and USA to stop daily civilian killings. ****** has been neglected by more than a century of Ethiopian conquest, revolts against successive regimes, Cold War proxy battles that aborted 1977 hard won independence after Soviet and Russian rescued Military regime. The current cycle of violence began 17 years ago after Prime Minister Meles regime refused to include ******s in the Government. ****** require an end to the discrimination that has virtually banned them from having any rights in the Ethiopian state. After so long a struggle, they also require a fair apportioning of power from Tigre minority rulers. Statistically ****** are third largest ethnic group after dominant groups of Oromo and Amhara and secondly largest region with full of natural gas The ****** conflict has received very little international attention, compared to the conflict between the Sudan Government and Darfur. Unlike the Southern Sudan and Darfur, this region is extremely rich in Oil and Gas, perhaps it is not well known that there are some oil wells ready for production in the ****** Basin. This needs to be consigned for the local population benefit. A racist attitude towards these peoples from many of the politically dominant Tigres has been documented on many occasions and exclusively excluded from the government. Mr Ruush of CDRA, Cenre for Development research and advocacy complains that the "UN and other human rights organisations shamefully" was silent "on what is going on in ******" The international community needs to "take immediate action now, before it is too late to protect the poor people and other indigenous people of Oromo from the atrocities of the Ethiopian government and its brutal Army" the CDRA Researcher urged. The genocide realities in ****** become a daily routine. Obviously, the urgency of a powerful international response to Meles’s policy of a deliberate destruction of the ****** nomads and Oromia region could not be greater than that in Darfur. And yet there continues to be no evidence that appropriate actions humanitarian and diplomatic are being contemplated by the international community. The ghastly history of genocide in this century is extending itself from Rwanda horrors to Darfur scandal and soon to another country of Horn Africa, where the familiar elements of convenient scepticism and moral hesitancy will soon be indissolubly linked to the culturally and ethnically motivated destruction of tens of thousands innocent civilians. It is certainly no strenuous inference from the available evidence to declare that many more than ten thousand human beings have already died or are in the last stages of death from military attacks and consequent exposure, disease, and starvation. However, whether one ignores it and be ineffective to take an action against these appauling mass killings, genocide is happening in the region and this deserves an international attention. *The author is head of Centre for Development Research & Advocacy based in London. He can be reached farahafey@gmail.com source: http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article23303 Should we still hold them against the banner they choose to fight? Can wee justify the abandonment on grounds ,oh hey they are not within the imaginary somali unity.. :mad:

I honestly cant get the mindset,of those singing under the banner of Somali Unity.The struggle began as a Somali struggle,until the struggle was abondoned by the rest of the Somalis.Its not about knowing the history but learning from it too brothers.The Somalis in Somali Galbeed,tasted a brife independence in 1977-8, only to loose it again,daan baa kukelifee for their movement to became of one clans struggles,as the support dried up in the 80's as the rest of Somalia was begining to experience instability.Nevertheless its really a struggle of Somali people despite the banner they are fighting under,which is totally different to the fighting within Somalia.We are fighting against each other,where the Somalis in Somali Galbeed are fighting our old enemy Ethiopia's occupation and oppression. Please,dont mock their struggles,nor can we really understand what it takes for generations of Somalis to give up their lives for freedom. May allah ease their struggles,may they one day gain their independence..Amiin.

^^^Lol,serves her right dhee! I dont know what people think,illahi baa umadisaa baad baadiyee maxaa ugeeyee niin xaas leeh! :confused:

Originally posted by Khalaf: Dahia, walaaleey yes and thanks much, you have answered something. My believe however is walaaleey, that even though somali union is in its current state or regardless of the stage it enters in the future or whomever the leaders will be, good or bad, the flag stands in principle we should never lose that sight, the flag raised on independence day, we have one somali flag that represents our people and country in the world and the realization of 5pointed stars one day. Sometimes vision is greatest weapon one can have. Glad to be of service yaa Khalaf.. I think brother Sayiid had answered your question in regard to the flag.As for the vision,its trully is foggy right now to see or predict the future of the Greater Somalia,20yrs ago we fought for the liberation of our brothers and sisters,20yrs later we call upon the same oppressors to liberate us from our selves...isnt this ironic! :rolleyes: Subhanallah!

Brother Nur, Isnt time to intervine,set a meeting with a mediator between them? I assume these services are still provided within the community[gaarta]. He needs to understand the depth of his wife's concern,before it poisons the whole relationship.Some how most men,assume when a wife complains or is concerned she is whinning,and do not take them serious. Inshaallah,I have confidence in you to advice her and him well.

This is fascinating, am still on first pages but had learned something today...thanks brothers! plz do continue!

Ghanima,it could be the perks of living in the surburbs..

^^Men! :rolleyes: Dabshid you make it sound like its okay hadhee..Lol Ghanima,I was fascinated by another case,where a cousin[habarwadaag]of the woman,married her seedi.The girl came to live with her cousin,after awhile started a fling with the hubby of the cousin and secretly married the man..oh well when she got pregnant all hell broke loose,the man choose the cousin and divorced his first wife..but the new wife isnt living a life of luxury hadhee,she is in constant state of paranoia..he will,or he is cheating! serves her right I say,..

Adna,does you friend understand when Somali is spoken but cant reply? I used to understand when spoken to,but couldnt respond..but was creative in jazzing up the swahili to sound like somali..lol! yep,added ka at the end and it sounded somali..lol anyway,was throw in the deepend at some point,surrounded by somalis from Somalia..I had to learn quick or I would have been a butt of their jokes for a while..so she needs to surround her self with Malis from Mali..

^^^Lol,Hungurii! nice spread!

Jazakhal Kheyr brother, insha'allah will do the best to spread the word.

Dahia that was the 70s no?, i am talking about now. Even when money is collected its done on clan basis, the media, the propganda its all clan based. Why doesnt that defeat the purpose of a somali struggle? The purpose of this thread was to ask one why is this important struggle in the ogdaden seen as a clan struggle maybe not in the 70s, and more important why does this struggle not receive much support from the greater somali community, I mean financially, media wise, ect? And two symbolism is very powerful in my opinion, even though somalia is in its current state we still have our repersentive flag the blue and white in the world. This area of dispute is between Republic of Somalia and the Republic Ethiopia. What then is the significance of the ONLF not fighting under the somali flag-blue and white? Why don’t they fight under the flag of the republic of Somalia, don’t they support and believe in somali wayne? [/QB] Khalaf, like all Somali issues the struggles for the liberation of ******ia is a complex issue. The damaged done by the colonial powers in creating boundaries in Africa, especially the horn of Africa where it separated the people of the same ethnicity into different countries is one that of atrocities [my opinion].Nevertheless brother you need to understand ,despite the school of thought of the former republic in creating the Greater Somalia, hence the Ethio-Somali war. The war was miscalculated and ended without the results hoped, this action took the struggle for ****** back. Ethiopia made moves to make sure ****** was not going to be only occupied by the Somalis, and resettling of Ethiopians began and the oppression of the Somalis continued. As for why the ONLF isn’t fighting under the blue flag, the Somali flag was a product of Independent Somalia,where ******ia is still under occupation. Somalia abandoned its support[it needs support from it self hadaa],we turned on each other. The dream for a Greater Somalia , hence the no support from the Somali community…As for the monetary funding, would you give money to ONLF? I hope I had answer something, as its 2am..the girl got to go to bed..

Calm down brother faraax,the young brother needs educating,he is learning..inshaallah he will find his answers one day. Khalaf,the ******ia struggle is not a clan struggle,some of us lost relatives fighting to liberate ******ia in the 70's and believe me they were not ******i by clan.******ia is an area occupied not only by one clan brother,and only through the scramble for africa by the colonial powers, it got separated from the rest of Somalia..Unfortunately there is an overwhelming urgency in the rest of Somalia with its pressing issues,but nevertheless we Somalis are with our brothers in their struggles.. If brother Khalaf wants to know more,holla! will hook you up with the freedom fighters.. VIVA ONLF!

Originally posted by Dabshid: quote:Originally posted by Dahia al Kahina: Dabshid, we need to find you a wife..! Are you available? Touche'

Tanaad, welcome to SOL! JB Lol@ maxaa cabbi?

Originally posted by Dabshid: Marrying second one or more is a choice available for Farah's, and if u cant share your hubby,you can always choose to exit..As for men,You get the real deal when there is a competition! Here in Sydney, Met a guy who married a girl and her aunt! I wonder how he did it! Oh well,if he can cope with the real deal hadhee, I assume the girl must have been visiting her aunty when the old man made the move,happens alot..men! :rolleyes:

^^oh that is so cute,please dont be angry with the baby,he or she just wanted to experiment... What annoys me is those drivers who dont indicate,you stand there trying to assume where they are going on the round abouts..damn them! oh family members in my bedroom,I cant stand folks in my wardrobes,touching and spraying my perfumes...aaargh,am I being too selfish?

Lol@hii watu habana silamu..Lol Poor guy!

^^Lol, I love the kenyan swahili..Lol

Loool..they are so wrongly matched..lol..

Ghanima, your body is in shock,you changed your diet..you needed to ask for advice from your doctor before changing your diet.Especially introducing new food into your system..It will probably take some time to get used to all this allien fruits you been eating..lol Inshaallah all will be well,drink pleanty of water to cleanse,and as someone mentioned..take some laxative..cleanse the inside too..will do wonders.

Originally posted by Nephthys: Best of luck Fartun. Guess this is the end of your "showering together" days eh'. Enjoy your new little guy abbaayo. ^^Lol, am sure they will be taking a bath together now..ofcourse with the new baby..aah what a blissful sight! Fartuun,best of luck sis,being a mother is a wonderful,heartwarming and exhauting experience..but its worth all that and more, so enjoy!

Masha'allah,Its good news to hear there are more converts and insha'allah they shall be more.I actually find the converts to be more vigilant with the deen then those of us born and bred within Islam..alhamdulillah! I hope its not just a trend as they flocked Budhism in the 60/70 in droves too...

Sister Ms Dh&Dh,your understanding and acceptance of pologym isnt necessarly the reality on the ground for all of us dear.As Zenobia,said we all live our own realities,your experience and those women around you might not necessarly be everyone else's reality. As for your friend,is she allowed to leave her husband behind while away on business??Isnt there some restriction on women travelling alone? Honestly some of us would not share,those wonderful moments with our husbands with anyone else....one lives only once,why be so generous! The prophet[saw]did not marry a second wife until Khadija[ra]passed away,and after that he married each of his wives for a certain reason..its completly different to how the faraaxs go about it.Especially here in the west,can any faraax really afford to be able to provide both wives equally in every sense?? anyhow!

Originally posted by Nephthys: War heedhe beenta ha isugu nacamlaynina. Tis hard enough finding a decent Farax adoo single ah, adoo used goods ah-na warkeedaba daa! Markaa maxaa talo ah. No wonder we live in a disposable world everything is easy to replace even people but not good men. Lol@used goods aa, bisinkaa! Darn girl!, had you been spending time with Rudy of lately? Lol MsDh&Dh, The man didnt tell his wife,he had the intention of marrying another woman,surely that isnt acceptable even in Islam.As for the much investment this woman had done,surely the benefits of it didnt match that investment if he betrayed her.If there is lack of respect,consideration, what kinda of marriage is that to hold on to?.. Ghanima,Lily...hear hear hear!