Call for the Federal Government of Ethiopia (FGE) to bring about immediate and permanent stability in the Gambella Region
By Gatwech Deng Wal
Langwarrin, Victoria
Ethiopian Government has a legal obligation to take measures to prevent the killing of the Nuer innocent civilians – wherever it may occur, it has a crucial role to play in ensuring that its forces, the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) comply with this obligation without delay.
Since the beginning of this year, there has been a real and imminent risk of the ENDF causing irreparable harm to the rights of the Nuer Community. Instead of the ENDF preventing the killing of the Nuer innocent civilians and making interim orders of immediate security and stability, they are killing innocent civilians indiscriminately under the guise of preventing the demise of Omot Ujulu Obup’s rogue leadership and the growing conflict between the Nuer and Anyuak. The atrocities committed by the ENDF are enough and should cease.
There are reasonable grounds to believe that the ENDF is taking sides, committing dire insecurity, and killing against the Nuer innocent civilians. With the ENDF having commenced ground operations in Puldeang and Makot, government decisive action is needed to protect innocent civilians’ lives.
The FEDERAL GOVERMENT OF ETHIOPIA must stand united with the Gambella Regional Government (GRG) against war and violence. Both Federal and regional governments must condemn all acts of violence against civilians, both those committed by the ENDF and those committed by the Anuak against the Nuer civilians.
I am urging the FEDERAL GOVERMENT OF ETHIOPIA and GRG governments to make statements objecting to the actions of the ENDF and the Anuak to stop the killing of innocent Nuer civilians and bring about durable peace that can bring back immediate and permanent stability in the Gambella region.
Furthermore, the FEDERAL GOVERMENT OF ETHIOPIA must condition GRG to unconditionally release all Nuer Community members detained without proper reason under Omot Ujulu Obup’s administration, this will bring about permanent peace in Gambella. However, with the shocking loss of more than 100 lives in Puldeang and Makot, the displacement of over 5,000 people, and over a hundred
thousand lives now at risk in and around Puldeang and Makot, further action is urgently required to end this catastrophe.
I am joining Gambella Communities and other Ethiopian good Samaritans, in calling on FEDERAL GOVERMENT OF ETHIOPIA to do everything within its power to secure an immediate and permanent peace and to prevent killing from happening in Gambella, including by:
- Urging and putting pressure on ENDF and GRG to cease all acts of violence in Gambella, especially in the Nuer Zone areas.
- Ensuring full accountability for anyone responsible for killing of innocent civilians.
- Immediately suspending all ENDF present in Puldeang and Makot; and
- Providing humanitarian assistance and shelter to innocent civilians displaced by the ENDF etc.
Ethiopia is a country that has a proud history of holding its governments and peoples to account on a broad range of public interest law matters, ranging from inhumane treatment of its citizens, thus nothing can prevent it from bringing about the change and peace that Gambellians wanted to see in their region. For over hundred and twenty-eight years,
Ethiopia has used its voice to advocate for the advancement of the human rights of its citizens from foreign colonies such as Italy and others and hold its governments to account where human rights are being violated, nothing would be impossible for it to solve Gambella tribal conflicts. It has to speak out on this issue because of its impact on the communities it serves, so it must ensure that the ENDF and GRG are acting to uphold justice and human rights.
By Gatwech Deng Wal
Langwarrin, Victoria
The author of this article is a concerned South Sudanese citizen who lived in Ethiopia for many years. He can be reached by email: at gatwechdeng@gmail.com.
