Ten Police officers are now serving time in a crowded jail in Gambella. The crime for their arrest is that they did not see the bajaj used in a murder attempt where a person from Anyuak community was short and wounded. The officers were accused for not seeing what happened to an Anyuak eventhough they might be at different locations at that particular time.

This is not to say what happened to the Anyuak shot was fine as the individual might have been an innocent as Nuer the Anyuak always killed for no crime they committed but for being Nuer. However, Omot’s arbitrary laws applies to the Nuer only. Two weeks ago, 7 Nuer MPs were shot and wounded with 4 sustaining serious injuries with broken bones.

Nobody was arrested for that despite suspects names being leaked out. Omot is arresting the officers because the majority of them who worked on that day were Nuer on duty. Among the ten officers arrested were 6 Nuer all from Lare Woreda where the Vice President Hails from, two Highlanders and two Anyuak.

It is not quite sure if these Anyuaks might still be there because Omot releases Anyuak in the pretext that they will be serving their sentence in Anyuak zone but sets them free. So many Anyuaks who could still be in jail right now were released by Omot in the pretext of serving their time in Anyuak Zone but ended up attacking Nuer in Puldeng Kebele where 4 of the inmates were killed.

Despite all that the arrest of the traffic officers is wrong. In Ethiopia, you do not arrest potential witnesses. But Omot is acting as if Ethiopia does not have judicial system. e arrests Nuer for things that the police in Addis Ababa would not even interrogate let alone putting someone behind bars.