The Prime Minister appeared to be out of touch with the suffering of the people of GambellaPrie Minister’s Inde

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is indecisive is not helping innocents.

, particularly the Nuer community. The violence between the Nuer and Anyuak communities is having a devastating human toll.

Many families have lost loved ones and are continuing to loose on a daily occurrences, leaving behind widows, widowers, orphans, and parents who have lost all their children. Their pain and suffering appeared to have been overlooked or forgotten by the Prime Minister.

Since Ethiopia became a modern independent state, the scale of deaths and suffering in Gambella during his tenure has been unprecedented. The loss of life under his watch appears to exceed anything experienced during the eras of Haile Selassie, Mengistu Haile Mariam, or Meles Zenawi. This devastating reality should not be ignored, and the suffering of the people of Gambella deserves serious attention and accountability.

Currently, the leadership of Alemitu Umod and her predecessor, Omot Ojulu, should face serious scrutiny over the violence in Gambella. Their did not only weakened the enforcement of Gambella’s laws, they fail to adequately investigate or prosecute Anyuak individuals allegedly involved in organised violence.

There are also serious allegations that state resources have been used to influence federal institutions and contribute to violence against the Nuer community.

The attack on Makhot Kebele, which occurred while Omot Ojulu was in power, is a serious example of the violence and lack of accountability in Gambella. According to accounts from the community, eight Nuer civilians were killed during the attack. Nuer residents, who have access to firearms for self-defence but are not necessarily militants, reportedly fought back, resulting in the deaths of 15 ENDF personnel.

Despite the significant loss of civilian and military lives, Omot Ojulu was never removed from office or, to my knowledge, held publicly accountable for what happened. Such incidents raise serious questions about political responsibility, the protection of civilians, and the need for an independent investigation into violence in Gambella.

Regardless of ethnicity or political affiliation, those responsible for attacks on civilians and those who failed in their duty to protect them should never continue to hold any public office either in Gambella or in Federal Government in Addis Ababa.

But Omot got promoted and currently he is working as an advisor to Miister of Peace in Addis Ababa.

Alemitu Umod, whom the Prime Minister appointed as President of Gambella without meaningful consultation with the people is continuing a pattern that existed under her predecessor, Omot Ojulu.

The Nuer and Abesha communities wrote countless letters to the Prime Minister and his office, raising urgent concerns about the killings, insecurity, and deteriorating conditions in Gambella. The continuing violence has also had a devastating impact on businesses and economic activity, because violence and sustainable development cannot go hand in hand.

Despite these repeated appeals, many people feel that the Prime Minister has failed to give the crisis the attention and urgency it deserves.

The continued loss of life and bloodshed in Gambella cannot be treated as a political inconvenience or ignored indefinitely.

The people of Gambella need meaningful action to protect civilians, restore security, investigate killings, and hold those responsible accountable. Development cannot succeed while communities continue to live in fear and families continue to bury their loved ones everyday of the week.

Gambella will struggle to achieve lasting peace as long as political leaders and authorities are harbouring, funding, or protecting armed groups responsible for violence.

There are serious concerns that some Anyuak political and security actors have supported or tolerated militants whose objective is to transform Gambella into an ethnically exclusive state for Anyuak.

These are substantiated allegations so that those responsible such as Alemitu herself loss the credibility to lead. Her best place at this point right now if you turn Gambella into New Jersey is behind bars.

Lasting peace in Gambella cannot be built through ethnic domination or the exclusion of any community.

The region belongs to all its peoples, and every community including the Nuer, Anyuak, Mejeng, Komo, Oppo and Abesha has the right to live safely, participate equally in government, and pursue economic and social development without fear of violence.

We appeal to the Prime Minister to recognise that, under the current circumstances, the people of Gambella may not have a meaningful opportunity to freely elect a new regional governor. Ethiopia’s democratic and constitutional system operates differently from established European democracies, particularly in regions facing serious insecurity and political instability.

The Prime Minister therefore faces a critical choice. He can sit back and watch Gambella slowly descend further into violence, instability, and economic destruction, or he can take decisive action to restore security and public confidence by replacing the current administration with leadership capable of bringing the different communities together.

We urge the Prime Minister to act before the situation deteriorates further. Gambella needs accountable leadership, equal protection for all communities, and a genuine commitment to peace and development.

The people of Gambella should not have to continue paying the price for political failure and violence.

This article was written by Pam Chuol Joack, a contributor to Gambella Vision and an analyst of Gambella affairs.