Then another Ogadeni, named Yassin Kiassim, said jokingly, “That’s why we don’t even have the name “Baria” to call you—because we’ve never met you before!” We all laughed about this and then agreed that we had to break this invisible fence so the people of Ogaden could settle in Gambella if they wanted to and so the people of Gambella could do the same in the Ogaden, just like in the United States where US citizens did not have to go through a check point to move from state to state!
Why can’t we do the same in Ethiopia? As we talked more, we were very encouraged as we were all able to envision such a new Ethiopia! This is one thing for which we Ethiopians can thank Meles—through our pain and suffering at the hands of this regime, we have found the threads to bind together those of us from the southwestern region of Gambella with those of you from the southeastern region of the Ogaden, forming a new friendship and partnership. These friendships and resulting partnerships have now stretched across the country to bring us together as one family of Ethiopians.
We should continue to reach out until we are all under the shade of one tent. As your faith of Islam states, we were created and shaped out of the same clay making us all equal. As we realize this, it should help us build friendships based on respect and appreciation of each other, regardless of our differences. This is the way to break down the invisible fences that have needlessly separated us for so many years. As I learn more about the people of the Ogaden, I realize how much we have in common, but unfortunately, we also have suffered at the hands of our government in similar ways.
This is where I would like to start today—by first comparing what happened to the Anuak of Gambella with what is now going on with those in the Ogaden. Secondly, I will discuss the impact of human rights abuses on the country as a whole and how we have become part of a system where many factions have been vying for ethnic dominance—a dominance that can also later be used to oppress others, even those of one’s own ethnicity—lasting only until the next group takes over and repeats the cycle.
Thirdly, I will speak about what we can do to stop this cycle that is causing us to self-destruct and how to replace it with an alternative that could lead to living in cooperation, peace and harmony. The burden to change is on our shoulders now. We must seize this opportunity so we leave a different legacy for our children and grandchildren.
The first step is for all Ethiopians to get to know each other as unique people and as fellow human beings, then to acknowledge whatever pain and suffering we have might have caused to each other and then reconcile. In the case of the Anuak and the Ogedenis, we have few, if any, conflicts or hard feelings between us since we were so unaware of the others’ existence!
Even a day before I came to meet with you, as I told an Anuak friend that I would be speaking to the people of the Ogaden, he asked, “Are those the people with an Afro and who always have an AK-47 in their hands?” I said, “No, I think those are the people of Afar!” In fact, I have also been invited to speak to the people of Afar sometime in the next month and also to the people of Sidamo. I am very excited to get to meet with my Afar and Sidamo brothers and sisters! It is xciting to meet other members of our Ethiopian family—just like you!
However, this lack of knowledge we have about each other shows that we have much more to do in order to reach out to our fellow Ethiopians who have been separated by the invisible fences of all over our country. As fellow Ethiopians, we are supposed to not only know about each other, but we are supposed to protect each other and each others’ interests like a good neighbor who watches over your home while you are away. But this is hard to do if we remain divided. But again, our shared pain and tragedy has had one unexpected reward that Meles never intended, we have been introduced to each other!
Over a year ago, I had heard about your (Ogadenis) suffering and wanted to include your stories in my address to the European Parliament last May of 2006. You responded to my call and you told me about the widespread human rights crimes in your region. I heard about years of neglect by the last two regimes and that life was actually easier for you under Haile Selassie. In 1991 when Meles overthrew Mengistu, both the Gambella Peoples’ Liberation Movement, the Ogaden Peoples’ Liberation Front, the Oromo Liberation Front and many others were fighting along side of the TPLF.
When the Woyane or EPRDF developed the new Ethiopian Constitution, both Gambellans, and Ogadenis, Oromo and many others were supposed to have the right to govern themselves and to benefit equally in the country with everyone else, but the Woyane did not really mean that for us or anyone else but themselves. They simply used these words to manipulate us as they proceeded to take over all the power from the Ethiopian people.
From the start of their administration, there were Tigrayan cadre in the Gambella and Ogaden regions who were called “advisors,” but instead of simply “advising,” they were actually the puppets of the EPRDF, used to enforce federal agendas and to suppress any who attempted to advance regional goals. Their intent was exposed in the 1995 election when the local people from Gambella and from the Ogaden challenged the government with actions meant to lead to greater self-determination.