December 13, 2013
December 13th, 2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the Anuak genocide that began with the brutal massacre of 424 Anuak leaders and young students in less than three days, but continued for another two years. On December 13, 2003, members of the TPLF/EPRDF military’s 43rd Division entered Gambella town in southwestern Ethiopia. Over the course of three days, they sought out, tortured and killed 424 men, burned houses, and scattered families. Since that time, the genocide and crimes against humanity have continued, raising the death toll between 1,500 and 2,500, and causing more than 10,000 Anuak to flee.
Video discussion of the Anuak Massacre
In Gambella today, the pace of land grabs has become astronomical as land and rights to water and natural resources are being given away to TPLF cronies and foreign multinational companies for next to nothing for decades while the local people are being forced from their homes.
As the Anuak commemorate the darkest of days in their memory, they are not alone as countless other Ethiopians and justice loving people beyond the borders of Ethiopia remember this day with them, but tragically, many precious members of our greater Ethiopian family have faced or are facing their own December 13th.
Please click below to read the full statement by the Anuak Justice Council.
Remembering December 13th