Ethiopia: Facts and Rhetoric: Eviction of the Indigenous Peoples of Gambella from their Land by the Ethiopian government

For those of us who are in Gambella, the ongoing eviction of the indigenous peoples from their land for foreign investors is just a fact not an issue for discussion.  The Ethiopian government´s rhetoric of relocating people for development is a disgusting and poorly crafted lie. The honest, humane and dignified Ethiopians know very well from their own individual experiences how the current government keeps lying to the Ethiopian people and the international community at large. My first encounter was after the December 13 when the government killed the Anyuak people and without any feeling of shame they were reporting for weeks on both the television and radio that it was an ethnic conflict between the Anyuak and the Nuer. Then I learned that the Ethiopian media had been feeding me with lies about what is going on in other corners of the country. Many of us Ethiopians have a lot to say on the government lies in Ethiopia and I don´t want to preach to the converted.

Is the eviction in Gambella meant for the development of the people of Gambella? Absolutely no!!! The evidences are self-explanatory for those who want to know the truth. If by development the government means school, clinic (health services), clean water and roads then the government has crafted this lie very poorly. Let me give few examples:

1. Okuna: This is a name of one of the villages that is in the plan to be relocated and partially has been relocated. It is located in Abobo woreda 45 km East from Gambella regional capital. Okuna has a clinic and an elementary school (from grade 1-8) and there are hand water pumps and a road. It is also one of the most fertile areas in Gambella as it is situated in the thick forest that extends up to Godera woreda. The village has not ever experienced draught or flood as there is no big river in the village. So which development is the government talking about? The fact of the matter is that close to Okuna village there is an investor (this one from Tigray region, not a foreign investor) who has been growing cotton for the last couple of years and he has been expanding his farm taking land from the local people. This time he wants to take over the whole village and that is why the villagers have to be removed. Despite their peaceful resistance they are being forced at the point of a gun to leave their farms.
2. Perbongo: This is another village that has already been partially relocated. It is again located in Abobo Woreda south East of Gambella at about 50 km. Perbongo has a clinic, school (from grade 1-8), water pumps and it is accessible by car throughout the year. So what development is the government talking about to move these people to? The reason for them to be displaced is again very obvious. The Saudi Arabia Company has already displaced some parts of this village and the current Saudi star 10,000 hectares farm is located on traditional land of this village. Saudi Star has openly said that they want to enlarge their current farm to 500,000 hectares in the next five years. The village is situated right in the center of the Saudi star farm and that is why the village has to be now relocated not because of the absence of basic development infrastructure but to secure enough land for the expansion of the Saudi Star.
3. Ilea: This is another village to be displaced. It is located 35 km away from Gambella regional capital. The land that Karaturi Company has taken now traditionally belongs to Illea village. Therefore it is again obvious that the Ilea people will be removed to secure the total 300,000 hectars of land and more for the Karaturi company.  Similarly Ileas has a clinic, school (grade 1-8) water pump and one of the best roads in Gambella.

The woredas (districts) that the government is targeting for this relocation are the woredas that are close to the regional capital and they have the basic development infrastructures. The least developed woredas in Gambella as all those from Gambella know are Jor and Akobo both located more than 150 km from Gambella regional capital at the border with South Sudan. If the government wants development then they should have been constructing roads to these woredas and building schools and clinics in these least developed woredas in their own respective traditional lands. We in Gambella we know and the governments´ propaganda of development is not to convince the Gambella people because they know but it is to mislead other Ethiopians of what is going in Gambella since they don´t have access and means to check and test the propaganda. Other Ethiopians should not be mislead by the government propaganda of bringing development to Gambella people. It is about selling Ethiopia piece by piece!!!