Gambella Government Delegations to Diaspora

Other Ethiopians celebrated the millennium joyfully while Gambellians were gnashing their teeth in scorching fire under occupation and brutal administration inflicted upon them.

Many regimes have emerged and crumbled without any improvement to the lives of indigenous people of Gambella. These governments have improved the lives of other Ethiopians if anything much; at least to some extent they’re experiencing the development, but not Gambellians. Gambellians didn’t sit back and watch government dominating and discriminating; they have been working hard struggling to bring reasonable human rights in first place and then development to the region. However, Ethiopians leaders have not responded to them positively, but in more aggressive way than ever.

Today, five years have gone after genocide of Anywaa followed by crack down of peaceful demonstrators and vote rigging all over the country. After all these took place the current government, to cover up and shine its image, it had been campaigning around the world reaching Diasporas citizens to polish its dirty image to look shiny from outside and still messy and stinky inside.

Many governments’ top officials from all regional governments and federal states except Gambella have been touring around the world with Ethiopians tax money to enjoy the holidays. Their campaign, however, had been fruitless, deceptive and malicious that didn’t gave them any result except humiliation and shameful ending of their meetings with all Diasporas Ethiopians.

During all this time Gambella regional government was not in the picture of this national vacation that made all leaders all over Ethiopia coming and enjoying the holidays at the expense of poor Ethiopians. To my surprise, this week there were a rumors flying around Diaspora that after four years since the government launched brainstorming campaign, Gambella regional government officials lead by senior regional authorities are going to USA and Canada. Why were they not given a chance to campaign for the government at the same time and at right time as others? There were no Gambellians’ oppositions openly opposed to the genocide against the Anywaa and vote rigging? Were all Gambellians loyal to this government? But the government was afraid to let the Gambella government join the campaign.

Well, before addressing these questions, I would say that the delegates are welcome to visit Diaspora since they separated with some of theirs friends for long time and to enjoy their holiday too. As it is Anywaa culture to provide hospitality to its guest, we do the same to our brothers even though they were our rivals politically. However, what they have to know is they were to visit diaspora late for the following reasons:

Mistrust and subjugation existed upon the people of the region. The Gambella leaders were not trusted by the government to visit the diaspora at the time when all Gambellians were pleading to the entire world and governments for the EPDERF’S genocidal act against the Anywaa and vote rigging. They we considered vulnerable to diaspora pressure to testify against own government because it won’t be easy for them to deny the realty they have experienced since some of them lost loved relatives.

Negligence to the regional development. As we all knew, the campaign was brainstorming to create good image of the government pleading to Diasporans to return home to develop the country promising safety and assistance for investors. If development is so important for the country why Gambellians did not come on time as other leaders of the regions did? If development is important to Gambellians as it is important to other citizens in the country why did the same government destroy the enterprises started by diasporans in Gamella? The clear example is, some diasporans took the risk and invested in the region in transport, hotel and milling. Their investments were nipped in the bud and left with nothing. Now that the government is interested will there be compensation or sort of assistance paid to encourage those who have lost their investments to re-build their investments so that this move will support its current campaign? What we know the government is not interested in encourag
ing people of Gambella to run the regional economy. It wants highlanders to monopolize the regional economy rather than indigenous people. The highlanders are collecting the wealth of the region and re-invest it in their respective regions instead of developing the Gambella region.

Lack of interest to address Gambella political issues. As there were opposition groups all over the country there are opposition groups who opposed to this government seeking a full regional autonomy and not the so-called regional self-administration or federal state. We need the government to address human rights and genocide issues, which are the issues that made many Diasporans not to work with this government. These are the issues that the government will not listen to because it has denied wrong governance and genocide committed by government military against the Anyuak specifically.

Therefore, while they are mistrusted by their own government, why are they coming now? Is it for the development as their boss MP Meles is preaching them? If it is for development, you cannot invite an investor to invest without securing the interest to invest. Save environment is important. If it is for reconciliation with Anywaa for politics and genocide, the Gambella jails are full of political prisoners; East Africa is full of refugees of genocide and no compensation had been made to the victims of genocide. So, what are the Gambella representatives here for?

Indeed, their coming is not different than that of their colleagues who came from regions of Ethiopia and returned shamefully. Let them come, enjoy their vacation peacefully and return home safely. However, some of them may not find it easy as others did or will do. There are tough questions ahead.


This piece is written by Ojulu Odola, you may reach him at Ojulu@optusnet.com.au

Listen to the interview with Dr. Mamo on Anyuak land issues