By Saafi (Hoodo) Labafidhin
|
The plight of unprotected Ogaden Refugees |
The
Ogaden territory has for over a century been an isolated battle ground
whose once proud people were subjected to flee from what we can
describe as successive brutal regimes under which uncountable number of
victims were killed, and yet many hundreds of thousands were made
refugees. In this short writing we will elaborate the plight of these
unprotected civilians.
Refugees defined:
The international definition of refugee contained in the 1951 United
Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967
Protocol puts REFUGEE as - Any person who is outside any
country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having
no nationality, is outside any country in which such person last
habitually resided, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is
unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of,
that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of
persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a
particular
The
Ogaden Refugees history dates back to late nineteenth century when the
British was engaged an armed fighting with the late Sayyid Muhammed
Abdalla Hassan in various Somali inhabited areas, where Ogaden was on
of them. It was reported that there were neutral tribes living in this
area whom was caught in the middle of a
brutal battle, particularly
from the British Army side who confiscated camels of those who they
perceived to be either neutral or against their colonisation (for the
first time in the history of the region). However, mass displacement of
Ogaden refugees begun only after sixties and seventies in twentieth
century. Since then a large number (from my experience I can say 30-40%
of the entire native Ogaden population, if not more) Ogaden refugees
has been displaced (both internally and externally), though it still
remains unreported to the rest of the world!!!
After
Somalia’s independence, the first official encounter between Somalia
and Ethiopia has taken place in 1964 over Ogaden. This marks the period
when well-known mass displacement of fleeing Somalis from Ogaden sought
refuge within the modern Somalia border. Nevertheless, it was in 70s
when the second time the Military rulers of Somalia and Ethiopia fought
a brutal war over Ogaden. The largest number of People was displaced by
Ethiopian Derg regime particularly after the World, both East and West,
sided with Ethiopia and the triumphant Western Somali Liberation Front
(WSLF) and Somali National Army (SNA) were forced to accept a
humiliating defeat only by the mighty of the then Soviet block led by
Russia and Cuba. As this was a very tough time for Somalis living
Ogaden and elsewhere in Ethiopia, they were left with single choice: to
run to Somalia for their safety. Even the dozens of Somalis who lived
in the famous ‘Somali Tera’ in Addis Ababa have met
nothing but belligerent Amharas and finally they were threatened to
clear out or got killed. That one cru
In
all times of affliction, no one come to their help, except the Republic
of Somalia with very limited support from the United Nations.
Despite
the bigger Ogaden war came to a halt in 1978, genocide and displacement
of our people continued but unfortunately remained unpublicized.
In
1991, to the astonishment of many, the downfall of the two most
powerful regimes in east Africa i.e. Somalia and Ethiopia occurred. It
was seen as a window of opportunity. Partly it was. After the brutal
civil war in Somalia, native Ogaden refugees had to come back to their
home as second time refugees! Indeed while a great deal of them
including me and my family dared to return to what we call our home, a
large number preferred to take other routes like Djibouti, Kenya, and
Yemen etc that they thought safer ( the largest number crossing border
to Kenya.)
Current Ogaden Refugees and their condition: Somalia (Self Proclaimed Somaliland –Hargaysa and Burco , and Puntland Region –Mainly in Bosaso)
- Somaliland and Puntland Administration
Somalis
from Ogaden who run for their lives from the ruthless TPLF regime have
sought shelter and protection in Northern (self proclaimed Somaliland
Administration) and Notheastern Somalia (Puntland), not because they
get assistance from these administrations but because Somalis
everywhere are related by kindred in some way or the other!! It is well
known both administrations are loyal to Addis Ababa regime and thus
cooperate with them by arresting and deporting these refugees illegally
back to Ethiopia only to disappear forever in the hands of Ethiopian
military. More worse is planned assassinations of Ogaden High profile
individuals in these two areas by the order of Zenawi army commanders.
More
recently, there has been ongoing despute between the Somaliland and
Puntland over the town of Laas Caanood. During the war of words between
them, each was blaming the other for supporting and harbouring Foreign
Terrorists, a subjecy which has nothing to do with their despute over
Laas Caanood but aimed at winning the support of Ethiopia which has
been notorious for backing and arming separatist Somali movements in an
effort to undermine the unity of Somalis.
Somaliland
immediately went ahead and arrested more than 32 Somali individuals
from Ogaden some of whom are well known and have long been established
in Hargaysa and contributed to Trade, Education and other important
activities. After unlawful arrest and bitter torture, they handed over
to Ethiopian military representatives who were waiting at Wajaale.
According to relatives and the media, nobody knows the whereabouts of
these victims.
While Somaliland
seems more bellicose in their act, Puntland has also been out of their
mind more than once that they allowed and coordinated the assassination
of well-respected Ogaden personalities inside Puntland. All these
miserable victims were innocent refugees escaping from a bitter
suffering from the hands of TPLF Army. The post town of Bosaso has
attracted fleeing Somalis from Ogaden mainly women and children as was
reported by the media, including several Western Newspapers. These
people have temporary peace but not deserved humanitarian care and
support neither from the Puntland administration nor the United Nations
agencies.
Both administrations must keep international laws and brotherly ties between the Ogaden their respective people.
Kenya
is believed to be home of the largest Ogaden Somali Refugees outside
Somalia and Ethiopia. As we tried to shed some light on this
previously, most of them are Ogaden Refugees from Somalia and their
children many of whom were born in the refugee camps. The majority live
in Dadaab Refugee Camp where on last July this year one of the biggest
demonstrations against Meles Zenawi’s crackdown against civilians
took place.
Unlike their Somali
bothers from the Republic, only small number of them were able to be
resettled in the West in the name of ‘Somali Refugees’ and they
face many challenges among the most important being no recognition from
the United Nations as well as the Ethiopian government which claims
Ogaden to be part of Ethiopia. It is also worthy mentioning many Ogaden
refugees have relatives in the Somali inhabited North-eastern Province
and live with them in order to survive.
Despite
its size and limited resources, Djibouti’s Holhol Refugee Camp
welcomed some refugees fleeing from Ogaden and has a sizable Ogadens
alongside others from the Somali Republic. However, many middle class
people who had businesses back home and feared for their lives lead
normal lives as they are engaged in business activities and education.
However they face legal challenges as Djibouti government (unlike the
‘failed’ Republic of Somalia) don’t consider as equal as other
Djibouti citizens.
Other countries
that harbour Ogaden Refugees include Yemen, Eritrea (increasing since
recent years), and South Africa where a myriad of young men and
sometimes women sought to make a living in the shadow of hostile
environment. I personally know many young men who were once the best
performing students in the Ogaden who made it to South Africa after
some of their friends were deprived of life by the Ethiopian Army.
Similarly, around the world the are many diversified refugees (some
resettled in the West after they claimed to have fled from Somalia, for
their chance of resettlement is very limited if they reveal their
Ogaden identity).
IDPs:
apart from the above mentioned refugees, thousands of people have
become Internally Displaced People (IDPs) since TPLF’s collective
punishment policy was launched. As their villages were burnt, family
members executed, livestock confiscated, trade and any commodity
necessary for survival blocked, the existence IDPs everywhere,
especially in bigger towns rapidly increased. As this is not enough,
they face continued threat from the brutal undisciplined TPLF army.
This section of the society is need of immediate protection from the
United Nations.
The way forward
International Community:
every year the world led by USA and the EU take more refugees either
independently or with the help of UNHCR –the refugee office of the
UN. They also lobby for the protection of refugees inside their home.
The Somalis in Ogaden face enormous atrocities inside as well as
outside their home, atrocities that make them eligible to the status of
refugee’s definition above. Hence the International community has
moral responsibility to protect these poor people who have long
suffered under black clonialisation. They should be entitled to the
same rights as that of Darfur, Palestinians, Oromos, People from
Gambella and Southern Sudan, Iraq etc. As the current Ethiopian regime
cant do without international community donations particularly the US
and UK, we ask these governments and their people to stand against
The United Nations:
The United Nations (UN) which was founded in October 24 (the UN will
celebrate the Organization’s sixtieth anniversary) 1945 comprises 192
member countries (nearly every country in the world) and is expected to
work toward maintaining international peace and security and finding
solutions for global economic and humanitarian problems. As such it is
expected to promote humanity and humanitarian activities equally
throughout the world. Contrary to this we see the United Nations
being engaged in double standardness. They cry and exaggerate Darfur
while they keep being reticent about the atrocities unfolding in Ogaden
in front of their eyes. Of course they sent a low profile team, only
after the International media, mainly the New York Times, exposed the
TPLF’s savage attack on the innocent civilians, to make some
assessment on the humanitarian situation. This group came up with some
significant recommendations which seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The
people in the Ogaden wonder why there is no implementation taking place
on the ground except some unfruitful meetings held for the press in
Addis –far away from the heart of the problem. Many people, including
me, ask themselves (cannot dare to ask others) why the is no an
‘independent investigation’ as per the UN team recommendations.
As
reported by IRIN on 19 October 2007, we heard that UN has reached terms
with the Ethiopian government ‘in a bid to avert a humanitarian
crisis in Ethiopia's Somali region, the government and the UN have
agreed measures to ensure that food aid, medicines and other relief
supplies reach vulnerable people in the area’ we really like to see
this happen but suspect this food will be used to feed the Ethiopian
military as happened many times before. Therefore, the UN should make
every effort to avoid such things.
We
particularly urge the UN to stop Somaliland’s Ogaden renditions and
to immediately recognize the plight of all the above mentioned
unprotected Ogaden refugees, everywhere.
EPRDF
Regime: despite your arguments, we, the Ogaden Somalis living under the
permanent nightmare of your regime’s brutality and cruel atrocities,
know that you have always targeted unarmed civilians and still continue
to collectively punish them. It is high time to rethink your poor
policies against the undefended civilians. Though your systematic
ethnic cleansing continue, things have changed for the Ogaden people
and your actions are well-documented. We urge you to cooperate with the
United Nations and its representatives without any conditions. It is in
all parties’ interest that you stop barefaced lies and wedge politics
you have been implementing in the Ogaden. We will never forget how you
impoverished our self-sufficient pastoralists, how you carried out
extrajudicial killings, tortured us, raped our dear sisters; we will
live with the memory of Fooljeex, Qoriile, Labiga, Lehelow, Caado,
Galadiid, Gerigo’an, Farmadow, Maraacaato, Daratoole, and Araweelo to
mention a few. We will die them more than you could die for your
HAWZEN.
By: Saafi (Hoodo) Labafidhin
[email protected]