Tribal Dictator Zenawi’s Appalling Human Rights Violations in Ogaden

The Report on Human Rights Violations at Ogaden, issued by the Ogaden Human Rights Committee on August 8th, has created a shock throughout the world. It constitutes an undeniably long list of appalling violations that impose on the UN the formation of a Facts Finding Commission, and on the entire world the immediate reaction to the Tigray ‘Ethiopian’ soldiers’ presence at Ogaden.

As we dedicated a series of articles to publish integrally all parts of the valuable Report, one after the other, we bring out another part of the Report’s Main Part that focuses on Illegal Imprisonment policies carried out by the Tigray tribal dictatorial government of Abyssinia (ridiculous and shamelessly re-baptised as ‘Ethiopia’) in Ogaden.

Illegal Imprisonment

Article 19 of the ICCPR protects freedom of speech and opinion, and provides, inter alia, that:” Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference. Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice ... " Article 10 of the UDHR states that: “Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him."

According to the Principles on Detention or Imprisonment, in particular principles 1, 22, 24, 25 and 26 and SMR rules 9-14, 17-19, detainees shall be kept in humane facilities, designed to preserve health, and shall be provided with adequate food, water, shelter, clothing, medical services, exercise and items of personal hygiene.

However, the Ethiopian authorities detain thousands of Somali Ogadenis in overcrowded and filthy military detention camps. The detainees are civilians, including women, elderly people, minors, businessmen, students, pastoralists, politicians and religious scholars accused of membership or sympathising with the ONLF. They are detained for years or many months without charges or trial. No one was ever brought before a public hearing.

Ethiopian government’s policy of keeping political prisoners in detention indefinitely without charge or trial has not changed. However, Ethiopian armed and security forces periodically round up as many people as possible for ransom and when the extortion money is paid, the detainees are released. So, there are many individuals who were detained several times and then released.

On August 09th 2006, after months of internal power struggle and political disagreements over security issues among the political hierarchy in the pro-government Somali People’s Democratic Party (SPDP), Mahdi Ayub Guled, head of the Somali Regional State Security and Justice Bureau, Ali Mohamed Kunay, Speaker of the Regional Parliament and Mohamed Mohamoud, head of the Regional Information Bureau were dismissed.

Mahdi Ayub Guled, MP, former Vice-President of the Regional Government and ex-governor under Haile Selassie and Mengistu governments was taken from his residence, in Jigjiga, by the Ethiopian security forces, on August 16th 2006. He has been held incommunicado detention, in Jigjiga prison. He was accused of sympathizing with the ONLF. Mahdi has been brought before the regional court several times. Each time, he was taken back to his cell for lack of evidence. On June 17th 2007, twelve detainees including Mahdi were taken under tight security measures to an unknown location. During his detention in Jigjiga Mahdi who is an old man and in a poor state of health, was denied adequate medical treatment. He had been detained many times before for political reasons under Meles Zenawi’s current government. The Ogaden Human Rights Committee believes that he is detained for his political views, and is a prisoner of conscience. (See Ogaden: An Endless Human Tragedy ref: OHRC/12/98, Ogaden: Graveyard of Rights ref: OHRC/10/99).

On May 17th 2007, in Jigjiga, Ethiopian security forces and the local police collected a number of citizens from their residences in the dead of night. And then they were transferred to Garabcase military barracks and Jigjiga Police Centre. They are being held in incommunicado. Some of these are: Mohamed Sheikh Adam, Abdullahi Ahmed Nur Shibin, Hura Abdi Adar, Mulki Sheikh Salah Ruqiya Ahmed Makhtal, Hassan Ahmed Makhtal, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed Makhtal, Abdi Mohamed and Abdirahim Mukhtar.

Ruqiya Ahmed Makhtal, Hassan Ahmed Makhtal, Mohamed Hassan Ahmed Makhtal, Mulki Sheikh Salah, Abdi Mohamed and Abdirahim Mukhtar are all siblings and other close relatives of Bashir Ahmed Makhtal, the Canadian citizen who was handed over to the Ethiopian government by Kenya at Mogadishu airport, on January 21st 2007.Since then he is being held incommunicado without charge or trial.

Bashir Ahmed Makhtal’s family members and relatives were subjected to extensive torture. The remaining members of his family went into hiding for fear of their lives.

To the best of OHRC’s knowledge, Bashir Ahmed Makhtal and members of his family were not involved in any illegal activities, and have no political affiliation whatsoever.

The Ogaden Human Rights Committee urges the Canadian Government to seek the immediate and unconditional release of its citizen as well as his family members on humanitarian grounds. (See OHRC’s press release Kenya: Illegally arrests and renders Ogaden Somalis to Ethiopian military in Somalia ref: OHRC/PRO/0207).

A number of businessmen are being held incommunicado and without charges or trial for two months. They are being held in the central jail and the police station, in Jigjiga. They include Ahmednur Mohamed Tarah, Muhumed Ahmed Nur,Sheikh Nur Jama, Hussien Isse, Mohamed Burale, Faseh Abdi Ali, Abdullahi Nur Shukri, Abdullahi Ahmed Nur and Abdullahi Sheikh Ibrahim. They were subjected to torture and ill-treatment. On June 15th 2007, in a meeting with shareholders of business companies, the head of the Regional Security and Justice Administration Coordination Bureau, Abdi Mohamoud Omar, demanded them to establish and fund a clan based militias to fight against the ONLF, otherwise they should be considered as ONLF sympathizers. The arrest of these men came two days after that meeting. No reason was given for their detention. (See elsewhere in this report about the order to form clan based militias). To the best of the Ogaden Human Rights Committee’s knowledge, they were not involved in any illegal activity. The Ogaden Human Rights Committee calls for them to be either charged with recognizable criminal offences and be given fair trials or immediately and unconditionally released. The OHRC is also concerned about their safety and well being, particularly in view of constant reports about confessions made under duress.

On the 27th February 2007, members of Ethiopian armed forces collected a number of civilians from their residences in Dhagaxbuur and surrounding area, under the pretext of supporting ONLF. They were detained, beaten up and tortured. They include Shamsa Muhumed Dahir, Abdifatah Mohamed Abdi, Nimo Aw Abdisamad and Abdirashid Ahmed Ileye. No charges had been laid formally against them and no trial date has been set.

In Dhagaxmadow, Ogaden National Liberation Forces detained Yusuf Abdi Sahal, Haybe Abdullahi Nur, Mahad Guhad Farah, Omar Ali Ahmed, Hassan Abbi Abbase and Hussein Gurhan Suge, on April 14th 2006. They are all suspected collaborators with the Ethiopian Authorities. They were released on April 20th 2006.

On February 28th 2006, Ethiopian government forces detained Mohamed Askar Tube’a, Sahane Abdi Muhumed, Sayid Abdulkadir, Abdi Muse Adde, Abdi Mohamed Abdi, Jamal Ibrahim Abdi, Mohamed Sharif Badal, Ruqiya Askar Tube’a, Halab Sharif Mustafe, and Ruqiya Abdullah Tube’a, all civilians from Dhagaxmadow. They are being detained incommunicado in a military camp and are accused of being supporters of the ONLF. All the while, these victims have maintained their innocence, and have categorically denied committing any offensive that is punishable by the law.

(See Mass Killings, Torture and Disappearances in the Ogaden ref: OHRC/08/96, Ogaden: No Rights, No Democracy ref: OHRC/08/97, Ogaden: An Endless Human Tragedy ref: OHRC/12/98, Ogaden: Graveyard of Rights ref: OHRC/10/99, Ogaden: Downtrodden and Disenfranchised People ref: OHRC/D15/04 and Mass Killings in the Ogaden: Daily Atrocities against Civilians by the Ethiopian Armed Forces ref:OHRC/AR/06).

Note

Only ostriches do not face threat of being held incommunicado in the inhumanly tyrannized land of Ogaden.