The Worsening Humanitarian Crisis of the Afar People in Ethiopia

It is ironic to witness when the leaders of the puppet Afar Regional State are busy for the last two months with their appraisal (Gimgema) meetings in the regional capital Aysaïta to plot against the few hard working public service workers who could make a difference to alleviate the imminent and clear present danger to Afars. The irresponsible and incapacitated puppet regional state in Aysaïta which is supported and pampered by EPRDF has not only disappointed the wishes and aspirations of the Afar people for unity, democracy and development, however imposing this useless regional government on Afars by EPRDF is proven to be insulting the intelligence of the Afar.

This humanitarian catastrophe is being compounded and getting worse every day because of bloody ethnic wars that the Afars are being forced to fight with the neighbouring nationalities, specially the war with the Issa-Somalis on the Assab/Djibouti-Addis Ababa main road. Although this conflict that is taking high toll on both sides is being fought under the cover of the fight for the meagre water resources in the region, every day it is becoming more clear that this bloody war is still part and parcel of the Greater Somalia claim to expand as far as the Awash river, an attempt that failed in 1977/78 Ogaden War. On the other hand, it is no more any secret that the Tigrai ruling in Addis Ababa considers those ethnic wars as their main guarantee to stay in the saddle.

It is very important to note that it is at this juncture that the central government is trying its outmost to disarm the Afars from all their traditional weaponry without any security guarantee from ever increasing killing committed to Afars by Issa-Somalis. While the dismantling of all armed resistance of the Afar people such as ARDUF (UGUUGUMO) has reached its final stage, one wonders what prompted people like Mohammoda Gaas who has clearly demonstrated once again to be opportunist agreed to the sell-out of the Afars to Woyane with no tangible benefit to the Afars after all the scarifies and bloodshed paid by the gallant Afar people. It is high time that the Afars should reject any settlement that does not benefit the Afar people and the rest of Ethiopia. The Afars should say no to the so-called opportunistic leaders who do not have a clear and undisputed vision for unity, democracy and development. If this sell-out and sinister machination of the EPRDF regime succeeds then the plight of the Afar people will get from bad to worse both politically as well as humanly.

The Afar Forum denounces the sinister machination of the EPRDF regime designed to worsen the plight of the Afar people and further its inability to guarantee the security of the Afar people from the indiscriminate killings committed by Issa-Somail. Further, the EPRDF action to impose the so-called Afar regional leader who is unable to lead and show any tangible progress for the last ten years is a crime against humanity. Any action against the nation, which compromises the safety, and its mere existence of its citizens, is considered a crime. The people should have the right to elect leaders who truly represent their interest.

The political environment inside the Afar land is very volatile. The Afars are subjugated to unprecedented suffering under the leadership of EPRDF and its regional puppet leader. Economically the region and the people have been left to disintegrate bit by bit. Economic developments are kept in abeyance deliberately. This unexplainable action surprises even the supporters of EPRDF government. The people of Afarland should not die of hunger while the Awash River runs through the Afarland. Before the Military Government Derge, the Afars were able to engage in a very lucrative agro-business, which the regional and EPRDF government now deny them. There is no viable economic plan that is geared to increase health and alleviate the backwardness present in the Afar region. These and other objectives cannot be achieved when the Afar people are subject to be ruled by a person who has no experience and the necessary education nor has a vision that can lead the Afar people to over come its worst enemies such as backwardness, dependence on hand-outs above all the security of its citizen for mere existence.

• The Afar Forum denounces gross violations of basic human rights in the Afar Regional State.

• We call upon all democratic and peace loving people to expose the regime’s irresponsible, repressive, anti-democratic and dangerous policies and practices.
• The Afar Forum calls upon United Nations and African Union to directly intervene before the situation ends up in unnecessary bloodshed and loss of lives.
• We appeal to international community for urgent assistance to the Afar people facing severe crisis, and distribute food aid directly to famine victims without the involvement of irresponsible and unreliable EPRDF regime.

Executive Committee
AFAR FORUM