The Forgotten Carnage in South Ethiopia’s Sheko-Mezenger Zone: - Hundreds reportedly have been Massacred and the Killing is Ongoing!

October 14, 2014 | Sidama National Regional State Information Network | By Denboba Natie

Since the West’s darling, the most barbaric late dictator (who has been known for his ability to make dictatorship and massacre acceptable by his Western War on Terrorism allies such as George W. Bush and UK’s Tony Blair and some of others EU Countries), the late Ethiopian former Prime Minster ‘Meles Zenawi’ passed away in 2012; the Ethiopian current rulers (his mentee cronies) have decided to be led by his ghost instead of addressing the needs and interests of the peoples they claim representing. Ethiopian is a country where, as North Korea counterpart -being led by the ghost of the dead person. Go to Addis Ababa, you don’t see any difference between the North Korea and Ethiopia.

 
It has been widely argued by the human rights organisations and independent human rights activities that the Western politicians have obliviously decided to pore money (which is being used for the political purposes) in for Ethiopian current repressive regime disregarding its gross violations of citizens’ rights to freedom of expression, assembly and the complete absence of the rule of law where independent judiciary systems are unthinkable. The citizens are constantly terrorised by the very regime which promulgates anti-terror law to terrorise the citizens under the pretext of its defence. The excellent paper tiger constitution it has got guarantees the rights of citizens to unrestricted rights to fundamental freedom of expression, assembly and choice; yet none of these are practically implemented.  

Over 84 various nations of the country with distinct cultural heritages are forcibly brought together since the Abyssinian Minelik II’s colonial expansion has been effectively completed during the exact period of scramble for Africa in late 1890s. Ever since the said Colonial annexation of these all regions into one empire known as Ethiopia (former Abyssinia), the discontent of the colonies has sporadically continued although their success on fighting for independence remains as remote as Timbuktu. However, nearly all colonies are either fighting for independence or bigger politico-economic autonomy often handled by the northern Abyssinian cousins (Amhara and Tigres) who remain interchangeably ruling the empire’s peoples with Iron feast for the past 130 years. The current one is the Tigrean led regime; whose peoples have entirely monopolised all-round lives of the subjects. Such monopoly of economic, social and political life of the subjects reducing them to second citizenship in their own soil is resulting in various forms of conflicts between the incumbent in an already volatile region.

The current carnage of the Mezenger peoples who live in one of the forcibly amalgamated various 53 distinct nations of Southern Ethiopia (formerly were 5 separate regions merged by the decision of late PM) Zones; whose over 500 peaceful civilian demonstrators also have been massacred in June 2002 by the security forces of the Tigrean led regime ordered by late and current PM (Meles Zenawi and Hailemariam Desalegn) respectively. Once again, the later PM is ordering the regime’s army to indiscriminately massacre Mezenger civilians who are demanding their rights as Oromos, Sidamas, Ogaden Somali, Gambella and others. They are paying heavy price in Tepi since the beginning of October 2014 as death toll increases from day to day. The reports confirm that the fighting is ongoing where only Yesterday (13/10/14) the death of over 40 government army and security forces has been reported from the reliable sources where the death of civilians who are fighting with the highly mechanised and trained regimes army could reach to 1000s.

It has been reported this morning the heavy presence of tanks, artilleries and highly mechanised army and a brigade of northern special army forces which all have been deployed to cause genocide as the regime has repeatedly committed such to Ogaden Somali, Gambella and others peoples of various nations of the country. Such tragedies are unfolding in the region whilst the West’s politicians continue with their support of the regime.

Just few weeks ago, the Ethiopian diplomat in Ethiopian embassy of America (Washington DC) has shot at peaceful civilian Ethiopian American demonstrators- to show how arrogantly brutal the Ethiopian regime has become in the West (outside its territories) forget within Ethiopia. In June 2014 the British citizen with Ethiopian heritage known as ‘Andargachew Tsigie’ (human rights activist and opposition leader) has been kidnaped from Yemen’s capital, Sana’a by Ethiopian security forces; subsequently extradited to Ethiopia where he is being continually tortured- about whom the UK government is doing very little or nothing. His whereabouts remain! Various notorious prisons of Ethiopian towns and cities are filled with key opposition members, journalists, bloggers, peasants, students (80% of which are Oromos) and those who have been kidnapped from the neighbouring countries such as Kenya, Djibouti, Sudan, Uganda and others countries with which the regime has got political ties. The UK’s Westminster establishments where I remain paying tax for the past 12 years after I have completed my postgraduate study sends my money to be used for torture and massacre of civilians; to make me share their moral corruption!   

Therefore, the massacre of civilians by the regime in power is a common events. For example, the massacre of about 210 peaceful civilian demonstrators in front of the global diplomats in Finfinnee (also known as Addis Ababa) during the post 2005 fake Ethiopian elections where the then opposition (Kinijit) has recorded a landslide victory with decisive majority; which the regime in power has refused accepting the result and subsequently has tightened its grip onto power by abolishing once relatively relaxed freedom of expression prior to the election the reason why the peoples of Ethiopian voted against the incumbent. After the aforementioned election, the regime arrested all opposition leaders most of whom have fled the country whereas others to date languish in various substandard notorious prisons where torture and assassination are common.  

The massacre of Sidama nation’s over 100 civilians in Hawassa who have been peacefully demonstrating regime’s denial of their constitutional rights to regional self-determination on May 24, 2002 (the quest of the nation unanswered to date); the genocide in Ogaden Somali and Gambela regions, the ongoing massacre of Oromo’s in most parts of the vast Oromia region is the sign of regime’s final phase. Regime’s decision to respond to people’s demand with violence is its’ failure in addressing the needs and constitutional rights of peoples individually and Collectively, thus this further signify its strides towards its demise and total disintegration which will have serious consequences for the entire region; not only Ethiopia. The Western politicians are supporting such disintegrations and unknown futurity.

The global humanitarian community members must unanimously condemn such deplorable actions of Ethiopian current regime against the current massacre of the Mezenger peoples. The Mezenger people must be protected by the international law where the international Medias must be able to have access and those who are displaced by the ongoing war in the zone must be reached by the Red Cross and others humanitarian organisations without further delay. The Ethiopian regime is known for its ability to block the involvement of any international Medias to the regions where it massacres unarmed civilians. The situation is dire which will have irreparable regional consequences.

The Western politicians must unconditionally stop sponsoring the regime massacring innocent and unarmed civilians on constant basis proving its security forces and authorities ultimate impunity. International humanitarians must stand shoulder to shoulder with Ethiopian peoples’ whilst demanding their rights. The regime must unconditionally stop massacring Mezenger peoples who are defending their fundamental rights instead address their demands without further delay!!