By: Mohamed Farah
Somalilandsun – Somali Ogaden community in Minneapolis USA, held a meeting to discuss about the situation of Human right in Ogaden, eastern part of Ethiopia, where conflict ravaged since 1995.
The meeting titled on “ignored genocide in Ogaden” has been participated by elders, Youth and women. The Participants are among also, International, Journalist, researchers and well-known US Politicians and congressmen.
The conference shed on a light the disastrous events took place in Ogaden since 2007, according to source, a victims of rape who are living in USA resettled by UNHCR, United nation high commissioner of Refugee have reported many cases happened in Ogaden accusing Ethiopian Troops stationed in Ogaden Region.
Visual presentation about Human Right situation in Ogaden which women and children are main victims are addressed.
The Ogaden people believe in that International community ignored the genocide taking place in their home, and calling for the donors of Ethiopia to take a serious action to prevent further human right abuses.
Last month, a group of Ogaden Journalists based in London presented Video about rape, and forced displacement of locals by the government of Ethiopia.
On August 2011 an undercover investigation by the Bureau and the BBC’s Newsnight provided new evidence of ongoing brutal human rights abuses by Ethiopian government forces.
Ogaden, is a no-go zone for foreigners, the media and aid agencies. Instead, it is kept under strict Ethiopian government control, making it difficult to assess what is going on.
Many doubts what Ethiopia government is hiding in Ogaden despite, the government of Ethiopia denies the widely accusations.
Ethiopia government labels its opposition as terrorist group, a move widely criticized by the right organizations and donors.
The region has witnessed political instability last two decades and many thousands fled their homes and seek asylum in the neighboring countries, Kenya, Somalia and Djibouti.
After years of human rights abuses in Ogaden region without international independent investigation, Ogaden region seems to finally have a good news story. Sweden will be the first European country that is investigating what Swedish Prosecutors say a serious human rights abuses committed at Ogaden region.
In 2007, Ethiopia crackdown against insurgent of ONLF, Ogaden National Liberation Front, a group fighting for self-determination of Ogaden region has left thousands of Ogaden civilians who are mainly women and children.
The past few days the region has seen an increase in heavy fighting.
Since 2005, Ethiopia government isolated Ogaden region from the World, Ethiopia imposed a ban all international aid and media organizations in Ogaden despite some are operating under the permit of intelligence surveillances.
Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) fighting for the self-determination of Ogaden Region in Ethiopia since 1994.
Ogadentoday Press
