SURVIVORS' RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL

Genocide Watch has received numerous reports of major massacres of Anuak people in and around Gambella, Ethiopia in December 2003. At least 416 Anuak people were murdered. The massacres were led by Ethiopian government troops in uniform, but they were joined by local people from highland areas. We have checked these reports carefully with eyewitnesses in Gambella as well as with the United States State Department and the United Nations, and have confirmed that these massacres were committed by Ethiopian government forces.

Between 3000 and 5000 additional Anuak refugees have fled into Sudan, where they have congregated around Pochalla. We have verified these reports with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and with sources in Pochalla. The refugees say they are fleeing massacres of Anuak in Ethiopia.

The pretext for these massacres was the ambush of a van on December 13 by an unidentified gang who murdered its eight occupants, who were U.N. and Ethiopian government refugee camp officials. There is no evidence that the killers were Anuak. Even if they had been Anuak, the response of Ethiopian government troops was criminal. The troops responded by murdering hundreds of Anuak civilians in Gambella and surrounding areas. They also burned their homes. These massacres were not committed by Nuer who had prior conflicts with Anuak. The government cannot blame the victims.

Our sources indicate that those targeted particularly have been educated Anuak men, a tactic often intended to render a group leaderless and defenseless. Arrests of educated Anuak men that began over a year ago are continuing. 44 Anuak leaders have been held in jail in Addis Ababa for over a year without trial, and over 200 more are being held in Gambella. We have the names of nine more arrested last week. We understand that the Anuak in Ethiopia have also been disarmed, a threat to their ability to defend themselves.

Massacres of people who are killed because of their ethnic group membership are genocidal. The Genocide Convention outlaws the intentional destruction of part of an ethnic group, not just destruction of the whole group. Ethiopia was one of the first signers of the Genocide Convention on December 11, 1948 and ratified it in July, 1949. As you know, Ethiopia endured one of the worst genocides of the twentieth century under the Derg communist regime, and you are to be congratulated for overthrowing that regime and bringing many perpetrators to trial. We ask that you now arrest and try the perpetrators of the December massacre of Anuak in Gambella.

According to our sources, these massacres were ordered by the commander of the Ethiopian army in Gambella, Nagu Beyene, with the authorization of Dr. Gebrhab Barnabas, an official of the Ethiopian government. The accusation has also been made that lists of targeted individuals were drawn up with the assistance of Omot Obang Olom, who is himself Anuak, but holds an official position.

Impunity gives the green light to those who commit genocide. If they are not arrested, they and their followers will know they can literally get away with mass murder. They will kill again, and the massacres could become full-scale genocide.

We therefore implore you to take three actions:

We urge you to investigate and arrest the three men named above, as well as others who participated in the December massacres of Anuak in and around Gambella.
We ask you to release the Anuak leaders who are being held in prison in Addis Ababa, in Gambella, and elsewhere in Ethiopia. Police should also be ordered to stop arresting Anuak leaders and students simply because they are Anuak.
We encourage you to assist independent human rights experts who will investigate these massacres.

We would be happy to discuss this very dangerous situation with you, your Foreign Minister, and other Ethiopian officials.

Respectfully,

Dr. Gregory H. Stanton
President, Genocide Watch
Coordinator, The International Campaign to End Genocide

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