Turmoil in Benishangul leads to Federal Parliament member arrest

The regional state of Beni-shangoul-Gumuz is located in the northwestern part of Ethiopia. Beni- shangoul became part of Ethiopia in 1898. The Capital city is Asossa. Beni-shangoul population is estimated to be 4000000, more than the half of this population has been deprived of their land to live in Sudan.

The region has resisted previous dictator Mangisto through all possible methods to establish democracy. The revolution against Mangisto dictatorship has contributed in establishing a democratic government in Ethiopia. Since The formation of regional government in Beni shangoull in 1991, still people lack security, blaming the government for being short of peace, security, justice, development, social services and stability. The political situation has never been predictable and effective in the region. The conspiracy and self-interest of the TPLF (Tigray people liberation Front) has played a significant role in creating turmoil and atrocities in Bella shangoull State. This region did not experience any kind of stability and prosperity due to TPLF elite interference in the regional affair. The TPLF intentionally caused divisions among ethnic groups in Bella-shangoull in order to exploit the resources of the region for the development of Tigray. The government’s political predicament in this region affected the development program. The Bela Shangoull region is a simple example of the TPLF policy failure in Ethiopia.

Recently TPLF defence forces waged war in the region, committing various types of crimes against innocent civilians and politicians. The Tigray elite forces has deprived of Beni shangoul-Gumuz people from their own regional affairs. They have violated the most basic human rights, treating the people in this region as if they are less than human, undeserving respect and dignity. We urge international community to limit the unrestricted power of the TPLF elite government in order to ease the life of this region’s people. The government has committed crimes against humanity in beni shangoul-Gumuz region, many people have been killed, tortured, houses burned, properties confiscated, innocent civilian imprisoned, many are beaten day after day.

The people of the region rejected the minority Tigray led government, demanding the government for peace and stability in the region. The people of Beni shangoul-Gumuz have addressed their demands for the government. As the result the government has increased the presence of Tigray militia causing difficulties of movement between villages. The people have explained that they have supported the overthrows of the brutal Derg dictatorship to have more development projects in the region, unfortunately the government promises was not fulfilled. The government has infringed rights and dignity of Bela Shangoul people. The Tigray led government exercises tortures, beating, killing, and imprisonment that were never been experienced in the region before.

The escalation of violence in the region made the government to take unprecedented step. On Thursday 01.05.2008 The government sent senior TPLF leadership in the person of Mr Abai Tsai, Mr Grma Sayoun, and Mr Siraj to the region. Mr Aabi held meetings with the people in the region. In this meeting he threatened the people that he is going to inflict atrocities on the people of the region like that they did in Gambella. On Saturday 3rd.05.2008 Mr Aabi took action against the civilians of Beni shangoull who were working in his governement to frighten the people not to pose any question to the minority Tigrayd ethinc led government. This action could be said to be as if the Tigray led government is waging war against itself, because those people against whom they took action were all their loyal servants, but they took that step to terrorise the people of Beni shangoul. The name of those whom Tigray government has taken as escape goats are: the vice president of the region Mr Sabil Albakhit, and the regional representative to the federal parliament Mr Zaruqe Hamdan Abdullah, and so many thrown out of their jobs.

On Sunday 04.05.2008 Mr Abai took decision to arrest the Vice Prisident Mr Sabil Albakhit and the Parliament representive Mr Zaruqe. In addition Mr Abai ordered his secret police forces to arrest Khomosha district administrator, and Asossa Zone Mayor. The TPLF forces terrorized people before they carry out the arrest, they spread rumours that the vice president has left the country, the people of the region have no knowledge of what happened to Mr Sabil and those dismissed administrators. Two day later the people found out that the government security took Mr Sabil and all the others to the secret Tigray controlled security camp, where they are now being beaten and tortured physically and psychologically.

On Sunday 4th.05.2008 the government secret policemen arrested Mr Zaruqe in Mandi. Mr Zaruqe is a member of federal parliament who has been elected by the people of Beni shangoul-Gumuz, he was detained on his way to Asossa from Addis Ababa. The visit of Mr Abai to the region has escalated the confrontation. We consider his visits to the region as a dark day in the history of the region. His visits to the region aimed to terrorize the people after the spread of civil resistance to the TPLF ethnic minority led government for their interference in the regional affairs. The imprisonment has extended include people from villages. Recently the TPLF forces invaded the town of Oda where they burned their crops, shops, and houses and finally detained over seventy peaceful civilians. Similarly in the town of Salama they imprisoned 150 people among whom seventy-five got tortured, and beaten and their heads were full of blood when they were taken to Asossa main prison. In the same way the people of Menge, Abiro Towns were faced the same torture and imprisonment.

The Beni shangoul-Gumuz people urge human rights advocates to intervene to preserve the life of the arrested people. We encourage international community to exercise pressure on this brutal government, the detained people have been severely beaten, information from witnesses indicate that they saw Ms Sabil, Mr zaruqe and Mr Al Sadiqe bleeding from torture. The witness confirmed that they have been bleeding when they last have been seen. On Sunday 10t h of May 2008 they have been taken from Asossa Police Station to Military camp called Amba Amest (Military base), they can’t be seen, no one is allowed to visit them. A witness from secret police told our resource that The detainees are denied access to water, deprived of food for long period, and they are kept standing for upright for hours, and deprived of sleep. The information we have confirms that Mr Sabil and Zaruqe were suffering from sicknesses and there health is worsen in the prison.

In addition to torture, many people have been detained for no reason, kept in isolation without charges, terrorising civilians, a lot of people have disappeared in the region. Recent arrest confirmed that TPLF detain people secretly and spreads rumours of them leaving the country when they are killed and buried. Detaining Mr Sabil, Zaruqe and others in secret custodies without been seen whereabouts are they is an example of systematic torture government apply in the region. This acts have terrorised the people in the region, they are running interrogation to find out who opposes their policy.

The arrested people never were threat to the TPLF but instead they were their servants. They never had political view than TPLF government policy. However, their imprisonment is to hold them escape goats and terrorise the people of the region.The imprisoned people were denied the right to live as human. Due to the circumstances they go through now, we express our concern about their life. The government has experience of subjecting detainee’s life to death, many disappeared, therefore we urge all governments in the world, NGOs, and advocates of human rights to intervene to stop execution of innocents’ civilians.

Here is the list of imprisoned people and the Town and Villages they came from to help the human rights organizations to investigate the case of those in prison.

Name of Civilians from Oda village detained by TPLF Secret police in April 2008
1- Musa Haroon
2- Abdulrahim
3- Osman hamid
4- Mahmud Abu Alhassan
5- Omer Furai
6- Omer Akhlan
7- Khalid Abdulah
8- Abdulah Mohammed
9- Muhdeen Abdulrahman
10- Abdulah Hussen
11- Khalifa Yacob
12- Ghassiyah Hamdan
13- Mokhtar Yusuf
14- Sha’aban Ali
15- Abdul-gadir Hamad
16- Hussen Ramadan
17- Khalid MoKhir
18- Khalifa Albashir
19- Abdulrahman Alnoor
20- Altom Alnoor
21- Khalifa Abdulah
22- Saif-alnoor Alshafi
23- Abass Ahmed
24- Mubarak Babikir
25- Hussen Haroon
26- Adam Saleh
27- Adam Mohammed
28- Jafar Hussen
29- Abdulrahim Suwa’ar
30- Ashazali Mohammed
31- Arbab Musa
32- Musa Jooma
33- Arbab Khalid
34- Ahmed Khalifa
35- Mohammed Ali
36- Shawish Jooma
37- Abass Al-Tahir
38- Isac Abdulrahim
39- Soliman Risq Allah
40- Zaruqe Abdulah
41- Alsamani Shawesh
42- Khalifa Abdullah
43- Nassri Aldoctor
44- Arbab Amojadam
45- Mohammed Alnoor

On Friday 02.05.2008 TPLF forces carried out arrests in Asossa,

1\ Madawe Abdulrahim works for Khomosha Council
2\ Abdulrahman Osman works for Khomosha council
3\ Mohammed Abdulrahman work for Alkurmuk Council
4\ Abdul Bassit Hamad works for Alkurmuk Council

On Wednesday 07.05.2008 the following Administrators have been arrested and beaten severely to death by TPLF forces:
1\ Mustafa Musa work as Administrator of Oda Council
2\Awad Al-Shaib works as Mayor of Asossa City
3\ Altaib Ahmed

On Saturday 10.05.8 In Asossa the capital city of Beni-shangoull-Gumuz region many inhumane acts have been carried out by TPLF. Since the arrest of regional vice president the TPLF dismissed and detained many people, the following people have been dismissed, imprisoned, beaten, tortured, humiliated,
1\ Mohammed Yaseen work as Administrator in Khomosha Council
2\ Ibrahim Alzoobair
3\ Mohammed Adam

Beni Shangoull Human Rights Advocate
Email: coco_khalid72@hotmail.com
15.05.08