September 28, 2009
Pulling up folding chairs to round tables, sipping hot sweet tea out of styrofoam cups and arguing politics into the afternoon, the men at the Horn Afrik café here last weekend all had the name of one man on their lips. Every time that man's name was mentioned, the volume of chatter was deafening.
I was the one native Minnesotan in the café, and a journalist, and when the men there learned that I wanted to hear about this man who was causing such a commotion, they gathered around me, eager to tell their stories and to show me their wounds.
Osman had a scar that runs from his lower lip to the tip of his jaw. Mohamed had a raggedy star-shaped scar in the center of his forehead, and another at the crown of his head. With a dozen men standing around me, I asked how many had scars that they associated with this man whose name was inciting them so much.
Four quickly raised their hands and the others looked at me shyly, sadly, their heads faintly nodding.
Jailing Innocents
The dreaded name is that of Mohamed Daud, the President of the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, also known as Ogaden.
According to the men at the café, Daud's government, implementing central Ethiopian policy, has transformed the Ogaden into a brutal police state committing crimes against humanity including the jailing of thousands of innocent citizens, torture, rape, killings and the destruction of entire villages.
One specific bit of news set off the agitation I witnessed at the café: Mohamed Daud may visit Minnesota soon, perhaps this week.
"Why is he coming? What does he want to tell us?" asked Hassan, a native of the Ogaden town of Kabridahar, who came to the U.S. in 1996. "The suffering of the Ogaden people is astronomical, so for him to come here is hypocrisy at its peak."
Razed Villages
Widespread crimes against humanity in the Ogaden - many bluntly call it a genocide and "the new Darfur" - are hardly a secret by now.
The Internet is teeming with documentary videos smuggled out of the region (journalists are banned in the Ogaden); the American Association for the Advancement of Science has shown satellite photographs of razed Ogaden villages; and Human Rights Watch has documented "mass detentions without any judicial oversight" which they called "routine;" as well as "widespread and systematic attacks on villages," "killings, torture, rape and forced displacement" for which "the Ethiopian government bears ultimate responsibility."
About 5,000 refugees from the Ogaden live in Minnesota today, making it one of the biggest diaspora populations of Ogaden refugees in the world. Several other Ethiopian ethnic groups, such as the Oromo, the Amhara and Anuak, also have among the world's largest Ethiopian refugee diasporas in the state.
Minnesota Visit
That makes Minnesota a prime target for visits from Ethiopian leaders eager to build support - and to tamp down opposition - among the many Ethiopian refugee groups here.
Last August, Ogaden leaders traveled to Stockholm and London to meet with the Ogaden refugee populations living there, announcing later they had plans to visit North America soon, with Minnesota mentioned in one government announcement.
Then, last week, the Minnesota-Ogaden grapevine, which is fed by people close to the Ethiopian government who live in Minnesota, relayed news that Daud might arrive in Washington as early as this week - and might visit Minnesota soon thereafter.
Fierce Letter
In response, members of Minnesota's Ogadeni community last Friday delivered a fierce letter of protest to Daud's visit from the "Ogaden-American Community" to the Minnesota offices of Senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar, Governor Pawlenty, Congressman Keith Ellison, and others.
Speaking of the visiting Daud delegation the letter said: "These individuals are the very reason why we came to the United States, to escape with our lives. Now they are here with the sole reason to intimidate and strike fear in the hearts of Ogaden citizens who are living in Minnesota."
"These men are directly responsible for the continuous man-made drought, raping women and young girls, indiscriminate killing, burning of homes, destroying farms, and many other atrocities going on in Ogaden," the protest letter said.
"Running a Genocide"
The letter encouraged Minnesota officials to reject any overture made to them by the Daud delegation; to recognize the Ogaden tragedy as a genocide; and to hold Daud and other Ethiopian leaders accountable for crimes against humanity in the Ogaden.
The chaos inside the Horn Afrik cafe on Sunday was precisely the effect that Daud wishes to have on the Minnesota diaspora, some men at the cafe said, because emotional outbursts tend to neutralize an otherwise potentially focused and effective Ogaden diaspora.
"He wants to confuse us and intimidate us," said Siyat. "He might want to change our minds, but we can't accept that because he is running a genocide against our people."
International Opinion
None of the men interviewed gave their last names, saying their family members and friends still living in the Ogaden would be at risk of their lives if they did.
In recent years, Ethiopia has engaged its refugee diasporas more, recognizing their increasingly large role in shaping international opinion about Ethiopia.
International opinion is critically important to Ethiopia because its economy is relies largely on foreign aid. Ethiopia was the world's 7th largest recipient of foreign aid in 2006, receiving $1.57 billion in annual aid in the early 2000s, according to the Brookings Institution. Aid revenues could dry up if concerns about human rights abuses increase, and in recent years they have done so dramatically, especially in the Ogaden.
The Ogaden crisis has been sending refugees to Minnesota for more than a decade.
All-Out War
But the crisis worsened dramatically in 2007, when the Ethiopian government stepped up a counter-insurgency campaign against a separatist group, the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which it calls a terrorist organization with ties to Somali jihadists.
Today, nearly every Ogadeni refugee in Minnesota has friends or family members who are in jail, or who have spent significant time in jail, on suspicion supporting ONLF fighters. This is notwithstanding that the ONLF draws members from virtually every Ogaden town and village, so that declaring all-out war on the ONLF and every last one of its supporters is tantamount to declaring war on the entire Ogaden, its people and culture.
When asked how they got their scars, the men at Horn Afrik café all gave the same answer - they were beaten by Ethiopian soldiers, usually struck by their guns.
Fear for Family
"We are all afraid of Daud, even though we live here now," said Osman, a 65-year-old clan elder, who says that he lost two sons killed by Ethiopian soldiers. According to his network of clan members with whom he stays in touch, roughly 8,000 Ogadeni citizens are now being held in military prisons in virtually every city in the region.
They don't fear for themselves so much as for their friends and family back home, other Ogadenis at the café said.
"Daud wants to identify the activists in Minnesota," said Abdi. "He will write down our names so he can then go back and find our family members and put them in jail.
"Of course, he will have his picture taken with a few people here who support him, so he can go back and say his mission to Minnesota was a success."
Copyright:
©2009 Douglas McGill
Douglas McGill has reported for the New York Times and Bloomberg News--and now the Daily Planet. To reach Doug McGill: doug@mcgillreport.org. And visit The McGill Report at www.mcgillreport.org.
We're working on a large, multi-story reporting project on the Riverside Plaza and Seward Towers apartments, and 
Ingrid Alm is our neighborhood correspondent for Whittier. Ingrid enjoys photography and journalism and loves Minneapolis. Her favorite places in Whittier include Pancho Villa, Intermedia Arts, Bad Waitress, Quang, Soo Visual Arts Center, The Wedge, CC Club and the Jasmine Deli. Email Ingrid at ingridalm08@yahoo.com
Comments
keep Daud and likes out of America
Addis Ababa's tyrant regime, Daud and co, are responsible the Genoside and Human Rights atrosities that is taking place in Ogaden now, and they must not be allowed to enter this great nation,we all know the illigal cruelty inflicting by the Ethiopian Rulers and thier armed forces on Ogaden civilians.
it is really an insulting to Obama Admistration to let these Blood thirsty Monsters, to come to America, minnesota in particular to intimidate and terrorize American citizens, who suffered or witnessed killings,wounds,tortues,rapes and other human rights abuses before in Ethiopia, who run for thier lives and come here for refuge to get security, and dignity thanks to great people of minnesota for your warm welcome.
btw, thank you mr, DOUGLAS MCGILL for your unyeilding effort to tell the world the true stores and conditions of the Ogaden people.
keep up the Good work.
It TIME for Somali Regional Diaspora to stand up-! NO more ONLF!
The Time for Somali Regional Diaspora to stand up is here
The proposed visit of the Somali Regional President, His Excellency Da'ud Mohamed Ali, to the Regional Diaspora communities in North America, and the recent call from the Head of the Security and Justice Bureau of the Region, His Honorable Abdi Mohammed Omar, upon all Regional Diaspora communities to come back and help the development initiatives undertaken by the Regional Government to deal with poverty's multidimensional nature, are truly clear indications that Somali Regional State is headed to the right direction, cooperation, peace and prosperity, in which the Regional Diaspora, throughout the world, must and should standby.
The Regional Government has now fully recognized that the Diaspora may have an active role to play in the development process underway in the Region. The government has very well acknowledged that the Diaspora communities are not only a source of funds; that they are also a rich source of skills and know-how.
For that, we, the Somali Regional Diaspora Forum (SRDF), urge all the Regional Diaspora communities to stand up to contribute their share to ensure the development of the region, and lend a hand to the Regional Government to deliver the basic services and combat insecurity in the region, so to not allow Eritrean agents and its collaborators (ONLF) to hinder the current ongoing positive initiatives.
We, the people in the Diaspora, must now step in. History has proven that unless the people involve, neither meaningful development nor reliable security will ever take place. If we are satisfied with the current Eritrean game in our region to keep us in the status quo, then yes, we can reject Regional Government's call to be part of the Region's future. However, if we are not satisfied with what Eritrean agents and its collaborators are doing in our Region, then it is time for us to make our move. Somali Regional State will not move forward unless we train ourselves to take courageous and definite stance without fear or hesitation.
Somali Regional Diaspora communities have three choices, (1) do nothing; (2) do the same thing; or (3) do something different. If we do nothing then we can expect nothing. If we continue to do the same thing, then we can expect the same results. Our clear and undisputable choice here is to seek out a different strategy that will help our people in the Region receive undisturbed access to basic services and push our Region into marking real progress.
The people in Somali Region are simply tired of Eritrean agents and its collaborators hindering their attempts to better life. They want us to stand up for what is right for the Region. We are well aware that ONLF takes us to be fools and will always keep calling names. However, we should all know that such absurdity would only come from self-centered elements with one objective: personal aggrandizement. Its leaders utilize the blood of our people in the Region to maintain their lavish lifestyles in London and Melbourne.
We must set precedent against would be troublemakers so as to keep our Region on a path of everlasting peace and prosperity. The calls of Regional Government and our people must not fall on deaf ears. It is time for all of us to stand up and participate in the ongoing development endeavors, let us put our Region first above all else
Somali Regional Diaspora Forum (SRDF)
Minneapolis, MN
USA
ogaden crises
OGADEN REGION IS FORGOTTEN LAND AND IT'S PEOPLE Geographical Location : The Ogaden region of Ethiopia lies between Oromia to the west, the Republic of Djibouti to the north, Kenya to the south and the Somali Republic to the east.
It is home to approximately five million people, who are for the most part ethnic Somali nomads who live under Ethiopian occupation for more than 60 years.
The Ogadeni allege assassinations, torture and rape at the hands of the Ethiopian solders Ethiopia army committed crime against humanity we are drawing the attention of The international criminal court and peace loving people of the world to do something about the suffering of ogaden/somali people.
The international criminal court is hypocrite and double standard agency and they work America and European interest. The international criminal court calling arrest of president of Sudan Omar al-bashir for his part crime against human abuses in
Darfur. But they ignore mass crime committed prime minister of Ethiopia tyrant Meles Zenawi and his military against Ogaden/Somali-galbeed people and Somalia itself killing 10,000’s of un-arm innocent civilian in Ogaden region and Somalia, Mogadishu during the illegal invasion of Ethiopia 2006 to 2008.
The international criminal court when it comes the human right abuses in Ogaden region and Somalia they turn to blind eye and they not interested the suffering of Ogaden and Somalia people.
Ethiopia forces murdered 10,000’s of innocent un-arm civilians and destroyed 10,000’s homes and burn down villages in Ogaden region and Somalia to terrorise the civilians and drive away their land this continue at present day in large scale.
We urge the International criminal court if they have any justices or moral humanity to investigate and issue Warrant arrest of prime minister of Ethiopia tyrant Meles zenawi and his military generals who committed crime against humanity in ogaden
region and Somalia.
Prime minister of Ethiopia tyrant Meles zenawi has ordered his military to abuse kill and torture Ogaden people no one care about the suffering of ogaden people neither The international criminal court nor so called democratic countries like Europe and America .Even they provide money and weapon to Ethiopia to kill and terrorise Un-arm innocent civilians, in ogaden region and Somalia.
The suffering of ogaden people is caused by military abuses and food blockade impose by the Ethiopia government in order to wipe ogaden people from their land and drive them away to seek refugee in Kenya and Somalia in order for them to explore the
natural resources in ogaden like the gas and oil and other resources.
The international criminal court should stand it is obligation and take action against the dictator Ethiopia Prime Minister tyrant Meles Zenawi. The international criminal court should stop ignoring the genocide in ogaden region and do their job
properly and send investigation team to ogaden region and Somalia.
Ethiopia government has imposed journalist and media bann in ogaden region Ethiopian military is doing Horrible and despicable acts in ogaden region torturing killing and gang raping ogaden women in publicly to humiliate and shame them rest of their
live in front of their family members.
Eye witness Abdullahi ahmed contacted us from Kabridahar ogaden region and told us what he saw on the 12 Aug 2008 group of soldiers come and rounded a group of locals
11 man these guys they being accused they are supporters of ONLF. The soldiers call the entire town to gather open area and see the executions of anti-government and they shot from the head one by one the soldiers order, no one allow them to bury
them they rotten lay there for more than a week their flesh is eaten hyena fox and dogs. The locals of kabridahar stay away from the dead body for fear they will also be killed if they try to bury the dead body.
No trail no justice no courts only military have your faith and decide what they do to you other Ethiopia region is not like that they have protection and legal access there is solicitors and courts who decide every case but ogaden region is the military zone for more than 60 years and military run it all social live. They shoot you arrest kill you and torture you no one ask any Questions they have been given all the powers.
Ethiopia colonial injustice met a ruthless and indiscriminate reaction on the part of the regime through indiscriminate genocide unknown in the annals of Africa history such as.
1) Rounding up of un-arm innocent people and burning them alive
2) Forcing women to inspect mutilated bodies of their murdered husbands.
3) Attacking villages burning homes destroying live stoke and cutting young boys their genitals as you can see this photo this picture is taken 1968 when the Ethiopian soldiers attacked small village called Danaan and they cutch and cut small boys genitals.
These practices were all designed to sow intimidation and scare the ogaden people Britain handed ogaden region to Ethiopia in 1947 without consent of ogaden people the transfer was illegal and the Ethiopia occupation was illegal too ogaden people
cry for justice and freedom Britain must take their responsibility and return ogaden land to it is people and ask Ethiopia to leave.
Ogaden people should take to International court to British government for their illegal transfer their land to Ethiopia 1947.Britain broke the trust of ogaden people and they also broke the international law for transferring all the rights and
power to Ethiopians to rule ogaden region and make them claim ogaden part of Ethiopia.
Clearly the ogadenis have nothing in common with Ethiopians
a)ogaden people are Sunni Muslim Ethiopia are orthodox Christian b)ogaden people are ethnic Somali other Ethiopia are other mixer race c)ogaden people speak Somali language Ethiopians speak Amharic they also have different culture after all they have nothing in common the question is how can they claim ogaden region is part of Ethiopia when you look all the points I wrote. All the mess in ogaden region is created by Britain first place who handed ogaden region to Ethiopia with out consent of it’s people.
The reason Britain did this was to divide the Somalis to 5 areas Somalis refuse the British rule and hero sayid Mohamed cabdulla Hassan fight against them for more than 20 years.
Britain colony was against whole ogaden tripe and they divided they give ogaden region to Ethiopia and NFD to Kenya why? Because Sayid Mohamed cabdulla Hassan who refuse their rule and fight them he belongs to ogaden tripe. Both regions
Ogaden and NFD the majority are ogaden tripe that is why Britain against the ogaden people and handed them enemy countries from that day until now ogaden people refuse to bow the occupiers rule and struggle for freedom continues, although NFD accepted the peace deal with Kenya but people minds they want to independent from Kenya one day but Ogaden region their no peace deal and fight for independence to free our people from Ethiopia colony continue until our people breathe. .
Ogaden region it has been lost many lives and so many family are grieving many children be come orphanage many Ogaden women be come widow but the light for freedom will lit until Ogaden people gain their independent from Ethiopia our people
struggle gets stronger and stronger every day we should also remember our brothers of Somalia who went war with Ethiopia for two times in 1964 war led by president Cabdirashiid cali sharma’arke and in 1977 -78 war led by president Mohamed said
barre.
Somalia National Army and in may 1977 6000 Somali western liberation front crossed the border and attacked the Ethiopia military basis it was surprise attack to the Ethiopians it was well-planned strategic attack By 13 July 1977.
The first out of four mechanized brigades of the regular Somali Army became active in Ethiopia, supported actively by the SAC. From 21 July, Somali MiG-21MFs - pilots - started a series of attacks against different points in Ethiopia. .
Four days later, after more Somali air attacks, Gode fell to WSLF and Mogadishu explained that so far at least eight Ethiopian aircraft were destroyed in air raids. Finding large amounts of supplies and arms in the five local military camps, the Somalis then turned to attack Sidamo and Bale, as well as Jijiga and Harer. .
Now the Ethiopian regime was forced to definitely do something about the whole affair. The Ethiopian resistance was weak and their army were swiftly defeated on 9 Aug 1977 the regime of Addis Ababa was forced to admit that it lost the control over
ogaden. .
The president of Ethiopia Mengistu seek outside help and his aid was Soviet union, Cuba ,Libya, north curia, and south Yemen all these countries send Ethiopia a military manpower and financial aid despite The outside help Somali national army still chasing Ethiopia military On 13 September Jijiga was liberated by Somali national army, with Ethiopians very heavy loses in manpower and equipment. .
Nevertheless, on 29 September, the Somalis captured the important Gara Marda Pass, and one of their columns then turned towards Harer: the city and the whole 3rd Ethiopian Division were put under a siege. .
Switching Alliances.
At this moment Cuba and the USSR entered the conflict - on the Ethiopian side. The Cubans officially wanted, „nothing else but to support the revolution of the Ethiopian people“, while the Soviets - offended by the fact that Barre kicked all the 6.000 Soviet "instructors" out of Somalia after learning about this deal - agreed to supply weapons needed for the intervention, in exchange for rights to use Ethiopian ports and bases. .
On 25 November 1977, the Soviet Air Force initiated a huge air-bridge to Ethiopia, deploying no less but 225 Il-18, An-12B, An-22, and Il-76 transports from Tashkent, via Baghdad, over Aden and Masawa to Addis Ababa to fly enough BM-21s, T-55 and T-62
MBTs, BMP-1 and BRDM APCs, 130mm, 155mm and 185mm artillery, ammunition and supplies for three small divisions. .
The first to arrive were BM-21s: deployed aboard EtAF transports to Harer, they were decisive in Ethiopian capability to repulse further Somali attacks before the rain-season. For the next two weeks, in a unique development that stunned most of Western observers, another Soviet transport aircraft was landing every 20 minutes at Addis Abbaba - day and night. In addition to immense amounts of equipment for Ethiopian Army, the Soviets also delivered 48 MiG-21bis' and MiG-23BNs, at least ten Mi-6s, a number of Mi-8s, and at least six Mi-24As (later to be increased to 16).
.
Simultaneously, 6.000 Cuban mechanized troops were flown-in from Cuba and Angola and equipped with 120 T-54 MBTs and 100 BTR-50 APCs delivered from the USSR, while some
300 instructors arrived from various Warsaw Pact countries.
. Also soviet union send 50,000 military personal to kick Somali army form ogaden by this time Ethiopia gain more support from communities countries and Somalia have no support from outside world except view Arab countries like Saudi-Arabia who
supplied oil and Syria and Iraq who supplied military advisors and some financial help. Somalia was allied with America but the president of America jemmy carter refuse to give Somalia a weapon to carry fighting sad news Somali national army
can’t keep ogaden region any longer and president Mohamed said barre ordered Somali national army to withdraw from liberated ogaden region on March 1978. .
This was sad chapter of history and war ended without good result and Ethiopia and it is allies recaptured ogaden region once again.
The Ogaden War weakened the Somali military. Almost one-third of the regular SNA soldiers, three-eighths of the armoured units and half of the Somali Air Force (SAF) were lost. The weakness of the Barre regime led it to effectively abandon the dream
of a unified Greater Somalia.
The failure of the war aggravated discontent with the Barre regime; the first organized opposition group, the Somali Salvation Democratic Front (SSDF), was formed by army officers in 1979.led by Cabdullahi yusuf and other majeerteen
generals.
1981 another rebel groups was formed north of Somalia SNM (Somali National Movement) Jan 27, Muhammad Siad Barre, of the Somali Democratic Republic since 1969, fled Mogadishu as rebels overran his palace and captured the Somali capital. Siad Barre was ousted and power fractured into some 27 warring sides and Ali Mahdi Mohamed declared himself president. And farah aided refuse to recognize as president and went war against ali mahdi Mohamed. .
1991 The northeast corner of the country declared itself the independent Republic of Somaliland. 1991 Thousands of Bantus fled Somalia for Kenya. In 1999 the US designated this group of people as persecuted and eligible for resettlement in the US.
1991-1992 Some 350,000 Somalis died from disease, starvation and civil war. Still the civil war continues and no central government and dream of greater Somalia dead with general Mohamed said barre. .
Ethiopia is running the Somalia show by controlling the so called Somali-land and punt land Ethiopians enjoy using free port shipment from berbera so called Somali land and boosaaso so called punt land Ethiopia will try every means that their will
never Somalia government again which is threat to them. .
They want to divide Somalia small region that are all against each other like
1) Somali land
2)punt land
3)hiiraan land
4)juba land
5)banadir land
6) baydhabo land etc.
This is the end Somali race and dignity and new beginning of Ethiopia and Amhara domination. Ethiopians are moving 1000’s every month to Hargeisa Berbera ,Bosaaso and Garowe and they buying houses from the poor Somalis this is very dangerous
situation 10 to 20 years time they will claim that Somali-land and punt land is their land and it is part of Ethiopia. .
This project is facilitated by Riyale of Somali land and Faroole of punt land and they being paid by millions of dollars America and Ethiopia government to allow them the Ethiopian families to settle in Somali-land and punt land without immigration
control Some of these immigrants are buying houses land and fishing vessels.
If I remind you bereave history in 1940’s the Jews when they return to Jerusalem the Jews they buy houses from Palestinians and they paid them double prise and guess what they take over their land and Palestinians are refugee in their own land that is the plan Ethiopian government and Americans THIS IS WAKE UP CALL. .
Somali national army and Somali western liberation front liberated 95% of Ogaden region we should remember the brave soldieries of Somalia national army and Somali western liberation who died both wars to liberate Ogaden region our hearths to go to their families and we request Allah to
reward them paradise. .
I ask Colonel Farah pootan who take part Ogaden war how many Somalia army died Ogaden war when I visit him Denmark? He said no one have exact figure but around 5 to 6 Thousand. And I also ask him how many Ethiopia army died in Ogaden war the
Ethiopian claim they lost 8000 but the figure is higher than 15000 because the Ethiopia army was less equip and demoralized to fight the land is not their own and
most of them they run to escape with their lives. Ethiopia army was defeated.in1977-1978 ogaden war. .
The international law regards colonialism as a form of permanent aggression and Ethiopian insistence of continuing the colonization of western Somalia fall within this framework. .
The reason I wrote the historical root of the problem of both wars is to educate those who may be ignorant about the ogaden region crises. The situation in ogaden is in grave danger unless the world and international community give attention the
suffering of ogaden people and their will never peace in the horn of Africa unless the ogaden crises be resolved and given full and legitimate rights to self-determination And recognized and acted upon. .
Ethiopian colonist will not succeed in tricking the international community ogaden region is part of Ethiopia federalism and they have every right of other Ethiopians that is propaganda Ethiopia government use for last 18 years this regime Meles zenawi. .
The U.S.A. Government Cannot mislead anyone in the so-called “Human rights” theory,unless urgent and serious attention is given to ogaden human right abuses Allege assassinations, torture and rape at the hands of the Ethiopian solders Ethiopia army. .
We appeal to all those who cherish justice and peace to support in this legitimate ogaden people struggle against Ethiopian colonialism
Source: Eng:Ahmed Mukhtar Eegge
Chairman of ogaden peace and justice organization
Email: ogadennews1@hotmail.com
Twitter @ogaden
Facebook@ ahmedeegge
Da'uud is coming to USA
Mr. Mcgill
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for telling Minnesota natives and the rest of America what is truly going on in Ogaden region. I now live in Canada together with thousands of people from Ogaden with similar stories that you propobly heard plenty of by now, this hiden pain is something every one from Ogaden had experienced whether direct or indirect.
US government and the media both are ignoring the plight of these innocent Ogaden nomads, in fact Ethiopia receives millions of American tax payers money for aid, that money which is intended for the poor goes to the army, the army also receives training from American officers, the same army that's committing atrocities in the Ogaden including gang rape inside prison cells.
But thanks to you and New york times Nairobi correspodent Jeffrey Gettleman, you are the Only American journalists who came forward and told the world what's hapening in the Ogaden, as a result of this I hope many tax payers in Minnesota and elsewhere in the States will ask their representative in congress to investigate these crimes.
Ogaden people simply want to live in peace in their own homes with out fear from the army, that's not much to ask, they fear asking the federal government development in terms of Schools,Hospitals,Roads,Electricity and more basic human needs, all they want now is to live and be left alone by the mighty army from Ethiopian highlanders(Tigre) and those who represent them including Da'uud Ali.
In my opinion Da'uud and others in the so called Somali State are simply serving and carring out orders from the army officers in the Ogaden state, nothing moves with out the othorization of the army, therefore its the army which is running the shaw and committing all the atrocities, so far the Ogaden region had 11 governers, all of them were kicked out by the army and many of them landed in jail themselves, so will Da'uud, no doubt he will end up in jail. It is the system from Addis-Ababa aided by the army in Ogaden that's doing the damege to these innocent Ogaden Poeple. Da'uud is nothing and will be gone soon.
Please keep exposing what Meles Zinawi successfuly hiden many years from the rest of the world.
We support you 100% and we stand with you 100%, you're truly a hero to many Ogaden diaspora
Thank you and may god bless you and yours.
Abdi.
Re:In Minnesota, Ethiopians Brace for a Dreaded Visit
Mr Douglas,
I really appreciate the fact that you are giving lots of attention to Ethiopian cause. You are a very good journalist who appear to be duped by some cone men. Are those the same people who gave you these forged pictures ? Have you asked them how they feel about the Christians who live in Ogaden? Do they feel these Christians have the right to live in Ogaden? I am sure they have some legitimate issues to be mad about but they also have to learn from this wonderful nation the art of tolerance. The Ogaden is one of the most violent state in our country and it is because of the Somalian influence who declare Jihad once a month towards Ethiopia. I truly admire you for being open minded and try to find the truth and I encourage you to investigate your witnesses and find out if they are truthful. Ask them about one same incident and find out how many version of "truth" you will find out. It is just like listening Hannity or Limbough and expect them to speak positively of Obama.
The fact that mr Daud decides to come and talk is a positive thing. I wonder if these people understand what Democracy means.
Minnesota Visit
Daniels assessment is really the problem which is to put a religious twist and condone atrocities committed by a brutal military whose record is clear to the entire world simply because the leadership in Ethiopia professes to be Christians. Their behavior is truly an insult the great faith of Christianity just as people like Gadhafi are an insult to Muslims all over the world. The truth is that the dictatorship in Ethiopia is brutal, violent and commits crimes against humanity with impunity. So I just hope people like Daniel will visit the Ogaden before ridiculing victims who fled with their lives and whom the great United States have given refuge to.
In Minnesota, Ethiopians brace for a dreaded visit
This is a true account of the daily life of Ogadenis in Ogaden. Indiscriminate killings of the non-combatant civilians, displaying the murdered corpses in the town center, beatings of the respected elders and forcing the townfolks to watch , mass jailings, rape of young girls and women are all routine occurrence in the Ogaden.
Trade blockage of the whole region, confiscation or burning the agricultural harvest and looting businesses and appropriating transport trucks are all common in order to economicly strangulate the Ogadenis.
Even the Ogadeni diaspora is not spared from the hardship as they are spied by the Ethiopian embassies or informers with the diaspora and as result their relatives are put in prison and after some time in jail are told to pay up exorbitant amount of money for their release or left them idie in jail.
The so-called local adminstration in Jigjiga is a non-existent entity as its members are carefully hand picked by a representative of the ruling EPRDF party in Addis Abeba and are there to execute instructions from that representative. They have the slightest independence from the EPRDF official. In fact, they compete one another to be close to him so that they earn his favor otherwise they will be tossed out from their position.
This is the true account of Ogaden and as an Ogadeni myself, I would like to express my appreciation of the author of the article for shedding a light on the miserable life of Ogadenis.
Thanks
exaggerated threat
Dear sir.
I feel that this a nice journalistic narrative.I happen to work in ogaden with an Ngo, the case in point -the ogaden problem is a creation of geopolitical powers wanting to destablize ethiopia,and this has been in the making for the last 50 or so years.Of these powers eritrea,egypt ..are the main actors.The regional state is highly disorganized,ethnicized and at times brutal.Most of the somali diaspora who told thier stories to the paper have highly blown up story.And many of them can even be from somalia
True
Doug thanks for ur article, am glad U know so many thinks now,and We all know that Daud and Melez zanawi are big criminals, but one day justice will come.
We Ogaden in minnesota r saying Daud should not come U.sa, he is a big criminal and we don't welcome criminals in u.s.a
No Daud No Daud No Dau.....No Melez zanawi No melez zanawi
nothing
this is all orchestrated by you white fellas. We can do whatever we want in our land.struggle for the people suffering inside the giant prison-America. do not mess with Ethiopia. you liers
Fabrication
This is a pure fabrication.....but not surprising! This is the shamless individuals means of livelyhood and the greedy western supporters futile attempt to discredit the over all development process the people of Ethiopia are undertaking.This pitty people who are fabricating this white lies, have sold their moral values and do not represent the people of ogaden and Ethiopia. These are the pet of shabia and radicals.
Real liars are supporters of criminals
Whether you tell nonsense story about what you called "development" or not, TPLF led regime of Addis Ababa is already discredited by international community. You said, "Development process the people of Ethiopia are undertaking," but I say and its well known that death and destruction is what Ethiopian people inherited from this regime of yours. The good news is that your leader Meles and his cronies cannot get away with the crime they committed in Ogaden and many parts in Ethiopia. You have to blame your EPRDF/TPLF criminals for their heinous crime against women and children in Ogaden, not honorable journalist Mr. Doug.
Thank you
Thank you for this article, it demonstrates well the silent cry of the Ogaden people. I noticed your reluctance to call what is happening in ogaden Genocide. I lived and worked in Ogadenia. It is understandable that same people may say what is happening in ogaden is not a genocide because many people know very little about Ogaden, and International Humanitarian and other Organizations are not allowed to go into that aria. But once you understand the demographics social relationships and ethnicity of Ogaden, you will understand that the government of Ethiopia is not only fighting a counter insurgency, but trying to get rid of the ethnic Somali (Ogaden people) either through forced displacement or murder, this clearly and unquestionably constitutes genocide.
Talking with strangers
Thanks, Doug McGill, for digging into this story with such fierce generosity and fearless curiosity.
I admire the way you talk with strangers.
ogaden support ONLF?
#1 mistake is when you said somali region=Ogaden
ogaden is around 40% of the somali population in ethiopia. please fix that information.
#2. mistake. only a couple of ogaden sub-sub clan families support the ONLF fully. other ogadenis oppose ONLF because of its brutal tactics.
if you fix these two mistakes, you have some level of balance and fact
thank you mr.doug mcgill...
thanks .mr.doug mcgill..... for this article..it demonstrates well the silent the world and united states of america....and u.n...
Let Daa'ud in and we stick it to him
I thank Mr. McGill for his attention to the plight of the forgotten Somalis of the Ogaden.
My fellow Somalis from the Ogaden/Somali Galbeed,
There is no doubt that the so called Somali Administration in Jigjiga and the federal government in Addis Abba have committed war crimes and gross human rights violations. There is also no doubt that the world community looks the other way whenever one mentions the atrocities and crimes against humanity committed by Ethiopia against the innocent and peace loving people of the Ogaden.
No one can dispute the killings, rape, mass displacements, illegal imprisonment, poisoning of water wells, etc that the Somalis in the Ogaden have endured during the long years of the Tigrey regime and that the work of Mr. McGill and his likes are welcome and highly appreciated by the Somalis who live under the oppression of the Ethiopia.
But how about if we let Daa'ud come to the US and we stick it to him?
How about if we try to win him over to our side? I am sure a lot of what Daa'ud, Ileey, the ones before them and the ones that will come after them did/are doing/will do is forced on them. So how about if we compete with the Tigrey and try to influence these guys?
Don't you think that if we don't talk to them they will just find few supporters here and there and will go back thinking all they were doing was well and good and no one in the Diaspora have issues with them?
What do we loose by telling them of what we think of them and what we think of what they are doing to our people? May be Daa'ud will seek asylum here in USA. Don't be surprised!
If we employ our heads and not our hearts at this point of time, I think we will let Daa'ud meet the community and we will just spill beans out. Refusing to meet with him or denying him the visa for that matter will not do anything for the poor guy who is being tortured in one of the many infamous jails in the region.
This is one man's opinion,
Naaleeye.
The Three Ogadens'.
The Ogaden people live in Somalia, Kenya and of course in Ethiopia. Why we always say there is a Genoside going on in Ethiopia and don't say about Somalia and Kenya. Wa all know how Somalia is today, and people of Ogaden in Ethiopia are caming in Somalia as refugees to Somalia, instead of Somalis going to Ogaden is the other way around.
If you want to know the truth let the world madia see what good you guys doing or evil deeds. Why the regime in Addis kicked all the NGO's and barred all the trade to and from Somalia.
This what is taken place in Ogaden today, Rape, killing, genocide, and all the bad things.
Simply, if you want to know the truth nothing but the hall thruth let the madia see it.
Ogaden son.
Ogaden
Ogaden is a peaceful place. Most of it. Thugs who were armed by Eritrea and acting like the Southern Somali Al Shabab killed hunderds of innocent women, children and men who were asleep at night. They were workers and their families in an oil research plant owned by the Chinese. These thugs killed theis Ogadenian Ethiopians and Chinese cititzens to instill fear so that the region's economica strive is stagnated. They want to turn these peaceful, self administrating region into Sothern Somali type of hell. Why because these thugs have leaders who see themselves as lords and want to control power and money, exactly like southern Somalia war lords.
Most Ogadenians 99.9% of them are law abiding, hard working citizens. The previous Ethiopian adminstrations did bad by subjugating the people of Ogaden. Protesting and making noise should not come via the way of killing innocent women and childeren and unarmed men who were there to do their job.
That was when the ONLF, the Ogadenian Liberation Front lost its stance and seen as a murderous group who doesn't care for the lives of innocent children. The members of this thuggery group are mostly settled in Minnisota. The wounds and other bodiiy injuries we read about are a result of arms confilict they were part of. If you shoot at people, you will be shot at, there are penalities you pay for them.
Stop this idiocy and hear out this guy. Give him a chance. Let him tell you what is happening and then form your openinion. Don't listen the fighters of ONLF who have the bloods of innocent childern in their hands.
Symbol of Dictators = 99%
To the Apologists of the Dictator
You may as well have signed your comment with Meles Zenawi the strongman in Ethiopia. First you claim that the previous governemnt was bad ergo I am good. Second you throw the magic number all dictators are addicted to - 99.9% of the people support me, my policies, blablabla!. Then you go on to paint paradise in the Ogaden and deny the Crimes of the Ethiopian Army there. So according to your demented logic the horrific accounts of all the neutral parties that were thrown out of the Ogaden by Ethiopia are false- MSF, ICRC, HRW, Jeffrey Gettleman, Channel four of the UK, the UN mission to the Ogaden. I am old enough to remember what Mengistu Regime used to say about TPLF, so I am not suprised if you use the same terms about ONLF. You cannot be even a little bit creative. I know thugs are those who engage in Genocide on a massive scale, raping even seventy years old women, and they usually end up in Nuremberg or Hague. I can see you are sorry because you could not somehow get one of your agents to mislead Mr. McGill. As for the guys who claim that White fellas to stop interfering in the internal affairs of Ethiopia, you too stop running around with your beging bowls. I want money! I want food! I want arms! and I don't want your advice. One thing that strikes me most about Ethiopian is always their cheap logic. When Somalis demand their rights, the answer is Arabs, Eritreans are behind them. When unarmed civilians in Addis demonstrate in Addis and are gunned down in front of the cameras, they are accused of tryning to commit genocide, when a women goes to America and Europe to plead her case for democracy, she is sentenced to life inprisonment for trying to overthrow the governement, helped by America and Europe. Mr. Mcgill keep digging, and don't expect dictators and their apologists to like what you are doing. Truth liberates all. Thank you
A Zenawi and Mohamed Daud Victim
I feel like,there are still honest and world class reporters out there, like Mr. Doug. I can not articulate as a comment in here, what Melez Zenawi and his elite EPRDF Tigrinja team did to my Ogadenian people, and my family in particular. to make my point Mr. Daud, zenawis go after hit man and partners including Abdi Ilay, should be Sent to Hague. the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo should go after these blood thirsty monsters. I, also would like to thank Mr. Gregory Stanford of Genocide Watch.org.Where is georgy clooney and likes. Ogadenia is much much worse than Darfur. It is a curse of oil that is causing mass extinction in Ogaden. The world must open their eyes and ears to the cries of poor women and children that are starved to death due to the collective punishment and economic blockade.
I feel like,there are still
I feel like,there are still honest and world class reporters out there, like Mr. Doug. I can not articulate as a comment in here, what Melez Zenawi and his elite EPRDF Tigrinja team did to my Ogadenian people, and my family in particular. to make my point Mr. Daud, zenawis go after hit man and partners including Abdi Ilay, should be Sent to Hague. the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo should go after these blood thirsty monsters. I, also would like to thank Mr. Gregory Stanford of Genocide Watch.org.Where is georgy clooney and likes. Ogadenia is much much worse than Darfur. It is a curse of oil that is causing mass extinction in Ogaden. The world must open their eyes and ears to the cries of poor women and children that are starved to death due to the collective punishment and economic blockade.
com.
WHY IN THE WORLD IS SOMALIA HAS NO ANY FUNCTIONAL GOV'T FOR THE LAST 2 DECADES ?WHY EVERY SOMALIAN FLED THEIR OWN MOTHER LAND AND SCARED OF THEIR OWN SONS AND BROTHWERS ....THAT'S A CURSE LAND .iT'S SHAME FULL TO TALK BAD ABOUT ETHIOPIA WHILE U GUYS WITH THE SAME RELIGON , PEOPLE ,LANGUAGE AND COLOUR CAN'T LIVE IN PEACE.HOW U CAN LIVE IN PEACE WITH OTHERS IF U CAN'T IN HOME .I THINK IT'S CLEAR THE WORLD KNOW ABOUT U ANY WAYS.
FOR THE JOURNALIST, IT'S NICE TO HEAR OPINIONS FROM PEOPLE OF D/F RELIGION LIVING IN OGADEN AND ASK WHY THEY CAN'T LIVE IN PEACE WITH EACH OTHER LIKE THE CENTRAL WHICH HAS MUCH MORE DIVERSE CULTURE AND ETHINICTY
Another Darfur in the making
With the attention of the international community focused on Iraq, Afghanistan and Darfur, the lives of millions of battered Somalis in Ethiopia are in danger of being permanently eclipsed.
On 2007, the Ethiopian government unleashed inhumane and brutal collective punishment against its own Somali population in the Somali region of Ethiopia. The government of Meles Zenawi ordered the implementation of a range of officially-orchestrated repressive and intimidating measures intended to terrorize the entire population in the Somali region of Ethiopia after an assault of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) on a Chinese oil exploration site that left 74 dead, including nine Chinese oil workers in April.
State induced large scale starvation and other atrocities intended to inflict fear, terror and widespread displacement is jeopardizing the lives of an entire population encircled by undisciplined marauding Ethiopian military forces. Unabated terror reigns supreme as a result. Ethiopian troops, for example, mounted total blockage through a web of extensive roadblocks and checkpoints to stop all vehicular traffic, movement of commercial goods and population between the major towns with a view to impose economic strangulation that has generated unprecedented large scale man-made famine. A Western humanitarian official talking to New York Times has aptly stated that "It's a starve-out-the-population strategy. If something isn't done on the diplomatic front soon, we're going to have a government-caused famine on our hands."
The Somali region has already been experiencing rampant poverty, political and social injustices and chronic food shortages brought about by drought and limited agricultural activity prior to the current Ethiopian government imposed blockade to emergency food aid and choking of trade flows. Aggravating further the prevailing food and medical shortages, the Ethiopia government continues to forbid the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Somali region. Aid agencies, journalist and representatives of human rights groups are barred from traveling to the beleaguered region.
The government forces have manifestly committed gross human rights abuses with impunity, including widespread gang-raping of women and pillage, torture, arbitrary arrest and detention of thousands of persons, disappearances, and burning of entire settlements and blocking of access to water wells for both the civilian population and their livestock. Thousands of villagers were forcibly displaced in what constitutes a tragic case of an all out ethnic cleansing.
"Ethiopian troops are destroying villages and property, confiscating livestock and forcing civilians to relocate," said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director of Human Rights Watch. "Whatever the military strategy behind them, these abuses violate the laws of war."
Civilian population in the major towns and cities has been stifled, harassed, and persecuted. Thousands of business traders, clan elders, politicians, students and women, perceived as dissidents were arrested and subjected to physical beatings and torture and thrown into illegal military punishment camps that notoriously resemble the Soviet Gulags.
"Witnesses described Ethiopian troops burning homes and property, including the recent harvest and other food stocks intended for the civilian population, confiscating livestock and, in a few cases, firing upon and killing fleeing civilians" states a recent report of Human Rights Watch titled Ethiopia: Crackdown in East Punishes Civilians.
The Western countries lip-sealing silence towards ongoing Ethiopia's atrocities in the Somali region is indicative of West's indifference to the plight of beleaguered civilians. The ongoing officially-orchestrated collective punishment in the Somali region of Ethiopia would only breed more hostilities and increased Somalis dissension towards the Muslim dominated but Christian ruled Ethiopia.
Great Report
Thanks Douglas,
What is going on in Ogaden is not less than what happened in Dafur. I am very glad we always find so kind and so human person to come for the helpless and voiceless people, where ever they are. "we are not free unless all are free."
God bless you, for being the voice for the voiceless Ogadens!!!
complement
Thank you Mr Mcgill,as an Ogaden person i wold like to thank you million times.
Let me tell you this man called Daud what he is in Ogaden the Somali region,in fact this Man,Mr Daud is nothing in-charge and has no powers of any authority except that he is a hand picked person by Melese regime and poppet for the TPLF rebels.In another words , he is simple lab dog of Meles Zenawi who has no any teeth at all and merely who follows his masters.Mr McGill, These rebels of Tigrays(TPLF) who was captured in 1991 the whole country by the gun force at beginning,,unfortunately we trusted them when they arrived from their mountainous provence of Tigray and we thought that they would be better than the previous brutal regimes but,in fact they are more worst than any previous regimes.At least those earlier regime were never lied to their citizens and hide under the umberllas of democracy while this tigray rebels cheaters doing every evil things and all hypcorisy tactics to hold the power for almost in last two decades.
Thanks again,Mr Mcgill
Thanks
thanks for your articles about Ogaden, its true that the World has forgotten and paid any attention for what is going on here in Ogaden,
Thanks again
The visit would shame to the USA
The visit would be a shameful thing to say the least to the American government. These are the indivudals responsible for the displaced Ogadenis and Ethiopians in the USA. One of the biggest reason for their visit is to recruit informants for them, discredit human rights activists by claiming that there is good things in Ogaden and delivering promises that cannot keep.
we are gratefull to Mr McGill
Mr McGill, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for shedding some light on the tradies of Ogaden people. the fact of the matter is, there is a full blown genocide in Ogaden, and the world is turning a blind eye to the atrocities and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the colonial regime of ethiopia.
i can catagorically state that, the situation in Ogaden is much worse than in Darfur. the simple fact is that, no one is allowed to report from the Ogaden, therefore there is no media coverage of the state and plight of the Ogaden people.
Zenawi and his henchmen, should be held accountable, for the genocide they are committing in Ogaden.
Once again thank you mr McGill.
Ethiopia's atrocities on Ogadenia
First of all I am sending best greetings to my family in Ogadenia Second I would like to say thank you sooooo much TCDailyplanet and American people
who are with us in Africa and concern about the Genocide that is ongoing in Ogadenia.
As the matter of fack Ethiopia has done whatever she wanted to harm the Ogadenis but you must know what goes round comes round.It will come
one day that whom responsible these atrocies will regret.
At last not least Ogadenis will enjoy a peaceful and prosperity land of Ogadenia.
keep Daud and likes out of America
Ogaden conflit is the source of ignition in the Horn of Africa. According to the international law Ogaden is under occupation and needs to be free. Ethiopia occupied Ogaden as colonial powers occupied Africa. Now it's time these people to be asked what they want.
Genocide
All Ethiopians have deep hatred for Somali people and that is a fact,They are all blinded by their hate and they fully support the Genocide of inocent Somali people.
Why does United Kingdon support Ethiopia efforts to wibeout the Ogaden people ? is it becouse they don't know about the Genocide
Why does my own Goverment the good old USA train and aid a Genocidal Regime in Addis ababa ?
The world need to held Males the Murderour accountable and he should be brought to Justice
We the Ogaden people deserve to live in peace and free just like any other human being on this earth
Ogaden people support our men and women in Uniform the ONLF our only hope against the evil Males Zenawis and Ethiopian Extremists
You bring the reality in Ogadenia
Mr McGill, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, for shedding some light on the tradies of Ogaden people. the fact of the matter is, there is a full blown genocide in Ogaden, and the world is turning a blind eye to the atrocities and crimes against humanity, perpetrated by the colonial regime of ethiopia.
i can catagorically state that, the situation in Ogaden is much worse than in Darfur. the simple fact is that, no one is allowed to report from the Ogaden, therefore there is no media coverage of the state and plight of the Ogaden people.
Zenawi and his henchmen, should be held accountable, for the genocide they are committing in Ogaden.
Once again thank you mr McGill.
Excelent article
Thank you Douglas McGill for giving honesty picture of the situation in the somali region in Ethiopia, Ogaden.
You are doing a good job
Mr. McGill thanks for your report about Ogaden. I am happy to see a western Journalist who can write about the genocide committed by Ethiopian Regime. I am 100% sure criminals will face a justice for the Crime they Committed against humanity.
Thank you once again!
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