ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – Special police forces surprised two villages in southwestern Ethiopia on Friday as the inhabitants slept, launching an attack that burned all the houses, killed nine civilians and wounded 23 others, said an official in Gambella region who requested not to be identified by name. Two attackers were also slain during the events.
A federal official in Addis Ababa, originally from the Gambella region, confirmed reports of the attacks.
The regional government was apparently trying to force the villagers of Laare and Puldeng into a new area, but they refused to move out until the dry season, by the end of January or February.
A mixed force of Anyua, Nuer and highlander police attacked the villagers, many of whom were Sudanese Nuer who had joined Jikany kin in the area.
The Gambella official estimated that some 600 cattle were stolen and more than 200 cattle and 1000 goats and sheep were killed—many of them burned in the houses where they were kept. Thirty men, women and children are still missing, and the villagers fled to the bush.
The official accused of ordering the attack, regional council member Goaner Yer, has now ordered some police forces to protect his faction from retaliation by mobilizing around the Ciechany section in Lol-gungjang.
Two attackers were killed: Bol Malual, a Gajiok/Ciequick (Nuer) and James Omot, an Anyua. At least six other attackers were wounded.
Thohl Muon Reath of the Cienuol sub-clan, aged approximately 67 years, was killed in the attack. Two children, Duoth Gal Chan and Nyedak Machduel Put, aged eight and thirteen, respectively, were killed, and a four-year-old child from the Ciedup sub-clan was wounded in the attack.
The deceased also include Deng Gatluak Zuor, Kech Chuol Diew, Duit Bol Biliew, Wiyual Chol Wuol, Biel Gach Tuach and Reath Dak Thoan.
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FORUM | 6 Comments
When do we see happy days, peaceful days without carnage? When do we see the end of the repressive regime? Always death,pestilence, famine, all sorts of violence!
I,m sick of hearing such a horrible situation occuring in my homeland, a land known for ages for its peace.God save Ethiopia and its population from all sorts of trouble!
[Reply]
November 25th, 2008 at 12:24 PM
መቼ ነው ሰላም እምናየው ያልከው ወንድሜ መልሱ ለሆዳችን ሳይሆን ለህሊናችን ስንኖር ነው:: ወያኔ ከሌላ እየነጠቀ ለሌላ ሲሰጠ ጥሩ እያደረገ ነው ካልን ዋጋችንን አግኝተናል::
መልሱ ቀላል ነው ከወያኔ የወሰደ ሁሉ የሌባ ገንዘብ እንደበላ መቁጠር ነው:: ይህ የሌባ ገንዘብ ለተሰረቀው ህዝብ መመለስ አለበት የሚል አቋም ካልተወሰደ ብዙ ነጣቂ ሰብስቦ ወያኔ እኔ ንጹ ነኝ ብሎ እራሱን ነጻ ለማውጣት እየጣረ ነው::
ሌላው የወያኔ ግድያ የተጀመረው ገና ሲመጣ ጀምሮ ነው እኔን ካልነካኝ አያገባኝም ብለን ቁጭ ብለን እኛ ለይ ሲደርስብን መጮህ ብቻ ሆነና ወያኔ በዘር ሲከፋፍል ሆይ ሆይ ስንል አሁን ሲገለን ተባብረን ልናቆመው አልቻልንም::
ዘረኛዉን ወያኔ የምናቆመው ተባብረን ብቻ ነው ሆድ ወዶ ደግሞ አይሆኑም
[Reply]
November 25th, 2008 at 2:43 PM
Ethiopia is not known for its peace. But Ethiopians are peace seeking people. We never got a break from our enemies. Read history and you will find that we are war hardened people..
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November 25th, 2008 at 3:14 PM
I am sure the victims are more than 11. Woyanes kill innocent people at one place and throw the bodies somewhere else. I wonder why these Wayanes hate Ethiopia so much. Then again I don’t think they can help it. These trained killers are doing the only thing they know how—torture and kill. When will these killings ever end and our people live in peace?
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November 25th, 2008 at 3:26 PM
What a way to “force” people to resettle! Their is absolutely no rhyme or reason for this type of action! Another score mark for TPLF/EPDRF’s human rights violations judgement card. The logic of some many of their actions and polices leaves one at a consistent loss of words. At the end of the day we also have to question the humanity of people who follow through on actions and orders they would not want carried out against their own families. May our people be freed from tenacles of discord and devestation that the is main governing approach of this regime.
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November 25th, 2008 at 4:07 PM
It is very sad and bad, when our Gambella Anyuaks and Nuers brothers are helplessly being slaughtered and burned a live. Where are our elder brothers, the MONJANGS of BAHAR EL-GAZAHAL and BOR ? Where are the MONJANGS of WAU, RUMBEK, BOR, AWEIL, GOGORIYAL, TONJI ?? We are your kin brothers and we belong to each others. Please strech your hands to us. We desprately need brothers help.
[Reply]
November 26th, 2008 at 7:33 PM