Security forces’ attacks on the Aari threatens
South Omo’s harmony
9
May, 2022
The de facto criminalization of
identity in the zone is a challenge to lasting peace.
The Aari people, as the most populous
group in South Omo, have been leading an agenda for the zone to become a regional state for some time now. As this was essentially opposed by the
federal and regional governments, making it politically impractical despite
unrestricted constitutional self-determination rights, they instead made a
demand for the four Aari weredas to become a zone.
Although the demand is contentious, the
Aari leaders at the forefront of this movement believe that the proposed
restructuring is a partial answer to the community’s socio-economic and
developmental challenges, as it will give them control over the budget received
from the Southern Nations regional government.
The advantage of regional status for
South Omo would have been receiving a budget directly from the federal
government, managing resources locally, and delivering administrative services
in South Omo rather than requiring a trip to Hawassa.
On 10 April, political unrest related to the self-rule request led to a tragic loss of
life and property. Over 150 homes were destroyed by fire, while around 1,000 people were displaced, including
women, children, and the elderly. While this initial violence caused no deaths,
security forces later reportedly killed five Aari youth.
The conflict has impacted various towns
in South Omo, including Gazer, Metser, Shishire, and Tolta. The concerted
efforts of local, regional, and federal security forces brought the unrest
under control, with no further communal violence occurring since. Stakeholders,
including the zonal administration, are working to restore lasting peace while
raising funds to support victims.
The vast majority of Aari people,
including influential elders, traditional figures, community leaders, and
intellectuals, condemned the violence, which was perpetrated by segments of the
Aari youth who twisted a legitimate political cause to commit arson, loot, and
disturb the peace. Since, the Aari community has mostly been collaborating with
security forces to bring the offenders to justice.
Ethnic targeting
Yet rather than focusing on
administering justice and fostering reconciliation, members of the Ethiopian
National Defence Force and the Southern Nations Special Police have also been
perpetrating grave human rights violations.
The scale of the abuses and the
continued presence of a military command post in South Omo—where no further
communal violence is expected due to the widespread condemnation by the
community—raises questions about the intentions of the security forces and
their backers.
The crimes perpetrated by a segment of
Aari youth do not represent who the Aari people are. The Aari generally live in
harmony with the more than sixteen other ethnic groups living in South Omo, due
in part to the Aari people’s commitment to diversity, peace, and stability.
But, it seems that certain elements
who identify as non-Aari are using the unrest as a pretext to subjugate
and disenfranchise the Aari people and so prevent them from organizing
political institutions of their choice in a constitutional manner.
Media campaign
Media platforms that stir up artificial
divisions between urban and rural residents are serving as a tool to tarnish the image of Aari
community leaders and intellectuals, while peace-loving and hardworking
individuals are harassed at the workplace due to their identity.
There is a widespread campaign
involving accusations of crimes without evidence against any Aari who is widely
perceived to be an important member of the society. Hundreds of Aari youth,
including business owners, school teachers, university students, and lecturers,
have been arrested for no justifiable reason
based on the suggestion they were directly or indirectly involved in the
violence.
These arrests usually came after social
media outlets focused on South Omo published photos of individuals
considered to be important in the Aari community and recommended that they be
arrested. Some on social media seem to consider wearing traditional Aari dress
and advocating peacefully for an Aari Zone as evidence of criminality.
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Prominent Aari personalities, including
former President of Jinka University, Professor Gebre Yntiso Deko, who has made
immeasurable contributions to development in South Omo, have been subjected to
concerted defamation campaigns by platforms such as Ethio Mereja, Ethio Omo, and others that have a large local following.
The renowned Aari singer Tariku
Gankisi, commonly known as Dishta Gina, has also been torn apart by attacks
against his reputation as he was labelled an organiser of the violence. Dishta Gina is a song about the Aari
New Year festival that has a message of unity, peace, love, and
tolerance.
It was remixed by Senegalese-American
singer Akon, including the powerful line, “let’s fight together, and not
each other”. Tariku is also famous for speaking
against the war in Tigray in a concert organised by the
Ethiopian government on 7 November to rally support for the military.
Recently, although Tariku actively tried to prevent the violence in South
Omo, he was falsely portrayed on social media to have been a mastermind of it.
Such platforms sometimes publish
fabricated information that seems designed to persecute the Aari and undermine
their political struggle. The peaceful majority is then unjustly assessed as
being guilty by association. The strategy appears designed to disenfranchise
over 400,000 people by silencing their leaders.
State violence
Despite the absence of any violence or
threat of violence since the incident first occurred, security forces from the
command post continue to arbitrarily detain Aari youth, subjecting them to
beatings and torture.
Over 800 people have been arrested so far in relation to the
unrest, most having no direct or even indirect links to the crimes. Several
Aari youth have been killed under circumstances where the use of lethal force
was unjustified and unnecessary.
On 28 April, representatives from the
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission visited some of those under police custody
and hospitalized due to injuries from gunshots and beatings by security forces.
The commission is expected to release a report in due course.
A staggering number of individuals have
been tortured through beatings and being stabbed by sharp ended guns. I
verified that some have suffered permanent injuries to vital organs, such as
their kidneys and bladder, and cannot urinate without medically administered
tubes. Others have suffered serious head trauma and have been bleeding from
their ears for days.
Brutal message
Security forces neutralized the
political unrest, violence, and any threat in a few days with the support of
Aari community leaders. The fact that they are still engaging in horrific
violation of human rights indicates a concerted effort to disenfranchise and
subdue the Aari.
Besides being unconstitutional and
unacceptable, this will create further tensions between communities in the zone.
Shockingly, those visibly injured in hospitals are only part of the story. Others have been tortured in police stations and transferred to prisons, where information about their condition is unattainable. Many youths who have nothing to do with the violence are hunted down, beaten, and tortured, as I verified during a recent visit to the zone.
As an Aari, I have condemned the arson, looting, and breach of the peace. I have visited
victims in my hometown, Metser, who are temporarily sheltered in a church. In
addition to providing material support, it is also my moral obligation to condemn the human rights
abuses inflicted against people by federal and regional security forces.
The level of brutality and the
continued use of force against peaceful citizens suggests that those backing
the security forces are committed to taking vengeance against the population at
large and are sending the message that even raising political questions in a
peaceful manner will have severe consequences.
Peace and stability
Ethiopia is known for its diversity of ethnicity, language, and culture. While this diversity
has posed a significant challenge to the country’s peace and stability due to
repeated identity-based conflicts, there are a few areas—such as South Omo
Zone—where diverse peoples co-exist peacefully.
Over the years, while many parts of
Ethiopia have witnessed identity-based political conflict, South Omo has been
largely immune to them, although it does experine resource-driven violence. The
Aari people, being the ethnic majority in the zone, play a significant role in
maintaining this tranquillity.
Those who come from the zone live by
the motto, “wherever you are born, be raised in South Omo.” This self-praising
phrase reflects a cultural exceptionalism in the zone that allows anyone to
quickly mingle and live in harmony with others.
The incident that took place on 10
April is therefore at odds with the longstanding culture and tradition of the
Aari people and those of South Omo. Recognizing this, many influential
figures—such as the head of the zonal administration, Nigatu Dansa—appealed to
various stakeholders, including the federal and regional governments, local
communities, and diaspora, to do their part in providing support to the victims
and restoring calm.
Inclusive
reconciliation
Reconciliation and peace processes
should be all-inclusive. Equally important, the current tactics of radical
divisive groups who use social media to exclude and silence the Aari must
cease.
Lasting harmony cannot be delivered
only by bringing perpetrators to justice and upholding the rule of law.
Post-conflict law-enforcement activities by the government and any actions
taken by individuals or communities should focus on ensuring continued
co-existence.
Besides prosecutions, it is important
to address the root causes and focus on ways to live together and prosper. If
reconciliation and dialogue efforts are not genuine, transparent, fair, and
inclusive, the socio-political tensions in society will only be suppressed
temporarily.
Currently, the situation in South Omo
is set to create more injustice and strife rather than pave the way for
reconciliation. The horrific human rights abuses by security forces, the
arbitrary arrest of Aaris, defamation campaigns against prominent community
members depicting the Aari as extremist and racist, and the intimidation of
people who have peacefully exercised their constitutional rights serve no
purpose.
Appeal to authority
Violence begets violence and breeds
hatred. The solution to the challenges in South Omo is all-inclusive dialogue
and reconciliation. To achieve sustainable peace and stability, the following
six essential measures should be adopted. The federal government, including the
Office of the Prime Minister, should play an active role in coordinating these
measures.
· First, the military command
post must be terminated, as it has achieved its purpose and is no longer
needed. The command post played a vital role in suppressing violence and
protecting the community. Having completed its mission, it has been engaging in
human rights abuses that have a detrimental effect on peace and social
cohesion.
· Second, all stakeholders
should refrain from stirring hate and division. Those who have good intentions
for the people of South Omo should build bridges between various communities
rather than destroying them. The deliberate online tarnishing of the reputation
of individuals who have made a significant contribution to community
development should be condemned and rejected by society because, as it
currently stands, individuals who could play a constructive role in
reconciliation are being excluded.
· Third, ethnic-based hate
speech and provocation must be rejected by society and the government should
organize an awareness campaign to this end. The government should get involved
to ensure that toxic actors are revealed and their campaign of disinformation
and defamation is exposed.
· Fourth, the tendency to
exclude the Aari community from the peace process by systematically arresting
their educated and influential leaders should end immediately.
· Fifth, the government
should create a platform for urgent all-inclusive, transparent, and genuine
dialogue.
· Sixth, all perpetrators of
the crimes still at large should be brought to justice in a collaborative
effort by the community and all of the stakeholders.
Worryingly,
the challenges in South Omo are relatively insignificant compared to those in
many other parts of Ethiopia. Perpetual violence is unlikely as the community
has stood together, both now and in the past, to reject inter-communal
conflict. But if the federal and regional governments do not make the right
decisions swiftly, taking into consideration the realities in the zone, South
Omo may prove to be yet another hotspot for unrest and instability in Ethiopia.
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