9 th March 2017, Gambella
Gambella Nilotes United Movement (GNUM) strongly condemns the current atrocities in the
Gambella region that are carried out by the armed South Sudanese refugees and cattle raiders
of Nuer and Murle tribes. It is evidenced that on February 1 st 2017, a group of armed Murle
militias crossed the border from South Sudan and attacked Othuol village in Jor district,
killing 8 people, injured 2 and abducted 16 children. Several similar attacks and kidnappings
of children were also carried out in different parts of Gog and Jor districts on different
occasions in this same month, and it is becoming routine inflictions against the unarmed
civilian Anuaks in Gambella. The recent previous massacres of Ajeri-nga and Gilo- Abol
villagers leaving more than 26 civilians dead by both Nuers and Murles gunmen have caused
pains and anxieties in the area. The few survivors of these incidents are left destitute without
any assistance and sought refuge in villages of vicinity.
Surprisingly, the recent similar attacks on Anuak-refugees (South Sudanese Anuaks) in
Pinyudo refugees camp on Monday February 27 th 2017 leaving 3 people dead and abducted
children from Abwobo and Gog districts, have raised great concerns on how the Ethiopian
TPLF dominated government has condoned these instigative killings of the indigenous
Anuaks discriminately, and use it as weapon to wipe the tribe away from their lands. It
should be clearly classified as Ethnic-cleansing technique that the TPLF government is
cunningly sponsoring the Nilotes’ self-inflicting- killings against their own brothers and
sisters, in acquisition to their land for Tigarians New Settlement and Occupation (TNSO) in
the Gambella region.
GNUM also is well informed that in Mazi zone in Surma district last weeks, several
unconfirmed number of Suri people were killed, many cattle were raided and many children
were kidnapped. So far no action was taken by the government to save the people and their
resources.
The current infiltration of South Sudanese militias and the escalating attacks in the Gambella
region are chiefly the precedent of the joint agreements signed behind doors between the
TPLF/EPRDF government and Thwath Pal (Nuer by ethnic) – who was one of the Ethiopian
opposition’s leaders but repatriated to Ethiopia in late 2016 to promote Nuer (ethnic) agenda
in betrayal to Ethiopian oppositions struggle. Thwat spent months in luxurious Hilton Hotel
in Addis Ababa until December 2016 and left Ethiopia again to fulfil his pledge to bring back
his militants. Thwath Pal (Nuer) was the First Secretary of Ethiopian Workers Party (EWP)
and Chief Administrator in Gambella during the communist regime that was over-thrown in
May 1991.
The overall insecurity, and vulnerability of the indigenous populations in Southwest regions:
the escalation of discriminatory and arbitrary arrest of the Nilotes and the recurring killings
and evacuations of villages including 13 villages already deserted along the Baro (Openo)
river in Itang and Jikaw districts; and the ongoing recurrent killings and abductions of
children in Akobo, Jor, Gog, and Dimma districts justify the TPLF dominant government’s
position as predatory, notorious racist, fascist, and colonizer government that seized power
by mistake against the indigenous Ethiopians, calling fast and vigorous response for regime
change.
GNUM calls upon all the Nilotic members elsewhere to condemn the current instigative self-
inflicting-killings and border raids against their own brothers and sisters in the southwestern
regions of Ethiopia. As it is being used as means and manipulative instrument for land
acquisition and extinction of the Nilotes by the TPLF government to speed-up their racist
Tigarians settlement and occupation in the Southwestern regions of Ethiopia, GNUM is
alarmed with the dangerous destiny placed upon the minority Nilotic tribes in the region
which will escalate to whoever think this time, is safe now.
We also call upon the UN Security Council, UNHCR, Humanitarian Organizations and other
concerned multilateral International organizations to monitor the insecurity of the Ethiopian
refugees particularly the Gambella refugees in Gorom South Sudan and consider options of
relocation of these refugees for safety; and in accord with the international law of which the
South Sudanese has signed under the UN convention and protocols, we call for
accountability for the refugees who were/are expedited to Ethiopia by the South Sudanese
security agents on personal deals and demand the release of these prisoners from Ethiopia.
Finally, we call upon the TPLF/EPRDF government to stop killing of the indigenous Nilotes;
to release our prisoners kept in various prisons in the country under inhumanly conditions; to
restore our communal land rights and ownership in accord with the UN provisions; to respect
our territorial integrity to stop government extinction measures; to ensure our independent
development and foreign policies to secure our freedom and prosperity in our territories.
In conclusion the Gambella Nilotes United Movement/Army (GNUM/A) will continue its
struggle for all people of Gambella and all the South western Nilotes to ensure freedom,
justice, security and prosperity are brought to our people in their land.
Gambella Nilotes United Movement/Army (GNUM/A)
Central Committee
Our contact: gambellagnuma@yahoo.com or gambellagnuma@gmail.com
