Dear Madam/Sir,
the Oromo Human Rights and Relief Organisation known as “Oromo Menschenrechts und Hilfsorganisation “OMRHO e.V. in German language is a non-political and non religious charity Organisation established and registered in the city of Hannover Germany in 2006. The Objective of OMRHO is to advocate for the right of humanity with special focus on the ethnic Oromo people in Ethiopia. We have written many documents, appeal letters, urgent actions and regular human rights violations reports that was done against the Oromo people in Ethiopia and against the Oromo Refugees in the Horn of Africa Region.
In its Appeal letter the UNHCR dated 4.01.2011 the OMRHO e.V. requested to save the Oromo refugees that included Joundy Beker head of family of 8 persons, Mohammed Aliyyi, Abdi Ibrahim, Umar Ibrahim, Anwar and Tajir. However, the Djibouti security forces in collaboration with the Ethiopian security forces kidnapped these refugees and deported to Ethiopia. OMRHO e.V. condemns, the deportation of legal refugees like Joundi Beker because it is the violation of human right as well as breaking the international refugee law.
According to 1951 Refugee convention someone who is “owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group of political opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and is unable to, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country.”
OMRHO e.V. recalls that countries like Yemen, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya kept on violating the international refugee laws in the last decades.
According to the reliable information reached OMRHO e.V. last week: one of the sons of Joundy was shocked with the information about his father being deported to Ethiopia died in Djibouti Hospital. His wife Mrs. Hilili Ousso Abrahim together with his five children were resettled in Sweden by the help of UNIHCR. For long times the whereabouts of these deported Oromo refugees was not known to their families. Even though Joundy’s wife and children are now in a safe place, they are suffering of the trauma about their father. According to the information reached OMRHO e.V. Joundy together with other deported Oromo refugees is suffering in the Ethiopian Prison located at a place called Gaal Shire, close to Dire Dawa town of Eastern Harage Zone of Oromia.
OMRHO e.V. remembers the reports of Human Rights League Horn of Africa (HRLHA) based in Canada, Oromia Support Group Oromo OSG based in UK and others who reported that Oromo refugee Tesfahun Cameda was kidnapped from Kenya, deported to Ethiopia and was killed in Kallitti prison south of Addis Abeba last year. Therefore, OMRHO e.V. is very much concerned about the safety of Joundi Beker and other Oromo refugees deported from Djibouti in December 2010. Thus we would like to apply to the UNHCR, the International Red Cross (IRC) and other concerned organizations to do all their bests so that Joundy Beker and other Oromo refugees whom UNHCR gave refugee status be released and join their families.
Respectfully
Board of Directors
Oromo Human Rights and Relief Organization (OMRHO e.V)
Dated 31. August 2014
Photo of Joundy second from the left: