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Anyuak politicians worldwide started this petition to the United Nations Security Council, European Union, African Union, and IGAD.
To: United Nations Security Council
405 East 42nd Street, New York, NY
10017, USA
CC: United State of America
The White House 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
CC: European Union
Wetstraat 175B
Brussels Belgium
CC: African Union
P.o. Box 3243, Roosevelt Street
W21K19 Addis Ababa
Ethiopia
CC: IGAD Secretariat Avenue Georges
Clemenceau P.O. Box 2653 Djibouti Republic
Of Djibouti
January 12, 2020
Call to Recognize Anyuak Country (Gambela, Pochalla, and Akobo) as a Nation.
This call to action is supported by indigenous and signed by 246 Anyuak Political and Community leaders across the world because of numerous threats of genocide, economic, political, and social marginalization against seven 6 ethnic groups of Paa-Anyuaa (Anyuak Country)
“Gambella has a history that dates to over 2,000 years. A good starting point in analyzing the country’s status is the period referred to as Gambela’s “Freedom age” when the entire Pa-Anywaa (Anyuak country) was first united under one ruler.
There is no serious dispute over the existence of Gambella as an independent state during this period. Even Ethiopia’s own historical records acknowledged the 17th century period refer to Gambella as a strong state.
As there is no documented history before the 17th Century because education was far from the reach of most Gambellans, according to rich Gambellan oral tradition, Anyuak country lies between Ethiopian escarpment South West to Pibor river and to the West up to Nyium the present-day Nasir in Sudan.
It is a land dissected by four main rivers the Akobo, Gilo, and Alworo and Openo (Baro). This country has seven Administration States, Adongo, Ciro, Nyikaani, Lul, Tier Naam, and Openo under one Nyeya (king) rule.
Each state has its own autonomous administration. They have the right to choose from the two Anyuak political Systems Nyech (king) or Kwar (headman-ship). Nyech is a system that is inherited from family to family and Kwar is a public administration decided by people.
The integrity of Anywaa land came to end when it came under nominal British control from the 19th to 20th century followed by Ethiopia invasion”.
In the year 1910, Anyuak country under the rule of King Akway Cham emerge toward modernization, but modernization was interrupted by the British invasion in 1912, followed by arms embargo. However, it continues to exist as a nation until the death of King Akway Cham in 1920. “In the same year in 1920, the British indirectly annex Anyuak country to Sudan and set up trade posts in Gambela until 1947. In November 1930, Sir John Maffey and Harold Mac Michael represented Sudan at the coronation ceremonies of Haile Selassie in the renewal of negotiation to convince central government at Addis Ababa to expand their empire over Gambela”.
When Italian occupied Ethiopia, they also took control of Gambela. “In 1937, the British ambassador in Rome called for the reunification of Anyuak land to be returned to Olemi Akwon who was the king of the South. It was not until On 24 April 1956, a Sudanese delegation consisting of Sayyid M. O. Yassein and the permanent undersecretary from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met in Addis Ababa with the Ethiopian vice-minister for Foreign Affairs, Blatta Dawit Ogbagzy and, from the Ethiopian Finance Ministry, Ato Menassie Lemma, and agreed to hand over Gambella to the Imperial Ethiopian government on 15 October 1956”.
Anyuak were punished by British for resisting the invasion in 1912, they also wrote propaganda statement according to Khartoum signpost that said, “There is a tribe called Anyuak living in Southeastern Sudan and western Ethiopian frontier, they are born train. Therefore, do not give them power and education, if you do, they will be more powerful than you” This statement still killing us today.
Sudanese regimes used tribal base militia to eliminate Anyuak by killing mothers, fathers and abducted their children. Ethiopian launch economic, cultural, psychological warfare, genocide, landgrab, assimilation, and poisoning people in the hotel.
Consequently, the Anyuak political system became weak and they were unable to defend themselves, they are also unable to trade with their neighbors. Anyuak country’s relationship with Ethiopian was broken down by a British diplomatic protest in Addis Ababa in 1912. Anyuak was used as a living hammer in most dangerous wars during the second world war between the British empire and Italian, three Sudanese civil wars, the Ethiopian war with Somali and war with Eritrea but no development and respect for their wives and children at home. Anyuak were forced to defend others, but the same governments cannot defend Anyuak civilians at home.
United Nation Security Council and international communities enough is enough! We cannot afford to remain silent any longer; it is time to restore our nation. It is time to recognize this land as a nation. It is time to organize our security institution to defend our civilians. It is time to give chance to democracy and the rule of law to rule this land.
Our goal is to ensure that significant security put in place to restore our sovereignty and protect the lives of women and children. The rule of law, democracy, and accountability.
We make this call-in full support of all efforts to alleviate the massive humanitarian crisis engulfing the society for eleven decades and with full recognition that increased protection of civilians’ life is urgently required.
Whereas the United Nations Security Council has confirmed that Gambela people are not part of any Ethiopian government system. A place where genocide, landgrab, and assimilation was been carried out against ethnic Anyuak and Mojang for a century.
Whereas Human Rights Watch is leading an international mobilization to condemn the intentional genocide and destruction of Anyuak livelihood, culture, and governing system as part of an overall tactic of war amounting to ethnic cleansing, to steal their land.
Whereas intentional genocide, landgrab, and assimilation is a severe violation of the Universal Human Rights Declaration (according to article 1).
Whereas the Anyuak future and their land now at risk between both Ethiopia and South Sudan which is the most significant case to be solved in the world.
Alarmed by the increasing deliberate and targeted threats and attacks against unarmed Anyuak civilians by South Sudanese white armies trained by TPLF of Ethiopia has threaten our existence as a society. Unless we get recognition from international communities as a nation, we shall never exist on earth.
Considering invoking article 20 on the African human rights charter is the only option we can take for the future of our children. “1. All people shall have the right to existence. They shall have the unquestionable and inalienable right to self-determination. They shall freely determine their political status and shall pursue their economic and social development according to the policy they have freely chosen.
Colonized or oppressed peoples shall have the right to free themselves from the bonds of domination by resorting to any means recognized by the international community.
All people shall have the right to the assistance of the States parties to the present Charter in their liberation struggle against foreign domination, be it political, economic or cultural.”
Condemning the British arms embargo in 1912, annexing Anyuak country to Sudan in 1920 without consent of it rulers, convincing Haile Selassie in November 1930 to extend his empire over Gambela, giving Olemi triangle to Kenya in 1931 and finally hand over Gambela to Ethiopian authority in 1956 leaving Pochalla and Akobo in Sudan without consent of its people. This is the fundamental continuation of human right violation against Anyuak, they were weakened by the British until other governments like Ethiopia took advantage of controlling half of our land. Anyuak did not recognize any self-imposed or invited the government of Sudan or Ethiopia from the beginning.
Call upon the United Nations Security Council to call an emergency session to begin discussing the status of Anyuak Land and take a vote between “ deserve to live or deserve to disappear on earth” we can only live if we are given the special mandate, to form our government, train our Security personnel to protect our borders and our children.
Call upon the International Criminal Court to investigate genocide crimes against those entities that engage in “ethnic cleansing” in Gambela.
Call upon the international community to provide funding and expertise to fully support a new nation whereas its economic development shall start from zero after decades of economic and political marginalization.
To end cross border conflicts between South Sudan and Gambela (Anyuak Country), We Call upon the international community to recognize the reunification of our land. The Anyuak land border with South Sudan shall be based on 1956, any occupied areas must be evacuated.
Call upon the United Nations Security Council and international communities, to provide protection and security training and job training within the first two to three years of independence. Providing a monitoring committee to make sure there is a peaceful military exit from the region.
Call upon any willing nation or arm industry to supplies us defense equipment as soon as possible. Our security is the first agenda above all.
Call upon the British government to do whatever is in your power to make sure that Anyuak land has re-united to it independent without threat from both countries. For without British invasion, arms embargo in 1912 and divided land from 1930 to 1931 into three countries, we could have been a more powerful, more prosperous country than any African countries which gained independence in the 1960s. we don’t want your apology but we need your help to re-united this land, enough is enough.
Call upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to relocate all refugees in Gambela to other parts of Ethiopia, because Ethiopia used them to clear Anyuak from the land. It is only in Gambela, where refugees can carry guns, but government troops cannot disarm them, while citizens cannot even carry a knife. It is only in Gambela, where refugees can come out from the camp and attack the host community without punishment. These acts must end before any reaction from the host community. If not, UNHCR shall be responsible for ongoing killing and future conflicts.
References
Anyuak History by Robert O Collins
Sign by 28,580,378 petitioners around the world.
By: Morcen Ojwok Omot
Petitioner
Can be reached at
Phone: +4552636451
Email: morcenojwok@gmail.com