Application of Oromo Community in Sudan Against Forced Deportation

Date:- 21/11/2006
To:- UNHCR, Khartoum, Sudan.
From:- Oromo Community in the Sudan.
Ref:- An application against forced deportation.

Dear Sirs,

We are writing this letter to you to take to heart our case to promote respect for Oromo refugees’ tragic wandering problem. It is crystal clear that as the Oromo people lost their freedom and human dignity before a century and most Oromos have been existing under a fatality situation merely due to their political opinion and ethnic origin since long years ago. The successive Ethiopian regimes have been inherited with extra-judicial killings, disappearing of civilians suspecting groups of oppositions and torturing innocent people in prisons as well as in the bare fields. The Oromos are specifically targeted by those successive Ethiopian regimes due to their abundant economic resources. Especially the current dictatorial ethnic based government of Ethiopia have deployed its selected employed forces called “ Agazi “ to Oromo land ( Oromia ) for wanton killings, harassment and arbitrary detentions of Oromo
nationals.

Currently there is no limitation of human suffering causing by EPRDF/TPLF - the ruling party of Ethiopia-. Due to this facts there were or have been comprehensive reports of human rights violations and repression against humanity on Ethiopian in general on Oromo people in particular. Amnesty International, human rights watch, Oromia Support Group, Committee to protect Journalists, etc. reported on high level human right abuses, i.e. arrests of political prisoners, detention with out trial, torture, disappearance, extra-judicial killings, etc. At this period there are more than 35,000 Oromos imprisoned without trial in known and secret detention centers as well as military camps like Didessa, Bilate, Hamaressa, Zuway, and so on.

The Meles Zenwi regime also took brutal actions for several times on Oromo student protesters who have been asking for their rights, democracy and human dignity Many Oromo soundest were died in detention centers, same of them died by Meles’s Agazi in the streets .Several students expelled from their schools. Because of these wave of state organized terror and ethnic cleansing many Oromos are fleeing to neighboring countries like Sudan, Kenya, Djibouti , Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea and far abroad.

It is known that Orormos have been fleeing to the Sudan for decades. Still about 10 - 20 Oromos are daily coming Sudan. Several Oromos in the Sudan are political refugees who are left their beloved country and families due to the above mentioned human right violation and persecution in view of their political opinion and ethnic origin. It is known that many of us accused of members and sympathizers of the Oromo Liberation Front ( O L F) by Ethiopian government. Any how , same of Oromo refugees haven’t got a refugee status from concerned body with luck of taking into consideration their problem. With this careless bureaucratic attention currently some Oromos were faced the worst action. The current decree of the Sudanese government concerning the foreigners , arresting of Oromos and deporting them to the country where they had been victimized by EPRDF/TPLF is against the universal declaration of human rights. We are worried for hundreds Oromo who were arrested from Khartoum on November 15, 2006 and deported to Ethiopia on Nov, 17, 2006. Some of
them are in different detention centers and concentration camps.

For your information on Oct 19, 2006 in his recent speech in parliament Meles Zenawi said “ The number of people imprisoned in Oromia is increasing because they are the supporters and members of the Oromo Liberation Front. To be a member of Oromo Liberation Front is strictly forbidden and it is punishable criminal act” It is known that he declared war on OLF and Oromo people since 1991.

However , keeping this in mind the deportation of Oromo refugees to Ethiopia is creating severe problems for both of us , because the deportees are not going to lose their lives in the hands of brutal regime (in the hands of Meles’s government) . If you are an able to resolve the case the deportee’s choice is to suicide oneself or face to die here in Sudan. Because we know that the deportees might be face death if they will return to Ethiopia. Thus we Oromo refugees in the Sudan deeply concerned with the tragic wandering and crisis which they are facing in these hard time .

Therefore , you have a great responsibility for the protection of victims and for all risks that may happened on refugees. We respectfully request you for your through investigation in to this matter in order to save Oromo refugees’ lives. Also we are sincerely appeal to you to protect the right of Oromos as legal refugees in the Sudan.

We are looking forward hearing from you as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Oromo Community in the Sudan
Khartoum, Sudan.
21. November 2006

C.C.

- Amnesty International
- Human Right watch
- Oromo Relief Association, UK,
- Oromo Communities in Diaspora ( USA, Canada, Australia, Garman, Norway, ... )