The aim of this article is to draw international communities attention to several incidents of human rights violations committed by Tigray minority led government against the people of Beni shangoull-Gumuz. Over hundreds people have been detained and remain detained without charges in Asossa, Menge, Chagne, military prisons. We urge international NGO’s to investigate and put pressure on Tigray led government to stop executing civilians for no reason.

The region of Beni Shangoull-Gumuz has resisted previous dictator Mangisto through all possible methods to establish democracy. The revolution against Mangisto dictatorship has contributed in establishing a democratic government in Ethiopia. Since The formation of regional government in Beni shangoull in 1991, still people lack security, blaming the government for being short of peace, security, justice, development, social services and stability. The political situation has never been predictable and effective in the region. The conspiracy and self-interest of the TPLF (Tigray people liberation Front) has played a significant role in creating turmoil and atrocities in Bella shangoull State. This region did not experience any kind of stability and prosperity due to TPLF elite interference in the regional affair. The TPLF intentionally caused divisions among ethnic groups in Bella-shangoull in order to exploit the resources of the region for the development of Tigray. The government’s political predicament in this region affected the development program. The Bela Shangoull region is a simple example of the TPLF policy failure in Ethiopia.

Recently TPLF defence forces waged war in the region, committing various types of crimes against innocent civilians and politicians. The Tigray elite forces has deprived of Beni shangoul-Gumuz people from their own regional affairs. They have violated the most basic human rights, treating the people in this region as if they are less than human, undeserving respect and dignity. We   urge international community to limit the unrestricted power of the TPLF elite government in order to ease the life of this region’s people. The government has committed crimes against humanity in beni shangoul-Gumuz region, many people have been killed, tortured, houses burned, properties confiscated, innocent civilian imprisoned, many are beaten day after day.

The people of the region rejected the minority Tigray led government, demanding the government for peace and stability in the region.  The people of Beni shangoul-Gumuz have addressed their demands for the government. As the result the government has increased the presence of Tigray militia causing difficulties of movement between villages. The people have explained that they have supported the overthrows of the brutal Derg dictatorship to have more development projects in the region, unfortunately the government promises was not fulfilled. The government has infringed rights and dignity of Bela Shangoul people. The Tigray led government exercises tortures, beating, killing, and imprisonment that were never been experienced in the region before.

The escalation of violence in the region made the government to take unprecedented step. On Thursday 01.05.2008 The government sent senior TPLF leadership in the person of  Mr Abai Tsai, Mr Grma Sayoun, and Mr Siraj to the region. Mr Aabi held meetings with the people in the region. In this meeting he threatened the people that he is going to inflict atrocities on the people of the region like that they did in Gambella. On Saturday 3rd.05.2008 Mr Aabi took action against the civilians of Beni shangoull who were working in his governement to frighten the people not to pose any question to the minority Tigrayd ethinc led government. This action could be said to be as if the Tigray led government is waging war against itself, because those people against whom they took action were all their loyal servants, but they took that step to terrorise the people of Beni shangoul. The name of those whom Tigray government has taken as escape goats are: the vice president of the region Mr Sabil Albakhit, and the regional representative to the federal parliament Mr Zaruqe Hamdan Abdullah, and so many thrown out of their jobs.

On Sunday 04.05.2008 Mr Abai took decision to arrest the Vice Prisident Mr Sabil Albakhit and the Parliament representive Mr Zaruqe. In addition Mr Abai ordered his secret police forces to arrest Khomosha district administrator, and Asossa Zone Mayor. The TPLF forces terrorized people before they carry out the arrest, they spread rumours that the vice president has left the country, the people of the region have no knowledge of what happened to Mr Sabil and those dismissed administrators. Two day later the people found out that the government security took Mr Sabil and all the others to the secret Tigray controlled security camp, where they are now being beaten and tortured physically and psychologically.

On Sunday 4^th.05.2008 the government secret policemen arrested Mr Zaruqe in Mandi. Mr Zaruqe is a member of federal parliament who has been elected by the people of Beni shangoul-Gumuz, he was detained on his way to Asossa from Addis Ababa. The visit of Mr Abai to the region has escalated the confrontation. We consider his visits to the region as a dark day in the history of the region.  His visits to the region aimed to terrorize the people after the spread of civil resistance to the TPLF   ethnic minority led government for their interference in the regional affairs. The imprisonment has extended include people from villages. Recently the TPLF forces invaded the town of Oda where they burned their crops, shops, and houses and finally detained over seventy peaceful civilians. Similarly in the town of Salama they imprisoned 150 people among whom seventy-five got tortured, and beaten and their heads were full of blood when they were taken to Asossa main prison. In the same way the people of Menge, Abiro Towns were faced the same torture and imprisonment.

The Beni shangoul-Gumuz people urge human rights advocates to intervene to preserve the life of the arrested people. We encourage international community to exercise pressure on this brutal government, the detained people have been severely beaten, information from witnesses indicates that they saw Ms Sabil, Mr zaruqe and Mr Al Sadiqe bleeding from torture. The witness confirmed that they have been bleeding when they last have been seen. On Sunday 10^{t h}  of May 2008 they have been taken from Asossa Police Station to Military camp called Amba Amest (Military base), they can’t be seen,  no one is allowed to visit them.  A witness from secret police told our resource that The detainees are denied access to water, deprived of food for long period, and they are kept standing for upright for hours, and deprived of sleep. The information we have confirms that Mr Sabil and Zaruqe were suffering from sicknesses and there health is worsen in the prison.

In addition to torture, many people have been detained for no reason, kept in isolation without charges, terrorising civilians, a lot of people have disappeared in the region. Recent arrest confirmed that TPLF detain people secretly and spreads rumours of them leaving the country when they are killed and buried. Detaining Mr Sabil, Zaruqe and others in secret custodies without been seen whereabouts are they is an example of systematic torture government apply in the region. This acts have terrorised the people in the region, they are running interrogation to find out who opposes their policy.

The arrested people never were threat to the TPLF but instead they were their servants. They never had political view than TPLF government policy. However, their imprisonment is to hold them escape goats and terrorise the people of the region.The imprisoned people were denied the right to live as human. Due to the circumstances they go through now, we express our concern about their life. The government has experience of subjecting detainee’s life to death, many disappeared, and therefore we urge all governments in the world, NGOs, and advocates of human rights to intervene to stop execution of innocents’ civilians.

Here is the list of imprisoned people and the Town and Villages they came from to help the human rights organizations to investigate the case of those in prison. We need the TPLF minority led government to abide by its own Constitution which requires all detained or imprisoned person to be brought before a court within 48 hours.       

Finally, according to our credible source we have received information that Mr AL-NAZIR IBRAHIM a social worker who was working for the TPLF has disappeared, no information to confirm whether he is dead or alive. On a phone conversation with our sources on Friday 16.05.08 we have been told that the TPLF police forces are searching for Mr AL NAZIR in Addis Ababa, but we think it is the TPLF propaganda of spreading rumours when they have already detained him. Therefore, we call on international organisations to intervene as quickly as they can to keep Mr AL-NAZIR alive.    

The following are the Names of Civilians from Oda village detained by TPLF Secret police in April 2008 without charges and still in detention.

1-     Musa Haroon

2-     Abdulrahim 

3-     Osman hamid

4-     Mahmud Abu Alhassan

5-     Omer Furai

6-     Omer Akhlan

7-     Khalid Abdulah

8-     Abdulah Mohammed

9-     Muhdeen Abdulrahman

10- Abdulah Hussen

11- Khalifa Yacob

12- Ghassiyah Hamdan

13- Mokhtar Yusuf

14- Sha’aban Ali

15- Abdul-gadir Hamad

16- Hussen Ramadan

17- Khalid MoKhir

18-  Khalifa Albashir

19- Abdulrahman Alnoor

20- Altom Alnoor

21- Khalifa Abdulah

22- Saif-alnoor Alshafi

23- Abass Ahmed

24- Mubarak Babikir

25- Hussen Haroon

26- Adam Saleh

27- Adam Mohammed

28- Jafar Hussen

29- Abdulrahim Suwa’ar

30- Ashazali Mohammed

31- Arbab Musa

32- Musa Jooma

33- Arbab Khalid

34- Ahmed Khalifa

35- Mohammed Ali

36- Shawish Jooma

37- Abass Al-Tahir

38- Isac Abdulrahim

39- Soliman Risq Allah

40- Zaruqe Abdulah

41- Alsamani Shawesh

42- Khalifa Abdullah

43- Nassri Aldoctor

44- Arbab Amojadam

45- Mohammed Alnoor

On Friday 02.05.2008 TPLF forces carried out arrests in Asossa,

1. Madawe Abdulrahim works for Khomosha Council

2. Abdulrahman Osman works for Khomosha council 

3. Mohammed Abdulrahman work for Alkurmuk Council

4. Abdul Bassit Hamad works for Alkurmuk Council

On Wednesday 07.05.2008 the following Administrators have been arrested and beaten severely to death by TPLF forces, Most of all Mr Mustafa Musa was arrested and detained for 6 years without charge, it is only one  year since he became free, imagine 6 years in prison, 12 month out, and again detained to be an experiment for torture. The listed names are people who were arrested from Asossa:

1. Mustafa Musa work as Administrator of Oda Council

2. Awad Al-Shaib works as Mayor of Asossa City

3. Altaib Ahmed

On Saturday 10.05.8 In Asossa the capital city of Beni-shangoull-Gumuz region many inhumane acts have been carried out by TPLF. Since the arrest of regional vice president the TPLF dismissed and detained many people, the following people have been dismissed, imprisoned, beaten, tortured, humiliated,

1. Mohammed Yaseen work as Administrator in Khomosha Council

2. Ibrahim Alzoobair

3. Mohammed Adam

From Banbashi

The following names are for people who served the TPLF; both of these people are working as social workers. They were promoting government policy in the region, they are arrested without charge and still detained and tortured.

1. Al Mamoon Abdulkareem

2. Alkhalif

We human rights advocate is deeply concerned that the people of Beni Shangoull-Gumuz are detained and brutally attacked by the Tigray minority led government forces. We urges international communities to hold Tigray led government in the person of  Mr Abai Tsahai accountable for the crimes they committed in the region.

Khalid Nasser
Beni Shangoull Human Rights Advocate
Email: coco_khalid72@hotmail.com