August 21, 1999
ETHNIC STRIFE SPREADS AS GOVERNMENT ABDICATES ITS DUTY
Ethnic strife, which many attribute to the "ethnic politics " of the ruling EPRDF, is causing serious loss of lives and violations of human rights in many areas of Southern Ethiopia. The government is not only accused of folding its arms and looking on but is said to be fanning the conflict through its local cadres. SOCEPP calls on the EPRDF government to act in the proper and responsible manner by doing all that is necessary to stop the ethnic strife in these areas. SOCEPP has in the past, expressed its conviction that the ethnic politics of the EPRDF government is in itself a violation of the rights of the majority of the people of Ethiopia.
The ethnic conflict between the Guji Oromos and the Gedeo (3000 lives were lost and more thana 100,000 people displaced) was ignored by the government. Now also, similar conflicts are claiming lives while the government does nothing to stop the carnage. The ongoing conflict between the Boranas and Somalis in Sidamo region has already cost some 2000 lives and led to the displacement of many more. The EPRDF is concerned with making the region inaccessible to the alleged infiltrators of an opposition front and is thus seemingly unconcerned with the instability that is prevailing. A similar conflict with serious consequences has also been reported between the GOLDIYA and the KONTA ethnic groups. Again, the government is silent and inactive while it is apparent that the conflicts have been provoked and fanned by its own ill advised ethnic politics and inept local cadres.
SOCEPP calls on the government of the EPRDF to take concrete action to stop the ethnic conflicts in the mentioned areas and to end its policies which discriminate against most ethnic groups and fan inter ethnic conflicts. The government is also duty bound to aid the thousands of displaced as a result of these conflicts.
SOCEPP
