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The Afar people live and co-exist with other oppressed nations and
nationalities in Ethiopia. The Afar people are disadvantaged through numerous
deliberate misguided political and economical policies imposed by successive
Ethiopian government, which kept our people in status of backwardness in all
aspects of societal development. In the beginning of twenty century, successive
rulers of Ethiopia kept the Afar people form advancing economically and
politically.
In the early 1970s, during Emperor Haile Selassie's reign, the government of
Ethiopia designed a program to confiscate the land form the Afar people along
the Awash River under the pretext of development in which one hundred million US
dollar was allocated to establish state farming for cash crops. In this program
the Afars who live in the area were to be displaced to the most hostile areas
and were kept out of the reach of the river, which has been the lifeline of the
people. The program was also contrary to the traditional Afar people's land
ownership principle. The land in Afar is a communal property and not the
property of the state. Even the traditional leader, the Sultan does not
interfere and decided on the land issue. It is simply the common property of the
tribes who occupy the area.
Under the Awash Valley Authority, a notoriously exclusive development was
launched to displace the Afar people from the territories and the land they
lived on for centuries. This situation ignited a total unrest. The Afar people
appealed the case to the Ethiopian government but could not get any positive
response to halt the massive displacement. At this point, the sultan tried and
attempted to use his influence to mediate. His appeals fall on deaf ears. The
"confiscation of land" from the Afar people could not be stopped. The
Afar people dissatisfaction began to increase with the Ethiopian government. The
activities of Awash Valley Authority were later stopped under immense pressure
of the local people of the upper Awash and the Sultan Ali Mirha Hanfare.
The resistance of the Afar people against the Ethiopian government's attempt
to confiscate the communal land of the people, was the beginning of the of the
political distrust, which resulted in the creation of the Afar Liberation Front
(ALF). This is not to say, however, that Afar people opposed economic
development of their territory. On the contrary, in the early 1960s a joint
venture among the Ethiopian government, a British company namely Michele Cotes,
and the Afar people in the lower Awash valley, launched a successful cotton
plantation. Unlike the Ethiopian government's sponsored state farms, the joint
venture assisted the local Afars in farming their own commercial farms in which
visible middle classes Afars were emerging. Economically flourishing cities
began to rise. Afars and other Ethiopians began to engage profitably in various
commercial activities.
In 1974 however, a military junta overthrew the Emperor Haile Selasse and a
socialist system was imposed on the Ethiopian People. Under the socialist system
businesses were nationalized and land reform was declared and land ownership was
transformed to the state. Thus, creating policies of "land
confiscation" which the Afar people and the sultan were vehemently opposed.
The result was invasion of the Afar land by the military junta in June 3, 1975.
The Military government demanded the unconditional surrender of the Sultan. The
Afar people then gallantly resisted and rejected the policy of "land
confiscation" and started to defend themselves and their land. Thus, on
June 3, 1975, ALF declared an armed struggle to defend the Afar people and their
land..
The armed struggle of the Afar people, together with all the oppressed
nationalities, thus continued against military junta for seventeen years until
the defeat of the communist government of Ethiopia in 1991. During the struggle
period the ALF was working on common platform to fight the common enemy with the
Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) despite our differences on major issues
such as TPLF preposterous claim the Afar's land in Tigray province as their own
and not as an integral part of Afar region. But when the TPLF changed their
isolationist policy and decided to work with other oppressed nationalities of
Ethiopia , we agreed to establish a Federal state with all Afar people in one
region, and along other national states with own free broader and say in their
internal affair to work closely under a lose Federal system. Thus, ALF continued
to ally with TPLF and other liberation fronts to realize the long sought
political settlement in which nations and nationalities of Ethiopia to be
guaranteed under a constitution for the right for self-determination under a
democratic Federal system. Even though this agreement with TPLF was reached in
1989, our close relationship however, dates back form 1976 when ALF was then
effectively conducting the armed struggle and continued until the down fall of
the military regime of Ethiopia in 1991.
When the London Conference was called in May 1991, the ALF participated as an
ally with Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) to achieve a
just political settlement and to create a democratic political institution which
we all thought would pave the way for a democratic elections, establish an
independent judiciary system and non-interference of the central government in
the affairs of political organizations and elected local governments.
After the fall of the communist government of Ethiopia, in July 1991, the ALF
participated in the Addis Ababa conference with all political organizations to
draft a charter that guarantees equality, justice and constitutionally
guaranteed rights for freedom of speech with an independent free press, respect
for human rights, independent judiciary system, fair and free election, accept
self-determination of nation and nationalities and establish a Federal system
with non-interference of the central government in the affairs of the Federal
states.
During the transition period, ALF was intensively engaged to establish
democratic institutions, health and educational facilities and other economic
and social institutions that could benefit the Afar people and thereby create a
conducive environment to conduct the forthcoming regional election.
However, the minority TPLF government from the beginning interfered in the
internal affairs of the Afar region to undermine the ALF, Afar people and their
traditional leaders. TPLF imposed its undemocratic influence through
intimidation, arbitrary arrest and outright killings. This inhuman activity of
TPLF is known to the Afar people. The TPLF thus waged an undeclared war against
the Afars in a feeble excuse of collecting taxes and recruit young Afar to
liberate Tigray from the Ethiopian government. The ALF and the Afar people in
all these areas fought against such deceitful activities of TPLF. The TPLF
leaders mistakenly still believe that an economically strong Tigray can not be
established without incorporating the fertile land and areas full of natural
resources within Tigray region. To realize their hidden agenda, TPLF leaders
have two objectives, namely to govern the Afar people by establishing a puppet
political organization and to destroy ALF and the Afar people's traditional
institutions.
Since the end of May 1991 until August 1992, the TPLF political crimes
against the Afar people are too. The following points can illustrate TPLF's
crimes against the Afar people and its political organization:
- The traditional leader of the Afar people, Sultan Ali Mirah
Hanfare and ALF called a conference for all the Afar people to explain
about the new political environment and critical situation. The meeting
was held in Ayssaita the capital city of Afar region. Foreign Embassy
officials as well as international and national press attended the
meeting. Despite success of the meeting, TPLF tried to sabotage the
conference through intimidation, arresting locally elected elders and
traditional tribe leaders from several regions of the Afar land. In this
conference, the Afar people and the traditional tribe leaders reaffirmed
Sultan Ali Mirha Hanfare as their legitimate leader of the Afar people.
In additions, upon reviewing the political program of the ALF, the
participant of the conference in the presence of the foreign
designators, international and national press accepted the political
program and gave the assurance to support ALF by praising the
contribution and the struggle the organization had made for the Afar
people.
- The TPLF security forces and intelligence apparatus
interfered from day one in the internal affairs of the Afar people.
- Without unsubstantiated reasons, the TPLF soldiers started
killing Afars in cities and in the rural areas. Thus, creating an
environment of unrest among Afars and by causing a permanent clash
between the TPLF security forces and Afar people. The entire killings
were conducted to establish their influence in the region.
- Under the pretext of the Transitional Government
Representative, individuals dispatched to the Afar region solely
Tigrians interfered in every aspect of the Afar peoples right. Rendered
decision in all aspects of administrative process without consultation
with ALF and the traditional tribe leaders and the Sultan. This
situation had created unrest among the people. Indiscriminate killings,
arrest and intimidation became daily norm. At the time the activities of
the TPLF soldiers and Transitional Government Representative were
reported by ALF to obtain a just solution to the inhuman suffering of
our people. However, our appeals fall on deaf ears.
- In the boarder region with Tigray now known as zone two and
four, the ALF was bared from conducting political activities. The Afars
in the area were prohibited by force not to go to other zone were they
could get help from ALF. TPLF was attempting in these two zones not only
to enhance the activities of their puppet organization, Afar Peoples
Democratic Organization (APDO) but also to pave the way to incorporate
these two zones of Afar region in Tigray to complete their long standing
undeclared aspirations and process of confiscation of Afar land.
- Before the demarcation of internal boarders among regions,
TPLF attempted to separate the Awash City which is historically known to
be located in the Afar region to create conflict between the Afars and
the neighboring region. Despite TPLF's attempt to create a long lasting
conflict between the Afar people and ALF maintained its claim to the
Awash City as an integral part of the Afar land. (Awash City is located
225 kilometer east of Addis Ababa.)
- This is TPLF's hidden agenda agenda to create conflicts
among the neighboring nomadic nationality and Afars to further their
military presence without attempting to find the solution to many
problems. For example Sultan Ali Mirah Hanfare mediated the dispute that
occurred around Bati city which resulted in peaceful co-existence of the
Afars and Oromos.
- TPLF forces in August 1991, in Datbahri city and the
surrounding areas in the Afar region, zone one, conducted indiscriminate
killings which resulted in 350 peoples death and 450 injured nomadic
Afars.
- Soon after in Elwaha area, in zone one, the TPLF soldiers
attack before the sunrise, and killed 250 Afars and injured 300 without
any reasons.
- In Gawani city, on September 11, 1991, TPLF soldiers killed
600 people and injured about thousand people by closing the city and the
main road between Addis Ababa and Assab. The soldiers, in the four days
of mass killing, separated Afars youth and merchants from hotel rooms
and houses and executed one hander of them in front the city dwellers.
Among the executed were Afars from Eritrea and Djibouti who happened to
be in the area to visit their relatives. During these four days rampant
killings, ALF appealed to the central government to stop the
indiscriminate killings; but the government did not attempt to take any
actions. An ALF representative who was at the time in Paris made an
international appeal through Agance France to stop the killing and
informed the international community that ALF will pull out from the
transitional government if the killings could not stop. Only at this
time, the TPLF led government ordered the killing to stop and
established a committee to investigate the incident. As of today, the
responsible military leaders who ordered and conducted the killing were
not brought to justice.
- All the main roads in Ethiopia were patrolled and protected
by TPLF soldiers as agreed in the Transitional Charter. Accordingly, the
road from Assab to Addis Ababa was patrolled also by the TPLF forces. As
a repeated incident of robbery along the main road became frequent, the
TPLF officials blamed ALF for failing to protect the road. ALF however
conducted an extensive search to locate the perpetrators and found that
the TPLF soldiers themselves were conducting the robbery. The soldiers
who were caught handed to TPLF officials but neither an official
investigation nor an action was taken to bring the soldiers to justices.
- * Despite these horrendous crimes committed against our people, ALF
continued to work in the Transitional Government and repeatedly showed
its commitment to bring stability and peace in the region. In accordance
with the Transitional Charter, a regional election was conducted in
August 1992 in the Afar and Ogaden regions. The election in these two
regions was delayed by TPLF to influence the outcome of the election and
prepare their puppet organizations that actually did not have legitimacy
with the people
- * Among the election board officials there were hand picked top
central committee members of the TPLF. ALF and other political
organizations that were independent from the influence of TPLF knew the
partiality of the TPLF in the elections. However, in the hope that TPLF
would correct its misguided policy, ALF accepted the modality of the
election and started to Campaign and continued its commitment for peace
and stability. Here are some of the inconstancies and undemocratic
activities of TPLF:
- The Transitional Government participant, who included ALF,
agreed to hold the election based on the imperial districts (Woreda).
But, for example in the Afar region four districts which did not exist
in the imperial period were added in the area adjacent to Tigray region
to provide advantage to the TPLF's puppet APDO. These added districts
were became known to ALF and the people of Afar after the result of the
election was made public.
- In order to control the parliament and the Afar region, the TPLF
purposely delayed the election in Telalek, Dawey, Hartuma, Shewarobi,
Semu, in zone five. In zone three of Doulecha district, ALF own the
election, but the result was with held to give a sizeable majority for
APDO. However, due to miscalculation of the TPLF, ALF kept the majority
in the regional parliament and there after elected Habbib Ali Mirah
Hanfare as the regional president.
- When foreign election observers arrived to witness the
"fair election" in zone two and zone four, the observers upon
arrival were told by TPLF officials that the election was conducted two
weeks ago. According to their reasoning, the election in these zones was
conducted before the official election date. In fact there was no
election held in these zones. The winners of the elections in these
zones were declared to be only APDO representatives.
- The security forces of TPLF during the election period
continuously intimidated the Afars from participating in the election
unless they voted for APDO.
- After ALF vehemently opposed to the outcome of the election
in those added districts and other areas were the election were not held
as discussed above, the election board agreed to establish a committee
to investigate why the four districts which did not exist in the
imperial period added. The board ruled until the investigation
completed, the so-called elected APDO representatives in these districts
not to participate in the parliament. However, APDO threatened not to
participate in the parliament unless these officials were allowed to
take part. The parliament with its newly elected representatives opened
and held the first meeting on December 5, 1992. The APDO refused to take
part in the new partiamnet unless their illegally so-called elected
officials participate in the parliament. ADPO as a puppet of the TPLF,
contacted directly the President of the country on December 8, 1992,
Meles Zenawi , the then president of Ethiopian under the Transitional
Government which in turn ordered Mr. Dawit Youhannis, Chairman of the
Election Board to allow APDO members to take a seat in the parliament.
ALF knowing that such interference was undemocratic and contrary to the
election board decision, ALF, nevertheless, had to accept the unfair
decision imposed on it, in the interest of working foe the Afar people,
who put their trust and hope on it, to alleviate their problem which
became worst than era of the communist regime.
- Without the participation of the elected regional
governments and consultation with ALF, the central government, led by
TPLF, imposed administrative hindrances, which hampered the flaw of
sound administration. It also hanged the administrative system them
frequently, whereby a confusion was triggered to discredit the regional
government and promote dissention against the elected officials of ALF
to justify the take over of regional government by TPLF through its
puppet organization, APDO.
- * Since the establishment of the transitional government in Ethiopia
and until 1993/1994-budget year, the Afar region did not receive any
money to execute the necessary social and economic programs. In fact ALF
was instrumental to carryout these programs. Ironically, TPLF continued
its misinformation to discredit ALF and its elected officials by
announcing a budget in millions of Birr through the mass media, which
was never released to the regional government of the Afar region.
- * In fact the 1993/194 budget was delayed four months and was not close
to the announced figure. The TPLF does this to discredit the regional
government and increase its influence through false promises. The
1994/1995 budget was held by the central government claiming
misappropriation of funds. For the entire budget year, the government
released only a portion of the budget for salaries. Thus hampering the
economical and social developments, which could benefit the people.
Government auditors in many occasions audited the regional government
and could not substantiate the central government's claim for
misappropriation of public fund.
- To further undermine the office of the elected regional
government and impose hardship to the people of Afar and to halt
independent economical and social developments, the TPLF led government
in many occasions ordered the expulsion of potential investors from the
region.
The period of 1995 regional and national election:
- * Under the daily negative media waged against the elected officials and
ALF, the Afar people in the majority of elections districts voted for ALF in
the 1995 election. However, the TPLF controlled election board declared APDO
as the winner of the election. There were many instances whereby APDO
officials were declared to be the winners without counting the election
ballots. The ALF reported these unfair election results to the Election
Board with evidence of irregular election incidents. However, the Election
Board nor the government could not investigated ALF's legitimate claims or
attempted to establish a committee to look in the irregularities of the
elections in many parts of the Afar region. The people in several parts of
the Afar region petitioned the Election Board indicating that the election
was not conducted properly.
- *Further to control the Afar people under the TPLF led government, to
weaken the Afar unity and territorial integrity, a none Afar minority
population that does not historically claim an area in the Afar region were
create for Aragob tribes which were made to settle in zone three in
Doulecha, especially designed district (Woerda) to divided the territorially
homogenate of land of Afar.
- * In May 1994, conference of ALF, which was held in Ayssaita, Hanfare Ali
Mirah, could not be reelected as a chairman of ALF due to differences with
ALF members. The participant of the conference over warningly elected Omar
Ali Mirah as the new Chairman of ALF. As a result, the ALF divided in two.
One lead by Hanfare and the other by Omar.
- * As the majority seats were declared for APDO, Hanfare was elected by the
parliament as the new president of the regional government. Immediately
after the election of Hanfare, disagreement started between APDO and the
president. TPLF soldiers attached Hanfare's and the Sultan Ali Mirah's house
respectively looting and killing the guards in Ayssaita and Dubti. This
illustrates the unwillingness of political compromise and the disrespect to
the traditional leader of the Afar people elected officials. This security
threat to the traditional leader, which is accepted and supported by the
people, was a major concern of the Afar people who seek guidance and advice
of their Sultan. Sultan Ali Mirah who is committed to bring peace and
stability to the region and the Horn of Africa was not taken a serious
partner in the democratization process. This was a mistake.
- * The TPLF's ambitions to control the Afar region now appears to be
realized when Hanfare was disposed in his absences outside of Ethiopia. TPLF
appointed APDO Chairman Ismail Alisero as the region's president. Since then
the parliament and the Afar region is fully controlled by the TPLF.
- * In 1994 a population count was sponsored and conducted by the TPLF led
government and the result was withheld until the election of 1995. The
figure which was revealed after the election put the Afar population the
number to be 4.5 millions. The government refutes the count claiming error
during the population count, and ordered a new count in 1996. A new figure
was then released without conducting the count whereby now the Afars reduced
to 1.1 million. An accurate population count is imperative. The count is
used to allocate budget, planning for education, health, and other social
and economical programs. In additions, the number of Afar representatives at
the central government's parliament is decided on the population count.
Therefore the inappropriate population count was designed to misrepresent
the Afar and put them in disadvantage.
- * In the beginning of 1996 and after the appointment of Mr. Ismail Alisero
as the regional president, all ALF offices in the Afar region including the
Addis Ababa office were closed and all official documents logistics of ALF
were confiscated.
- * In 1996, when regional government employees demonstrated against the
delay for their salary, three hundred people were arrested in Ayssaita for
four months without due process. A judge ordered the release of the
prisoners on bail. The regional government of the TPLF imprisoned and
dismissed the judge for his action.
- * In the name of eliminating an opposition liberation front, namely, Afar
Revolutionary Democratic Union Front (ARDUF) known as Ugguumo among Afars,
in zone two and four, the TPLF wage indiscriminate killings of the civilian
population by prohibiting any person from leaving the area until the front
surrenders to TPLF authority.
- * The TPLF despite its shameful act and disregard to the authority of
Sultan Ali Mirah Hanfare, Prime Minster Meles Zenawi appealed to the Sultan
and made him to come early from his foreign trip to help mediate with ARDUF.
The Sultan as a committed peace ambassador, accepted Mr. Meles's request to
mediate. While he was made to wait to begin mediation, a massive military
attack started against the innocent Afar civilians to cut the support of the
local population from ARDUF. Helicopters and heavy artilleries were used to
silence the dissatisfied population of the zones.
- * It is to be remembered that ARDUF and TPLF were in constant clashes
before TPLF sized power in Addis Ababa. During this period TPLF confiscated
sizeable Afar areas bordering Tigray region such as in Berahle district,
Dedliso, Kudah, in Konneba district, Goua, Bonah, in Magale district, Arado,
in Dallol district, Daga Giff (renamed Sebeba after confiscation be TPLF),
and Aynedib. From 1996 until mid 1997, the Afar population was prohibited to
come to the marketplace from exchanging goods and buy the necessities. It
was imposed on the people of the area from meeting in the marketplaces
- * The central government also prohibited government banks from lending
capital for cash crop farming as wells as other economical developments
while allowing and encouraging loans in other regions. In additions,
harvested cotton for three years in row could not be market because the
government could not open foreign market.
- * There has been enormous lose of human and animal lives due to gross
negligence by TPLF led government by not providing the necessary medicine
required to fight epidemics on a timely manner. When the medicines come
late, but the desperate use of several thousand people and cattle. In the
Awash River basin, during the last nine years, over flooding of the river
killed thousand Afars and livestock. The reason for this is the negligence
of the government to maintain the dikes along the State Farms and settlement
areas of the Afars.
- * It will not be exaggerated to say that over five hundred thousand people
lives were lost due famine, epidemics and lack of water, and through the
indiscriminate killings conducted by TPLF soldiers. In additions, four
million cattle were lost due epidemics, which could be controlled by proper
vaccination.
- * In another development, the TPLF knowingly, instigates and encourages a
Somali tribe namely, Issa tribe to settle in Afar area were these tribes has
no historical claim. In 1998, the TPLF led government made a secret
agreement with its puppet APDO to give land and create a special zone for
Issa tribe beginning from Djibouti broader, zone one through zone three, up
to l Dire Dawa. When the agreement was made public the Afars protested the
government action whose opposition to the government action, is still on
going.
- * The establishment of the Argoba district, the confiscation of Afar land
in zone two and zone four, and the establishment of a special zone for Issa
tribe which is in progress, clearly undermines the spirit of reconciliation
and the struggle of the Afar people from oppression and subjugation by
successive undemocratic Ethiopian governments.
- * In its further desire to control the Afar region in totality, the TPLF
has continued its 1997 program of consolidations process, using open
intimidation, and the process of to mold all Afar democratic political
organizations into one party undermines the pluralist democracy in the Afar
region and is a clear intolerance for genuine opposition to the TPLF.
The ALF fought the communist government of Ethiopia along other nations and
nationalities to bring a just and long lasting peace for our people and other
nations and nationalities in Ethiopia. TPLF's actions, since it took power in
Addis Ababa does not comply neither to the initial Transitional Charter nor the
constitution that was adapted by all including ALF. The question of land for
Afars has immanence importance. Land is a communal property. The confiscation of
the Afar land can not be compromised.
Despite the numerous intimidation, arbitrary arrest and killings of its
members and the Afar people, the obvious irregularities in elections, the
unfounded and unsubstantiated accusations against ALF, the ALF diligently, until
the last resort, attempted to participate and struggle along other nations and
nationalities to attain justices equality and peace for all in Ethiopia.
The international community must examine the undemocratic activities imposed
not only to the Afars but also to all nations and nationalities of Ethiopia. The
ALF and the Afar people believe a just peace can only be achieved through
political compromise and respect for human rights. No political organizations
should be allowed to be above the law and the constitution. The current
political turmoil in the region is the result of TPLF's undemocratic narrow
minded activities.
We call on the international community to use all the necessary means at
their disposal to pressure TPLF from leading the country into the brink of war,
thus destabilizing Ethiopia in particular and the Horn of Africa in general. We
also call all the Ethiopian political organizations to unit and continue
pressure this undemocratic TPLF led government to come to its sense and stop the
suffering of the people of Ethiopia.
January 31, 2000 Afar Liberation Front
Central Committee
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