The war-torn Ogaden region in Ethiopia is a land scarred by terror.
An ongoing struggle for autonomy is being fought between the outlawed Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Ethiopian military but it is not just ONLF members who are being brutalised.
An undercover investigation by the Bureau and the BBC’s Newsnight provides new evidence of ongoing brutal human rights abuses by Ethiopian government forces.
Revealed: Britain and EU increase aid to Ethiopia despite serious human rights abuses
In 2007 the Ethiopian army launched a counterinsurgency campaign in the Ogaden.
Human Rights Watch and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) produced before and after satellite images of villages razed to the ground.
Today the area is a no-go zone for foreigners, the media and aid agencies. Instead, it is kept under strict Ethiopian government control, making it difficult to assess what is going on.
But in Dadaab, the largest refugee camp in the world in northern Kenya, there are thousands, who have fled from the Ogaden region, claiming to have been subjected to horrific abuses by Ethiopian government troops.
Torture victims
A grandmother in her 50s, told us that she was one of more than 100 civilians seized from her village in the Ogaden by government forces in 2009. Some of the villagers were killed, including her son, and others were taken to jail.
While in detention she was thrown into a pit of snakes. But she says ‘the snake was the easy part because I was raped’ by ‘a queue’ of soldiers.
‘They raped me in a room, one of them was standing on my mouth, and one tied my hand, they were taking turns, I fainted during this.’
Another victim described how she was eight months pregnant when government forces arrested her, then raped and beat her until she lost her baby.
Related article: Voices of the tortured
The woman described seeing a man who had been tortured so badly ‘his tongue and eyes were out’.
Torture and the international community
In a 2010 report the UN Committee Against Torture stated concern about
numerous, ongoing and consistent allegations concerning the routine use of torture by state security officers against political dissidents and opposition party members, students, alleged terrorist suspects and alleged supporters of insurgent groups such as the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).’
Despite this aid to the region continues to be given by the EU and controlled by the Ethiopian state.
These photographs show villages razed to the ground in the Ogaden region. Click on the picture to see more images.
Abdifatah Arab Olad, leader of the Ogaden people in Dadaab, said: ‘Ethiopia gets funds for this region [the Ogaden] and it’s used to destroy the people of this region, and the world is watching and nobody is speaking out.’
Recently the ONLF’s status as a terrorist organisation means that all individuals who associate with the group are at risk of being arrested on terrorism charges.
*All names have been changed to protect identities.
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August 5th, 2011 at 7:22 am (#)
Now, what can we, Ethiopians, say about this…. In the name of fighting your war again terror, the poor Ethnic Somalis have to pay a terrible & heavy price. Every ordinary Ethiopian not associated with the Meles government is terribly saddened with this.
A bit of a reminder … In 2005 ethnic Tigre dominated party (EPRDF/TPLF) and the prime minister (Meles Zenawi), who rules the country now for 20 years, lost the election. Their response was to delay the results, and declare themselves winners later (claiming 60% support). They subsequently imprisoned thousands of opposition candidates and supporters. In a well-documented abuse of power they killed in one day 197 demonstrators in streets of Addis-Ababa. Countless perished in prisons and ethnic fights instigated by the party EPRDF/TPLF.
Not only the Europian and American politicians turned a blind eye. But also journalists and the media turned a blind eye. The western world ignored the 2005 abuses, probably because, Ethiopia was preparing to invade Somalia and fight “terrorists”. And Ethipia indeed invade Somalia in 2006.
But Ethiopia failed and withdrew in 2008. Now Somalia is hungry and the islamists are even more strong. In 2010 Meles was re-elected winning a staggering 99.7% per cent of the vote. Is the West embarrassed? Yes, for sure. It seems Meles and his party is no more considered as useful and he is becoming too much of an embarrassment.
Therefore, is this reporting about your embarrassment or about our real problems. I this the first. Because the abuses you are reporting about mostly old, of course some new. Why report it now? Can’t it be hidden anymore? Has Meles Zenawi expired – like Mubarek and Gadhafi?
August 5th, 2011 at 3:07 pm (#)
First of all thanks to the investigative journalist how paid enormous efforts to uncover this tragedy. However, What I am questioning is that whether this fact uncovered by the Western Investigative journalist can convince Western governments who are accustomed to keep on supporting EPRDF gang rulers! to my knowledge in fact they will do and Western politicians turn a blind eye on Ogaden and all people suffering under the rule of TPLF donimated government scheme in Ethiopia
August 5th, 2011 at 4:46 pm (#)
My appreciation to the investigative journalists how paid great efforts with high level of risk to uncover this human tragedy. However, what I am asking is that whether this fact uncovered by some of the Western Investigative journalist can convince Western governments who are accustomed to keep on supporting by any cost EPRDF gang rulers! to my experience in fact they will do and Western politicians especially British and Americans turn a blind eye on Ogaden and all people suffering under the rule of TPLF donimated government scheme in Ethiopia
August 5th, 2011 at 8:12 pm (#)
Thans to the bureau of investigative journalism for voicing this unreported world. Thanks to BBC for taking the human rights issue in to the world.
Ethiopia governemnt should free the Swidish journalists and allows the media to report freely in the Ogaden and ethiopia as a whole.
its the time the doners should look again where the tax payers money is going. if its not helping then they should stop it and serve in their country indeed their countries needs little saving.
August 5th, 2011 at 8:50 pm (#)
The crime against humanity that the TPLF led regime is committing daily in Ethiopia, particularly in Ogaden is not something unknown to the world. All the UN, US, EU, UK, AU know the Ethiopia’s military brutality and genocide against Ogaden civilians, yet the UK and US are blindly supporting Melez Senawi’s blood thirst regime. What the Bureau of Investigation disclosed is similar to the information given by the victims to Ogaden Research Institute. They fled from Ogaden who now live refugee Camps in Kenya. Ogaden Research Institute met victims and Video taped their true stories and ordeals. Please Watch this Trailer:
http://www.ogadentoday.com/news.php?readmore=3371
There is no doubt that the US and UK are funding the crime in Ethiopia/ genocide in Ogaden.
August 6th, 2011 at 2:43 am (#)
First of all, thanks to the brave journalists and BBC for their effort to reveal the tragedy and human suffering that has been going on in Ogaden and throughout ethiopia in general. I believe what this documentary shows is just the top of the iceberg. People in Ogaden are being subjected to un speakable violation of their human rights. The killings, torture, rape,imprisonment, robbery, looting, property confisication, displacemnet and destruction of their homes by Ethiopian defense forces is daily routine in Ogaden. It is time for the international community to stop supporting the genocide that is being waged against the Ogaden people.It is time to stand by the victim not the violator-Zenawi of Ethiopia.
August 6th, 2011 at 5:15 am (#)
The reality in Ethiopia,maily crime in Ogaden is clear and well known. Simply watch the similar investigation made by the Ogaden Research Institute. There is difference between Bureau of Investigation and Ogaden Research Institute: Please watch it this shocking Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PygoVgdBMZI&feature=mh_lolz&list=HL1311742953
August 6th, 2011 at 11:05 am (#)
Thank you for exposing the atrocities committed by the Ethiopian regime. Ogadenia Will be free
August 7th, 2011 at 1:12 am (#)
NO matter how long the night is the day will follow soon! Ogaden will be free sooner and TPLF will be defeated. However, If the West is interested in peace and development, let them stop funding the abusive regime of Meles Zenawi
August 7th, 2011 at 3:01 pm (#)
no matter however the regime is brutal or killer the west will continue to finance the genocide in Ethiopia because of their narrow interest.
may Good Help our people,
thank you journos for exposing the hidden genocide
August 13th, 2011 at 3:08 pm (#)
As an Ethiopia I must apologize for the deplorable actions of my government. But please don’t blame the people of Ethiopia. Most of us disagree with the policies of the current regime but we are also under the gun, more or less. So please don’t blame this on Ethiopia. The responsible party is the EPRDF. We must fight this force together
August 26th, 2011 at 5:05 am (#)
The people of Ogaden has been neglected by the international community and being denied to have access to basic education and health care for the Ethio-Somali children and their makeshift huts burn down and their pregnant women face rape, rob and brutal killings by the Ethiopian Nation Army, shamed on you ethio leaders and thanks to USA and EU for the military aid that had been misused and abused while the Ethiopian citizens cry for food and seeds they are living the life of undeveloped world like in 1950s in somalia, while the inhabitants of Ogaden mainly ethnic Somalis as a revenge and hatred because of 1977 Somalia and Ethiopia war
Ethio leader Meles now uses the trick used by George Bush by accusing these nomadic freedom fighter and calling them a terrorists while the $3 billion annual Aid diverted from civilians and the poor and focused on military equipment such as the 2000 war tanks Ethiopia bought from Ukraine in east Europe as well as super hydro electric which costs 400 billion.
August 26th, 2011 at 9:58 pm (#)
Is there Justice on this Earth.Will I ever see my Homeland the Ogaden FREE ! Will we leave like any other Human being with dignity and our god giving rights that Ethiopian accupation deprived as of? Will I see Males Zenawi and his hinchmen who commited the worst crimes against Humanity like all those Sadam Husein,Husni Mubarak and now Qadafi?
Who is funding this Genocide and who is Protecting Ethiopia’s Dictator Males Zenawi? How on Earth can in this day and age does he get away with this terrible herouindes Crimes against an armed Ogaden Civilians?
I cray For justice
Humanity cries for Justice
August 29th, 2011 at 10:17 am (#)
It has been said and I got nothing to add.
Where human rights?
Where UN?
Were Oromia and Eritria
Were is puntland,Djabouti,s.land,
Somalia will never have another hero like M S Barre, who tried to united his ppl to form greater malia