Tyrant Zenawi caught up in Crimes of Rape and Child Molestation in Ogaden

By: Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
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[ Posted On: 2007-08-18 ]

The incredible silence is gradually replaced by humanist concern; the world community starts realizing the extent of the devastation, and the racial hatred crimes perpetrated by Meles Zenawi’s Tigray tribal thugs in Ogaden.

Donald Payne, former Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa, introduced the ‘Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007’ on July 23, describing the Abyssinian Tigray prime minister Zenawi as ‘a vicious dictator’.

We have good reason to believe that the statement would be even stronger, should the Honourable Donald Payne be aware of the then not yet published Report Ogaden 2007, issued on August 8th by the Ogaden Human Rights Committee (www.ogadenrights.org).

Following the publication of eight articles that included integral parts of the aforementioned Report, in the present article, we will publish the third chapter of the Report’ Main Part that focuses on Crimes of Rape and Child Molestation.

Crimes of Rape and Child Molestation

Women and children are the most vulnerable groups to suffer abuse and violence in the Ogaden. Many women were detained, tortured, raped, and maltreated for being activists of the Ogaden Women’s Democratic Association or relatives of ONLF members. A number of children, were detained, tortured or molested by Ethiopian security forces as well.

Article 1 of the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (DEVW) states that: For the purposes of this Declaration, the term «violence against women» means any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.

In article 2 it states that : Violence against women shall be understood to encompass, but not limited to the following:

a) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring in the family, including battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household, dowry related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation and other traditional practices harmful to women, non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation ;

b) Physical, sexual and psychological violence occurring within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse, sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational institutions and elsewhere, trafficking in women and forced prostitution;

c) Physical, sexual and psychological violence perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.

The Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in Emergency and Armed Conflict was proclaimed by the General Assembly in 1974. The Declaration states that all forms of repression and cruel and inhuman treatment of women and children — including imprisonment, torture, shooting, mass arrests, collective punishment and destruction of dwellings and forcible eviction — committed by belligerents in the course of military operations or in occupied territories are to be considered criminal.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child, in Sub article (l and 4) of Article 38 states that: "State Parties undertake to respect and ensure respect for rules of international humanitarian law applicable to them in armed conflicts, which are relevant to the child. In accordance with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect the civilian population in armed conflicts, State Parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure protection and care of children who are affected by an armed conflict."

Since the current Ethiopian government came to power in 1991, a large number of women have been detained, tortured, raped, disappeared or killed. Many children were also detained, tortured, molested, disappeared or killed by the Ethiopian armed and security forces.

The Ogaden Human Rights Committee is alarmed at the massive rise in rape victims and the number of women who contracted HIV/AIDS virus after being raped by members of Ethiopian armed forces.

A number of women are being held in the Ethiopian military barracks throughout the Ogaden as comfort women (sex slaves) against their will. Many cases of forced marriages have been reported as well.

In regard to child abuse, many children were molested by paedophiles from the Ethiopian armed and security forces. When the parents and relatives of the sexually assaulted children protested they were detained and beaten cruelly in public.

The Ethiopian government uses rape as a weapon in its war against the ONLF. In 2003, the Ethiopian troops’ commander, in Qabridaharre, told a gathering in the township, "Any woman suspected of harbouring or being a relative of an ONLF member would be raped and then killed."

In Cawl-Ku-Dhal, on 24th July 2007, members of Ethiopian armed forces abducted, tortured and gang raped Fadumo Dahir. She is in a bad state of health physically and psychologically.

On July 21st 2007, in Heelladheere, members of Ethiopian armed forces abducted and gang raped Gorda Mohamed Khalif, a nomad pastoralist girl.

In Garigo’an, on June 15th 2007, members of Ethiopian armed forces abducted, tortured and gang raped Ceeg Aw Muse. They left her as dead but she has survived and suffering from physical scars and psychological trauma.

On March 27th 2007, Fathi Moallin Khalif, who is a former rape victim, was detained with other four civilians, in Dhagaxbuur. Prior to this arrest, members of the Ethiopian armed forces have gang raped her in January 2007. And she is pregnant as a result of that rape. Speaking to the OHRC’s researchers her younger brother said, "They think they can hide their heinous crime by putting her behind bars. Everyone knows what happened to her. No jail or detention camp can cover their crime. We will never forget what they have done to her."

In Dalaad, on March 23rd 2007, members of Ethiopian armed forces abducted and gang raped Ubah Abdullahi Ibrahim and Amina Mah Abdi. According to their account they were beaten indiscriminately with heavy sticks, guns barrels and butts when they resisted. During the rape the two women became unconscious.

From August 09th to 01st September 2006, members of Ethiopian armed forces gang raped Ardo Jad and Farad Abdi Osman, a teenage girl, in Garigo’an, and Fathi Hussein Sheikh, in Madaxmaroordi.

Umayma Khalid, a teenage girl from Qabridaharre was gang-raped by members of Ethiopian armed forces, on April 26th 2006. She is in a poor state of health. No one was held accountable for this barbaric act.

On March 09th 2006, in Mara-Maydh, Garbo district, members of Ethiopian armed forces rounded up a group of young women. They were transferred to the military barracks, where they have been extensively tortured and gang raped. Among these victims were: Amina Abib Mohamed, Sahra Abib Mohamed, Ruqiya Abdi Arab, Ido Abdullahi Hassan and Seynab Mohamed Adan. When family members and community elders protested against this horrendous crime, the Ethiopian Authorities have beaten and detained them instead of bringing the rapists before a court of justice. Among the detainee were: Abdifatah Abdullahi Hassan, Abdi Bifte Omar, Abdullahi Ahmed Sagal, Hassan Makhtal Anbour, Ismail Hassan Geedi and Abdi Mohamed Faqid. They were subjected to extensive torture.

In Godey, Members of Ethiopian armed forces gang raped and extensively tortured Ruqiya Abdi Muhumed, on March 15th 2006.

Many women and young girls raped by Ethiopian armed forces in the Ogaden fled their homeland and took refuge in neighbouring countries, namely Kenya, Djibouti and Somalia. The victims can no longer lead a normal life in their country because of the rape stigma.

(See Ogaden: No Rights, No Democracy ref: OHRC/08/97, Ogaden: Graveyard of Rights ref: OHRC/10/99, Ogaden: Downtrodden and Disenfranchised People ref: OHRC/D15/04 and Mass Killings in the Ogaden: Daily Atrocities against Civilians by the Ethiopian Armed Forces ref: OHRC/AR/06).

Article Source: http://www.afroarticles.com/article-dashboard

About The Author: Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis - is Orientalist, Assyriologist, Egyptologist, Iranologist, Islamologist, Historian and Political Scientist. Dr. Megalommatis, 49, is the author of 12 books, dozens of scholarly articles, hundreds of encyclopedia entries, and thousands of articles. He speaks, reads and writes more than 15, modern and ancient, languages.

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