Territorial claims, occupation, falsification…

June 5, 2014

Afar People’s Party
PRESS RELEASE—June 3, 2014

Afar People’s party has been following discussions and agitations by the Issa-Somali Diaspora, Somali Regional State leaders, politicalpersonalities as well as Press Release issued by Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) concerning territorial claims on Gadmaytu, Undafoo and Adaytu. Although the Afar-Issa Somali conflict is among extensively studied conflicts in the Horn of Africa, it has not yet found a sustainable peace ground. Historical documents indicate that the complexity and politicization of the conflict has been masterminded by British, French and Italian colonial powers whose main interest was to access Ethiopian natural resource. These colonial powers together launched the Franco-Ethiopian railway, linking Djibouti to the heart of Ethiopia in 1897, which at time have had economic significance for Ethiopia. To accomplish the project French Somaliland (Currently Djibouti), British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland mobilized ethnic Somalis and Arabs as workers in this project. Afars who were at that time responsible for the security of the project from Harewa to Metahara were convinced by Ethiopian Government and Colonial powers that the project will bring about prosperity and development both for Afars and other neighboring populations. However, in practical terms the increasing number of Issa-Somali settlers supported by the colonial masters started systematically pushing westwards the Afar- and Oromo populations which predominantly inhabited the project area.

In postcolonial era the Afar-Issa Somali conflict is also among the longest unresolved State-sponsored open conflict in East Africa going on for more than 75 years. Since the independence of Somalia in 1960, the conflict changed it character and become highly politicized and embedded in the ambition of expansion to create Great Somalia. Later on this ambition was carried on by Djibouti Issa Somali regimes since 1977, and the creation of Somali Federal Regional States in Ethiopia. Their common strategy has been to occupy the Afar territories by consolidating their military and economic resource. This policy of expansion reached its peak during Ethio-Somali war of 1977/78. In post Ethio-Soamali war Issa-Somalis who have been part of the invading Siyad Barre army pushed the Afars further and occupied railway village settlements (Erer, Afdem, Mullu, Meisso, Assabot, Koora) from to westwards. In fact, during the emperor era the area was known as Adal Chercher and Gaara Guracha awraja and its administrators has all been Afars. The occupation continued towards main grazing lands (Maroo, Hamoysa, Kaho, Dahabu, Gablalu, Kilalu, Erooliy, Obno, Andadkalo, Yangudi, Tareyna), simultaneously settling contraband traders during the Dergue regime in hamlets such as Gadmaytu, Undafoo and Adaytu. The later hamlets has been used as a distribution hubs for illegal arms and other commodities coming both from Djibouti and the Somalia.

To prove the illegal occupation and forced displacement by Issa-somalis, the Afar National State has submitted over 900 historical documents and maps to the Federal Governments of Ethiopia. However, the focus of the Federal Government seems to be the security of the Railway and the main Road to Djibouti, and entertaining good political relation with its only sea outlet Isa-Somali state of Djibouti, rather than peace-building among two brotherly populations. The crocodile tears we see now from Issa-Somalis in terms “land grabbing by federal government” can merely be considered as rhetoric for further invasion and warmongering rather than peaceful co-existence.

Hence, Afar people’s party calls upon;

• ONLF to reconsider its position on Afar Issa-Somali conflict and work for building harmonious relationships through negotiation, mutual respect, and cooperation.
• Ethiopian Government to implement and accelerate the demarcation process based on Afar documents and agreements submitted by Afar Regional Border Office and Addis Ababa University.
• Issa-Somali Diaspora to work for peace rather than war and convince your population to acknowledge and respect the right and territorial integrity of Afar people.
• Afar National Regional State to consult and communicate the ongoing negotiation with Afar People, since this process so far has been highly confidential and mysterious. Few individual have neither the right to bargain Afar land nor the legitimacy to accept further occupation of Gadmaytu, Undafoo and Gadmaytu.
• The Governments of Djibouti and Ethiopia, the Sultan of Afar and Ugaas of Issa-Somali to facilitate reconciliation and peace-building process. This however should be initiated directly after the completion and implementation of the border demarcation between Afar Regional State and Somali Regional States.