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By Abulla Agwa - The “Hitler” of Ethiopia and his “son” Omot Obang Olom clashed over genocide committed against Anyuaks on December 13, 2003.   Omot Obang Olom, the one who walked like a peacock on the street of Gambella and used TPLF led EPRDF as a shield to commit untold crime against humanity in Gambella is now in trouble with his father, the dictator of dictators, Meles Zenawi. Reliable source from Gambella shows that Omot Obang Olom was given six months to stay as “a chief of Gambella.”

The EPRDF blamed Omot Obang Olom on regional officers work performance evaluation and investigation conducted in Gambella regional state recently.  The EPRDF officials mentioned that the devil and murderer, Omot Obang Olom, acted alone without any support, knowledge of and guidance from EPRDF to commit genocide against Anyuaks on December 13, 2003. Moreover EPRDF asked that Omot Obang Olom was responsible for crime against humanity and   should be arrested.

 However, Omot Obang Olom admitted that he submitted the list of Anyuaks intellectuals to the EPRDF security force under Meles Zenawi order. Therefore, according to Omot Obang Olom, also Meles should be arrested and charged with crime against humanity.    

This blame game drama surprised the world including human rights and international organisations for two main reasons: first, the EPRDF has been   defending Omot Obang Olom for many years that he was “a peace maker” in Gambella. In addition EPRDF believed and insisted that Omot Obang Olom was/is the only innocent, capable and trusted person to protect the interest of EPRDF, implement EPRDF’s programs and deliver effective leadership in Gambella.  In general Meles-led EPRDF considered Omot Obang Olom as a human rights advocate and champion for the people of Gambella. 

Second, EPRDF did not admit that defence and security forces involve in the killing of Anyuak.   Meles-led EPRDF government announced to the world that the incident of December 13, 2003 was tribal conflict between the Anyuak and Nuer tribes. Also the EPRDF’s parliament which is the spoke institution of Meles accepted that what happened on December 13, 2003 in Gambella was a tribal conflict between Anyuak and Nuer tribes. The conflict had nothing to do with the involvement of defence and security forces. According to Miles’s Parliament, the defence and security forces maintained peace and order in Gambella during what they called “the conflict of Anyuaks and Nears or tribal conflict.”       

However, every Anyuak, international organizations, democratic countries and human rights organizations know that EPRDF is a dictatorship government and was/ is behind all human rights violation, atrocities and genocide committed against Anyuaks in Gambella. This blame game drama between the “Hitler” of Ethiopia Meles and his “devil son” Omot Obang Olom opened a window of opportunity for Human Right Watch, Anuak Justice  Council and international communities to strengthen their case and bring all perpetrators of Anyuak genocide before the  International Criminal Court/ICC/.   

Based on the reports of the International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard’s Law School, the United States Department of State, Human Rights Watch, Genocide Watch and Survivors’ Rights International and Anuak Justice Council etc..., there is strong evidence to show that Meles Zenawi and Omot Obang Olom violated the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in Gambella on December 13, 2003. 

The end of dictators is always a shame and humiliation. For instance, Benito Mussolini apprehended as he headed for Switzerland with his mistress Clara Petacci on April 27, 1945. He was shot the following day, and his body was taken to Milan and strung up in public.  Adolf Hitler as the Russian army closed in on Berlin, Hitler took to his bunker with Eva Braun and other Nazi leaders. As he realsied his situation was hopeless he shot himself in April 30, 1945. Rafael Trujillo the man who ruled the Dominican Republic with an iron fist from 1930 to 1961. Known as El Jefe (The Boss) he was gunned down in his car on May 30, 1961.

As I mentioned in previous article, the end of Meles Zenawi and his “son” Omot Obang Olom will be wretched like that of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein who was pulled from a hole where he was hiding.  The man known as ‘Mad Dog’ or ‘The King of Kings of Africa’ during four decades of brutal rules in Libya - Gaddafi met a fitting end trapped like a rat in a sewer pipe begging for his life.  

Therefore the Anyuaks’ blood will not flow in vain. Meles and his devil puppets such as Omot Obang Olom are the most responsible devils for all atrocities and genocide committed against Anyuaks in Gambella Regional State.  Today we see light at the end of a tunnel but struggle will continue until we get rid of Meles led EPRDF brutal government and bring all perpetrators of genocide against Anyuak before the International Court of Justice.