Thread by @JekapOmod

Being Nilotic (Dark skin) in #Ethiopia

Growing up in #Gambella, I have always been curious about the second-class citizen treatment the #Anuak people have always faced. We were never seen or treated equally with the rest of lighter skinned highlanders. The same thing could be 1/

said for the dark-skinned people of #Benishangul who have also faced genocide and mistreatments from the #TPLF and Derg regime. Why are the Nilotic treated differently in Ethiopia? This goes back to the Abyssinian Empire. During the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia,2/

dark skin people including the Anuak, had faced kidnapping and they were forcefully taken to the capital Addis Ababa and other towns as slaves. This continued until the early twentieth century, when the #Anuak land and kingdom came under #British rule. The British abolished 3/

slavery till WW II. After the WW II ended, Gambella came under #Ethiopia again, and the slavery was restored. Even though, slavery became illegal in Ethiopia after Emperor Haile Selassie abolished it in 1942, the Anuak people were still treated as inferiors, and denied basic 4/

human rights such as education, healthcare, and most importantly, the right to live. The Anuak lands were rich and used by the #Ethiopian government for agricultural projects, without benefiting the local Anuak.

Under Derg regime in 1978, the project of “silence genocide” to 5/

wipe out the Anuak people had begun. This project included clearing the land of Anuak, constructing dams, the displacement of Anuak people from their ancestral lands, and the resettlement of the area by Ethiopian government. The Ethiopian government started to seize Anuak land 6/

for resettlement in 1981, which accelerated the rapid dwindling of the #Anuak population. Thus, the Anuak people fled to the bush, and tried to escape to #Sudan. The Ethiopian government murdered many Anuak people as they tried to move from one village to another. 7/

During the Ethiopian #civil war in 1974, the Anuak people were forcefully drafted into the Ethiopian army. The Anuak people refused to be involved in a war that was not a threat to the Anuak land. However, the security police at that time would search huts and schools for male 8/

Anuak, and herd them away. This kind of military recruitment by the Ethiopian government, left the Anuak people no choice but to fight back. The Anuak people stood up and defended themselves. They resisted with whatever weapons they had and made it clear that they would not 9/

be involved in a war with the “unknown enemies, and people who had done no harm to them.” This led to further repression by the Ethiopian government, and silent #genocide that was carried out increased in many ways. Here is to mention few ways:using Anuak men as shield during 10/

the deadly #Ethio-Somali and #Ethio-Eritrea war, resettlement program, and forced displacements. This was a silent genocide, and it was all about getting out the oil in the Anuak land and refine it in #Jimma.When the TPLF took over, they were not just using silent genocide no 11/

more, it became obvious when they brutally murdered the Anuak people on December 13, 2003. They used the same tactic that the so-called @EthioHRC is now using, which is by demonizing the people first and then commit a #genocide, followed by land grabbing 12/

and forced displacements. Their target was still the oil, and they were planning to refine it in #Mekelle.We, the Anuak, have suffered enough in Ethiopia. We didn’t choose to become a part of Ethiopia when the agreement was made neither were we consulted or involved. Our land 13/

was spitted apart without our knowledge! The PM @AbiyAhmedAli needs to understand that we will not keep silent no more. Whatever the @EthioHRC is cooking, we are ready for it. #Gambella people never went to #Oromia, the #OLF came, and we defended 14/

ourselves. If that is going to be the next reason to eliminate us, the #Nilotic, from #Ethiopia, let that be. But this time, we will not die like dogs, we will fight both inside and out until we are totally wiped out from the face of the earth by the #Ethiopian government. 15/

The #discrimination and #colorism we have always faced in #Ethiopia just got to the point where terrorists’ lives would be valued more than the peace-loving people of #Gambella. Just because of their skin color! SHAME! We allowed everyone to live peacefully with us. In fact, 16/

Gambella is the only region where anyone could go to and raise their family peacefully. We always defended #Ethiopia and died for it. But we are taken advantaged of! This is how we are treated because we have dark skin! Enough is Enough! We are not fools! Our lives matter! 17/

@AbiyAhmedAli @EthioHRC @POEthiopia @ebczena
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