The war of destructions!

by Harsa

The conflict led by the clan-centered Issa- -Somalis fighters against the pastoralit Afars has been going on for decades and continue to cost the lives of thousands innocent civilians. This conflict has two sides:

1. External involvement of Greater Somalia. It was initiated by colonialists and even the Italian Fascist tried to make use of it during the occupation of Ethiopia in 1940s. Soon after it was consolidated by the Somali nationalist for ethnic mobilization in the Horn of Africa. The Greater Somalia dream led to the repeated invasion of Ogaden, its failure on the battle front caused to the frustration and ultimately to the collapse of Somalia itself. After the collapse Djibouti gradually emerged as saver not very much with ambition of Greater Somalia, but more of clan-centered to establish the Issaland (like other Somali clans) as composing only of the Issa inhabited from Somaliland, the whole of Djibouti and the Issa occupied area at Western Harar, that became nightmare of the inhabitant of the area.

2. The Ethiopian government mismanagement. The Ethiopian regimes always ignored the conflict unless it threatened the road access to the Red Sea. I know the area from Erer/Hourso to Awash Valley since 1960ss. From what I know the Afar and Issa have never been bordered each other. Around Dire Dawa/ Hourse, Gurgura was bordering the Afars. The Issa use to come to Dire Dawa from behind Shinnille in search of market.

In Ere, Afdem Miesso and later to Adal and Awraja there were only the Afars and the Oromo who inhabited the area were involved in the administration. I remember the major Oromo clans were Oborra, Noole, Ittu and Ala. (We need contact with the Oromos of these conflict areas) The leaders and clans of the Oromos and the Afars use to cooperate and discuss matter of common interests without any major conflicts. The pastoralist Oromos were driven far away from their areas of origin, like that of the Afar who are pushed into Awash Valley. The peasant of Oromos remained harassed regularly attacked by the Issa fighters.

The only major measures taken by the Ethiopian authorities to resolve the conflict was to remove the Afar and the Orom the administration center from Erer and placed it into Asbe Teferei as Adal and Garaguracha Awraja. The Afar had a liaison Office at Miesso. After the removal of the Awraja administration, the issa got an open opportunity to take over Erer and Dire Dawa areas for good. The Issa did not stay there either but chased away both Afars and Oromo to westwards.

Meantime Djibouti became an independent state with Issa dominated government, followed by the Somali invasion of Ogaden. The Issas accompanied the invasion along the railway line from Dire Dawa, Hourso, Erer Afdem and Miesso. After the defeat of the invading Somali army, the Issa forces negotiated with the Derg and remained around mount Afdem and agreed to take care of the security of the railway line from Dire Dawa to Afdem. (The Derg considerd the separation of the Issa forces from that of the invading Somali forces as import step to weaken the invaders) Before the Ogaden invasion the railway line security up to Awash was in the hands of the Afars. The administration of railway line villages from Erer to Awash were in the hands of the Oromos and the Afars.

In the past the ethnic conflict use to be resolved by traditional means. At times the Issas use to stay with the Afar when there were internal clan feud or during severe drought. As Djibouti became independent and inspired by the Issa clan parochialism, dialogue with them appeared to be impossible.

Among the Afar intellectuals a number of attempts have been made to resolve the conflict but the issas dictated to impose its territorial claim. The Woyane are trying to manipulate the conflict for the last two decades for its political ends. The Afar would never accept forced territorial claims. I think this is also the case for the neighboring Oromos. During the Woyanne rule of Ethiopia, the Issas due to its power in Djibouti, managed to claim its territorial wishes openly, supported by by guerrilla warfare. The conspiracy of Greater Tigray and Greater Somali is targeted to weaken the Afar people in the Horn of Africa. The Afar will never ever accept these conspiracies! The Afar is denied their human, their economic and social rights. We want the Ethiopians and the world community knows what is being to us!

Source: ecadforum.com