Ethiopians in London protest against human rights abuses and for the release of opposition leader Birtukan Mideksa (photo: Getty Images)
Ogaden nationalists lead G20 protests against Ethiopia PM
Jimma Times
Hundreds of demonstrators from Ethiopia protested during the G20 summit in east London against the Ethiopian government on Thursday. The majority are from the Ogaden region in eastern Ethiopia where the army has been battling against separatists.
The number of demonstrators on Thursday was far smaller than the thousands of anti-capitalism and anti-war protestors as well as anarchists seen on Wednesday when violent clashes led to several arrests. Ethiopian and Congolese protesters came early Thursday morning before their numbers grew over 500, when they began using megaphones and horns at the Excel Center. Other protestors were against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. All the rallies were however very far away from the main Conference center from the G20 venue.
“Ethiopia out of Ogaden”
In addition to people from the Ogaden sub-clan group of Ethiopia, there were others from several ethnic groups of Ethiopia protesting against human rights abuses in the country, including a small number of Oromos who are supporting the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF). Other Ethiopians demanded the release of Ethiopian opposition leader Judge Birtukan Mideksa, however all were outnumbered by members of the Ogaden people.
The hundreds of Ogadenis were participating in a rally organized by the Ogaden Community Association of UK which supports the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) separatist insurgents in eastern Ethiopia. They were holding several anti-government signs, some saying “
End Ethiopian colonization” and "
Stop Ethiopia ethnic cleansing."
Fearing violent clashes, London police installed a large security screen around the area of the rallies. Less than a dozen have been arrested by Thursday afternoon, compared to 88 people arrested on Wednesday. Meanwhile, police said they feared protestors from two different Ethiopian ethnicities would clash. According to the London based media The Independent, demonstrators from two ethnicities “were being kept apart by police.”
The British media reported one Ethiopian protest leader Alemayehu Mengesha critizing the Ethiopian government. He accused Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who is attending the G20 summit, by saying the Ethiopian government is “creating divisions between us and segregating the country.” However, Ogaden protestors nearby carrying the flag of the ONLF called for independence of their land, some shouting “Ethiopia out of Ogaden.”
The Ogaden people of the horn of Africa are a sub-clan of the Somali ethnic group and they have long opposed Ethiopian governments, which they accuse of annexing their land. They are mainly found in eastern Ethiopia as well as northeastern Kenya. The war between the ONLF insurgents and the Ethiopian government has increased since April of 2007 when the ONLF attacked an Oil facility and killed 74 Chinese and Ethiopians. Since then, both sides have accused each other of crimes and the clashes have contributed to the massive humanitarian crisis in the region.
