Despite drawing public condemnation, Somaliland deported more than 20 Ethiopians back to their native country this week after they had been denied asylum.
It is understood the asylum-seekers were rounded-up by police two weeks ago when the group gathered outside the office of Interior Ministry to protest. Said to be led by self-appointed committee, the group of asylum-seekers tried to express their grave concerns before police took them into custody. They were locked up in Hargeisa’s central prison for two weeks.
The group said to be 22 in total, 15 men, 5 women and 2 children under the age of two, were handed over to Ethiopian authorities in the border town of Tog-Wajale.The refugees blamed their deportation on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) saying Somaliland authorities acted in consultation with the Rights UN agency. They added it was the UNHCR’s responsibility to guarantee refugee safety in the first place and suggested that the UN agency had abandoned them.
The government in Somaliland recently said it was cracking down on illegal economic migrants because it did not have the capacity to host them. It stated that there were more than 80,000, mainly Ethiopians, illegal migrants in the country and further revealed it only recognized 1,772 Ethiopians as genuine refugees. In 2006 Somaliland informed UNHCR that it was no longer open to refugees or asylum seekers.
Ethiopian refugees in the country deny that they are economic migrants. They argue that they are instead fleeing starvation,forced labor, torture and political persecution in their native land.
Since the government announced its crack down on “illegal economic migrants” in early September, many Ethiopian refugees complained of discrimination, social isolation and living conditions. There have been widespread reports that many were been fired from their jobs and were forced on the streets.
Somaliland authorities say they plan to repatriate some 570 Ethiopians with the help of International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 2012. Ethiopian officials are believed to be on the ground screening these deportees to determine whether or not they are Ethiopians.
The_Emperior5 wrote:they are not ogadens they are oromos
Ogadens are called Ethiopians by Siilanyos mafia & Zenawi. But they are Somali, they look somali & they dress Somali.
Seccession land is nothing but a criminal entity. And i will be glad when we finally deal with this issue Inshallah!
Rajo or Naxaaris ma hayoon seccecionist fascists
No they are oromos Somaliland were deporting oromos the past few months not a single ogaden or Somali was deported to Ethiopia they were all oromos non of the ogadenis websites are reporting that ogadenis were deported tehy are all oromos my friend.
The_Emperior5 wrote:they are not ogadens they are oromos
Ogadens are called Ethiopians by Siilanyos mafia & Zenawi. But they are Somali, they look somali & they dress Somali.
Seccession land is nothing but a criminal entity. And i will be glad when we finally deal with this issue Inshallah!
Rajo or Naxaaris ma hayoon seccecionist fascists
No they are oromos Somaliland were deporting oromos the past few months not a single ogaden or Somali was deported to Ethiopia they were all oromos non of the ogadenis websites are reporting that ogadenis were deported tehy are all oromos my friend.
The_Emperior5 wrote:i yar sug i will show u the Somaliland interior Minister saying he is deporting oromos Ethiopians
HERE is aother Source:
Somaliland officials targeting Oromo, Ogaden and Eritrean asylum seekers
Somaliland officials are abducting and refouling Oromo, Ogaden and Eritrean asylum seekers. This is against international law as it pertains to refugees. Dr Trevor Trueman has co-ordinated a report on this matter which turns around the incident that took place late December 2011 where twenty refugees from Ethiopia were detained by Somaliland security forces.
Somaliland oo Itoobiya u soo dhiibtay qaxooti u badan Oromo
December 29, 2011
Wasaaradda Arrimaha Gudaha ee Somaliland ayaa ciidanka ammaanka ee Itoobiya u soo dhiibtay tiro qaxooti u badan Oromo, kuwaasoo muddo dheer ku noolaa magaalada Hargeysa.
Ciidanka ammaanka ee Itoobiya ayaa dhowr jeer oo hore weydiistay maamulka Somaliland soo gudbinta qaxootiga reer Itoobiya ee ku sugan Somaliland, kuwaasoo tiraddooda lagu qiyaaso illaa 500.
Codsiyadi hore ee ciidanka ammaanka ee Itoobiya ayaa la aaminsan yahay inuu hortaagnaa wasiirki hore ee Arrimaha Gudaha ee Somaliland, Dr. Maxamed Cabdi Gaboose, taasoo la rumeysan yahay inay aaqirki qeyb ka noqotay sababihi uu Gaboose shaqada ku waayey.
Bishi September 01, 2011, isla maalinti shaqada Wasaaradda Arrimaha Gudaha ee Somaliland lagu wareejiyey wasiirka haatan, Maxamed Nuur Carale, oo loo yaqaan Duur, waxey dowladda Itoobiya warqad kama danbeys ah u dirtay Wasaaradda Arrimaha Gudaha ee Somaliland, taasoo uu markiiba ballanqaaday Duur inuu fulin doono wixii ku qornaa.
Bishi September 04, 2011, wuxuu Wasiir Ku-xigeenka Arrimaha Gudaha ee Somaliland, Cusman Garaad Soofe, ku dhawaaqey inay Somaliland diyaar u tahay inay ciidamada ammaanka ee Itoobiya u gudbiso guud ahaan qaxootiga reer Itoobiya ee ku sugan Somaliland.
Ballanqaadyo iyo hadal warbaahinta la siiyo mooyee, majirin wax la taaban karo oo ay Somaliland ka qabatay codsiyadi kaga yimid ciidanka ammaanka ee Itoobiya, waxaana cad inuu wali jiro madmadowgi soo kala dhexgalay xidhiidhka labada dhinac marki talada awoodda Somaliland uu la wareegay madaxweynaha haatan, Axmed Maxamed Siilaanyo.
Dowladda Itoobiya ayaan hubin jahada siyaasaddeed ee Siilaanyo. Madaxweyne Siilaanyo ayaa booqashadiisi ugu horreysay ee uu dibadda uga baxo Somaliland, kadib marki loo doortay xilka madaxweyne, wuxuu ku tagay dalka Jabuuti, iyadoo hogaamiyayaashi hore ee Somaliland ay horta booqan jireen Itoobiya.
Dowladda dhexe Itoobiya ayaa aaminsan inay suurogal tahay in qaxootiga tirada badan ee ku sugan Somaliland ay ka dhex kaluumeysan karaan jabhadaha diidan jiritaankeeda, kuwaasoo dhalinyaro badan horrey uga ka xaystay qaxootiga reer Itoobiya ee ku sugan dalalka Sudan iyo Jabuuti.
Tirada qaxootiga ay hadda soo dhiibtay Somaliland ayaa la filayaa inay noqoto wajiga koowaad ee howsha soo dhiibitaanka guud ahaan qaxootiga reer Itoobiya ee ku sugan Hargeysa, taasoo ka koobnaan doonta dhowr waji.
Oromia-Somaliland: The Frustrating Situation of Refugees in Somaliland
November 13, 2011 at 3:07 pm · Gadaa.com
The following statement is the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA).
November 12, 2011
HRLHA Appeal and Urgent Action
Your Excellency, Mr. Ahmed Mohamed Mohamoud,
President of the Republic of Somaliland.
Dear Honorable President,
First of all, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) would like to express its appreciation to the people of the Republic of Somaliland, and to its government for their hospitality and kindness towards thousands of refugees who have fled their homes to escaped government persecutions in Ethiopia, Eritrea and other neighboring countries, and now living in Somaliland.
However, what has been happening to refugees in Somaliland over the past two and three weeks is contrary to the expectations of the HRLHA and those of international communities.
According to information obtained by HRLHA through its correspondents in Hargeisa, Somaliland, the refugees in the country, most of whom are from Ethiopia, have been subjected to different kinds of harassment and intimidation in a very unsafe situation. According those reports, the refugees have been (and are being) indiscriminately evicted from their rented temporary shelters; and, as a result, more than 700 refugees have been forced to live on the streets. They are temporarily gathered at a place known as the Social Welfare Centre near the UNHCR office in Hargeisa. At this place, only those who could afford to buy, are using tents while those, who could not, are living in open air. Confiscations of properties, documents in particular, take place along with kidnappings at their temporary shelters on the streets.
The refugees uniformly claim that their tenants told them that the evictions were on the order of the government of the Somaliland. Making their situations worse, those refugees have been denied any kind of accommodation and help from the local UNHCR office. The refugees add that they were told by the local UNHCR office that they will not get any help or support from the office unless and until they go back to their shelters (rented place), which is where they have been evicted from, and have been told they were not welcome back. The refugees also say that the local UNHCR office is aware of this situation. However, it has been difficult for the HRLHA to confirm this complaint with the local UNHCR office.
A very young child has died as a result of this unfriendly situation in which the refugees are; and, according to those refugees, more lives might have been lost especially due to lack of basic needs, such as food and water, had it not been for the some kinds of humanitarian gestures from local people.
The other frustrating situation is that there have been two very recent cases of kidnappings and disappearances by whom were described as armed agents of the Ethiopian Government. HRLHA has confirmed that, in the first case of kidnapping, which took place during the first week of this month (November 3 – 4, 2011), four refugees (all of whom were Oromo nationals from Ethiopia), have been kidnapped and taken away to currently unknown destination, but believed to be taken back to Ethiopia. They were Shek Abdurrahman Qabatoo, Mr. Riyaad Kamal, Mr. Ali Dabbal, and another refugee who was with Shek Abdurrahman at the moment. In the second case of kidnapping and disappearance, which happened on the 10th of November 2011, two other refugees, namely, Mr. Abdushukuur Mahammad (RF/06/055), and Mr. Hassan-nuur Mahammad Suleeyman (REC /361/08) have become victims of this illegal action; while a refugee named Mohammed Bushura Gurrachaa escaped the kidnapping by running away from the site. The hunting and attempts of kidnapping the refugees have continued even while this urgent action is being compiled. Originally, the refugees were targeted at their rented places of stay; and now (after evictions) at the Social welfare Centre near the UNHCR office in Hargeisa.
According to eye witnesses, the armed team/group that is engaged in hunting and kidnapping the refugees drives around in a truck, approaches specific individuals it has targeted, or picks randomly, forces them onto the track, and drive away without any interference from the local government, or any other party. The fact that the vehicles were supplied by the local government makes the whole operation look like a joint work of the governments of Ethiopian and the Somaliland. It is important, here, to remind each other that such incidents and experiences of refugees are happening repeatedly; and that, in most cases, (as hinted at above through the UNHCR reference numbers provided) the victims of such illegal actions are refugees who are already under the UNHCR mandate.
Mr. President, even if those refugees are not protected by the UN mandate, what is happening to them is blatantly in breach of the 1951 International Refugee Convention. In this (1951) document, it is stated that:
“No Contracting State shall expel or return (“refouler”) a refugee in any manner whatsoever to the frontiers where his/her life or freedom would be threatened on account of his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
The overall situations taken into consideration, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) is highly concerned about the safety and well-being of hundreds of those refugees who are now in a socially, economically, and politically unfriendly environment in Somaliland.
So, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) requests the government of the Somaliland to make efforts to honour both its local and international obligations, and ensure the safety of people within its jurisdiction. We specifically request that the Somaliland Government prevent such illegal actions as kidnapping from happening to innocent and defenseless people, and refrain from sending refugees back to a country that they fled because their lives were at risk.
Also, the Human Rights League of the Horn of Africa (HRLHA) calls upon regional and international humanitarian and diplomatic communities to join us in making and sending these requests to the government of Somaliland.
The HRLHA is a non-political organization which attempts to challenge abuses of human rights of the people of various nations and nationalities in the Horn of Africa. It works on defending fundamental human rights, including freedoms of thought, expression, movement and association. It also works on raising the awareness of individuals about their own basic human rights and that of others. It encourages the observances as well as due processes of law. It promotes the growth and development of free and vigorous civil societies.
Saaxib you can post whatever you want. NONE of the two articles says it does NOT deport Ogadens
Wallahi i feel sorry for Siilanyo and his little whore group. Shame on those people that support sending somalis to torture camps. May the fake seccecionists fall.
You call it Calacaal, i call it tradegy. That is the difference between us 2. Your a sick qabilist. Women & children will probably be raped by tigray soldier, yet siilanyo was probably smiling when he handed them over to Galoo madow whom they escaped from in the beggining.
What's the problem? aren't the Ogadens in charge of their destiny in Ethiopia? what is the problem with handing a couple of Ogadens back to Ogaden control on an official request made by an Ogaden regional administration ? With these dooros , if you do everything they ask you , they'll still blame you for something .
