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The Mursi are one of the tribes that will be affected by plantations and the Gibe III dam.
© Magda Rakita/ Survival |
Survivalhas received disturbing reports of a crackdown on tribal people opposedto Ethiopia’s program to remove them from their lands in the Omo region and force them to resettle in villages.
The authorities have organized community meetings to inform people of their controversial plans to leaseout tribal lands to state and private companies for conversion intolarge-scale sugar cane, cotton and biofuels plantations.
After one such meeting, a group of Bodi and Chirim tribal people wereshown where they are to be resettled. However, after seeing the place,they refused to be moved. The government responded by calling on thesecurity forces to attend a follow-up meeting. When they still refusedto move, four young men were rounded up and jailed.
Some Bodi felt so intimidated that they said the government couldtake the land for sugar, because they ‘could see that death was verynear for them if they said no.’
Members of the Suri tribe have also been arrested in the town of Tumfor opposing a plantation run by a Malaysian company, which hasswallowed a large part of their land where they graze their cattle.
Many Suri say the arrests are a show of force, to intimidate theminto not opposing the plantation. ‘We lived there in peace, in the heartof Suri land, the place where all of the Suri cattle were grazingduring both the rainy and dry seasons. Now, in this place there is aplantation, owned by a rich Malaysian company.’ said one young Suri man.
‘The Malaysian investors and the government trained 130 soldiers whowere given 130 machine guns. If Suri become aggressive towards the farmsthe soldiers are to kill Suri men, our sons,’ said a Suri woman.
Meanwhile part of Mursi land has been cleared for a site to houseplantation workers, with a second camp currently under construction.Officials reportedly told the Mursi that they will soon look for Mursielders and young men who oppose the plantation plans and imprison them.
It is estimated that there are up to 200 Bodi, 28 Mursi and 20 Suri in jail.
Many now fear that the security forces may start killing people.
Up to 300,000 hectares of tribal lands and national parks have been earmarked for plantations in the Lower Omo Valley.
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Map showing state sugar cane concessions on tribal peoples' lands (click to enlarge)
© Survival |
The plantations will be viable only because the controversial Gibe III dam,currently under construction, will regulate the flow of the Omo Riverand enable irrigation of the plantations. The dam will, however, end theannual, natural flood on which all the Lower Omo Valley tribes dependto grow their crops.
One Bodi sent out this message to Survival supporters: ‘Please helpthese people. This plantations project brings these people no peace.’
Another indigenous person appealed, ‘Please stop this government from terrorizing the indigenous people.’