Open Letter to His Excellency, Mr Meles Zenawi
The Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE).

26th April 2002

Subject: The Afars and Issa conflict

Dear Mr Zenawi

We are writing to express deep concern about the consequences of the present armed conflict between Afars and Issa in Afar Region of eastern Ethiopia.

We would like to inform Your Excellency that this war is not motivated by the economic or cultural considerations but merely by the territorial ambitions of Issa who wish to occupy Afarland. It is not an internal conflict between two communities of Ethiopia; rather it is an external aggression and an invasion carried out by Djibouti soldiers of Issa origin and soldiers of the Somali regime of Mogadishu in cooperation with Issa and Somali Regional State militias (Ogaden).

Trusted sources say that the Issa terrorist group has been and is still receiving financial support, training facilities, and military equipment from the tribalist undemocratic regimes of Djibouti, Iraq and Somalia and from Al Qaida and Ittihad fundamentalist organizations.

Your Excellency, the following factors are self-evidence of the Issa ambition to occupy Afarland.

  1. The map of the Somali Regional State includes big areas of Afar country.
  2. The Somali Regional State's flag is raised over all occupied areas of Afars country by the Issa
  3. Settlement in Adaytu, 'Qadaytu' Ounda Fo'ou 'Qunda foqo'Gadamaytu etc…
  4. All historical or archeological statues or properties representing Afar culture and history have been destroyed in all occupied areas.
  5. Collectively organized operations of war by Issa militia and responsible States and organizations mentioned above.
  6. The Ethiopian Somali Democratic Movement officially proclaimed the ownership of "Weeqaytu" Awash River in its economic and social programme. It says that "their whole life is generally linked with the land and to Awash, Shebelle, Wabi, Gannale, Fafam and Daaw rivers which flow over the Somali Ethiopian Territory, therefore, complete recognition must be accorded that the Ethiopian Somali territory and the rivers that flow on it are the property of the people and the right to utilize this natural wealth belongs only to the Somali peoples".
  7. Continuous acts of aggression against Afars and objection to peaceful settlement of the problem is also further evidence.

The Afars have always expressed a sincere desire for a fair pacific peaceful solution for this problem with the assistance of your government, which played a very important active role to settle it by peaceful means by offering its good offices, advice and proposals to settle this problem. But unfortunately, all these efforts, attempts and negotiations have been unsuccessful and reached a deadlock because the Issa failed to meet their obligation and respect negotiation agreements.

Recently, the Issa terrorist group committed crimes against humanity by inhuman and uncivilized treatment of innocent Afar people in different areas of Afar Region. This war has already resulted in the death of hundreds of innocent peoples, mostly elders, women and children, wanton destruction of thousands of homes, and villages, displacements of hundreds of Afar peoples, organized thefts and pillage of thousands of Afar animals (camels, cattle and goats) by the Issa.

Your Excellency, these terrorist operations are not only limited to the Afar peoples, but also reflect badly on all Ethiopian's interests and politics. These terrorist activities may lead to a very serious threat to law and order, human rights, democracy, economic and social developments of Ethiopia, friendship of all Ethiopian nationalities and peaceful conditions of the civil populations of democratic Ethiopia.

It is very important to know that political stability, peace and security of the region would be endangered if this conflict is not stopped and the Issa withdraw from Afar territory as soon as possible.

Today, the Afar peoples have no choice but to take all necessary measures to meet the danger in order to defend their land and protect themselves from this externally organized military invasion.

The action now taken by the Afars is neither a reprisal nor revenge but it is a pure self-defense based on the principle of self-defense and on Article 51 of the UN Charter. This internationally recognized right must not be denied to the Afars by anyone.

Your Excellency;

  1. We call upon the government of Ethiopia government to take necessary steps to stop this war, to withdraw the Issa from all Afar territory in order to prevent further aggression, and to restore law and order of Ethiopia and maintain peace and security in the religion.
  2. We clearly condemn the acts of war and acts of provocation committed by the Issa against Afar civil populations in their homeland.
  3. We call upon the government to condemn the unlawful acts of war committed recently by the Issa against innocent Afar populations.
  4. We demand that Issa terrorist groups cease their terrorist acts of war immediately and withdraw at once from Afarland to their traditional boundary, which originally lay 30 kilometers from the Railway.
  5. We demand that the Issa return in full all Afar animals, public and private goods or belongings pillaged forcibly.
  6. We demand that Issa leaders and the Ethiopian government bring to the Afar Criminal Court of Justice those who are responsible for crimes committed against humanity in Afarland, as currently applying by the International Criminal Tribunal to the former Yugoslavia under Articles 2, 3, and 5 of the UN.
  7. We demand that Djibouti and the Somali Regional State (Ogaden) 'Issa' pay a full compensation for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians, destruction of hundreds of homes and dislocations of hundreds of families and damage to the environment caused by their acts of aggression, and it is estimated 655 million US $ approximately.
  8. We demand that Djibouti, the Somali regime of Mogadishu and the Ittihad fundamentalist organization cease war against Afars, cease their financial and military assistance to Issa terrorists to killing Afars and destabilizing Ethiopia's political stability.
  9. We hold the Ismail Omar and Somalia regimes responsible for the consequences of their physical and material involvement in combat operations in cooperation with the Issa and breaches of international law and conventions of human rights prohibiting the illegal use of force.
  10. We demand that Mr Ismail Omar, the President of Republic of Djibouti condemn the Issa's terrorist activities in an official manner and apologize for its wrongful acts lately committed against Afars in Ethiopia.
  11. We call upon all freedom and peace-loving people of Ethiopia to stand behind Afars in this critical situation and support their legitimate right for self-defense against terrorist actions. The Afar would like to have friendly relations with all neighboring nations or nationalities of Ethiopia on the basis of equality, of mutual respect and solidarity toward in the struggle for common goods and advantages.
    12. We hope for all human societies to enjoy sharing freedom, peace and friendship instead of unjust endless conflicts.

    Yours sincerely, 

    Adan Bodaya
    Son of a former sultan of Dawe Region of Afarland (now zone 5)
    Former President of the Afar Student League in Cairo, Egypt

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