Somalia: Allied forces snatch weapons as hunting down Oromo people continues

January 14, 2007 - Mohamed Abdi Farah (SomaliNet) Security forces in Somalia capital Mogadishu along with the Ethiopian troops began Saturday house-to-house searching operation to seize all weapons from the suspected areas in the city. Yesterday morning the interim government troops backed by the Ethiopian forces searched several houses in Bulo-Hubey county of Wadir district in southwest of Mogadishu where they confiscated small arms. The Ethiopians, who have been conducting hunting down the Oromo nationals, arrested four more men from Bulo-Hubey area and taken to unknown location in the capital. Mohamud Sheik Hassan, the chairman of the Oromo refugees in Somalia condemned the action in which the Ethiopian forces kidnapped the Oromo men as beyond humanity. “I am asserting that the arrested Oromo men were innocents and refugees in Somalia for long a time. They were not involved in criminal action so it is surprise that the Ethiopians together with Somalia forces are hunting down the name of Oromo people,” said Sheik Hassan. “I see no reason to arrest them in anyway they are refugees,” Hassan has cast a strong criticism on the Somalia people for ignoring the rights of the Oromo people in their country. “I am blaming the Somali people on that they are watching us helplessly because we Oromo people have rights in this country since we lived here for more than thirty years and came in Somalia through legal way... now are the Somali pleasant that we are hunted as Oromo? That is inhumanity and shame on Somalis,” he said angrily. “We deserve to be protected since we have been refugees in Somalia for a long time did nothing wrong,” Sheik Hassan, the Oromo refugees chairman in Somalia who is in Mogadishu, appealed to the transitional federal government to stop targeting the Oromo people. “Your responsibility is not to kill us but to help us since we are under you refuge,” he said. “The name of Oroma should not be contraband inside Somalia. If this continues it would have impact on the Somalis in Oromia in Ethiopia,” He also urged the international community to help the Oromo refugees in Somalia out of the problem. “I particularly ask the Oromo communities in the world to give hand to their people suffering in Somalia,” Last week, a man of Oromo national has been killed and 16 others were arrested by the allied forces of Somalia and Ethiopia in Jowhar city some 90km north of the capital. At least 40 Oromo men are now being held in Mogadishu by the Ethiopian forces, Hassan said. Elsewhere in the capital a bomb explosion happened overnight in front of Lafa-weyn Hotel in north of the capital when unknown gunmen attacked the hotel and then the government forces repelled them. No casualty has been reported there. The government officials said the security have arrested several suspect men for the latest attack and will be punished if they are convicted on the guilty.