Press Release by PAFD Executive Committee

The Collaboration Of GPLM’s Disgraced Member With TPLF Never Hinder Its Struggle For The Rights Of Gambella People.

The Gambella Peoples’ Liberation Movement (GPLM), one of the founding members of the ‘Peoples’ Alliance for freedom and Democracy’ (PAFD), remains fighting for the freedom and self-determination of its people for several decades. With the PAFD, the GPLM is also the component of an ongoing struggle for the freedom and self-determination of the wider peoples of the country.

Since the TPLF regime assumed power in mid-1991, the Gambella people as the rest peoples of the country is subjected to ongoing state-terrorism. Moreover, the harrowing suffering of the Gambella people during the brutal genocide committed against them by the TPLF’s regime between 13 and 16 of December 2003, reverberates in the psyches of every person in Ethiopia. During the indicated genocide, the TPLF’s army has premediated and mercilessly massacred over 424 confirmed Anuaks within couple of days. Additionally, more than anywhere else in Ethiopia, the TPLF’s politicians and generals have expropriated over 65% of Gambella landmass for their benefits; by displacing the Gambella people who are, as the rest displaced peoples of Oromia, Ogaden Somali, Sidama, Amhara, and many others, is left destitute without hope.

Furthermore, the magnitude of the subjugation and suffering of Gambella people is multifaceted. This involves the aggression of foreign raiders from South Sudan, who have repeatedly abducted hundreds of Gambella children, whilst the TPLF regime remain oblivious doing little or nothing. To date, there are hundreds of Gambella children unaccounted for; and hundreds of Gambella parents are crying for justice asking the TPLF’s regime to do more to bring back their abducted children who could be potentially sold to a slavery by Sudanese raiders. The TPLF’s government repeatedly downplayed the occurrences of the indicated incidents and, at times claimed that it is doing enough. The fact on the ground reveal that, the TPLF’s regime instead, is focused on land grab and expropriation of the entire resources of the region than caring for its legitimate owners. We believe that, the TPLF’s silence could be linked to its biggest objective of creating the ‘Greatest Tigray’ by slicing and taking portions of land from Amhara, Oromoia, Gambella and Benshagul regions to annex it with Tigray.

While the Gambella people is suffering under the current TPLF’s regime, our GPLM comrades, in their recent Press Release categorically condemned the reckless actions of Mr. Mudgoy Bare, a self-appointed leader of his imaginary, non-existent GPLM. The indicated, disgraced former GPLM member of leadership has been dismissed by an existing GPLM due to his inappropriate behaviour, corruption and embezzlement, in 2014. Following his dismissal, he has been arrested in a military camp as punishment for his out of character actions. Few months after his arrest, however, he managed to slip through the security systems to scape and subsequently flee to Uganda. Meanwhile, whilst in Uganda, he recently claimed that, he is a leader of the GPLM, hence arranged to sign bogus agreement with the TPLF’s regime through its Ugandan embassy. The TPLF regime, desperate to claim that opposition groups are joining it, didn’t waste time to take him to South Sudan and then to Ethiopia to confuse our Gambella comrades. It must be unambiguously clear that, this individual has no stake in the GPLM leadership since he has been dismissed in 2014.

Therefore, finally, we urge the traitor to unconditionally refrain from his poisonous claims and treacherous behaviour. Although he is a disgraced individual who has nothing to do with GPLM, besides, his maliciously TPLF masterminded actions potentially misled the uninformed minority. Therefore, we urge on behalf our member, legitimate GPLM, to exercise utmost precaution not to be misled by this worst quisling of the nation. Furthermore, we also urge, the Gambella people and our partners to understand that his pretence to be a leader of GPLM, and alliance with the TPLF regime is a simple farce which doesn’t take both parts an inch forward. The PAFD will continue with its struggle until our peoples assert their unalienable rights to freedom, liberty and self-determination.

Freedom, Democracy and Equality for all peoples of Ethiopia!

Executive Committee of the PAFD
November 10, 2017