"Sugar, Land Grabs and Human Rights" 30 September 2014

The semi-nomadic [Mursi] population has lived on the lands of Omo for as long as they can remember, and now the government is forcing them to move out so they can build a giant sugar plantation. According to the government, the state plan is to “house them in new villages in exchange for their compliant departure” and that “the Mursi, like a growing number of ethnic or tribal groups in Ethiopia, are voluntarily moving out of their ancient lands.” Locals and human rights groups say otherwise. It seems as if the real story involved police raping women and pressuring locals to leave Omo...To make matters worse, Omo could expect to see an influx of about 700,000 migrants to work on the sugar plantations. Imagine how this could affect Mursi culture and women?...Because of the Mursi women’s role in their ethnic group, they are often out tending to crops, collecting water and firewood, and other materials for cooking. This puts them in a vulnerable position for unexpected rape by military forces and migrants, since they are often targeted while they are away from the home...So far, five sugar factories have been built in South Omo and the government boasts of the 6,695 new jobs created for the “local community” to contribute to their economy.