Madam President, Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Sharmarke DHAXIIR a representative of the
Ogaden Youth and Students Union.
The Ogaden Youth whom I'm representing have suffered many atrocitiesat the hands of Ethiopian
focrces and government policies. First militia enrollment under hte control of the Ethiopian army, lack of
education and job opportunities, torturing an unlawful prison, [...] of all rape and [...], public killing has
become a common phenomenon in the Ogaden region. As widely known Ehtiopia has been suppressing
freedom of speech and expression and the Ogaden youth are the major sufferers in those oppressions.
In this generation where social media has become a necessity, minority youths in the Ogaden and
Ethiopia at large risk jail time for using applications such as Skype.
Therefore us as the Ogaden Youth and Students Organisation, we are urging and humbly requesting the
international community, the UN, human rights and humaitarian agencies including this forum to take
interest in the dyre situation of the Ogaden and take responsibility and put pressure on the Ethiopia to
open up the Ogaden region so that the civilians caught in the fire between the government and the rebel
forces can be helped, and the right to live in dignity be respected. Help with the funding of youth groups
who are taking the risk of facing the government and championing the rights of the minority youth
promote the importance of humanitarian and international aid agencies, and penetrating the Ethiopian aid
economic blockage and create a platform where Ogaden Somali minorities can express their demands
and fight for theigh rights. Promote intolerance and dialogue between the Ethiopian government and the
local Ogaden community is inevitable hence urging the international community to advocate for those
talks and dialogues, at this point we believe that the people of Ogaden who are minority in Ethiopia will
live a dignified life with their rights respected as accordance to the Ethiopian constitution that they have
written.
Thank you very much, Ladies and gentlement and thank you for your attention.