It's the Land of Chowie isn't?

 Anyuawa, constructed Gambella! Yes, it’s. Gambella belongs to Anyuawa without a doubt. There are many people from near and far who admire it. In their lands, they wish to know more about it. Their ears are filled with the sounds of its riches, plenty, and of the abundance of resources, and they want to be a part of it. They wonder why Gambellian, look so polished, elegant, bright, educated, sophisticated, and speak world languages. In the Anyuawa, country a friend told me his village boys are dying to be part of Gambella. They called "Pany" the center of the Anyuawa people development, perhaps one would say the New York of Anyuawa. Others feel left out if they don't live there; it is their home. For them, other places are local. As one man put it, it is a city worth visiting again and again before dying. Gambella, however, has undergone a great deal of seismic demographic, political, economic, social, and cultural change, and it no longer works for anyone, let alone the natives. Today, Gambella has lost its mosaic culture of living together side by side in harmony. It's become a center of tribal politics. Throughout the City, there are divisions based on race, ethnicity, and tribality. It's difficult to avoid territorial tribal gangs, one must be careful which neighborhood you cross. Gambella is one of the few remaining free states in Ethiopia not infected by Bantustannism, of the political division of Ethiopia. In addition to refugees from South Sudan, other nationalities have gone there, and they all had one thing in common: they were social, cultural, economic, and political refugees; Gambella saved their lives. We have not claimed anything from them. Neither also did we know their countries whereabouts. Our interaction with them have been one way since the encountering. Gambellian, culture welcomes foreigners with open arms and share its cultural- economic development with them. And we too have gained some beneficial insights from their culture. Gambellian, have not shied away from sharing their knowledge and skills even though they had little to lose. Our land has hosted thousands of migrants since decolonization, many of them have not returned, and hundreds have changed themselves into members of our society. The problem is they refused to be assimilated, lived the same as they came in from their country. And our understanding is that when foreigners have been allowed to stay longer than they are wanted, there is no doubt that they tend to develop troubling politics. That's what the Gambella people, facing now with political refugees aiming to destroy the Gambellian, who have made them walk?  The fact that some of the refugees had not appreciated the work we had done for them, it is sad to think of caring for anyone anymore. No wonder some people in the Western societies prefer to help dogs over humans since dogs don't bite people who feed them. And the grim experiences with the refugees of any kind were being expressed with the disappointment, with the idiomatic saying "Tang de dou deer", which means, "I wish the animal I missed killing had returned if I hadn't permitted it." But despite the grim withdrawal Anyuawa, have experienced from accepting strangers, the Anyuawa of Gambella have fulfilled their international obligation to help humanity. Gambella, has been a free state where all the nationalities found in Ethiopia have prospered and developed, regardless of ethnicity or creed. In other states, no one is accommodated, that's the reality. Gambella welcomes all, rich or poor, provided they obey the lawful order to live among the Gambellian. There should be no exceptions to the rules that create a peaceful territorial coexistence. If some of them do not wish to pursue a civilized life, they must go to the door which is wide and open to them. Thus, they do not belong to our family, they can leave peacefully, but they must not disrupt others who live in harmony and peace. Gabeto! In the land of Chowie, those who enter must first understand that it is the land of "Chowie" and blessed are those who respect the law. Any person who dreams of destroying anything in the land of Chowie will be destroyed first; those who aim with devil spears will be struck by thunder, of our Gods. A punishment shall be meted out first to its wrongdoers, who hoped to ruin it. Our history validates historical resolves against demon-spirited elements that have ravaged our country. In all cases, they were defeated, destroyed, and blown back to where they came from by the fury of our land. The land of Chowie shall not be inhabited by those possessed with the devil spirit.   

Glory be to Gambella!!  

 The author of the article is Namphili Otho Gilo. He can be reached at amhare14@gmail.com.