Write a letter for the tribes of the Omo Valley

The Lower Omo River in south west Ethiopia is home to eight different tribes whose population is about 200,000. They have lived there for centuries.

However the future of these tribes lies in the balance. A massive hydro-electric dam, Gibe III, is under construction on the Omo. When completed it will destroy a fragile environment and the livelihoods of the tribes.

They have not been consulted about the dam and stand to lose their livelihoods based on the river’s natural flood.

How you can help

Write a letter to the Prime Minister of Ethiopia urging him to halt the Gibe III dam.

HE Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister
P.O. Box 1031,
Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia

May 17, 2012

Your Excellency

I am extremely concerned to learn that the Ethiopian government is leasing out large areas of tribal lands in the South Omo region to state and private companies for sugar cane, palm oil and cotton plantations, and building the Gibe 3 dam which will enable the irrigation of these plantations.

I am also concerned that government plans to resettle the tribes in large villages, where they will have no access to land to plant crops and graze their livestock.

The Ethiopian Constitution guarantees people the right to 'full consultation' about projects which affect them. Tribal peoples in the South Omo region have not been properly consulted about the plantations, the dam and villagization projects which  will destroy their their livelihoods if they go ahead.

I urge you to halt the clearing of tribal land for plantations and work on the Gibe 3 dam, unless and until complete and independent social and environmental impact studies are carried out on these projects and the tribal peoples are fully consulted. In accordance with international law and the Ethiopian constitution, these project s should only continue if and when they give their free, informed and prior consent.

Yours sincerely,

Will my letter make a difference?
Yes. Time and again, letters from Survival supporters have called governments and organisations to account. Policies have changed and lives have been saved.

Should I post, fax or e-mail?
The most powerful way is to print and post your letter. We will e-mail you a ready-to-print PDF of your letter, together with postage information.

We sometimes also publish e-mail addresses or fax numbers where there is a realistic chance of these being read. However, e-mail addresses change and fax machines get unplugged. If you can, please post your letter.

Write a letter for the tribes of the Omo Valley

1. Write your letter, then 2. Complete it and 3. Mail it

How you can help