Situation Report of
Dispersal Operation From Dolo
October 1994
Frederic Vigneau & Asgedom Z/Michael
Orientation of the Technical Implementation Group
Attempt convoys to El'Madu
The Dolo dispersal programme officially recommenced from 1 October, continuing the operation with five shorthaul trucks instead of the initial 15. The Technical Implementation Group (TIG) faced some difficulties with the Dolo adminstration releasing the 10 trucks due for return to Addis, as the administration refused to allow the vehicles to leave the GTZ/TOR compound. Therefore, the trucks left to Addis Ababa only between 11-12 October 1994.
On 14 October, the TIG arranged a convoy to El'Madu with the five remaining trucks, carrying a total of 90 people. Unfortunatly, as the convoy reached Cheritti, it was observed that the Weib river was flooded and impassable. Consequently, the population, together with 8 tons of wheat and 425 kilograms of CSB, were left in Cheritti. The dispersees were told that they would be transported to El'Madu as soon as it is possible to cross the river.
Following radio contact with MSF Holland based in Cheritti on 17 October, informing of the possibility to cross the Weib river, the TIG organized a second convoy to El'Madu. This convoy would transport a total of 179 remaining displaced persons from Dolo. The amount of food to be transported with this group (wheat and CSB) was calculated in correspondence to the total number of people being transported, complementing the previous ration of three days ago.
The second trip did not prove to be more successful than the first. Approximately 50 kms from Dolo, past the Koley bridge, the progress of the convoy slowed down due to heavy rains, to the point that it was possible to travel only 10 kms within an eight hour period. The convoy had to return to Dolo the following morning. In Dolo, 174 bags of CSB were given to each individual as compensation by the RRC.
Ginnir/Imi assessment mission
Previous experience in reintegration areas which have little to offer in terms of rehabilitation programmes shows that the only incentive for the dispersees to move to these areas is the provision of six months' food rations. The TIG decided to start transporting a group of dispersees who had shown serious interest in being moved to Ginnir and Imi.
Other than bad weather conditions, the possibility of land mines on the road between El' Kere and Imi was a risk to consider. The TIG, therefore, decided to dispatch a mission to assess the possibility of transporting the dispersees using a longer route ( approximately 1,000 kms) through the Bale mountains, across to Ginnir and Imi via Negelle. Two vehicles were sent in this mission, one from ARRA and one from UN-EUE (see annex 1).
The assessment team was comprised of the following members:
- Ato Bizuayehu Kebede RRC
- Ato Girmaye Bedasso ARRA
(*Departed to Addis Ababa on Monday, 24 October
for an official meeting, with the ARRA vehicle)
- Ato Mohammed Yero RRC Liben Zone
(*Departed to Dire Dawa on Wednesday 26, October,
with the RRC plane for an official meeting)
- Frederic Vigneau EUE
The following TIG members remaining in Dolo to organize the convoy:
- Ato Ephreme Kassyae HCR
- Ato Ibrahim Abdul Kadhir Region 5 Admistration
(*Departed to Gode on Sunday 23 October,
with a vehicle from the administration
for an official meeting)
- Ato Teshome TOR/GTZ
- Ato Mohammed Tessema EPRDF
- Ato Asgedom Z/Michael EUE
- Ato Oummar Imi District Administrator
(*Departed to Gode on Sunday 23 October,
with a vehicle from the administration
for an official meeting)
The assessment team left Dolo Odo on Friday, 21 October and arrived in Ginnir on Sunday evening, 23 October. The mission assessed the road condition, met with administrations officials in Dolo Mena, Goba/Robe and Ginnir, identified possible transit points for stopovers at night, and obtained information on the general security situation in the area from different sources, including the EPRDF.
Following the undertaking of these tasks, the assessment team informed the TIG members in Dolo that the convoys could proceed. Also, during a radio contact with the TIG members on Monday morning, the team provided recommendations regarding necesary measures needed to be taken while crossing the Bale mountains (i.e. preparation against the cold weather, additionnal transit food, additional fuel etc).
Convoy itinerary
The convoy left Dolo Odo on Wednesday, 26 October 1994 at 10 a.m. (see annex 2) with 145 people (38 people to Ginnir and 107 to Imi).
DATE LOCATION DEPARTURE DESTIN. ARRIVING KLMS
TIME TIME
WED. 26 DOLO-ODO 10.00 AM FILTU 6.00 PM 220
THU. 27 FILTU 6.00 AM GENALE 7.00 PM 195
FRI. 28 GENALE 5.00 AM GOBA 11.00 PM 210
SAT. 29 GOBA/ROBE 1.30 PM DEMBLE 7.00 PM 40
SUN. 30 DEMBLE 6.00 AM GINNIR 2.00 PM 100
MON. 31 GINNIR 6.00 AM IMI 7.30 PM 210
---
975
Note: The convoy travelled for a total of six days, including five days in heavy rainfall and 36 hours none-stop.
Transit food
Details of the transit food which was allocated to Ginnir/Imi:
- 300 kgs of CSB
- 200 kgs of sugar
- 10 boxes of SCF biscuits
- 30 boxes of UNICEF biscuits
- 5 goats
- 100 litres of camel milk
- 140 blankets
- 1 set of medical supplies for each destinaton, handed over to the local administration and health department (annex 3).
Human resources
- 2 health assistants
- 2 supporting officers
- 4 EPRDF soldiers from Amino and 6 from Ginnir to IMi
Vehicles
- 5 GTZ/TOR short haul trucks
- 3 light vehicles (UNHCR, EUE, GTZ)
- 1,400 litres of fuel (although a total of 3,000 litres of fuel had been requested for the vehicles in order to enable them to make a round trip journey)
Update on the movement of Dispersees from Dolo Odo
DATE DEST. FAMILY TOTAL CHIL D WHEAT CSB FARM TRCK TRCK GDS/FDS
HEADS PERSON < 5 (mt) (mt) TOOL PERS
09.06 123 392 35 21. 166 9 4
CHERITTI
12.06 18 46 5 2.5 18 1 1
CHERITTI
14.06 152 424 73 20.2 152 8 5
CHERITTI
20.06 141 575 77 24.9 1.0 141 8 5
CHERITTI
09.07 EL 114 287 43 25.4 1.35 114 9 5
KERE +44.6 12.5
04.09 9 26 4 1.8 2.0 9 9 5
CHERITTI
07.09 74 296 40 25.6 1.5 74 8 5
CHERITTI
20.09 EL 68 121 10 11.1 0.75 68 7 3
KERE
26.10 13 38 9 2.9 13 3 2
GINNIR IMI 46 107 20 9.1 0.40 46
0.80
0.30
14.10 * 35 90 10 8.0 0.45 35 2 3
EL'MAD
17.01** ** 68 ** 179 4.35 4 1
EL'MADU
TOTAL 793 2402 326 197.1 13.5 836 68 39
Note: * 14 October: people and food transported to Cheritte.
** 17 October: people brought back to Dolo; heads of family and total number of persons not included under "TOTAL".
Update on food stock position
Biscuits
- SCF Biscuits (600 boxes) Unicef Biscuits (500 boxes)
(received in Dolo (received in Dolo
on Mars/April/94) on 20 October/94
expiry date: Nov.94
- 8 June 1994 15 boxes
- 13 " " 20
- 18 " " 12
- 8 July 22
- 6 September 12
- 19 " " 6
- 13 October 12
- 16 October 12
- 25 October 10 25 October 30
--- ___
121 30
Balance 479 470
Location/category
WHEAT (mt) CSB (mt) TOOLS (piece)
AMINO 142.8 79.5
HARGELLE 14.O
CHERITTE 5.0 3 293
Dispersal operation: loan to the RRC to be refunded
June: 3.6 tons of wheat. Used as food for work in the cleaning of the Amino Ruball.
July: 81 tons of wheat. Obtained by the RRC as a result of pressure from the Dolo administration on ARRA and the RRC regarding drought victims and increasing number of beneficiaries in the area who need food assistance (for distribution in Dolo).
September: 13.4 tons of wheat. Provided as compensation to people who lost their housing in a fire in Dolo town.
September: 4.7 tons of wheat. Payment in-kind (instead of the initially agreed cash payment) to six guards in the Amino Ruball for the three months of June, July and August.
A total of 102.7 tons of wheat earmarked for the operation were advanced to the RRC, while between 17 and 22 October, the RRB in Dolo received an additional 140 tons of wheat for immediate distribution.
Plan of Action for November
As a result of exceptionally heavy rainfall in the Ogaden since beginning of October, starting in North Gode and spreading down south to Dolo Odo, it is currently impossible to travel through the Ogaden by road. This situation may continue for at least the next two weeks. Also, it may even take longer before vehicles can cross the Weib river from Cheritti to El' Madu. Nevertheless, finalisation of the dispersal operation in El'Madu still remains a priority as the re-integration programme has already been completed in Cheritti and El'Kere, and the areas are ready to start rehabilitation programmes.
In the meantime, with the return and full maintenance of the GTZ/TOR shorthaul trucks to Dolo, another convoy has been planned to transport dispersees to Dolo Mena, which is located approximately 160 kms north of Negelle (the distance between Dolo and Dolo Mena is 525 kms). All necessary arrangements for the convoy have been negotiated with the local administration. This operation should commence around 15 November, and involves transport of approximatively 200 people.
Annex 2 : Problems encountered with GTZ/TOR
The TIG members in Dolo received a radio message from the assessment team, informing them to proceed with the convoy on Monday morning, 24 October. Consequently, they arranged the loading of necessary items required for the trip, and informed the dispersees to dismantle their housing which was to be loaded early Tuesday. However, as the convoy was about to leave on Tuesday morning, the GTZ/TOR manager received a radio message from his head office in Addis Ababa to stop the convoy. Permission was given late in the afternoon of the same day for the convoy to start. Therefore, the convoy could only depart the following day. This delay meant that the TIG had to deal with the Somali people that day both against the sun in the daytime and at night as their houses were on the trucks.
It has to be noted that this is not the first time such an incident occurs. Other than the fact that it is highly inconvenient to delay the operation at the last moment, it is also difficult to explain to the various parties involved in the field (local administration, elders, clan leaders etc.) what is happening and why the operation has been stopped. Such circumstances could even have serious complications.
Any possibility of a disagreement between the GTZ/TOR headquarters and the UNHCR office in Addis Ababa should not involve the people in the field as instruments in resolving arising issues, and differences should be settled prior to commencement of operations. Also, as the convoy reached Negelle on Thursday morning, 26 October it was delayed again for close to six hours waiting for approval from Addis Ababa to refuel, although every detail of the operation had already been discussed and approved prior to departure from Dolo. As a result of this postponement as well as additional mechanical problems (three lorries did not have lights, and one did not have four wheel drive), it was not possible to make any transit stops and the convoy was forced to proceed directly to Goba, taking over 18 hours to reach this destination.
Editor: Ali B. Dinar, (aadinar@sas.upenn.edu)