Ethiopian Women For Peace And Democracy (EWPD) Founded on September 15, 1986 in Dallas Texas P.O. Box 860374 Plano, Texas U.S.A. Phone # 972-517-0916 Petition on behalf of Ethiopian Farmers Prisoners in Sudan May 24, 2008 TO: His Excellency President Omar Al Bashir, Mr. President, We, the undersigned, petition the Government of Sudan to free Ethiopian farmers from its prisons in Sudan. We, Ethiopians in the Diaspora, are saddened to learn that Sudanese soldiers have taken our land and taken brutal action against Ethiopian farmers who occupy said land. More than 35 Ethiopian farmers, including their young children, have been kidnapped and taken to prison from Northern Ethiopia (Gondar, Quara, and Arma Choho) by the Sudanese solders. Some even killed. The farmers are sentenced by Sudan's court to serve from 1 to 2 years in jail and to pay fines for resisting the Sudanies soldersâ from taking their land. Voice of America has interviewed the helpless prisoners' advocates and eye witnesses in Sudan. The farmers' villages were burned, as seen on international media and web cites. This brutal action against Ethiopian brother and sisters is not acceptable. Finally your Excellency, President Omar Al Bashir, we are asking you for the immediate withdrawal of the Sudanese army from Ethiopian land and the unconditional release of the Ethiopian farmers abducted by Sudanese soldiers and taken to the Sudan. We are asking support from the UN, United States, and the international community to help us free our people from Sudanese prison and with the immediate withdrawal of President Omar Al Bashirâs solders from Northern Gonder, Ethiopian. On October 2, 1935 there was little reaction from the world when Italy invaded Ethiopia. We hope that the UN will not repeat the same mistakes that were made by the League of Nations then, which became directly responsible for the break down of the League to Ethiopia and Italy, European countries were the signatory to the covenant of the League. Ethiopia was one of the founders of the UN in which Sudan is a now a member of. On behalf of Ethiopian farmers prisoners and EWPD, Yeharerwerk Gashaw Chairperson