Ethiopian security forces opened fire on civilians at a market in Dembi Dolo, a town 450 kilometres south-west of Addis Ababa, of Oromia Regional State on Saturday, February 24. One person died and multiple people were injured, the Voice of America’s Amharic service reported.
The incident happened when four members of an organizing committee for a previously permitted evangelical religious conference set for March 2 were circulating on a vehicle to spread the word and promote the event. Dawit Bekele, one of the organizers, told VOA that such promotions already started a week ago, with no particular incident. However, on Saturday afternoon, he said, the federal army forces stopped them in the city’s weekly market and told them gatherings of any kind are forbidden under the state of emergency. Dawit said he and his friends explained they have been issued the appropriate municipality permit and the work has been in progress for the past three months. “But the soldiers would not listen, instead trying to force us into a military camion, for which we refused. One of our members was arrested, while the three of us ran away,” Dawit said. The incident caused a showdown between the soldiers and town’s people who some of them started shouting slogans. And the army started attacking the crowd, shooting indiscriminately, Dawit said. The confrontation left thirteen wounded and one died, he said. Daniel Reda the town’s municipality office head confirmed the report, saying that he himself handed down the permit for the conference and the situation is tragic and unjustified.
In a related news, tension is still high in Nekemte town, after security forces blocked leaders of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), including Chairman Merera Gudina from the entering the town on Sunday. The town’s people were waiting to give them a warm welcome but disappointed and angered when they were made to return, witnesses said. Government offices and commercial businesses have been closed since yesterday and a witness described the presence of heavily armed troops moving around the town.