The death toll has risen to 34 following unrest and violent protests in the southern region of Sidama Zone, residents and the Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM) representative told Deutsche Welle’s Amharic service. A witness told DW 14 persons have been killed by the federal police in Hagere Selam town of Hula woreda on Friday 4:00 PM. The witness was quoted as saying that the protesters who headed to meet the federal police to present their complaints about the killing of a young man a day before were met instead by gunfire. “Most of the protesters were young people, around ten of them fell down immediately. Certain among them were heavily injured. Though they were taken to Hula Hospital immediately, 14 of them died there,” he said.
DW said efforts to reach officials of Hagere Selam were not successful but the secretary of SLM, Legese Lankamo said that 18 people confirmed died in Hula woreda. He also said from the information they gathered so far, the number of people died at three different towns has reached 34. “12 of them were killed in Melga. There are also many injured there, whose numbers we are not sure yet. Four had died in Hawassa itself, as it was confirmed by the region’s owned television station. We have not yet a concrete number of people who died in Yirga Alem, Leku and Aleta Wondo,” he was quoted as saying. BBC Amharic reported that three other persons were killed in Wondo Genet town on July 19, citing the mayor of the city, making the death toll even higher.
Ethnic-based attacks and lootings
Major towns and villages across Sidama Zone have experienced unrest and widespread violent protests in the past five days, in relation to the demand for the autonomous region for Sidama ethnic group. The electoral board issued a statement saying it will hold the referendum to decide on the Zon’s quest for statehood but that has not prevented the deadly violence as Sidama activists felt it came too late.
Non-Sidama ethnic communities were targeted, houses and government buildings burned, shops looted by an organized group, in the attacks that were mainly carried out on ethnic-lines. Three Orthodox churches were destroyed in Hagere Selam, a priest told the region’s broadcaster. Vehicles belonging to Yirga Alem town’s administration are burned. A flour factory is also burned because it belonged to a person who originally came from another region.
Aregash Lodge, a popular tourist destination located in the outskirts of Yirga Alem town, was also targeted. Two vehicles belonging the Lodge and another one to a client have been torched, a management staff told Ethiopia Observer. However, no rooms had been affected by fire but there have been lootings in almost of the tukuls, which they have reported to police, the staff said.
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