Four ethnic Amharas were killed and forty injured in Dodola district, west Arsi zone on Wednesday and Thursday, following unrest caused by tensions between security forces and influential journalist and activist Jawar Mohammed, local authorities and residents said. Though the unrest was sparked because of anger at the federal government for the alleged threat posed against Jawar, attacks have taken ethnic and religious turn in some areas. Residents said that armed youth from the surrounding areas of Dodola described as Quero stormed the town and torched homes and properties owned by the Amhara ethnic groups, predominately Orthodox Christians. A student by the name Zinabu was attacked and killed in his own house on Wednesday, a resident of Dodola told VOA Amharic. Many Amharas later fled to Kidane Mehre Church located in the outskirts of the town, seeking for shelter, according to the resident. A grenade was thrown at the church several hours later, injuring dozens, the resident said. “The injured were transported to the hospital on the following day, after army members assured us that things were back to normal. But just before arriving in hospital, a mob stopped the vehicle and brutally killed three of the injured,” one resident told VOA. Sajin Hajii, the Dodola security head acknowledged the deaths in an interview with VOA on Thursday night. He said the incident occurred on Wednesday after supporters of Jawar made rallies in the town, and things unexpectedly spilled into conflict between the Oromo and Amhara youths. “Then burning houses were started around two in the afternoon, and we tried to intervene. But it continued till evening,” he said. The security head confirmed about the deaths in the vehicle, saying one was found dead on the spot and two others died in hospital.
There are also reports that that non-Oromos had been attacked, with their properties looted and burned in Dire Dawa, Harar, and Hammarressa.
Image: Supporters of Jawar Mohammed outside his home in Addis Ababa after he accused security forces of trying to orchestrate an attack against him. AFP.
https://www.change.org/p/u-s-senate-people-of-ethiopia-requesting-extradition-of-hate-preacher-jawar-mohammed-from-the-u-s?recruiter=945329029&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=psf_combo_share_initial&recruited_by_id=5e7dbd30-4f1f-11e9-822e-29adb087d8cc&utm_content=fht-13047164-en-gb%3Av5
The situation in Ethiopia is alarming. We are perched on the precipice of civil war. Unless the international community acts, the country can slide into a civil war and genocide which the world has never seen before, worse than the interhamwe in Ruwanda
I felt a deep sorrow for what happened on my Ethiopian sisters and brothers. I aske all Ethiopian to condem killing each other. We Ethiopian are born in either Oromo, Amhara or Tiry family not on our own will. Why then my honest brothers and sisters keep on losing their only soul?
Please stop killing each other!
Stop fueling the killing of my brothers and sisters!
Stop playing political games on my family’s life!
For those who lost their lives, may their soul rest in peace.
No one wins by killing.
Yes, this is shame if true. Why don’t you also report the killings that was committed by Amhara youth in many places in Oromia. For instance, in Hedama (AKA named Nazereth by Amhar) a mosque was destroyed many innocent Oromos were killed and properties were burnt.
Doesn’t seem true real journalism doesn’t take place in oromia region as journalists shy away from the facts.
Your Reporting is extremely biased and absoulute ethno nationalist garbage I do not belong to either group but I have seen destruction on both sides. I have been a visitor to the three metioned towns namely Adama, Robe and Dodala for the last three days and I am stuck in one of the town due to security concerns. Please do not make a religious issue to advance your course. The so called upper class people have always used poor people for their own greed and ethnic prejudices, it has nothing to do with religion it has everything to do with hatred created by people at the top from both sides. It has everything to do with so called activists from both sides. They use uneducated and less privileged to advance their twisted ideology. Many innocent lives have been lost . So sad ! ! ! . Keep up with your nonesence one sided amhara nationalism and we will see how far you can go. The distraction of the country will affect all. GOD FOBBID.
Dear EO,
I sent in two comments, one in response to Tariku Moges, and another for general readership. I hope you are not into censoring. I always took you as an exception to Ethiopian journalistic reality!
Dear Alem, I have not received those two comments. Please feel free to repost them.
Unfortunately, I don’t keep copies of my comments.
I am sure they are in your spam box.
Thanks a lot for the good work.
You may delete the back and forth unless you think
they are useful to the public.
This is rather a sinister development. It is rather like people who have been swindled giggling by a charming con man. One sees the country like a leaf caught in a high wind with the hooligans on the rampage killing defenseless people. All along, The so called “Federal police” ambled with suprem indifference hands in his pocket walked away without helping the crime victims. What kind of social fabric produce these kind of people? Can some body stops them? Why all this undisguised hostility after Weyane fretfully retreated to Mekale? Who has the magic wand to control this political crime that is going on for almost a year. There should be people like Reeyot Alemu and Mustafa Omar to come forward and take the helm of the country. It is kind of hard to put on anything over me. I am impressed by what they are doing for their country. Best of all, these two individuals have unimpeachable integrity which is in short supply now a days. All one can see is a thirst for power, particularly, by the diaspora community, Who wants to retire amid red roses in full moon. When in fact, the community is like a cat and a dog affray , given the history of the churches and the sport community in the US, not to mention, the scandalous story in UK. In a country like, Ethiopia people should emphasize what unites them rather than what divides them..
With due consideration.
Oromos drunk with hatred and persecution complex are brutally attacking Amhara civilians who have not had any political power for the past 30 years, and don’t have any now. Amharas are accused and attacked for anything and everything under the sun, for their language, their flag, their history, their very existence. A stupid Oromo prime minister threatens Jawar Mohammed and who do the Oromo youth blame? Amharas. Wait until they turn on each other, the Oromos, because hatred is a two edged sword. Pretty soon the name Oromo will be as hated internationally as the word HUTU.