Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic - Following the death of a child by kidnappers in Gonder protesters who went out to denounce the act were killed by “government forces”
September 3, 2024
Following the killing of a 2 year old child by kidnappers in Gonder city in Amhara Region people who came out to the streets to protest were shot at leading to the killing of four people, residents told BBC.
Days prior, a child named Nolawit Zegeye was kidnapped and ransom was demanded and three days later was killed, after which residents of Gonder city came out in the Piassa area of the city.
One resident who spoke to BBC said residents who came out to the streets to “express their feelings” were attacked.
According to one eyewitness “people who came out to demand justice” were shot and people were killed.
“They carried the child’s body shouting ‘let our voice be heard, enough abductions in Gonder’ as they came out” said another witness adding when the protesters began returning after expressing themselves, they were shot at by forces acting under direction of government officials.
They said, “in a place where there is supposedly a government, if someone can come and kill us then there is a great danger. And the young people came out into the middle of the city to express this feeling holding the child’s body. Afterwards they shot and struck them”.
Another resident said “there is a mayoral office and an administrative office. They opened fire and struck them as people were moving in a peaceful manner.”
At around 6 pm, the “anti guerilla force” which is a force organized by the local administration, carried out the attack, says one eyewitness who adds they said “why are you expressing your voices?” as they carried out the attack.
One eyewitness said when residents went to the city center at around 4 pm the army permitted the people to pass towards the center.
They said, “if it had happened at the beginning [of the protest] it could be said it was to disperse the protest. But gunfire was opened on them after they had finished shouting their messages in Piassa and were returning.”
“There was no protester who attempted to use a firearm or carry out any kind of attack” and another resident said the attack was carried out to “disperse the protesters”.
“It is government forces who are present in the city. The gunfire was carried out in the area of the zonal administration office, it is in the Piassa area in the city center. As far as we know it is the government that is supposed to guard the city.” They said government forces and not any other force were responsible for the act.
One resident who was not certain of exactly how many people were killed said, “many had fallen, on the night of Monday September 2 (Nehase 27) they retrieved them” adding they were not certain of the exact number.
One eyewitness who was in the area when the attack was carried out told BBC three people were killed. But he added the number of people killed could increase.
Another resident of Gonder told BBC they heard four people were killed including women.
The resident said they learned two of the victims were bajaj drivers and said their burial was held in the city’s historic Debre Birhan Selassie Church.
Another resident said “I had heard the burial was held in the church”, and said a significant number of people were injured and admitted to the hospital.
One resident said following the attack regular activity had become hindered in Gonder, and that government forces could be sighted standing in groups in various parts of the city.
Residents who spoke to BBC said security has become a concern in the city.
“It can be said it has become a city where there is no security. Firstly the entire perimeter is fortified. We are stuck in the middle. However it is not possible to travel even 10 km out of the city. If we leave there are checkpoint searches in every road. We don’t know who is searching us” said a resident who said the entire community has become bitter from the security problem.
Another resident said, “we have no security to sleep in our homes. Nobody has security…we retreat into our homes under the belief there is war or we will move around if there is no war. Life in Gonder has become without security.”
Efforts by BBC to speak to Gonder city government officials for their views have not been successful.
Fighting between government forces and Fano fighters has surpassed one year and abductions have taken place in Gonder and various other parts of Amhara Region causing residents to feel unsafe.
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