Authorities are said to frequent Florida International Hotel in Gonder. Were they the targets?
Photo Credit : ESAT
borkena, Ethiopian News
April 4,2017
Barely a week after extension of state of emergency, Florida international Hotel in Gonder,Ethiopia, is rocked with grenade explosion.
This is for a third time for the city of Gonder to experience grenade explosion this year.
The attack on the three star hotel reportedly left at least three people injured but no reports of deaths at this point. And it is not also clear if the injury is life threatening.
Glasses are shattered but the hotel structure did not seem to sustain serious damage.
Citizen reporters in social media with links on the ground in Gonder region say senior authorities hang out in the hotel.
The region is highly militarized after popular anti-government protest broke out in July of 2016 which was ruthlessly repressed by the regime in power.
The situation gave rise to armed resistance in the region and there are strings of armed groups operating in that part of Ethiopia.
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No entity took responsibility for the grenade explosion in Florida International Hotel.
However, there seem to be skepticism about it. Some are of the view that the regime could in fact set up the grenade explosion so as to continue ruthlessly executing the state of emergency legislation in the region.
If it is not a staged explosion, it could be an attack as part of resistance to the regime and the targets could be government officials who are said to frequent the hotel. But it is not known for sure.
The incident is not covered by state and affiliated media. Government officials are yet to comment on it.
There has been grenade explosion in Gonder almost every month in 2017.
With its historical 16th century castle, Gonder is one of the tourist destinations in Ethiopia.
Revenues from tourism in Ethiopia suffered following state of emergency declarations which the regime admitted in a way. But it is getting new funds in the form of loan from financial institutions like the world bank.
By Dimetros Birku. Could be reached on twitter : @dimetros
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