An eight years old boy is killed and four other people wounded as residents of Kulubi Gabriel took to the street demanding answer for the death of Abbot of the monastery after he was found dead following mass service.
borkena
August 21, 2019
Melakehaile Aba Komos Enku Selassie, Abbot of Kulubi Gabriel Monastery, which is located in East Hararghe zone of Oromo regional state, reportedly found dead on Sunday.
Voice of America Amharic Service reporter, Addisu Chekol who is based in the region, reported that he was found dead in his room after Sunday mass service.
The cause of this death is not yet determined and the body is currently in Menelik hospital in the capital Addis Ababa.
VOA Amharic service said it reached out to police to get information but the effort was unsuccessful, apparently due to disinterest on the part of the police.
Adugna Haile is a resident of Kulubi town and he sees two possible reasons, as he told VOA Amharic, for his death. 1) The Abbot brought about tangible results in terms of development in the monastery in just three months. 2) He stopped grand corruption in the church.
Dereje, another resident of Kulubi, told VOA Amharic reporter that “Melake Komos Aba Enku Selassie was well versed in the region’s language [Oromo] and culture, and was a good fit for the position. He was very important for Kulubi. Those before him were not like him. He was very competent in Gospel preaching and church service.”
Residents of Kulubi town, about 460 kilometers east of the capital Addis Ababa, believe that his death is deliberately orchestrated.
They took to the street demanding an investigation into his death. And there was a confrontation between protesters and police. Am eight years old child is killed and four other people were wounded.
Melakehaile Aba Komos Enku Selassie was appointed as the Abbot of Kulubi monastery only three months ago.
Ethiopian Church prelates and the Holy Synod as an institution has started speaking out against killings of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church priests.
Recent killings against Ethiopian Orthodox church priests, which analysts link to radical ethnic nationalism, were all violent. The latest such killing was in Sidama region of Ethiopia.
Based on recent conversations circulating on social media regarding seemingly politically charged recurring attacks on Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, it is likely that followers of the church in other parts of Ethiopia could emulate the residents of Kulubi, took to the street and demand answers to the death of Melakehaile Aba Komos Enkuselassie who was said to be building good working relations with residents while giving competent spiritual service.
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