By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Enat Party has strongly condemned the killings of drivers and security forces in what it described as a “sudden shooting incident” in Meqa, West Gondar Zone of the Amhara region.
In a statement issued on July 1, the leading opposition party stated that on June 23, sources from the area confirmed a conflict between armed individuals and government security forces. This conflict, the party claimed, led to a shooting incident that targeted passengers and vehicles carrying aid supplies. “As a result of the shooting, several drivers and security forces were killed,” the statement read. “We have heard that over one hundred people in total were killed in the attack, and sixteen of them were drivers.”
Citing witness accounts, the Enat Party further elaborated on the severity of the situation: “The situation is beyond imagination; due to the high number of fatalities, we even saw bodies being moved with an excavator.”
The statement also mentioned another incident on June 28, attributing it to “local sources.” In the East Arsi Robe District, Priest Tesfaye Reta, a clergyman from Gedebsa Debre Selam Medhanealem Church, was “brutally murdered” by armed forces around 7:30 PM.
According to the party’s sources, Priest Tesfaye was a father of seven children, and his wife was also “tragically killed in a similar brutal manner.” The party alleged, “As we have repeatedly stated, Arsi, especially for clergy and congregants, has long become a slaughterhouse.”
The Enat Party asserted that “it’s not an exaggeration to say that Ethiopia has become a river of innocent blood over the past seven years.” It added that the killing of religious leaders and drivers has become “daily news,” alleging that their deaths are not only downplayed but also considered insignificant. The party criticized institutions like the Ethiopian Religious Institutions Council for not raising their voices despite priests and their families being killed daily.
Furthermore, the party stated that the international community, despite receiving daily information, acts “as if it sees nothing.” It claimed, “Human rights organizations do not consider this their concern.”
The statement also highlighted a perceived media paralysis: “With the exception of a few social media participants, the general media is paralyzed by fear, finding it difficult to interview witnesses and present their stories. Yet, the blood of the innocent still cries out daily.”
Two weeks prior, the Enat Party similarly condemned the renewed killing of civilians in East Wollega Zone, Oromia Region, specifically in the Guto Gida and Subu Sore districts. The party noted a resurgence of violence in these known conflict areas, with renewed bloodshed after a period of calm, including eight murders and four missing persons two weeks ago. The latest attacks have centered on kebeles such as Jarto Tolera, Feyisa, Arjo, Loko, Ligo, and Wote in Guto Gida, and Denego Guyo in Subu Sore.
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