National Icon The funeral of Simegnew Bekele attracts thousands of people. outraged mourners seek justice



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(OPride) -Simegnew Bekele, the renowned engineer responsible for overseeing the construction of the Ethiopian Renaissance Grand Dam Project (GERD) was buried at Selbadie Cathedral in Addis Ababa with honors nationals. Simegnew died last week. Revered as a patriot who worked tirelessly to see the Ethiopian development projects bear fruit, the news shocked and saddened Ethiopians. Thousands attended his funeral procession as crowds flocked to memorials elsewhere in the country.

People in mourning demand answers, justice (Image: Reuters)

Crowds in Meskel Square pay tribute to the late Simegnew Bekele (1965-19004)

"This guy had been hoping Ethiopians, "Abel Wabella, the well-known Zone 9 blogger and founder of Gobena's news site told CNN. "He had been talking about this megaproject for seven years, everyone knew who he was."

"Whoever is behind this will pay dearly," said Bethelihem Tamene. "God will serve justice."

Crowds chanted words denouncing a faction of the government while praising the fallen engineer. Minor clashes with the police have been reported. People came to Meskel Square carrying flags and clothes bearing the image of Simegnew

Wednesday, Simegnew, 53, had been found collapsed in the driver's seat of his Toyota Land Cruiser in the neighborhood from Meskel Square, Addis Ababa. . When the body was discovered, the police quickly cordoned off the area around the vehicle. A judicial police team collected the body as well as a weapon, a handgun which, according to the police superintendent, was found in the car to the right of Simegnew

Simegnew Bekele was well known and was making Frequently appearances in local and international media update the journalists on the progress of the dam. Prior to being appointed operational director of the GERD project, he was part of the Gilgel Gibe I and Gilgel Gibe II Dam Project Management Teams. These projects were completed respectively in 2004 and 2010.

The report broadcast by the public broadcaster Fana Broadcasting Corporate (FBC) on the stage appeared to show visibly anxious pbaders-by.

"I am deeply saddened and troubled by the death of engineer Simegnew," said Nunu Wako, host of the talk show. "It's a big loss for Ethiopia."

"I want to see the monster responsible for the justice of this face," said to the local Andafta news agency. "How can we let the blood of someone who was a valuable national good spread like this? This can not go unpunished."

Simegnew Bekele. Behind him, the site of the construction project that has become the work of his life (Image: Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation)

At work, Simegnew Bekele (Image: Zacharias Abubeker / AFP)

Politicians, activists and renowned personalities express the sadness and admiration for a man described as a devoted patriot who made his life's work the development of Ethiopia. The police stopped to declare that the death was a homicide, claiming that the investigation was ongoing.

Simegnew Bekele, originally from Gonder and a former lecturer, was often seen wearing a hard hat while working day and night as a coordinator. the most talked about dam project in recent history. Despite the fact that the dam project is a major source of tension between Ethiopia and Egypt, the engineer rejected the theories that the dam would harm downstream countries such as the United States. Egypt and Sudan. He spoke to the media to rebadure people that the dam would prove beneficial for all parties involved and actively called on them to support the project. He remained extremely enthusiastic about the project until the end.

Demonstrations and memorials were held to commemorate Simegnew Bekele in Mekele, Adama, Gonder as well as Bahir Dar (19659004) In a February 2017 interview with American Selam based Radio, he described the dam project as " a point of reference that would send a major message to the rest of the world. "

" With this roadblock, our country will completely reorganize its image in the eyes of the world.We are a hard-working people and we strive to revolutionize the way we live. in this country.The goal is not just to produce hydroelectric power, we are looking to make great progress as a country, as a society.Life is short. so that our brief stay on earth is productive, inspiring and beneficial to our society as a whole. "

It is clear that many of his compatriots believe that he was able to do just that.

Simegnew Bekele leaves behind a woman and three children.

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