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Etenesh Abera and Mahlet Fasil
Addis Ababa, July 23, 1818 – A controversy surrounding a new monument is expected to be built in the city of Goba in the Bale area of ?? the regional state of ?? Oromia, located around 446 km southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, led to three days of intercommunal tension between the inhabitants of the city and surrounding areas, resulting in the death of the city. at least six civilians this weekend. More than two dozen were also injured, most of them beaten by crowds, according to locals who spoke on the telephone. Addis Standard
The monument in question is a monument commemorating Haji Adam Saddo, a prominent defender and a freedom fighter from the region who is revered by the local Oromo people. A few weeks ago, elders, community leaders, youth and other members of the community asked the city administration to build the monument, which was accepted by the government. administration
. disputed its location, a roundabout where were already standing a statue of a red fox, endemic to the area; According to two eyewitnesses, the place has been used for religious events at the annual celebrations of the Ethiopian Orthodox epiphany of Tewahido, but since last Tuesday, several unfounded information began to circulate in the region that those who protested against the monument, mainly Christians, do not want that a monument of Haji Adam Saddo "defiles" the place. This led to anger among young people in the city and surrounding areas, who started flocking to the city on Wednesday and Thursday. "The decision to replace the red fox statue with the new monument was made by the local government, but it is not clear who proposed it first or why it was proposed. the information began to circulate, with several misinformation, the situation seemed to take some kind of religious and ethnic tension, "said Amanyihun, a resident who only wanted to be identified by his first name.
The young people who came from the surrounding villages and the city itself began dismantling the statue of the Red Fox. "Then a fight ensued between the young people and the residents.Some residents took out rifles to protest the young people who were removing the red fox statues.The police of the city came to control the chaos but it was not easy for them. was on Saturday, two people were killed, one from each party, "said Amanyihun.
Zeinaba Taha, mayor of the city, told Addis Standard that "some of the inhabitants of the city We objected to the proposal from the beginning." Representatives of the city held several meetings to resolve disputes, but to no avail.This, she says, has "led to anger." "Part of the community wanted the monument, and some did not do it The mayor also admitted that there was a host of other causes, including the deliberate distribution of misinformation "by some actors", which fueled the tension .In the same vein, in a message posted yesterday on Facebook, Adaanaech Abeebee, former mayor of the city of Adama recently appointed head of the OPDO secretariat, the ruling party of the regional state of Oromia and whose the president is Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, complains of At the end, there have been coordinated attempts of various gro to incite violence throughout the region. According to her, this is partly to blame the OPDO as a party unable to govern the region; partly to taint the name of the Oromo as incapable of governing Ethiopia; and portray the Oromo as a disunited society
. Negeri Lencho, head of the region's communications office, also posted several updates on his Facebook page including one with a general message and a call for calm, as well as to badure residents that Haji Adam Saddo, known for his involvement in the Bale Peasant Movement and who was one of the founders of the Mecha and Tulama Foundation, the first form of civil society organization centered on Oromo, was a "hero of the Oromo people," and that 39, a memorial will be built. He also promised that senior officials of the regional state were working to solve the problem.
More reinforcements from the federal army were called late in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday morning. But tensions persisted and four more people were killed on Sunday. Zeinaba also says that there have been shootings between armed residents and the police until more reinforcements arrive from the federal army on Sunday night.
The situation has "resumed a certain calm but remains fragile", according to the second witness. who does not want to be named. He also said that the municipal administration has not reacted to the crisis before "to have reached this point.Now I fear that no one wants to listen to anyone," he said.
After Ethiopia Live Update a twitter nickname, people from Goba and residing in the capital Addis Ababa, gathered around the office of Lemma Megerssa, president of Oromia Regional State, located on Bole Road this morning.Three representatives went inside the office of the President and discussed the issue.The administration promised to representatives to send an investigation team to the city of Goba, according to the portal, which also said that representatives expressed their concerns about the mayor and its management of the situation and asked that Addis Standard journalists have reached the office, the gathering has already dispersed. Our attempts to obtain information from the president's office have been futile. However, in the previous interview, the mayor said that the city administration has finalized preparations for organizing community talks starting tomorrow. AS
Editor's Note : Several telephone conversations with residents of the city since Saturday have produced conflicting and highly polarized responses from two different perspectives. Addis Standard decided to cite only the two above sources that gave answers in a seemingly unbiased manner. Similarly, Addis Standard has refrained from using images sent by activists, as most of these images appeared to have been altered and / or taken during deliberately staged incidents.
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