[ad_1]
Bileh jelan @Bilejelan
Addis Ababa, October 19, 2020 – “It is the same police as always, nothing has changed. Trigger Happy police continue to terrorize the population of the region. ” said Ahmed, a resident of the city of Qabridahare, in the Korahe area of the Somali region in eastern Ethiopia. Ahmed, who only wants to be mentioned by his first name, arrived amid sporadic conflicts in recent weeks that left a trail of several civilians killed and injured. “It doesn’t matter to me why people came together or what happened, but I don’t want this to happen again,” he said.
Ahmed’s account corroborates the accounts of other activists in the region who claim that the security crackdown on civilian protesters has resulted in the death of at least two and injuries to one of the protesters. On October 17, an account that the office The zonal public relations officer declined to comment when approached by the Addis Standard.
Sporadic protests have been reported following an incident in the city of Dhagaxbuur (Degahbur) in early August in which a young man was killed by police officers. Dr. Hussien Kassim, Head of the Somalia Regional State Peace and Security Office, said Addis Standard at the time the event occurred on Thursday, August 13, which led to “the death of a young man during a police operation against youth violence. Groups of young people clashed and the police responded to contain the situation, ”he said, confirming that the young man“ died at the hands of the police ”. An investigation was launched and “the police officers who were involved in this are in custody,” he said.
Dr. Hussien Kassim said Addis Standard that the fighting involved a communal conflict between two sub-clans: the Sheekhaal (or Sheikal) and a Reer Abdille sub-clan and was the result of two decades of communal conflict related to resettlement
Two weeks later, on September 3, reports emerged of multiple civilian casualties, this time in Raaso, Afdheer Zone, where, according to activists’ accounts, at least seven civilians were killed (other accounts state the number is nine) and dozens were killed. injured by the regional special force, Liyu Police, during protests against the regional government.
But this account was refuted by Dr. Hussien Kassim, who said Addis Standard that the fighting involved a communal conflict between two sub-clans: the Sheekaal (or Sheikal) and a Reer Abdille sub-clan and was the result of two decades of communal conflict related to resettlement that the regional state was trying to resolve after forming a committee of elders, prominent personalities and academics among others. The regional government also sent members of the Liyu police to monitor a buffer zone in the area of the disputed flash point, after which a four-month stability was observed.
As the regional government continued to navigate this complicated and delicate clan conflict and in the absence of an independently verifiable account of what exactly happened in Raaso, on September 3, the regional state of Somalia, hailed as one of the stable regions in Ethiopia often credited to the leadership of current regional president Mustafe Muhumed Omar, was again hit by another violence on October 11, 2020, this time in the town of Qabridahare, Korahay Zone, which left at least eleven civilians injured.
Eyewitness who spoke to Addis Standard. Image: eyewitness
According to eyewitnesses who spoke with Addis Standard On condition of anonymity, the regional police opened fire on civilians who gathered to protest against police violence against young people. Four of the eleven were seriously injured and were evacuated to the city of Jigjiga for medical treatment. A city resident who was present at the scene said: “This tragic incident occurred after people rushed to the area and tried to intervene and arrest a police officer who was violently beating a young man named Amin Abdullahi. In reaction to the gathered crowd, the police officer opened fire on the crowd (mostly women and children) wounding 11 of them, “he said, adding:” As far as I know, no one had died, but it is said that at least one victim. be in critical condition. “
This tragic incident occurred after people rushed to the area and tried to intervene and arrest a police officer who violently beat a young man named Amin Abdullahi.
An eyewitness
A relative of one of the victims who, like many, spoke with Addis Standard On condition of anonymity he says “I remember people talking about how the region enjoys relative peace, what I experienced and others have experienced]in recent weeks]is short of what you call peace. I have to leave my business unattended and come here to accompany my loved ones because I don’t trust the system and I’m not sure if I will. “
Addis Standard was able to confirm 8 names of the victims through sources in Qabridahare, but we repeat that the Qabridahare mayor’s office and the Korahay area public relations office for a comment on the situation in Qabridahare did not serve so far. HOW
[ad_2]
