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“Symbol of integration”: this is how Agitu Ideo Gudeta, the Ethiopian shepherd, brutally murdered at her home in Val dei Mocheni, in Trentino, defines herself in the titles that follow one another in these dramatic hours on the web. In prison his collaborator, Adams Suleimani, who confessed to the murder at night. Aghi, as many knew her, had arrived in Trento in 2010, fleeing her homeland because she was persecuted as an environmental and social activist. He was born in Addis Ababa on January 1, 1978. In a few days he would have turned 43.
Adams Confession: “I killed her and raped her”
Big corporations were literally buying Ethiopia, a phenomenon called land grabbing, to the complacency of the government. She had resisted, fighting alongside the peasants. He had seen comrades die from this until, fearing for his life, he fled. He had taken a plane to Italy. Trento was the first thought: he had already lived there in the late 90s, thanks to a study abroad permit, and had a degree in Sociology.
The shepherdess who came from Ethiopia
Back in Trentino, he dedicated himself to an activity that has united all peoples since the dawn of civilization: goat farming. First in Val di Gresta, for a short period, then definitely in Frassilongo in Val dei Mocheni. He only raised Mochene goats, a breed from Trentino that was disappearing. He had also worked in the village bar. His activity had attracted the curiosity of the press, who told his story to readers, both in Trentino and elsewhere. Agitu took care of the herd, made cheese and sold it. His business has grown over the years, but the herd has always been at the center of his work. A few years ago he had opened a store in Trento, in via Dietro le Mura, and he was a constant presence at the Trentino Solidarity Economy Market, every Thursday, in Piazza Santa Maria Maggiore.
Its activity has been awarded various prizes, among which the Legambiente Green Flag for Trentino and the Dairy Resistance prize awarded by Slow Food stand out. Agitu had made herself known by gradually gaining the affection of many customers, the respect of the residents, the esteem of fellow breeders and farmers. He had entered the heart of the town of Trentino. However, unfortunately, his story is also linked to a serious episode of threats, even with a racist background, of which he was a victim in Val dei Mocheni. The assailant was convicted of injuries but the racial aggravation had decreased. And so his story, with all the dramatic implications of the case, reappeared in the newspapers.
Many symbols, one woman
If it was a symbol, it was a symbol of many things. Not only integration: symbol of courage, tenacity, opposition to the exploitation of the land, rebirth, entrepreneurial spirit, ecological and sustainable vision of the economy. She was a woman, black, a refugee, a graduate but a shepherd, guardian of ancestral traditions and an innovator of the local economy. Following the arrest of his collaborator, a confessed 32-year-old Ghanaian, unfortunately has also become a symbol of femicide. The Trento Prosecutor Sandro Raimondi, in a note released at the end of the investigation, speaks of a “particularly heinous murder with implications also of gender-based sexual violence by the perpetrator.”
“Merry Christmas to all from the happy goats, may it be a Christmas that brings a new light, vision, awareness in our hearts.” This is his last post on Facebook. A few words that accompany a video that speaks for itself: their goats in the snow, quietly walking along the path in the forest that they know well, happy. There are countless messages of condolences, rage, and pain for his disappearance. It was a symbol to many, and it was many symbols in one person.
