June 20, 1999

       In late April two government jet fighters crashed around Arba Minch and Lantena Longo district (Gamo Gofa) killing several people and damaging a lot of property. The EPRDF government has buried the Tigrean pilots with pomp and ceremony and compensated their relatives while ignoring the compensation claims of the Arba Minch and Lantena Lango victims.

        In Lante peasant association, six houses were destroyed and a youth called Terefe Dila burnt inside one of the houses (he later died in the hospital). In Arba Minch, 11 houses were burnt down completely, 4 people from Konso were killed, and the granaries of many people burnt to the ground. The unceremonious burial of the victims from Konso took place in Elgo in a place not reserved for burials and this has also caused ill feelings among the people who witnessed the burial of the Tigrean pilots in Arab Minch's Medhane Alem church after a big military parade and ceremony. Residents of Arab Minch accuse the EPRDF of discriminating against the local people. The nine years old daughter of Ato Ainate Abebe (one of the victims) was denied medical treatment in the town's hospital and people had to collect money and pay for her to get any treatment. The overall damage to property is estimated to be 350,000 Birr.

        The refusal of the EPRDF to pay compensation to the victims of the jet crashes is a clear manifestation of the double standard used by it. It is discrimination and it is also illegal. SOCEPP fully supports the claims of the victims (Atos Asha Aido,Welde Toro,Dila Derete, Adisu Arba,Fanos Waza, Bekele Arga,Burika Siso,Abebe Komshe, Aynete Abebe, Terefe Akalu, Dashlke, Girma Gebre, Weizero Gebeyanesh, etc...) and calls on the government of the EPRDF to compensate them without any dealy and discrimination.