January 23, 2001

 SUMMARY KILLINGS NEAR NAZRETH TOWN

There is more and more evidence that the security forces of the EPRDF government are acting with increased violence against innocent people all over the country. The latest report of arbitrary and summary killings by the EPRDF security forces comes from FETTO, near Welenchiti (Nazreth/Adama town).

 On January 19, armed soldiers of the government accompanied by militias descended upon Fetto district and summarily shot and killed Ato TESEMA GUGSA, a father of 12 children. When villagers came out in shock to protest, the armed soldiers opened fire on them killing four other people. Three of the dead, whose bodies were in the morgue of the Haile Mariam Mamo (now Adama) Hospital, are:

 1. Melka Negewo,20 year old youth, working at the Korean owned Kingdom Road Construction Co.;

2. Teshome Dechassa, 15 year old boy;

3. Weizero(Madam) Goshu Zewde,26 years old mother of three children, who was seven months pregnant when she was shot dead.

 SOCEPP has not yet got the name of the fourth victim. There were many other wounded being treated at the above named hospital while few of the seriously wounded ones have been sent to Addis Abeba. The arbitrary action by the soldiers followed a clash between the followers of the Orthodox Church and believers in the traditional religion called Wakefata. Arbitrary action by the government forces has now become the norm and none of the killers are apprehended or tried. The soldiers are being considered as dangerous occupation forces since they act irrationally and violently against the same population they are supposed to protect. The lawlessness on the part of the rampaging soldiers is encouraged by the government's support to their violent actions and its refusal to respect the rule of law and the rights of the people.

SOCEPP