May 8/2000

KIDNAPPING AND MURDER OF TEACHER IN BAHR DAR

Ato Girma Bezabih, who taught English in the Tana Haik School of Bahr Dar (Gojjam region), has been found murdered on April 17, a week after he had been kidnapped by "unidentified men" driving a plate-less car. Such cars are commonly driven by government security personnel in Bahr Dar city. A family man, Ato Girma Bezabih was a vocal critic of the government's ethnic politics and its disastrous effects on education. Many people in the city believe that he was kidnapped, beaten and murdered by the security men because of his critical views. His tortured body was found by shepherds somewhere between Adet and Tisabay and the fact that he still wore his watch, had his wallet and other belongings has corroborated the assumption that he was not killed by robbers or thieves. Bahr Dar city, where opposition to the ruling Tigrean front and its local ally (the ANDM) is strong, has been the scene of gross violations of rights specially in the past months. Many teachers and students express serious and credible fears for their lives since the government considers them as its opponents. The kidnapping and brutal murder of Ato Girma highlights the EPRDF government's resort to violence `to silence all critics. The government has up to now refused to comment on the death of the teacher but this is a usual practice on its part since it has yet to account for the other such murders and scores of disappearances.

SOCEPP