OLF blames ODP for the death of six people in Mugi, Wollega, Western Ethiopia
borkena
May 29, 2019
Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) and the militant faction of Oromo Liberation Front (OLF-Shane) trade accusations over the death of six people in Amphilo Mugi, Qelem district of Wollega, in Western Ethiopia.
Both parties have their own narratives about the deaths which happened on May 27 in kebele 01, Mugi, according to a report by VOA Amharic on Wednesday.
OLF Shane militant groups spokesperson for the west zone, Gumabas Ebissa, says that there had been fighting between government soldiers and OLF fighters for three days outside of Mugi which government soldiers lost. And the soldiers moved to Mugi and killed six people.
A person who claimed that he lost his brother and who asked VOA to be anonymous says his brother was heading to work when government soldiers opened fire on him. “They shot him on the leg, on the side of his body, and stabbed him in the belly. He died on the scene,” the anonymous person told VOA. He added that his brother was not a member of the armed rebels and did not have any contacts.
Gebre Dinka, another eyewitness, says there has been an exchange of fire between the rebels and government soldiers about 20 minutes from Mugi but the six people were killed in Mugi Kebele 01. The victims are identified as Yenus Abdella, Takele Bulcha, Debella, Adeta Wakena, Debella, Hundessa Abdissa and Ayu, according to VOA Amharic report.
Gumabas Ebissa told VOA that five of the victims are Qeerroos.
Hamza Abdulkadir – ODP Public relation office head of Qelem Wollega, on the other hand, has a different narrative of the story. While admitting that six people were killed, most of the victims are members of the armed group. From what he said, it seems that the action on the part of government soldiers seem to be a retaliatory measure. He said members of OLF Shane Group threw a hand grenade on government soldiers as they were coming from Gambella. And the government has a duty to maintain law and order, he added.
However, he did not mention as to how many government soldiers were killed or wounded.
Dawud Ibsa, leader of OLF, has reached an agreement with Oromo regional state and ODP on Wednesday to cooperate in the effort to enforce rule of law and has officially declared that he does not have armed combatants any more.
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