Hundessa Bonsa, Hachalu ‘s father, wants the Ethiopian government to bring the murderer to justice.
borkena
July 1, 2020
Voice of America Amharic service reporter in Ethiopia, Nakor Melka, spoke to the father of Ethiopia’s singer who was killed on Monday in the evening in the capital Addis Ababa.
Asked how he heard about the news, Ato Hundessa Bonsa said “My elder son was hanging out behind my bedroom in the evening [when Hachalu was killed]. I asked, what happened? Did they kill my son? I asked. Then his mother started crying and neighbors came and were crying all night long.”
He also said about the circumstances he was killed. In a country where I was born and grew up, to kill children with bullets and litter them is not Ethiopian, he added.
“Man is created in the image of God and should not be killed in such a manner and be littered. That is not Ethiopian” He said Ethiopians would not do that.
“God will answer to the blood of my son,” he added but he wants the government too to hunt the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The funeral is planned for Thursday in Ambo town, the birthplace of the singer, although groups who claim to be advocates of “Oromo people’s right,” struggled to lay the singer in the capital Addis Ababa against the will of his parents and family.
(The Internet is shut in the country and the Audio file from VOA Amharic was recorded from a long-distance phone call between producers and VOA Amharic reporter in Ethiopia)
Audio file Copyright: VOA Amharic service
Cover photo: screenshot from Video
Further killings in Oromo region of Ethiopia
There had been a reported clash between security forces deployed in the city and those who tried to take the body back to the capital Addis Ababa. In the ensuing exchange of fire, Hachalu Hudnessa’s uncle was shot dead which government links to the groups.
Based on other sources, more than 81 people, including three members of special police forces, were killed as protest broke out in different parts of the country following news of Hachalu Hundessa’s killings. Those killed are mostly civilians including elders and women. According to citizen’s reports emerging on social media, they are mostly killed on grounds of their ethnicity and religion.
Extremist ethnic Oromo activists based in the Diaspora have been vigorously inciting protests on social media by linking the killing of Hachalu Hundessa to what they call Neftegna (a word they use for ethnic Amharas).
Police have not released an official report regarding the identity of the killers. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said on Tuesday the killings are orchestrated by internal and external enemies of Ethiopia but declined to name names.
There are also unconfirmed reports on social media that extremist radical ethnic Oromo nationalists and TPLF are behind the killing of Hachalu Hundessa.
The government has announced that it has arrested Jawar Mohammed and thirty-four others and seized several assault rifles used during a clash with security forces in Addis Ababa as Jawar’s followers were trying to snatch Hachalu Hundessa’s body claiming that he has to be buried in the capital Addis Ababa.
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