Gebremeskel Getachew, a businessman and a father, among the victims of Woldia Massacre

One victim from Wolida massacre identified as Gebremeskel Getachew, businessman and a father of five years old daughter

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borkena
January 24,2018

As reported over the weekend, at least seven people were killed in Woldia, central Ethiopia, when government deployed defense force opened fire on people during Ethiopian Orthodox Church religious festival, Kanazegelia.

One of the vitims is the thirty-five years old businessman, Gebremeskel Getachew, who is survived by a five years old daughter. He was running a steelwork business in the city for many years. People in the city remember him a hard working man.

According to BBC Amharic report, he was killed in Mebrat Hail area as he was returning home after religious procession for Kanazegelia was completed.

“My brother was riddled with five bullets. They wanted him to die and that is why they shot him five times,” says Kidane Getachew in an interview with the BBC.

“After realizing the unrest in the city, I called him repeatedly. he was not answering. he did not call me back. very worried, I went to the hospital to look for him and I found the body of my brother soaked with blood. He was shot in the neck, chest, belly and his private part five times,” Kidane told BBC.



From what Kidane told BBC, there was no clash between police and the youth in the city where Gebremeskel Getachew was shot dead and no one could tell us why he was killed, added his brother.

Gebremeskel’s parents and the family is devastated.

The family has lost a son about a month or so ago due to natural cause. United Nations Human Rights noted the situation in woldia its latest briefings.

Some Ethiopians activists are skeptical the motive of the massacre in Woldia was not just retaliation for the death of Mekelle city fan but tend to see a more sinister objective.

State media reported that the situation in Woldia is improving but social media reports from the city rather point to growing bitterness among the youth in the city and it is likely to cause unrest.

As is the case often time, if not always, the government does not seem to have an intention to hold authorities who ordered the massacre in Woldia accountable.

In fact, the ruling party is reverting, once again, to outright repression scheme in Oromo region of Ethiopia as well. Yesterday, three civilians were shot dead in Alem Tena during a sit-in protest to mourn those massacred in Woldia.



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