Etenesh Abera @EteneshAb
July 07/2020 – Addis Abeba Police Commission Commissioner, Getu Argaw, released a statement last night through state TV alleging that disturbances that occurred in the last two days in the capital Addis Abeba were aimed at instigating communal violence in the city.
Ten people were killed in the city beaten either by rocks, or shot at, or due to bomb blasts, he said, adding that two of the ten people killed were members of the police while 57 police officers were hurt.
Some 250 vehicles were broken and 20 vehicles were burned, according to the Commissioner, who also implicated “various political parties” as well as directly accused leaders and members of opposition parties National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) and Balderas for Genuine Democracy of attempting to instigate communal violence.
Furthermore, the Commissioner said that the city of Addis Abeba has seen vandalism in the last two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) which resulted in the destruction of properties belonging to the government and private citizens. There were also several attempts of looting, he said.
Without going into details, the Commissioner also spoke of attempts in various parts of the city by groups “who were going around and campaigning as if one ethnic group was about to attack the other” and “must be defended against.” The statement was released the same day after heavily armed police arrested Eskinder Nega from his office.
In separate statement aired by state TV last night, Fikadu Tsega, the Federal Attorney General office Cross Border Crimes Investigating Bureau Director, said that Eskinder was arrested suspected of “instigating chaos” and accused him of dispatching groups of youth with the aim to create chaos. AS
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