News: Addis city district administrator gunned down; community police officer under custody

The late Alebachew Amogn. Photo: Kirkos Sub-city Woreda 8 administration

Addis Abeba – Alebachew Amogne, administrator of Addis Abeba’s Kirkos sub-city, Woreda (district) 08, was gunned down in his office this afternoon; city police said a community police officer suspected of killing the administrator is under custody.

Kirkos Sub-City, Wored 8 administration said in a statement that Alebachew was “attacked by a customer while sitting in his office and providing public service.”

The office described him as someone “known for his commitment to work, was our leader who did exemplary work and coordinated many governmental and public activities.”

Addis Abeba city police said on its part that the suspect who killed the administrator is a district officer at the Kasanchis area police station’s community police service. The city police said the suspect has a personal case at the administration office in Kirkos sub-city where the victim was working at. The suspect, who is unnamed in the police report, was informed that the district administration “will look into the matter and respond” but “he killed the chief administrator of the district with a gun he was armed with while he [the victim] was at work in his office on the grounds that he was the one who prevented the request from being carried out.”

Both the city police the administration of Kirkos sub-city Woreda 8 said investigations were being carried out.

Alebachew’s killing follows a series of other killings targeting ruling Prosperity Party officials. Earlier this week, Omer Lemma, Harka Woreda, Afar Regional State Organizational Department Head of the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) was shot dead by armed men along with his brother Mohammed Lemma while they ere en route from Adama city, in Oromia region, to Awash.

Girma Yeshitila, Head of the Prosperity Party’s Amhara region branch, was also shot and killed along with five other on 27 April is shot dead while traveling from Mehal Meda to Debre Berihan, in north Showa zone of Amhara regional state. AS

Earlier on 30 March, Desalegn Bokonja, head of the ruling party’s office In Nekemmte, in East Wollega Zone of Oromia regional state, was shot dead the city in what the local government said was “an attack by unknown” assailants. AS