DECEMBER 11/2004

ARBITRARY KILLINGS AND POLICE BRUTALITY IN JIJIGA

On December 2:2004,a policeman in the town of Jijiga made his way in the evening to house number 142 and shot dead Ato Kebede Ouzo, a twenty years resident of the town. It was not the fist arbitrary killing of civilians by the police in the eastern town of Jijiga. Angry residents picked up the corpse of Ato Kebede and marched to the admnistrator's office to register their indignation and protest, but they were intercepted by the police and severely beaten. Many were wounded and several others jailed.

The policeman who shot dead Ato Kebede has been detained but like many before him he will surely and quietly be released. The infamous ethnic politics of the ruling EPRDF is behind such killings as "local" policemen and security agents are encouraged to act with impunity against those Ethiopians coming from other areas. Ato Kebede was not of Somali ethnic origin as many, including the killer policeman, are in this town. Summary killings and illegal measures by the police are condoned and given "ethnic" covers. Such was the case in Gambella and the killings of thousands of Amaras in Eastern Wellega can also be explained in this way. The absence of rule of law, the uncontrolled power given to the police and security forces, the ethnic hatred that has been fanned all are at the base of such murders and massacres.

SOCEPP demands justice for the kin and relatives of Ato Kebede Ouzo and asserts that the policeman who killed him and the ones who ordered the policeman should be tried before a proper court of law.

SOCEPP