EVN, Oct. 2 — Four innocent civilians tragically lost their lives on September 30th at the hands of government troops while traveling from Kulmesk to Delanta in Northern Wollo, Amhara Region. Among the victims executed point-blank was Belay Belete, a 28-year-old businessman and a father to two young children, aged 5 and four months old.
Belay Belete, who owned a furniture workshop and store, was killed brutally. He was a cousin of EVN’s co-founder, Abebe Gellaw. His life was abruptly cut short, leaving a grieving family in its wake.
Sources have revealed that just weeks prior, a shell fired by federal troops landed perilously close to Belay’s residence. Miraculously, it spared both property and lives. However, he and his three other close family members met a chilling fate, executed in cold blood.
Reports emerging from the local community depict a grim picture of recent weeks. The area has witnessed a distressing surge in civilian casualties, with numerous accounts suggesting that young individuals have been detained, forcibly removed from their homes, and taken to undisclosed destinations.
The escalation of the conflict between the Fano militia and federal forces has plunged the Amhara region into turmoil. Government forces, grappling with stiff resistance and encountering setbacks, stand accused of committing widespread human rights violations. Mass killings, detentions, beatings, and other egregious abuses have regrettably become all too common in the region.
Meanwhile, reports have surfaced regarding a Fano fighter who, while receiving medical treatment at Woldeya Hospital in North Wollo, met a tragic end when forcibly removed from the hospital’s intensive care unit and brutally killed by members of the defense forces.
The victim, identified as Mola Melaku, was a recognized member of the Eastern Fano militia. His enlistment in the Fano militia was driven by the invasion of the Amhara region by the TPLF. Eyewitnesses on the scene attest to the grim circumstances surrounding his untimely death.
Following his removal from the hospital, Mola Melaku was transported to a nearby concentration camp, where he fell victim to a ruthless assault by security forces. His body bore the horrifying scars of multiple gunshot wounds, as recounted by distraught family members.
This chilling incident adds to the growing list of atrocities and human rights violations in the region, underscoring the urgent need for attention and intervention to protect the lives and rights of those ensnared in the escalating conflict’s deadly grip.
