The Ethiopian Attorney General has filled lawsuits against 5 728 suspects over the killings of more than 200 civilians, which occurred following the death of prominent Oromo singer, Hachalu Hundessa, in June.
The suspects have been accused of participating in ethnic-based attacks, said the Attorney General while announcing completion of its investigation against them on Friday, 25 September 2020.
In a briefing on Saturday, 26 September 2020, jointly delivered with the Oromia Attorney-General, Deputy Attorney General, Fikadu Tsega said 3 377 of the suspects will face the charges at the federal courts. The other 2 351 are to face charges in Ormia courts, and they will be charged with 114 and 374 files respectively.
Attorney General, Gedeon Timoteos said many people participated in the attack, although some opposition forces blame the government for engaging in mass arrest. According to the Attorney General, some politicians were also arrested for alleged involvement in the attack, not because of their political ideology.
Tsega said those suspects who were identified to have lower participation in the attack will be released on bail as of next week.
The office of the Federal Attorney General in a statement said 167 people were killed, 360 others wounded, and 4.67 billion worth of property destroyed during July’s violence, which followed the death of the popular singer.
Meanwhile, eight gunmen were killed by government troops in counter attacks in Metekel zone of Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz regional state, the military general has said. The gunmen, believed by the military authorities to be bandits, had massacred at least 150 ethnic Amhara, Agew and Shinasha people in the same region over three months.
The latest was the killing of at least 20 civilians in Dengez locality in Dangur district, which took place around midnight.
The gunmen also killed at least 89 ethnic Amhara, Agew and Shinasha two weeks ago in extended attacks in Wenbera and Bulen districts of the same region.
-APA
