ESAT News (June 30, 2016)
Estimates of the number of people killed in Wednesday’s clash between residents and police vary, but at least three officers have reportedly been stoned to death by residents of Addis Ababa who were furious that authorities moved ahead with plans to demolish houses that they deem illegal.
Residents in Kontoma and Mango localities in Woreda 1, in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa clashed with police as authorities began to remove utility poles providing electricity to the area. Three police officers and a local official were killed in the ensuing clash while 20 others sustained serious injuries.
Authorites have plans to give the land to developers. But residents believe the land would be given to corrupt regime officials and their cronies.
Audio and video received by ESAT are too gruesome to share.
Thousands of residents in at least eight localities in the area who were out to stop the start of the demolishing of their residential quarters threw stones at police. Some residents said their actions were an eye for an eye as police killed several people last month. They would rather die than see their houses leveled to the ground, some of them were heard saying in the video.
At least 10 people were killed by police in similar clashes last month.