Unrest continues in Gondar as uprising spreads to other towns

ESAT News (July 16, 2016)

Rebellion against the TPLF regime continued for the fifth day on Saturday in Gondar as other towns join the uprising.

Observers fear the worst as the symbol of the resistance, Col. Demeke Zewdu was transferred to a local prison on Saturday. He was in the custody of the regional police since Tuesday and TPLF forces were demanding that he be transferred to them. The people of Gondar have however been publicly declaring that there would be an all-out war if the Colonel falls in the brute hands of the TPLF forces.

Residents flocked at the Angereb prison where the Colonel is held and are watching the TPLF forces who are at the prison to take custody of the Colonel.

The Colonel killed two of the TPLF forces who opened fire at his residence in the early hours on Tuesday. The forces came all the way from Tigray, without a court warrant, to apprehend him and other members of a committee that spearheads the demand by the people of north Gondar, an area that was illegally annexed to the Tigray region. They demand that their Amhara identity be recognized and accused the Tigrayan dominated government that the annexation was done to occupy a vast fertile land and resources of north Gondar.

There is a visible presence of heavily armed soldiers patrolling the town and regime security and intelligence have flooded Gondar, according sources who spoke to ESAT. Businesses and offices remained closed on Saturday. Gunfire could be heard all day in the town.

On Friday, unrest broke out in the town of Ambagiorgis while tensions remain high in Sanja, Dabat and Debark towns.

The spokesperson of the regime, Getachew Reda said on Friday that the uprising was the work of “anti-peace foreign elements.” The statement from his office at the start of the uprising blamed Ethiopian opposition groups based in Eritrea for inciting the unrest.

Attempt by ESAT’s Messay Mekonnen to speak on the phone to the regional police commander, Getnet Takele ended with the commander hanging up the phone after cursing the reporter and accusing him of association with the opposition.