Residents of Burayu call police to leave after protest

ESAT News

February 06, 2014

Residents of Burayu town of the Oromia region, Ethiopia, are calling members of the Federal Police Force to leave the town after protests on Monday February 3, 2014. The residents state that their insecurity increased after members of the Force have killed civilian youth of the town.

Officials of the town on the other hand, are attempting to appease the angry residents promising that the killers will be brought before justice.

The clash between the residents and the Force began after a young man named Daniel Aschale, was shot by the Police two days ago. Acclaimed for his good character by his friends, Daniel worked as a driver at a private mineral water producing company, Aqua Addis.

Daniel had reportedly entered a row with a civilian dressed man after the former had pushed the later when they were inside a recreational club. The man with a civilian dress had severely attacked and beaten Daniel together with his friends and threw him out on the asphalt road. Although Daniel was taken to a local health centre and later to a hospital in Addis Abeba for better treatment, he died shortly afterwards.

Carrying the body of the deceased, residents of the town had staged a protest in the street and outside the Town Council asking for the “civilian dressed members of the Federal Police Force” to be apprehended. The windows and doors of the Council have been smashed.

Similarly, youth in Maret area of the town had staged another protest yesterday asking the Federal Police Force to leave the town. The Federal Police still occupies the town.

The Force that has been stationed in the town has reportedly killed at least six civilian youth in the past four months alone.