By Staff Reporter
July 18, 2020 (Ezega.com) -- The executive member of the Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) Getachew Reda dismissed allegations that TPLF has coordinated the killing of the popular Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa and the violence that followed. Getachew blamed the Prosperity Party for all the evil going on in Ethiopia today.
So far, the federal police arrested 14 individuals for the alleged killing of the singer including Tilahun Yame who shot Hachalu to death.
No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the killing of Hachalu and subsequent religious and ethnic-based attacks in which more than 200 innocent people were killed in Oromia towns.
The federal attorney general, Oromia president, and police commissioners have accused the rebel Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) also known as ‘Shene’ and TPLF of organizing the killings and instigating the violence.
In a televised speech, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said a political group that wishes to regain power through bloodshed orchestrated the killing of Hachalu but did not mention the political group by name.
Prime Minister Office Press Secretariat Head Nigusu Tilahun on Friday blamed OLF-Shene and a political group that was deposed from power for guiding the killing of late Hachalu and the violence thereof.
Nigussu also did not mention the political group by name but described it as “destructive and robbery faction.”
TPLF, in a recent statement, held Abiy’s government accountable for the unfolding political crisis and ongoing violence in the country.
“The dictator Prosperity Party is the only responsible body for all evils happening in the country for the last two years,” Getachew said.
Asked if TPLF was involved in the killing of Hachalu Hundessa and instigating violence in Oromia towns, Getachew said the allegations are wrong and pure blemishes “TPLF does not believe in assassinations for the sake of gaining political advantages,” he said.
Instead, Getachew accused the Prime Minister and officials around him of killing Hachalu, a view unacceptable by many political analysts.
“It is normal for the federal government to hold TPLF responsible for the crisis,” said Getachew and called on the united forces of all political parties to mitigate the ongoing political and humanitarian crisis.
The relations between TPLF and the federal government have worsened after the later postponed national elections and extended its lifetime using the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse.
TPLF has already set up an election commission and named its commissioners to hold regional elections by next August. Several political analysts expressed concern that TPLF could go for a referendum in the Tigray region. They are calling for surgical interventions ahead of the planned elections in the region.
TPLF has already alerted the people in Tigray to remain vigilant and defend possible interventions that might be launched from the federal government.
Meanwhile, the federal high court granted police an additional 14 days to investigate Jawar Mohammed, one of the leaders of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC).
Jawar was arrested two weeks ago in connection with the unrest that occurred in various parts of Oromia regional state following the killing of late Hachalu Hundessa. The court adjourned the hearing to July 30, 2020.
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