Residents of Ataye town, which is along the Addis Ababa-Mekelle Road, blame the Federal government and Amhara regional state for the killings and plunder in their town on April 6, 2019, according to a report by The Ethiopian Reporter.
They cite two reasons for blaming the government. According to The Ethiopian Reporter, residents say that they have informed Amhara regional state over a month ago about an ongoing military training in the countryside surrounding the region where the attack took place. They also have tipped the same authority about the possibility of an attack in their town following security problems in Kemise town a week before the attack Saturday attack in Ataye.
Residents have another reason to blame the government. The damage, in terms of human life and property, could have been minimized had the defense force acted in a timely manner even after the armed group started its attack. What rather happened, according to residents, is that the defense force refused to defend residents on grounds that “it did not receive an order from authorities.” said a statement from a survivor.
The killing and looting in the town are unprecedented in the history of the town in the past 27 years, said residents as reported by The Reporter.
We will keep you updated with the latest developments and updates from the region.
Halgan Media.
