ESAT News (December 31,2015)
The Ethiopian government has placed Bekele Nega, General Secretary of the Oromo Federalist Congress under house arrest. According to ESAT’S sources in Addis Ababa, Bekele was on his way to his office when he was stopped and roughed up by the regimes operatives who forced him to a car and told him not leave his house, use his phone or give any interviews to the media. Bekele was reportedly beaten by four people in civilian clothes who told him that they were members of the regime’s police force.
While in the car, the four men had punched Bekele and told him that he had not heeded to their warning against speaking to any media. Bekele has been vocal and has spoken to various media about the ongoing anti-government protest in Oromia. The four men have reportedly threatened Bekele and his family with death if he leaves his house or speak to the media again.
In a related news, the brother to the advisor of the President of Oromia Region, Duguma Ereso was reportedly killed today by the regimes security forces. Duguma, who was a school superintendent in Horo Gudru, was trying to intervene between soldiers and students who were out protesting when he was shot in the head. Duguma died at a hospital in Addis Ababa.
Meanwhile, government security forces are going door to door and rounding up people whom they suspect have taken part in the anti-government protest in the Oromia region. According to OFC estimates, over 4000 people have so far been detained by the government, whose officials have to come to the media and vowed to crackdown on protesters.