The Horror that TPLF/EPRDF regime executed upon
the Sidamas 7 years ago when it massacred innocent people, has left
unforgettable scar on the Sidama nation. Thus, every Sidama with a clear
conscience is obliged to commemorate the martyr’s day 24th of
May every year.
The massacre itself is not the first one of its
kind to the Sidamas as they have suffered from such agony for many years
under various Abyssinian rulers since its conquest in 1893. However, this
time the procedure appears very different. To execute this massacre the
regime put in motion a plan in advance by bringing high ranking officials
from various sector of its organs. To mention a few officials and their
position at that time: Bereket Simon Information Minister, Abadula Gemeda
Defence Minister and Chairman of OPDO, Girma Birru Industry Minister and
vice Chairman of OPDO, Mulugeta Alemsegid Politburo Member of TPLF and
Protocol Adviser to Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and many
others from Regions and Sidama Zone. Those carefully selected from
unrelated departments of the Ethiopian government, high ranking officials
held a meeting on 23 May 2002, at 6.30am local time to decide on the fate
of Sidama people, in Regional (SNNPR) Head Office in Hawassa town.
Consequently, they passed a resolution which leads to the killing of the
Sidama people. Not expecting this inhuman act, peace-loving innocent
Sidamas assembled at Looque village suburb of Hawassa town on 24 May 2oo2.
They were carrying Ethiopian flags and palm tree leaves as symbols of
unity and peace. Their aim was to demand the Ethiopian government to
reveres its arbitrary decision to dismember the Hawassa town from the
Sidama nation and hand-over it to the Federal government. On the said
morning, while they (people) were at their initial point (place), the
Ethiopian government’s armed forces opened fire indiscriminately upon
unarmed civilians men and women, young and old, adult and children killing
more than 100 people and wounding another hundreds more.
Now 7 years on, those who bathed in the innocent
Sidamas blood, and later climbed higher ladder as rewards for their brutal
act killing of innocent people have not brought to the court of justice.
However, we have no doubt that sooner or later those criminals will be
brought to the court of law. Now it appears that some progress is on its
way, Meles Zenawi and his collaborators to be investigated and charged by
ICC. IN conjunction with this we strongly advocate that those who held a
meeting in Hawassa on 23 May 2002, and voted to kill the Sidama people
should be included in this process and should reap (receive) their
relevant verdict to their contribution to the massacre.
Therefore, we urge the Sidama elites and concerned
parties to gather tangible evidences which could enable the genocide watch
and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to process their crucial work
to bring those criminals to the court of justice.
Justice Will Prevail
SLF: 24 May 2009