By Paschal Norbert
ADDIS ABABA, APRIL 11, 2023 (CISA)- Two staff of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) have been shot and killed in the Amhara regional state of northern Ethiopia on April 9, Easter Sunday.
According to a press release by CRS dated April 10, the two staff members: Chuol Tongyik, a security manager, and Amare Kindeya, a driver, were shot and killed in a CRS vehicle in the Amhara region as they were returning to Addis Ababa from an assignment.
“The depth of our shock and sorrow is difficult to measure and we are saddened over this senseless violence,” said Zemede Zewdie, CRS country representative in Ethiopia.
“CRS is a humanitarian agency dedicated to serving the most vulnerable people in Ethiopia. We express our deepest condolences to Chuol’s and Amare’s families and hope they find strength in this tragic time,” he consoled.
In the press release, CRS says Chuol Tongyik, 37, started working for CRS as a security manager in December 2021, and Amare Kindeya, 43, had been a driver for CRS since 2019.
“These colleagues were an integral part of the CRS team and the larger community of humanitarian workers. We honour their sacrifice and deeply mourn their deaths,” Zemede said.
The motive and details of their murder are still unknown. However, according to local media reports the incident is reported to have occurred in the town of Kobo where heavy fighting was going on between the Federal Forces of Ethiopia and the Amhara Regional Forces.
The killings occurred amid an ongoing civil conflict fuelled by the Federal Government of Ethiopia’s decision to disband regional states’ special forces. This decision has faced strong opposition, especially in the Amhara region, which has witnessed huge protests in the streets.
In Ethiopia, regional states have their special forces to protect their borders, and to fight rebels. The Amhara regional leaders believe the decision by the government would leave them vulnerable to attacks by neighbouring regions.
In 2020, the Amhara special forces helped the Ethiopian army fight Tigrayan forces who launched a rebellion against the government.
