Everyone But Ethiopia's Government Is Concerned About the Latest ISIS Beheadings

Eyasu and Balcha, two of the Ethiopians killed by ISIS in Libya. Photo used with permission by Addis Admas news site.

Eyasu and Balcha, two of the Ethiopians killed by ISIS in Libya. Photo used with permission by Addis Admas news site.

A video posted online Sunday shows ISIS militants beheading Ethiopian Christians in Libya, which is one of the main escape routes for immigrants fleeing the hardships and conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.

Ethiopian police used force today to disperse demonstrators chanting “Where is our government?” in a neighborhood that was home to two of the men executed by ISIS.

According to a report by the website Addis Standard:

According Addis Standard’s reporters and informants on the scene, demonstrators were chanting emotional slogans, among others: “where is our government,” “justice for the dead,” “sovereignty is the safety of citizens everywhere in the world,” and “don’t tell us they are not ours,” the later in response to an earlier statement given by government spokesperson Redwan Hussien saying it was not clear if the victims were Ethiopians and that the Ethiopian embassy in Cairo was investigating the matter.

On Facebook, Mahlet Solomon wondered how the government can refuse to acknowledge the murder of its own citizens, when even the killers have said its victims were Ethiopians:

Every media outlet know they are Ethiopians. The killers said they are Ethiopians. It is only the

Ethiopian government that is denying its own citizens.

Another Facebook user, Mesky Feyissa, wasn't sure which was worse: the beheadings or the government's silence:

I don't know which one hurts the most

Noting the fact that the US government recognised the victims as Ethiopians even before their own government, Mahlet Solomon wrote:

The White House released a statement condemning the killing of the Ethiopian Christians.

Oh EPRDF [the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front] you will rot in hell for this

Dæl Bereket lambasted his government and dismissed the state's efforts to shift the public's attention to evidence that the economy is growing:

But the Ethiopian officials are still on the phone trying to verify if the victims are Ethiopian citizens? wow just wow….i don't care if they are from Eritrea or Ethiopia but they are clearly Habeshas [Semitic Ethiopians]. Enough is enough! Nobody should care about stupid trains [referring to electrified light train in the capital] or double digit growth and shit. We need a government who puts the safety and wellbeing of its people first. More than 60000 our Tigrayan brothers and sisters died for the sake of our safety and freedom not to be beheaded and burnt alive by some extremists […]

Ethiopians marching to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the beheading of fellow Ethiopians in Libya. Photo source: Ethiopian DJ Facebook page.

Ethiopian demonstrators denouncing their government following the beheading of Ethiopians in Libya. Photo source: Ethiopian DJ Facebook page.

Reacting to a statement by Ethiopian government spokesperson Redwan Hussein, who was quoted as saying, “If this is confirmed, it will be a warning to people who wish to risk and travel to Europe though the dangerous route,” Soli S. Gebremichael wrote:

he [government spokesperson] was trying to take advantage of the tragedy to talk about illegal migration ……………..unbelievably sad.

Samuel M. Gebru argued that the Ethiopian government should do more:

#‎Ethiopia should join the fight against #‎ISIS. Terrorism and instability are all around Ethiopia and the country must remain secure. I'm sure Prime Minister Hailemariam's government would have wide support if Ethiopia joined the coalition against ISIS as did #‎Egypt, #‎Jordan and others.

Mohammed O. Al-Dushy, meanwhile, blamed the media for not paying enough attention to the story:

Seems the life of a Japanese journalist or that of a Jordanian pilot is considered worth more than the lives of 28 Ethiopians. No media coverage whatsoever. Forget a world trending hashtag. Yes, just like there are fake news channels, there are fake social media activists.

Natnael Abera blamed both the local and international media:

Shame on the ‘Internal & International media’ coverage of the barbaric killing of 30 ‪#‎Ethiopians‬ by the ‪#‎ISIS‬ ‪#‎EBC‬ ‪#‎BBCWorld‬ ‪#‎Ethiopianlivesmatter‬

Commenting on Daniel Berhane's argument that real war for Ethiopians is at home, Sultan Raya noted:

Daniel and woyanes are busy fighting the “terrorists” known by the names of Eskinder Nega and Reeyot Alemu [jailed Ethiopian bloggers and journalists]. Do you think they have time to fight ISIS and the Zulu barbarians???????? [reference to xenophobia related attacks in South Africa. Zulu is one of South Africa's main tribes]

Hallelujah Lulie, a researcher at the Institute for Security Studies, complained that Ethiopians aren't even permitted to demonstrate against ISIS.

Abdi Lemessa criticised the state media for its silence:

Endalk, an Ethiopian PhD student in the United States, described the sad situation some Ethiopians find themselves in:

Mekdes Mz. shared a statement by a brother of one of the victims on a local radio station, Sheger, who said:

7 comments

  • zellalem

    The government can’t be the shepherd of the citizens that are not behaving as
    humans at least to some degrees which the citizens must take their own responsibilities before doing anything like this. They had to know first about the safety and security of the journey, places they are passing through and most importantly the place they are going to reach.
    Immigrating to Europe illegally is the worst Choice any human being can do since the turn of the century. Being none Sunni Muslim is the worse crimes in some countries in the Middle East and North Africa at this moment. However, in the near future, it will get worst in all nations in these regions. So, don’t even think to go there let alone looking to have a better life.

    These victims and others that are migrating illegally without having any knowledge about the journey having agreement with Human traffickers that are
    criminals are not poor citizens or illiterates from the remote areas.

    They are paying 100s of thousands of Birr to leave Ethiopia for other countries for better life for themselves without having any idea how bad, dangerous and myths is going to Europe, Middle East or other part of Africa.

    They went to Saudi Arabia illegally paying lots of money to the traffickers. When, they get in huge troubles, they are crying to be saved by the Ethiopian government they have left it abandoning the country instead of staying in the country and doing the jobs at home. It is the same in South Africa, too.

    There are people around the world migrating all over through human traffickers.
    But most of them they know what and how to do it being sure about their safety
    and securities. But the animal looks like Ethiopians are just paying lots of money to leave the country without having any knowledge about the dangers, troubles and setbacks in abroad. They are doing this illegally which is punishable and they have to face the consequences when they get in troubles.

    Remember: these people are not poor or illiterates but they have lots of money
    and they are taking these measures by themselves with wrong calculations
    because of they are dump, have no idea about the situation in Europe, ME or any place they are going there illegally. Europe is facing a very huge task to satisfy even its own citizens. Yet, these people are migrating there. When they are facing difficulties, they are crying or blaming the government they abandoned it illegally committing crimes like this.

    However, the Government is also to blame. It is putting our country security, sovereignty, safety and future in a great danger. It is allowing the criminals to traffic its citizens for so long. It is severely punishing the citizens only when they are opposing its authority. But it doesn’t care about the safety and the security of its citizens. Criminals are getting very law prison sentences. Arabs and other foreign fanatic Sunni/wahabi Muslims are invading Ethiopia with very damaging plan in their evil heart and head using petro trash dollar as if Ethiopia is for sale to the devils.

    The so called Ethiopian medias are trash and worthless. What is the reason they are there the first place? The Medias job has to be informing, teaching and talking to the citizens about the issues matters all including migration, human traffickers and the evil nature of the Arabs.
    But, the situation like this including what is happening against Ethiopians in the Middle East is something they are not talking about or trying to deny the truth how the Arabs are evils and demons. The Ethiopian media is rotten, has no leverage at all for the public and nation good. They are worthless and garbage, The amateurs and worthless are occupying it in order to misinform the citizens and serving others that are against the citizens and country knowing they are making reclaims and stories about foreign NGOS, Diplomats and so on that are having own agenda in the country.

    Whether the victims are Ethiopians or Eritreans it doesn’t make any difference.
    They have been slaughtered because of they are Christians. We know, 8 from the ten identified victims are Eritreans born in Ethiopia. Others also could be by huge margin Eritreans. We also are hearing very bad news about the biggest ever ship tragedy in the Mediterranean few days ago saying the majorities could be Eritreans from the more than 800 victims. We also know, among the victims near to Greek, one is an Eritrean.

    The point here is not who is Eritrean or Ethiopia but they are all Ethiopians even today despite few individuals divided the nations trapped by foreign enemies against them including the Arabs that are affecting both of them badly for so
    long. The Ethiopian people including in Eritrea must wake up and join together in order to face their common enemy that is getting worse ahead than getting better. The Ethiopian government and Issayas who is a life time terrorist are
    not above the citizens.

    Therefore, the citizens must take the initiative and lead creating peace and unity
    together in order to guarantee our future together facing a huge cloud hanging
    on the region coming from the Arabs in the name of fanatic and radical religion
    believing in terror, killing, destruction, Chaos and hate.

  • Visitor

    Just in;

    According to an NGO, the migrants did not get asylum seeker status in the third country and made their way north to Libya to try to reach Europe, after which they ended up in the hands of ISIS.

    Three Eritrean asylum-seekers who left Israel for a third country in the past year were among a group of Ethiopian Christians whom Islamic State beheaded or shot in a video it distributed this week, an Israeli NGO said Tuesday.

    According to the Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, one of the three men was identified by an Eritrean relative who works as a translator for the NGO, as well as by people who were jailed with him at the Holot detention facility in the South.

    Two other men in the video were identified by people who knew them in Holot and the NGO, but not by family, the organization added.
    organization added. It is also believe to be most of the victims are sadly Eritreans.

    What is the life time terrorist and enemy of the Eritrean and Ethiopian people Issayas saying about this and 100s victims from the ship tragedy few days ago?

  • adishule

    it is grave situation.It is a challenge to all Ethiopians and Africans irrespective of creed. It indicates the coming of terrorism to Africa with new ideology. How could Africa control the danger. The problem is so big that Ethiopians try to quarrel on trivial issues. there is a need for a common front unless there is something i don’t know..It is beyond creed, political opinion, country of origin . There are different things that people could differ between each other . In this case no. It is not the fault of any body. It is only fault of TERRORISM. wake up

  • […] used social media to question their government’s silence after the beheadings of Ethiopian Christia…. In a video circulated two weeks ago on social media, ISIS militants beheaded 28 Ethiopian […]

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