Disclaimer: This is an English translation of an Amharic article taken from BBC Amharic and is intended solely for information purposes.
BBC Amharic – Thousands of people displaced in an incident following the killing of a businessman in Jimma Zone
February 17, 2025
Last week starting on Thursday an attack left people killed and thousands displaced in Jimma Zone of Oromia Region according to residents.
On February 13, 2025 (Yekatit 6, 2017 EC) in a kebele called Wala in Gera Woreda of the zone, a wealthy resident named Ato Zakir Aba Ali was killed after which “youth” began identifying residents by identity and burning their homes and property according to eyewitnesses and residents who spoke to BBC.
A religious father serving in a church called Giyorgis in the kebele said Thursday night he heard “sounds of gunfire” and when the sounds did not subside, it startled him and his family members.
“When the gunfire intensified, he became startled. We didn’t know what was happening” said the church servant, and after intense gunfire, youth and “special forces” approached their home in a vehicle, and they ran and escaped with their clothing.
The religious father said when his home was burned down, he took his five-year-old child and his spouse and escaped to a nearby forest, as the perpetrators of the attack traveled around the area burning down homes.
“I wasn’t wearing anything. All of my property was burned down. I thank God I was able to leave with my child and my wife.”
Another resident said, before the identity of the person who killed the wealthy man could be identified, starting on Thursday night, an attack allegedly took place targeting “people of Amhara background” in a small town called Bore, in which residential homes, vehicles, tractors, mills and sown grain were all burned down by youth identified as “Qeerro”.
The wealthy individual worked in production and brewing of coffee and had requested land for investment and they were granted land belonging to over 200 farmers said the resident, and the killing was blamed on “people of Amhara background."
“The land can’t be seen. It has been covered in smoke and flames” said a local resident and eyewitness who described the attack, and said the attack originated with asking “why was the wealthy man killed?”
Residents said the attack was carried out in a town called Bore which was believed to be predominantly inhabited by Amhara residents, and homes were singled out by youth who lived in the area.
Starting from last Thursday over 10 people were killed said the resident, adding among those killed was an elderly man named Azane Ambaye.
Another resident who confirmed this said there were people whose whereabouts are still unknown and the number of people who lost their lives has not been confirmed.
On Thursday morning government security forces entered the kebele but they were unable to restore peace to the area which did not reassure residents, said another resident.
“How could they remain silent as homes were burned down? If they were proper government actors they would not have been silent as homes were burned down...if they were truthful law enforcers they would have stopped them, they would have said, 'Relax, calm down,'" he said, saying they were forced to escape from their home due to security forces being unable to restore order to the area.
“If they had been genuine law enforcers, they would have stopped it all, ensured everyone reached consensus and searched for criminals wherever they were [is what they should have done]” they said, criticizing government security forces for “not doing what was expected of them” during the attack.
One resident said the attack in Bore town continued until 4 pm, the burning of homes and attacks on residents expanded into a kebele called Oba and other attacks also continued.
One resident said on Thursday, the day of the attack, they helped their spouse, and their parents escape to the neighboring South West Region, and they stayed for three days to protect their property but when the situation did not improve, they too took their cattle and escaped.
Another resident told BBC that after over 25 homes were burned down in a neighborhood called Zone 2, on the night of Friday, February 14, 2025 (Yekatit 7, 2017 EC) they took their six children and their bulls and escaped to the South West Region.
When residents were escaping, four pregnant mothers delivered on the road and five cows gave birth on the road.
Over seven thousand residents from Wala Kebele have taken shelter in a school in Abekicha Kebele in Gimbo Woreda of Kefa Zone in South Western Region according to four people who spoke to BBC.
The local administrator accepted them according to the displaced residents who said the administrator has also been providing support for them.
Over 7,900 displaced persons have been registered according to the resident, and the displaced persons which include pregnant women and children have been eating boiled vegetables.
The displaced persons say, “we are facing crisis” and have called on the government to deliver humanitarian relief to them.
BBC’s efforts to contact administrator of the woreda where the incident transpired, Ato Hawi Sayed and the Jimma Zone Peace and Security Bureau head Ato Junedin for additional information were unsuccessful as they were unwilling to respond.
Yesterday on Sunday the Oromia Region Communications Bureau issue a statement describing the attack as an “incident” but did not provide details of what transpired outside of the killing of the wealthy individual.
Residents became “shocked” and escaped said the region, stating that unnamed institutions and individuals “were observed attempting to drag the incident into one based on faith and ethnicity” they accused.
“By exposing the institution’s hidden desire, it proves they are involved” they said describing the incident as being caused by a conspiracy from those with a hidden objective.
