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November 3rd, 2024
Video Credit: Mereb Media
Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) Loot and Destroy School and Civilian Properties in Lasta Woreda's Wodebay (Chebertay) Kebele, Amhara region, Leaving a Trail of Devastation
Transcript:
The destruction and looting by the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) in Wodebay (Chebertay) Kebele in Lasta Woreda.
Journalist (J): May you be healthy.
Witness (W): Same to you.
J: How are you?
W: Thanks to God.
J: You're the security for the school right?
W: Yes, I'm the security for the school.
On the 25th, the ENDF was fighting against Fano at a distance. After they were fighting for a long time and in another area, all of a sudden we heard they (ENDF) had entered the town. The entire population fled the town so we fled as well.
They were beating up people as they were retreating into the town. So we fled thinking that they would do the same to us.
Once we fled, they looted the entire city. They looted all the properties of the residents. Once they came, they destroyed the school. They were treating their wounded here as well, burning wood.
They were boiling the peas and beans they stole from the farmers here as well. They were doing everything here and completely destroyed it.
I'll show you later but they took all the cooking utensils and clothing belonging to teachers. They took the clothings and burned and destroyed what was left.
Then they went to the town of Maksegno Gebeya. Fano had heard of this so they cut them off, and in retaliation they (ENDF) started attacking people and killed farmers. Fano came and chased them out.
We were hiding in the valleys and cliffs out of fear but once Fano chased them away we came out to find all these destruction they (ENDF) had caused. There is not much we can do so we are sitting here quietly.
Once the Fano attacked them they started to flee after destroying what they could and taking what they had looted.
You will see it inside, they had converted this into a makeshift clinic. There is blood everywhere.
When they (ENDF) first came we thought they were going to help restart the school but let alone restarting it, they destroyed the school.
They didn't even spare the chicks, they stole five chickens from one farmer and two chicks from another. It's hard to count what they stole. There are no blankets left in the town, they took it all.
The people aren't aware that you are here but they will show you what they lost. They drank all the areke and beer, and stole all the sugar, berbere and different spices. There is nothing left.
J: Have any relevant authorities asked you about the school?
W: No one has come to see it, everybody was running for their lives. But once the Fano chased away ENDF, they came to assess the damage.
J: Are you talking about the Fano forces?
W: Yes, the Fano came to assess the damage. Once they chased away the enemy (ENDF) they came back to look at the damage.
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