afrol News, 1 November - An inquiry commission, tasked with probing the circumstances that led to the killings of hundreds of people after the disputed election results were declared in Ethiopia, yesterday published its findings public. But the report invited swift opposition from opponents of the government.

The inquiry commission's former chairman, Woldemicheal Meshesha, had resigned, accusing government officials of harassing him while conducting the investigation. He was replaced by Dr Mokonnen Disasa, who presented the commission's report to the House of People's Representatives.

The report unveiled that 193 civilians and six security forces were killed as a result of the May 2005 violence that occurred in the capital Addis Ababa and 204 localities in Ethiopia. Besides, noted the report, 763 civilians and 71 security forces sustained injuries during the melee.

The commission report found the actions taken by security forces to control violence through shoot and kill to be legal, as they were done to protect the government system and stop the country from plunging into a never-ending violence.

During their investigation, commissioners examined 3,405 documents from health facilities and estimated destroyed property to over four million birr (euro 360,000). Destructions of property and life took place in Addis Ababa where 190 city buses, 44 private and government vehicles, offices and household furniture were reduced to ashes.

"From the vastness of the violence - covering 204 localities, and the huge number of people who participated in the violence in Addis Ababa alone, it is not difficult to fathom the potential damage it could have incurred had it not been for the timely action to control it," the report said, adding, "the force applied to control the situation should be seen vis-à-vis the extent of the violence and the possible damage it could have inflicted."

Commissioners also described the security forces' act as something that was done within the viewpoints of the legality, human rights and democracy.

"The violence that followed the 15 May 2005 elections did manifest some weaknesses and mistakes on the part of the government, the circumstance at that time, the Commission believes, are a result of the fact that the country's democratisation is at a nascent stage and also because it has not impacted the society to the desired level," commissioners indicated.

The house members spoke on the report before allowing it to be scrutinised by legal administrative affairs committee for further scrutiny, according to information by the Addis Ababa government.

But the exiled former commissioner, Mr Meshesha, would not allow the report to go without challenging it. He faulted the authenticity of the report. Quoted by 'Addis Fortune', Mr Meshesha who is now in Europe, said eight of the commissioners had voted while video taped. He maintained that security forces acted unconstitutionally by applying excessive force in their attempt to put the violent protest under control.

He said having received threats from Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the commissioners corrupted the original report, a claim disputed by the commission's current chairman, Mekonnen Disasa: "We spoke to the Prime Minister when we started our investigations. He told us during our interview that we should do it being true to our consciousness."

Opposition deputies also questioned the authenticity and neutrality of the commission's findings, as facts and figures had been incorrect. They blamed the commission for lacking detailed information about the killings. "We found it difficult to accept the report as it is now," the leader of Oromo Federalist Democratic Party, Bulcha Demeksa voiced out.

Members of the opposition United Ethiopian Democratic Forces and Coalition for Unity and Democracy also joined the condemnation fray, with the latter asking the government to re-establish another commission to probe the incidents.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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