By Jawar Mohammed
Confrontation between residents and government officials is reported over mass grave discovered at the former Hameressa military garrison near Harar city. The mass grave is believed to contain remains of political prisoners executed during the Dargue era and the early reigns of TPLF. Among those who were executed and buried in the location is Mustafa Harowe, a famous Oromo singer who was killed in 1982? for his revolutionary songs. Thousands of more of political prisoners were kept at this location in early 1990s, with many of them never to be seen again.
The mass grave was discovered while the government was clearing the
camp with bulldozers to make it available to Turkish investors. Upon
discovery of the remains, the government tried to quietly remove it from
the site. However, workers secretly alerted residents in nearby
villages who spread the news and turned up en mass to block the removal
of the remains and demanding construction of memorial statue on the
site. The protests is still continuing with elders camping on site
while awaiting response from government.
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