Introduction
One of the terrifying news that is becoming common in Ethiopia in the post-EPRDR era is the kidnapping of individuals by various actors in different parts of the Ethiopian empire. Not only is this problem becoming common, but there is also little or no effort to thoroughly investigate such kidnappings so as to bring perpetrators before courts of law and to clear the smokescreen surrounding some of the alleged kidnapping regarding the veracity of which there is a cloud of suspicion.
One such hitherto unproven news was the alleged kidnapping of female students from Dambi Dollo University a few years ago (2019, if I was not mistaken). Much has been said regarding this incident. Statements given by various government officials, at best, lacks consistency, if not contradictory. The veracity of the kidnapping incident and the circumstances in which it took place, let alone the ensuing horrifying crimes narrated by alleged victims and survivors, have not been thoroughly investigated or proven. For the couple of years after the alleged incident, everybody was mute. All of a sudden, the issue—the kidnapping of female students from university—resurfaced again and became a hot and debatable issue following a short documentary and interview aired by EBS TV. What makes the issue a bit odd this time is that the TV channel that brought the issue back to life did not explicitly mention the specific university where the incident happened and the year in which it happened. Nevertheless, some argue that Dambi Dollo University is implied in this video once again.
These allegations of repeated incidents of kidnapping of female students from Dambi Dollo University need to be investigated thoroughly, and the truth must be established. It is with this objective in mind that I wanted to raise some critical issues and questions not only on the circumstances of the alleged kidnapping, the alleged victims’ account of the crimes perpetrated against her but also on the journalistic issues relating to the video aired on the EBS TV. Before proceeding further, I would like to let the readers know that I condemn any act of violence against women (for that matter, any act of violence) in the strongest words possible. In addition, before raising the issues and questions that I consider vital in an effort to establish truth and serving justice in this case, I will describe the conspiracy theories regarding the incident.
Conspiracy Theories/Controversial Accounts of the Identity of the Kidnappers
Conspiracy theories have emerged concerning the abduction of students from Dambi Dollo University. These theories predominantly concentrate on identifying the perpetrators of the crime rather than addressing the necessity of investigating the veracity of the incident and the related circumstances of the crime.
In this regard, a few weeks ago, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Force, has blamed a faction in the National Movement of Amhara (NAMA)-right-wing Amhara ethnic nationalist political party-for the kidnapping. According to him, NAMA has infiltrated the ranks and files of the Oromo Liberation Army, and has an agent named Caalaa (Ashenafi Gonderew) in the OLA. I do not want to duel on this matter, as it is a matter for the named organizations to prove or disprove.
Others place the blame at the door of “Shene.” However, there is controversy regarding who is “Shene.” The government calls the OLA a “Shene’. Others still claim that “Shene” is a countr-insurgency group armed and financed by the Ethiopian state. There are still other who conflate the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) and the OLA and call both “Shene.” This makes any attempt to identify and establish perpetrators difficult, provided that the veracity of the kidnapping and the ensuing horrifying account of sexual crimes are established.
Others still suspect and/or challenge the veracity of the alleged account of kidnapping. Some of these individuals suspect that this part of the smear campaign aimed at blackmailing the entire Oromo people in general and the community surrounding Dambi Dollo University in particular. It can also be considered an attempt to discredit the good name and reputation of the university.
These conspiracy theories make the task of thoroughly investigating and establishing truth of paramount importance. Hence, as I alluded to earlier, I raise some issues and questions relating to the narrated account of the circumstances of kidnapping, which were alleged to have been taken after the alleged victim was released by her kidnappers (after she managed to escape) and the footage used in the video aired by EBS Tv.
The Issues/Questions
The questions under this sub-heading are entirely based on the account of the incidents as narrated by the alleged victim and survivor. There are a host of other questions to ponder, but the following questions are selected because I believe that they can be verified if one puts in a reasonable effort, as there are reliable sources of information to prove or disprove most of these allegations. I do not believe it is cumbersome for a TV channel like EBS to do this if they were genuine enough and if they were committed to living up to the standards of ethical journalism in what they do.
- Establishing the Identity of Alleged Victims
- Is the alleged victim really from Sinan Woreda/district? From which specific vicinity? Who is the name of her grandmother who raised her? Who was the name of the person with whom she was living after leaving her grandmother’s house? What was the name of the school she went to?
I am asking these questions because the way the narration of the story begins does smell fishy. It begins by telling us that the whereabout of the alleged victim’s father is not known and that her mother had died long ago.
- Was She a student at (Dambi Dollo) University (Department of Pharmacy)?
- Was there a shooting in the university compound on the specified date?
- Who was the director she met at the university upon her return to the University?
- Which clinicic/hospital did she receive treatment?
- Who was the other lady who was kidnapped, raped, and amputated? Where is she?
- How many weeks, months, or years was she begging just in front of the university compound?
- Who brought her to Finfinne or Addis Ababa? When?
- Who was the woman who helped her after arriving in Finfinne or Addis Ababa? In which hospital/clinic did she receive the treatment?
The Footage Used in the Video Aired by EBS Tv
As everyone who watched the program could observe, video footage was used in the video. Is this a real video? If so, how and when did the EBS get it? Were alleged victims or perpetrators recording the raping incident? If the perpetrators filmed the incident, did the TV channel meet them? If the video footage is not real, why is it necessary to use fake footage while it is possible to hear the account of the crime from the alleged victim and survivor of kidnapping and rape through interviews?
EBS’s Motives
What is the TV channel’s motive for airing this program or video? Is it aiding right-wing, ultra-nationalist, and extremist Amhara ethnic nationalists in building a narrative of victimhood so that they can use it as evidence to convince innocent Amhara people to support their agenda?
Why did the TV channel choose to portray the community in which the university was located in such a stereotypical and negative manner? (Bear in mind that one of the hosts of the program asked/said “indezih aynet neger yemifetsemibet mahebereseb wusxi newu yemininorew?”)
Note: Even if the veracity of the kidnapping and the ensuing heinous crimes are proven, a crime is strictly personas and, as such, we cannot place the blame at the door of the entire local community.
Concluding Remark
There is a lot at stake in this matter. Primarily, it is in the interest of establishing truth and justice that this matter should be investigated thoroughly. Second, if not corroborated by evidence, such allegations are very dangerous, as they can lead to hatred and marginalization of the community where the incident is believed to have taken place. It can also be used by right-wing ultra-nationalist political forces.
Hence, the TV channel needs to take urgent measures and prepare an investigative report that considers all the above questions and other possible relevant questions. We must push for this to happen. Aside from its political motives and calculations, the government should also investigate this matter.
