Ethiopia – Foreign reports on human causalities during Epiphany baseless
Jan 26, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Medical Director of Menelik II Hospital here in the Ethiopian capital said inflated human causalities reported by various foreign media during Ethiopian Epiphany quoting the hospital was baseless.
Ethiopian Police opened fire on stone-throwing protesters in Addis Ababa Friday 20 January, leaving two person dead and 18 wounded — according to the official ENA– as annual religious processions turned into political protests.
According to the AP in a news wire on 20 January, Doctors at the main Menelik Hospital said they were treating 20 people with gunshot wounds, two of whom were in surgery. Other hospitals also reported receiving six more wounded people, but none of the doctors would give their names for fear of arrest.
“The majority of them are shot in the legs and in the chest, but there are a few shot in the head. They are getting treatment so I can’t tell you the figure,” one doctor said between treating patients, the AP said.
The Medical Director said one police member who was wounded on the day came to the hospital to get treatment.
Dr. Erdaw Ashagari told the official ENA on Thursday 26 January that the figure used by the foreign media by quoting the hospital was far from truth and the hospital did not give any statement concerning the disturbance on that day.
He said the hospital admitted seven persons who were injured during the disturbance created in some areas in the course of the ceremony.
Dr. Erdaw said three of the seven wounded persons are still receiving treatment at the hospital while the remaining four persons returned home after getting treatment.
One day after the publication of the AP paper on 21 January Ethiopian authorities decided that AP correspondent Anthony Mitchell be expelled from the country for “disseminating information far from the truth about Ethiopia.”
The Press License and Control Department with the Ethiopian Ministry of Information didn’t give any clarification on the issue. But this denial by the medical authorities may explain the reason behind Mitchell’s expulsion.
(ST)