Ethiopian court sentences 6 people to death for massacre
By Tesa-alem tekle
September 7, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) – A court in Ethiopia has sentenced six members of the Benishangule-Gumuz and one from the Oromo tribes to death and another 157 to prison terms on charges of genocide for the killings that took place in May 2008, said a statement released by the justice bureau.
Among the total convicts, 103 of them are members of the Benishangule-Gumuz tribe who are responsible for the massacre of 93 members of the Oromo tribe and the rest 61 are from the Oromo community who in retaliation killed 75 people and burned down 200 houses in the villages of the Benishangule-Gumuz tribe.
The court found another 66 defendants not guilty.
According to court statement both tribal members have gunned down or speared to death a total of 168 people including children from each side. They were also charged of rape and robbery.
The court said it found them guilty after examining documents, pictures and video tape evidence presented by the prosecution and after the accused failed to exercise their right to defence
Those that escaped the death sentence were handed prison terms ranging between five years to life imprisonment with hard labour.
(ST)
khamic Isaac
Ethiopian court sentences 6 people to death for massacre
If you granted independent to Oromo movement then Ethiopia will be like Somalia because of Muslim Ideology, however Ethiopia was one of the best Country in the time of former Preisedent Mugustio Al marim but now the country is in enonomy crisis and then will bring more conflict in the region.
sentences of 6 people to death for massacre charges will not solved the problems among two communities unless you treat the caused of the problems.