Victims of house demolition plead IOC

ESAT News

May 25, 2014

Since the demolition of houses has unexpectedly started by the government in Addis Abeba, many citizens have been left unsheltered and are also losing their belongings. An elderly man, who was sheltered in a temporary tent, has been partially munched by hyenas last Thursday night. Police lifted the man’s body the following day, according to the local residents. ESAT’s effort to get detailed information regarding the death of the man has been unsuccessful.

Police had struggled to keep the secrets from spilling by surrounding the area where the man has been attacked. Police also informed the occupiers to immediately ‘disappear’ from the tents. Many of the evictees have been phoning ESAT and seeking help worried on how and where they should keep their children.

In a letter they wrote to ESAT, those who had their houses demolished said the recent demolitions are aimed at facilitating the grounds for the construction of the Olympic Village, which is funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). They have called the Committee to look at the sufferings of the people and delay its support.

They have also mentioned that the Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian Olympic Committee (EOC) would give them 2 million birr (102,472.04 USD).

“Although we have never been given any warning or notice prior to the demolition of our houses, the letter sent to us by the government stated that we had been given several warning letters to immediately evict our houses and the area prior to the demolition” they added.

The order to demolish the houses within three days came in order to confiscate the properties and belongings of the victims and share them among the local government officials and the demolishers, they noted in their letter.

The official of the Woreda told the victims that the order came from the Sub City officials and he could do nothing; whereas the Administrator of the Sub City, Desta, got the appellants forced out of his office.

Fearing that the demolishers would confiscate their belongings some of the residents had put aside the roof and doors in the houses of their relatives as a result of which many including children and mothers had to endure the lashing rain and cold that left most of them sick.

“The EPRDF regime has killed us alive and tossed our bodies in the street.” The appellants say.

At the end of their letter, the victims said that although the IOC is an organisation that does not stand with programs that violate human rights, they have condemned that it is cooperating with the Ethiopian government which is known for its reckless human rights records.

They have also called for the funds coming from the Committee to be stopped and pleaded those that have connections with the Committee to forward their appeals.

ESAT has learnt from the telephone conversation it conducted with the victims that the letter was written two weeks ago however they preferred not to release it fearing government reprisals.