By Ambassador MediaMay 31, 2017
Bulen, Metekel Zone – The Metekel Zone has once again descended into tragedy. In the early hours of Friday, May 29, 2017, residents of Bulen town and nearby areas awoke not to the sunrise, but to a coordinated and deadly assault by the armed group known as Shene.
Despite advance warnings to government officials, the attackers stormed the area with impunity. Local residents report that Shene forces took full control of Bulen and other surrounding communities, including Berber Kebele. Over 13 civilians were killed, and a trail of destruction was left behind: shops, banks, homes, hospital supplies, vehicles—even the local police station—were looted or destroyed.
Eyewitnesses described the horror: “We informed officials. We told them they were coming. But no one helped us.”
This horrifying attack is only the latest in a series of violent episodes that have plagued the Metekel Zone for the past seven years. Local communities describe the region as a “land of blood,” abandoned by its government and left to fend for itself. Residents say they have sold their personal property to arm themselves for basic defense—only to be disarmed, robbed, or killed in the process.
Systemic Neglect by the Federal Government
In the wake of the attack, the Mother Party issued a powerful and emotional statement condemning the killings and laying responsibility squarely at the feet of the Ethiopian government.
“The welfare state must take full responsibility for the repeated massacres,” the party stated. “Although the Mother Party has been presenting the basic problems of the area in a thoughtful manner since its establishment, it has not been possible to stop the death of innocent people due to the disappearance of witnesses.”
The statement further called for urgent government action, including:
Deployment of sufficient and permanent defense forces to the Metekel Zone.
Creation of a legal framework that would allow local residents to defend themselves.
Immediate investigation into why repeated warnings from citizens and local leaders have gone ignored.
The Mother Party emphasized that the people of Metekel are not demanding special treatment—they are simply demanding their right to live.
Enough is Enough
Ambassador Media echoes the sentiment of the Mother Party: the Ethiopian federal government has failed in its constitutional duty to protect its citizens in Metekel. Statements of sorrow are not enough. Symbolic gestures are not enough. The blood of innocent Ethiopians continues to be spilled while officials remain silent or absent.
What is happening in Metekel is not a tragedy of nature—it is a failure of governance.
To the officials in Addis Ababa: if this does not demand your attention, what will?
To the residents of Metekel: your suffering is real, your voice matters, and your demand for justice is justified.
To the federal government: the world is watching. History will remember what you did—or failed to do—during these darkest hours.
