March 27, 2006
Two Three Four blasts - one death
At least one person was killed in Addis this morning after another two explosions in the capital.
A passenger in a 'blue donkey' minibus died after a blast tore apart the back seat of the vehicle at about 9.30am. It happened on the inbound carriageway of busy Debre Zeit Road, around the Kirkos district. Reuters reported that "a second blast occurred outside the gate of an abattoir in the city but no one was hurt, police said".
Again people seem to be taking things in their stride - although this is the first fatality caused by these blasts. Two hours after the explosion, all that was left at the scene was a pool of petrol. Traffic flows and roadside business was back to normal.
No one so far has managed to come up with a clear explanation of who is behind all this. Journalists are starting to talk of "mysterious explosions"; the government blamed the last blasts on Eritrean-backed "terrorists" with smuggled plastic explosives.
It is worrying that public transport is now being targeted. For me it is also puzzling that they don't seem interested in high-profile targets. Their main aim seems to be intimidating "ordinary" Ethiopians on their way to work.
UPDATE: Another explosion boomed out around 3pm, this time from a café near the Mexico area of Addis (see pic), making it at least three explosions today.
On the scene, you didn't have to be an expert to see the seat of the blast - someone had wedged the explosive between the thin trunk of a tree and the metal cafe wall, just a foot away from one of the tables inside. There is no doubt that whoever placed it there meant to injure people.
No one was sure how many were hurt. Someone on the scene told me 40. An hour earlier, somone had told other reporters it was 10. A car outside had its roof smashed in by the tree. There were two pools of blood next to the nearest table. Everywhere else there was broken glass, twisted metal walls and people's half-eaten snacks sitting on smashed plates.
UPDATE 2: A fourth blast left no injuries according to AFP
Police said a fourth explosion had occurred in the capital's northeastern Teklehaimanot district but had not caused any injuries."I think the explosions are due to criminal acts but the cases are under investigation. They are not accidents, I think," [police spokesman Demsach Hailu] told AFP.
There goes my "it was all an accident" theory.
UPDATE 3: Sorry to everyone whose comments have not been published below. Call me a coward, but I 'm not going to let through any direct accusations of blame - so far none of the posts have come with any forensic evidence attached.
Posted by aheavens at March 27, 2006 11:11 AM
Comments
Where political tension run high, such kinds of explosions can happen everywhere in the world.The government should initiate a honest political dialogue with all parties in parliment and those in diaspora / including the Oromo Liberation Front, /.DIALOGUE IS NOT ENOUGH.IT SHOULD BE HONEST AND SHOULD LEAD TO A POWER SHARING GOVERNMENT.Labeling those opposition parties under `terrorism' is not helpful approach.
If the government continues to behave like it did since the national election, i am afraid things will soon worsen .
It is saddening to see civilian death.
Posted by: Daniel at March 27, 2006 1:49 PM
It is obvious that EPRDF is behind all these bombs. Ask the ordinary people in the streets. They will tell you that.
Shame on them!
Posted by: Kibrom at March 27, 2006 1:54 PM
Although one should not discount that these bombings could be the work of a foreign govenment or a domestic group, it seems to me that these series of bombings have Meles written all over them.
Posted by: Fikru Helebo at March 27, 2006 2:31 PM
Over the past decade or so, as far as I can remember, you could always count on a couple of 'bombs' going off in Addis every year, and a few more in rural, usually eastern, Ethiopia.
Often the cases were unsolved and the bombers unidentified. I can only remember two cases in which there some sort of resolution - there was the Ethiopia Hotel bombing in 1994, if I'm not mistaken, which resulted in convictions, and there was one in 2004, coincidentally about 100m from where I was sitting, which was explained as a personal dispute.
As far as I remember, as you say, the targets of these bombings, if there could be considered to be targets, were never high profile. It always seemed a way of making people insecure, so that they long for or at least more tolerant of tighter security and a more generalized 'police state' atmosphere. Never quite happened, though. Odd, isn't it?!
Posted by: Gooch at March 27, 2006 3:26 PM
Those who perpertrated this henious act should be apprehended and punished harshly. That will send a clear message that this type of behavior is unjustified. What are they hoping to achieve by terrorizing innocent people?
The opposition parties also need to come out publicly and condemn those behind this attack. Their silence is tantamount to a tacit approval to this type of destructive deeds.
Posted by: Dereje at March 27, 2006 6:52 PM
As far as I am concerned, it is TPLF supporters that are behind these bombings. Why else would the bombers bomb non-goverment targets instead of goverment owned targets. These bombings are intended to intimidate the AA population, instill fear in people and to justify implementation of martial law.
Really, they do not fool anyone.
Why they think this will work is beyond me.
Posted by: Safiya at March 27, 2006 9:20 PM
Here we go again ...one step retrogressing towards...killing each other...What a country and what a government....all this to opress people in the name of controlling terrorism.
Andrew..Believe me, I am not emotional and neither fond of OLF or CUD...but I and most Ethiopians know that this is the act of our beloved! gov't. The next act will be rampant extra judicial arrest ..torture and behind door killing. Ellohie for the unfortunate people ...
And the west, ferenje's will be silent now because ..they cant say anything when the government plays a game on thier own psycho..which is fighting terrorism.
What kind of arrogance is this!
I just pray for all of you who are caught up at the middel of self dictated..devisive fatal..system.
Posted by: Frank at March 27, 2006 10:35 PM
Andrew: It is your prerogative to do whatever you want with your weblog. Just the fact that you are willing to report on what you have seen and observed is good enough for me.
Posted by: Fikru Helebo at March 28, 2006 2:44 PM
I am deeply saddened by this. Thank you for the first hand account, Andrew. God Bless!
Posted by: :( at March 28, 2006 3:33 PM
i don't know why people point fingers at the Ethiopian gov.
IN THE CIVILISED WORLD WE HAVE WHAT YOU CALL CIRCUMSTANCIAL EVIDENCE,FORENSIC EVIDENCE AND MOTIVE.
DO THE MATH.WHY WOULD A GOVERNMENT TRY TO DISTURB IT'S OWN PEOPLES STABILITY?
Posted by: alula at March 28, 2006 4:43 PM
Following your comment "For me it is also puzzling that they don't seem interested in high-profile targets. Their main aim seems to be intimidating "ordinary" Ethiopians on their way to work." and Taxis as well.
I strongly believe the comment you stated above provides a good hint in finding the responsible group for these cowardly savage action.
Posted by: Arango Odolo at March 28, 2006 6:02 PM
Andrew:
You have already posted "direct accusations of blame without forensic evidence".
"the government blamed the last blasts on Eritrean-backed "terrorists" with smuggled plastic explosives".
Right?
Posted by: Safiya at March 29, 2006 2:53 PM
Wise man!
Posted by: Ethiopian Politics at March 29, 2006 7:17 PM