The Board of Vision Ethiopia, an independent and nonpartisan network of Ethiopian
academics and professionals, expresses its deepest sorrow over the vicious killing of Mr.
Hachalu Hundessa, and sends its condolences to his family and the peace-loving people
of Ethiopia. Regrettably, the young singer’s death is but the latest in a series of
assassinations of politicians and high-ranking civilian and military leaders witnessed in
the recent past.
Vision Ethiopia notes that the brutal killing took place at a critical moment in the history of
Ethiopia, when the country is dealing with existential threats, including foreign aggression,
a pandemic outbreak and internal conflicts.
Vision Ethiopia believes that the killing was schemed and carried out by extremist and
criminal groups to thwart the ongoing negotiations surrounding the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, and to create chaos and instability in the country by
inciting inter-ethnic pogroms. Bewilderingly, the actions of these criminal elements have
been facilitated by non-state actors that have penetrated the structures of government
and public services, rendering the bureaucracy and judiciary ineffectual and lacking
credibility and trust in the eye of the public.
Vision Ethiopia deeply laments the loss of innocent lives and the destruction of
properties and national heritage in the aftermath of the deplorable assassination of Mr.
Hachalu Hundessa, and asks the people of Ethiopia to exercise wisdom and constraint,
and not to succumb to the traps of the criminal and extremist groups behind this tragic
event.
Therefore, Vision Ethiopia:
1. Unequivocally condemns the brazen assassination of this great Ethiopian;
2. Calls upon all the people of Ethiopia, without regard to ethnicity, religion or
political affiliations, to stand together and avoid further bloodshed and violence;
3. Calls upon the Government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to commission an
independent and reliable body to transparently and credibly investigate the
motives behind the assassination, the communal violence, and the glaring
human rights violations reported in various parts of the country, and to take swift
actions against the responsible individuals and criminal groups;
4. Calls upon the Government to enforce the pertinent media laws of the country
and to curb the incendiary activities of political and social actors;
5. Calls upon all international organizations and human rights groups to intervene
and prevent a looming genocide and mass displacements in that country; and
6. Calls upon Western governments to bring to justice criminal activists, who reside
in their respective countries and remotely incite sectarian violence in Ethiopia.
Vision Ethiopia
VisionEthiopia@VisionEthiopia.org
