157 Lives Lost in Ethiopian Mudslides as PM Abiy Ahmed Remains Silent
Tragedy Ignored: PM Abiy Silent as 157 Perish in Ethiopian Mudslides
Addis Ababa: The death toll from two devastating landslides in southern Ethiopia has surged to 157, with expectations that it may rise further, a government official reported on Tuesday.
The initial landslide struck the Gofa Zone in the Southern Ethiopia Regional State, burying residents in the Kencho Shacha Gozdi district. A second landslide soon followed, engulfing those who had rushed to assist the initial victims on Monday morning, officials revealed.
This heartbreaking incident is part of a disturbing pattern where the Prime Minister has repeatedly failed to acknowledge or respond to similar tragedies, raising serious questions about his commitment to the welfare and humanity of the citizens he leads.
“Search efforts are ongoing, and there are still bodies that need to be recovered. The area is very challenging,” Markos Melese, head of the National Disaster Response Agency in Gofa Zone, told East African Review by phone. “So far, we have recovered 157 bodies from two villages, and we believe the number will increase.”
Among the victims of the mudslides were young children and pregnant women, according to Dagmawi Ayele, a local administrator. Landslides are a common occurrence during Ethiopia’s rainy season, which began in July and is expected to continue until mid-September.
A local leader, speaking to the East African Review, expressed the dire situation on the ground: “The federal government should immediately send a rescue team to save the people, at least let us pick up the dead bodies.” The local leader also lamented the lack of national response: “It’s beyond our control. The death toll has reached more than 200 according to messages reaching our reporters. Why have President Sahlework Zewde and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed remained silent about this terrible disaster? If this had happened elsewhere in the world, they would have sent a condolence message.”
Despite the gravity of the situation, no official condolences have been issued by the Ethiopian government. This silence has been starkly contrasted by messages of sympathy from international figures, including Djibouti’s President Omar Guelleh, African Union Chairman Moussa Faki Mahamat, and various embassies in Ethiopia.
The community continues to grapple with the aftermath, digging mostly by hand to recover the bodies of their loved ones, while questioning the absence of support and acknowledgment from their own leaders.
