The Conflict that Flared-up in Hawassa doesn't Represent the People: Hawassa Residents

Hawassa June 19/2018 Participants who attended the public discussion at Hawassa, which was addressed by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, said the conflict that razed the Fitche Chambalala New Year festival contravenes with the culture of the Sidama people. Such intolerable violence is the feat of the perpetrator which can in no way represent the values of Fitche Chambalala and the age old culture of the Sidama people, said the participants. According to the participants, the peoples of Sidama and Wolyita cherish similar way of life and cultural values that they have maintained for ages. They have together experienced hard and joyful days. They added “Fitches Chambalala is a festival on which animals are not touched let alone killing persons.” The participants of the public discussion demanded among other things, the establishment their own regional as part of their rights to self rule and self determination that they have demanded for over 12 years. A demand to benefit from the development programs that are being conducted in Hawassa and its environs, a demand for the prevalence of good governance, provision of compensations for those who were reallocated from their domiciles to leave space for projects, and further demands to address the plights of street children and unemployment among the youth. The participants also stressed that the demands could have been forwarded in a peaceful manner instead of triggering conflicts between peoples who have lived together in harmony for ages. Those who attended the public gathering further noted that the incident that occurred on the festival of Fitche Chambalala is a plot against people who were gathered to peacefully celebrate the traditional New Year festival. The Prime Minster has accordingly respond to the demands and questions forwarded by the participants of the public gathering.