August 13, 2021. The heavy rain that was pouring down in Woldiya Town, Semien Wollo Zone in Amhara State, frustrated and left villagers sleepless.
Even though it was nearly midnight, the rain bucketing down on her roof did not allow her to fall asleep. Lying in bed along with her three years old child and a 14 years old girl from neighborhood, she was wavering between different ideas.
It was at this time; large number of members of the terrorist TPLF forces approached to porch of her house.
“Let us spend some time here till the rain stops,” the rebel forces asked her.
As she told the local media when they asked her that they wanted to get into the house, she refused to open. Later, one of the militia asked her for a match and she slipped it under the door. But they did not stop there, thus, the militants started knocking on the door shouting ‘open it! We want to check if there is a hidden soldier there,’ she narrated the incident.
She begged them to leave her alone and told them that she had lost her husband a year ago and that she was living with her three years old kid.
“Finally, they broke down the door and entered into the house. Even if they searched the house, they could not find anybody. Later, pointing a gun on my son’s head, they raped me”, she said with a deep pain.
The insurgents did not leave after raping her, but they also took the little girl who was staying with her to a nearby house and gang raped- by a group of four of militants.
“Ever since the painful incident, my son fears and terrifies when he sees someone with a gun; and he is under psychological trauma,” she uttered.
In the same token, following her school break, Senait Alemu (her name is changed), an eighth grader who lives in Ataye Town, had headed to Debre Haile Saint Tewoderos and Abune Aregawi Monastery; located in Shewa Robit Town, Semien Shewa Zone of the Amhara State to sprinkle with Holy water.
Yearning to pray and be healed from her illness, the fourteen years old girl rented a small house in the nearby area of the Monastery.
However, on one unfortunate midnight, the TPLF enterprise that never gets tired of committing barbaric crimes came straight to the house where she had rented and sheltered till she gets back to her living place.
When she saw the rebel group entering into her house, a chill ran down her spine. As she uttered, by threatening her with a gun and sharp materials, they took her out of the house she was settling.
Having no idea what was about to happen, and considering them to be kind, she begged them to leave her alone. However, as they are inhuman and mean, they turned a deaf ear to her pleas. Instead, they scolded her and were throwing nasty words to hurt her feelings.
When the girl learnt what they planned to do on her, she begged them by the name of God, their daughters, if they have, to leave her. But all were in vain. Even, they threatened to kill her. Senait said that they raped and dishonored her purity.
As the little girl stated to Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) members of the rebel groups animalistically raped her in a manner it is retaliation. The abuse did not end there; they threw her in a nearby market area at midnight. With the help of the residents, she found herself at her house.
The fact that she lost a lot of blood, she feels weak to move and she is in great pain. The abuse has left her with unbearable, deep physical and psychological pain.
Meanwhile, as the crooked terrorists continued their barbaric atrocities on civilians and burglary of properties, on August 30, they went on threatening the resident of Mersa Town, North Wollo of the Amhara State, to stay in their house as they were inspecting and robbing the properties of the residents going house to house.
One member of terrorists who had an evil intent in his heart, departed from the group and entered into a house, owned by Zekia Ahmed, is a mother of ten years old boy.
Taking as a way to frustrate saying Zekia as if she was wife of soldier, the TPLF militia attempted to frustrate her. Thinking of terrifying the mother, he also uttered that he would shot so that his friends would be aware of his whereabouts and come, however, the one thing he did not realize was that he was talking to a daring and strong mother who would prefer to sacrifice her life to lose her dignity in his hands.
She told him as he could search the house while she was standing outside of her house; but he insisted on getting her inside the house yet she resisted. Expecting to win her confrontation and to let her enter into the house, he started scolding and abusing her verbally referring to her ethnic background.
When he finally realized that she was firm with her stance, the man shot her twice on her legs and ran away. Knowing absolutely nothing what to do to treat his mother, the boy simply tried to wake his mom up. As he could not get any reply from his unconscious mother who was actually losing lots of blood at the moment, he gave up and sat idle.
That is when Zakia thought that her son was also shot as she realized the voice she was hearing unconsciously has stopped. She then asked her son if he was shot and fortunately he was fine except for the pain of seeing his dying mother covered with blood.
“I could not feel my legs but I was unconsciously listening to my son trying to help me stay awake. But I was losing lots of blood so I could not find the strength to respond to him until his voice finally went blank. I tried to ask him if he was shot too, fortunately, he told me he was fine.”
Then, the boy ran off to call out help for his mother and returned with neighbors. Her fellow people did everything they can to help her.
Out of those genuine neighbors, Mengesha Goshu was the one who treat her wound using his skills. He, risking his own life, had also gone out to get medicine to treat the wound and fell in to the hands of the rebel group, later his phone and money was robbed by the insurgents.
“Even after losing his money, he never hesitated to help me. I am very grateful that he did everything he can to save my life”, she underscored.
Though the woman, who dared to put her life at risk rather than being raped by the TPLF militia, has survived and her wound seems recovered, she said that she feels great pain inside and need further medical treatment.
It is to be noted, following the inhumane and animalistic acts of the group, number of innocent women, including little girls have been exposed to gang rapes including the ones who committed suicide subsequent to the crimes.
Even if it is said there is no excuse to ignore rape, and international war law condemns rape during conflicts, global community has overlooked the rape crimes committed by the terrorist TPLF enterprise against women and children in Amhara and Afar states.
Global community prefers to turn a deaf ear to condemn the wrongdoers. Moreover, members of the faction have gang raped children and elderly women, massacred people, and looted properties. The brutal attacks they committed on innocent civilians when they invaded Woldiya, Shewa Robit and Mersa towns are best showcase the level of their cruelty.
BY BETELHEM BEDLU
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD DECEMBER 23/2021
