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On April 28th, 2023, Ato Girma Yeshitla, an executive member of the ruling Prosperity Party and the head of the Amhara Region Prosperity Party Branch Office, was killed by unidentified gunmen in North Showa Zone, 250 kilometers north of the capital city, Addis Ababa. Mr. Girma was visiting various development and infrastructure projects in the capital city of Debre Berhan when he was attacked and killed on his way back from a trip to his birthplace. The attack also killed his personal guards and family members. The government of the Amhara region, the government communication office, and various regions condemned the killing of the high official and expressed their grief.
No one has taken responsibility for Mr. Girma’s murder, but both the Amhara region and the federal government blamed “irregular forces” and “extremist forces” for the officer’s murder. The former head of the Amhara region and the current director general of the National Intelligence and Security Service, Ato Temesgen Tiruneh, stated that during the war in Northern Ethiopia, there were those who fought on the side of the government and occasionally committed robbery.
It is believed that Mr. Girma was targeted because of his different stance on the government’s plan to reorganize the regional special forces, which resulted in massive public protests in the Amhara region. Before his death, the officer was criticized for his comments on reorganizing the regional special forces. Ato Girma was one of the officials who appeared in the Amhara region and the federal government media about the work that had been started to reorganize the special forces. As a result, Ato Girma was faced with strong opposition and criticism from those who said that it is not appropriate to dismantle the special forces because of the security and safety of the Amhara region.
Ato Girma Yeshitla was a member of the Amhara Regional Council and had served in party and government positions from district to region for nearly three decades. He was the head of the economic sector of Anchokia Gemza district in the North Showa zone, the chief administrator of the district, the deputy mayor of Debre Berhan city administration, and the head of various offices. He served as the deputy and chief administrator of the North Showa zone and was the head of the Regional Industry and Investment Office in addition to his responsibilities in the party.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced Mr. Girma’s killing and indicated that the official was killed because of his different idea. The Prime Minister said that “Ato Girma was killed by the disgraceful and horrible actions of the fanatics and extremists who believed that they should not have thought differently from us.” Although there is nothing clearly stated in official statements as to what the “extremists” do not accept and what the different views that Ato Girma promotes are, his comments on reorganizing the regional special forces had caused some disagreement.
