http://diplomat.so/2014/12/21/reports-two-ethiopian-air-force-pilots-defected-three-protesters-killed-in-bahir-dar/
REPORTS : TWO ETHIOPIAN AIR FORCE PILOTS DEFECTED , THREE PROTESTERS
KILLED IN BAHIR DAR
BY TAJUDIN
IN WORLD NEWS
DEC 21ST, 2014
Addis Ababa ( Agencies + DIPLOMAT.SO) – Two Ethiopian Air Force pilots
reportedly went missing since yesterday morning with their two MI-35
combat helicopters.
The Ethiopian Satellite Television (ESAT) breaks the news this evening
after confirming the defections of the two pilots and the two military
helicopters from the Ethiopian Air Force inventory.
Due to the increasing number of defection, the Ethiopian Air Force
enforced a restriction that only allow flying within a 30 minute
flight radius during training periods. The ban, however, couldn’t stop
disgruntled members of the force to abandon the regime and seek
protection in neighboring countries like Eritrea, flying with their
multi-million dollar military machines.
According to ESAT, the two missing pilots are named as Captain Samuel
Ghidey and Lieutenant Yililign Mekonen.
Ethiopian Air Force is no stranger to such high profile defection. In
October of this year alone, Four SU-25 Fighter Jet captains deserted
the Air Force to join armed opposition groups based in Eritrea.
Until the time of reporting, it was not clear if these two helicopter
pilots defected to Eritrea or not. However, it is highly unlikely for
an Ethiopian Air Force pilot to seek protection elsewhere apart from
Eritrea.
Ethiopian Regime Shoots and kills protesters in Bahir Dar
At least three Ethiopian protesters were killed and seven others were
wounded after regime forces unleashed a hail of gunfire towards
demonstrators in Bahir Drar.
The demonstrators, who mainly comprised of the Christian Orthodox
faith, came together to protest the city’s administrator’s plan to
take parts of “Meskel Square” for road expansion.
The ‘Meskel Square’ area is largely used by the city’s Orthodox Church
followers to observe annual religious ceremonies such as “Meskel” (the
Founding of the True Cross), colorfully celebrated on 26th of Sep.
each year.
In a similar incident over development, last April, regime security
forces shot and killed at least 47 Ethiopian students after they
protested the “Integrated Urban Development” Master Plan of Addis
Ababa, a plan protesters said is intended at taking lands from Oromos
near Addis Ababa and giving them to party loyalists.
Last week, a top Swedish prosecutor told Swedish Radio that 12
Ethiopian government officials and one other military commander who is
based in Sweden are being investigated for executing the killings of
193 innocent protesters following the 2005 Ethiopian post election.
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Received on Sun Dec 21 2014 - 15:26:22 EST