By Haile-Gebriel Endeshaw
August 23, 2018
Nowadays I am wondering whether we are slipping in to mobocracy; a system ruled by the mob. A number of incidents currently occurring in our country seem to prove this.
A few weeks back our young people in Debre-Markos Town took to the street and rounded up a big hotel. The reason was a word that went around the town concerning a notorious government official allegedly happened to be in the hotel. The enraged young people who have now turned in to a mob, chanted slogans against the individual and at length asked for his arrest. They were not approached by any government officials of the town. Their request fell on deaf ears. The surprising thing was that police supposedly did not try to do anything to help the situations be directed smoothly. No one gave the mob a damn! No measures were taken to stop them from performing illegal actions. Then after, the angry mob started to search for the said individual in the hotel. When they failed to find him, they burned down the hotel including a vehicle which was thought to transport the official in to the town.
The measures taken by the mob are completely illegal. What astounded the people were that the governing body and the police of the town were watching the incident with folded hands. What does this mean? Is it not their duty to stop unlawful actions? Is it not their responsibility to report the situation to the concerned body at the top?
Amhara Regional State announced at the time via its Information Bureau that the young people acted based on false information disseminated across the town. Apart from giving this information, nothing was said regarding the measures taken against the preparators.
The other young citizens who saw that nothing happened to their brothers that had committed illegal actions in Debre-Markos took to the street in Dessie Town and banned the transportation of heavy duty trucks which were loaded with teff (staple food) and driven to Tigray. Nothing happened to them and other youngsters in Gonder Town followed suit by taking measures to burn bundles of Kats by confiscating from poor traders.
Then after, down in Tarcha Town of Dawro Zone, young people went crazy and set fire that gutted down government offices and properties. Delinquents in Tepi Town, of Sheka Zone, continued committing atrocities against innocent compatriots in the town.
Youngsters of Little Shashemene, the town only 25 kilometres before Hawassa Town, seemed to take turn to perpetrate the ruthless action ever witnessed over the past four months. The situations aggravated. As any measures were not taken against the offenders by the government or concerned bodies, others seemed to be encouraged to cause similar and worse destructive actions seen than ever before.
No need to ask for the cause of all these. Whatever the cause, what has happened is totally illegal. This has never been expected from us, Ethiopians. We are God-fearing people. I am proud of my people for their kindness, goodness, politeness… These are expressed in many ways. Any guests who happened to be in any places of this country are wholeheartedly welcomed by the local people. People of my country feed, entertain, respect and give abodes to visitors who happened to be in any part of the country. I feel confidence this social value will be kept intact.
When we are ruled by mobocracy’, people will inhumanly be beaten to death. There will not be rule of law. Properties will be destroyed, and citizens are forced to lead desperate lives. The government, police and the entire people in general should work in unison against such brutal and illegitimate actions.
When citizens feel they have little trust in the government and the police, they incline to take whatever measures they think are right. This is a dangerous game. The government should have known the threats laying ahead. To prevent this, it is expected to play things in a transparent and responsible ways. The country is taking a new direction which can easily be thwarted by reactionaries. We know the new government is expressing desire for democratic governance. But, we need reliable and tangible actions from its side. Things happening now should prompt the government to explain to the people what has happened las June at Meskel Square. Tell the people who were involved in the criminal acts of the bomb blasting and the killing of Engineer Simegnew Bekele. Failing to do this may cause deep outrage among the people.
There are no bad people. There are, of course, bad governments. People need neither collective punishment nor meritocracy. No one needs to lead life through mob justice. Only few feeble-minded individuals want mobocracy’ surfacing in this country. This is the only way through which they can proceed with their immoral, injustice, unfair and undemocratic governance. They like to see citizens leading lives of misery. This is how they can succeed with their plan of obstructing economic development. Peace-loving people should be very careful not to fall in to their pit falls.
The government has been given a big assignment to correct this messy situation. It should take serious measures against those who are trying to push the country in to an abyss of misery. I am of the opinion that the government can go as far as shutting down ‘Face Book’ connections for the time being. Face Book has been used as a weapon of mass destruction by those who do not need the good of our country. The police should come forward to protect innocent civilians against the misled and offending youngsters or mob justice promoters. The media should also be responsible to dwell on the issue of teaching citizens about mob justice. Religious organizations and schools should also play significant roles in teaching about morals and peaceful co-existence. Religious leaders and school teachers should teach citizens to treat one another favourably. All peace-loving activists and political leaders should come forward to teach the community about rule of law and peaceful co-existence. Parents should know that good manners start at home and thus take serious measures to advise their children on politeness, good behaviour, respect and kindness.
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