Heartbreaking Tragedy in Gondar: 2-Year-Old Nolawit Brutally Murdered After Ransom Paid, Ethiopian Government Forces Open Fire on Mourning Civilians

Another horrific tragedy unfolded in Gondar City on September 1st, 2024, as a 2-year-old child, Nolawit Zegeyew, was brutally murdered by her kidnappers, despite her father’s desperate efforts to secure her release. Nolawit’s father, Zegeyew Wende, a longtime employee of the city’s public bus company, managed to scrape together the 300,000 birr ransom with the help of friends and coworkers after his daughter was abducted from their home on August 30th.

Zegeyew, heartbroken and desperate, reported the kidnapping to the local police, only to be dismissed and told to seek help from FANO, a local militia group. Left to manage the crisis on his own, Zegeyew turned to individuals at the Telecommunications Co. to trace the kidnappers’ location, but his pleas for assistance were ignored. Despite being abandoned by the authorities, Zegeyew followed the kidnappers’ instructions, dropping the ransom money at a remote location just outside the city limits.

Tragically, Zegeyew received a call later that day informing him that Nolawit had been left near their home. Rushing to the scene, he found her lifeless body cruelly discarded behind some bushes. Overcome with grief, Zegeyew, carrying the body of his beloved daughter, led a mournful march around the city square, where the community gathered to express their sorrow and outrage. Women and men alike were heard crying out in despair.

But this time of mourning turned violent when armed government forces arrived and opened fire on the grieving civilians, aiming to disperse the crowd. Several people were killed or wounded in the chaos, as the community’s sorrow was met with brutal force.

In the aftermath, local authorities announced that anyone who had assisted Zegeyew and his wife, Hanna, in collecting the ransom money would be arrested, accusing them of inciting a riot. The devastating loss of Nolawit has left the community in shock and horror, as yet another innocent life is taken amidst the escalating violence in Ethiopia.

Nolawit Zegeyew is due to be buried on September 2nd, 2024, in Gondar City. The tragedy of her death, coupled with the violence inflicted on those seeking justice, marks a heartbreaking chapter in the ongoing crisis.