By Addis Getachew
ADDIS ABABA
Tens of thousands of Ethiopians converged on a main square in Addis Ababa on Wednesday to protest the purported killing of around 30 of their countrymen by Daesh militants in Libya.
The massive gathering in Meskel Square was attended by Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, Foreign Minister Tedros Adhanom, senior government officials, religious leaders and diplomats.
Some of the families of the victims were also present, holding framed photographs of their slain relatives.
Addressing the gathering, Desalegn expressed his deep sorrow for the "heinous crime" perpetrated against Ethiopian migrant workers in Libya.
He also asserted that his country would join the international community's fight against terrorism, which, he said, "knows no bounds."
A video released by Daesh on Sunday purportedly shows the execution of dozens of Ethiopian Christians by Daesh militants in two different parts of Libya.
The video shows over 15 dark-skinned men wearing black suits purportedly being shot in the head in the southern Fezzan region.
It then shows another ten people, also dark-skinned but wearing orange jumpsuits, being beheaded on the coast of Libya's northern Barqa region.
On Monday, Addis Ababa confirmed that the men killed in the video were all Ethiopian nationals. The country's parliament then declared three days of mourning beginning on Wednesday.
Solidarity
Egyptian Ambassador to Ethiopia Mohammed Iddris told The Anadolu Agency that he had attended the meeting to express solidarity.
"I came here to share sorrow with my brothers in Ethiopia," Iddris said.
"At this moment of grief, all Egyptians stand by Ethiopia," he added. "We have experienced similar terrorist attacks; we condemn all forms of terrorism."
In February, a video emerged showing the execution of 21 Egyptian Christian workers in Libya by masked men purportedly belonging to Daesh.
Days later, the Egyptian army carried out a series of airstrikes against Daesh targets in eastern Libya in retaliation for the killings.
"The absence of a strong central government in Libya is complicating the matter," Iddris said, stressing the need to maintain support for Libya's "legitimate government" and army.
"We think that these barbaric actions are against all religions," he asserted.
Wednesday's demonstration in Addis Ababa was also attended by Muslims clerics, who condemned the killing of Ethiopian migrant workers in Libya as "barbaric."
"Daesh is comprised of a bunch of bloodthirsty people who give religion a bad name," Hajji Musbah Dawd, an Islamic preacher, said, calling on the international community to "act decisively" to uproot the militant group.
Clad in a black mourning cloth, Seada Hussein, a 28-year-old Ethiopian Muslim, said: "I am deeply saddened by the nonsensical killings perpetrated against my countrymen."
"I am here to mourn for them," she said. "This is the most inhuman act I ever saw in my life."
Another demonstrator, Solomon Habte, said the government should track down the perpetrators.
"I was shocked to the core when I heard the news," he said.
Seyoum Yekunoamlak, the brother of one of the victims, said the massacre should not be blamed on the Islamic faith or its followers.
"My brother was an Orthodox Christian and his friend – who was also killed – was an Orthodox Christian too. All the victims were Christians," he told AA.
"However, I don't believe that the killers are genuine Muslims," he added.
Clashes
The demonstration ended in clashes between a group of demonstrators and police, an AA correspondent reported.
As the event was winding down, a scuffle erupted between a group of young people and police.
Police used teargas to disperse the stone-throwing mob and arrested a number of protesters, the AA reporter said, noting that casualties had been reported on both sides.
Additional reporting by Tesfa Mogessie
