NEWS RELEASE

Friday, June 4, 1999

MEKELE SCHOOL BOMBING REMEMBERED

On June 5, 1998, the Eritrean Air Force bombed the town of Mekele, deliberately targeting the elementary school, killing 58 civilians and injuring 168 others.

The first bomb was dropped in the afternoon when over 2,300 students were at the school. The second raid occurred when parents arrived to retrieve their children from the wreckage and killed those trying to save their children.

Mekele is not in the vicinity of any military targets, nor near any battlefronts so it is clear that the strikes were intentionally directed at the civilian population.

On the anniversary of the bombing, the community in Mekele is planning a memorial service to honour the children who were killed by the bombs. Communities outside Ethiopia are also planning commemorative and fundraising events to remember those who died and to raise funds for the rehabilitation of the victims.

Many of the children who survived the bombing are now permanently disabled while other continue to suffer from serious injuries. Most of the students, whether or not they were physically injured, have been affected by the traumatic experience. The school has used poetry and drama to help the pupils come to terms with the experience. Even now, one year on, most children live in fear that they will once more be targeted by Eritrea.