DHAGAH MADOW (Dawan Africa) – Authorities and residents in Dhagax Madow, part of Ethiopia’s Somali Regional State, say they have uncovered four bodies in what they describe as a mass grave.
Community members said the remains were discovered while digging a latrine. State media reported that one of the bodies was identified by relatives as belonging to Mahmoud Abdi Sooyal.
Hashi Abdullahi Yahye, the district’s head of security, visited the site and alleged that the killings occurred during the administration of former regional president Abdi Mohamed Omar, claiming the victims were killed using heavy weapons. His claims have not been independently verified.
“Even the bullets were still there. These people were not killed with ordinary rifles, they were executed with a BKM heavy machine gun,” Yahye said.
Shoes and clothing were also found alongside the remains, which officials said offered clues about the victims’ ages.
The bodies were later reburied in the local community cemetery, according to district authorities.
Some family members said they had been searching for missing relatives for nearly a decade. Halimo Dahir Osman told state media reporters she recognized her son’s remains from the clothes he was wearing when he disappeared.
