The remains of celebrated artist and political activist Hachalu Hundessa was laid to rest on Thursday, July 2, 2020 in his birth place Ambo, Eyesus Gedam Church, some 120 kilometers west of Addis Ababa. The 36-year-old was gunned down on Monday evening in the vicinity of Gelan condominium, located in Akakai Kality Sub City, in Addis Ababa, and was taken to Tirunesh Beijing Hospital, where doctors tried to save his life but failed.
The burial of the Oromiffa singing sensation, Hachalu, was every bit dramatic as his death. The whole thing took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when the body of the beloved singer, which was seen off to his birth place, Ambo, was forced to make a detour from Burayu, in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, around a place called Kela, and returned to capital, eventually heading to the headquarters of the Prosperity Party Oromia Chapter.
The problems did not stop once the body successfully arrived at his parents’ home in Ambo. According to reports, on Wednesday, yet again, another attempt to acquire the body the young artist was made at the residence where the body was located.
Actual skirmish with family, neighbors and law enforcement resulted in another tragic loss to the Hundessa Bonssa family; this time around, Hachalu’s uncle died from a hand-grenade thrown at the residence, and injuries to a number of friends and family and members of the law enforcement were incurred.
Details of the activities in Ambo on in the two days are yet to be fully revealed; however, according to state media reports, the day of the burial itself was not peaceful as some disagreements and minor skirmishes around the burial process was observed on Thursday.
Nevertheless, the remains of Hachalu was finally given the burial his family wanted and received a memorial service at Ambo national stadium. In the memorial ceremony, a number of people paid homage to the young artist including close friends and colleagues.
Speaking at the ceremony, father of the deceased, Hundessa Bonssa, delivered a touching eulogy to his son, saying, “I have always known my son to be straight and honest; he always spoke his mind and I don’t see how that can get him killed,” Also, a childhood friend of Hachalu also reflected on the sad circumstances surrounding his death; and said, “His parents’ wishes to have him rest in his birth place and next to his fallen fellow activists should have been respected and it is sad that the body count has to increase because of this.”
After the memorial service, Hachalu’s body was taken to his final resting place, Eyesus Gedam Church, where a burial sermon in the tradition of Orthodox Tewahido Church was delivered and family said their final goodbyes to the young singer.
According to prosecutors of the Federal Attorney General, defiling the body of the beloved artist would be one of the charges that will be instituted against the suspects arrested in connection to the killing of Hachalu.
