Eulogy to Samson Ersido (Sami), Our Beloved Friend

By Naol Befkadu

There are moments when one is gripped with the fear of hearing bad news, and then there are moments when one is afraid to hear anything good. Sadly, Friday, March 17, 2023, was one of those days when I had both feelings. I was afraid to hear anything bad, and then I was even more afraid to hear anything good.

My heart sank when I received the devastating news that my beloved friend, Samson Ersido (Sami), was among the victims of a shooting in the Oromia town of Metehara on the evening of Thursday, March 16, 2023. Along with six others, Sami was attacked by unidentified militants while returning from a Bible study, and tragically lost his life at the young age of 29. I was left in shock and unable to move or speak upon hearing of his untimely passing.

Sami was a minister at the Quter Hulet Mulu Wongel Believers’ church. He grew up as a Lutheran and served both part-time and full-time as a minister at the Merti Mekane Yesus church until 2021 when he moved to the main town of Metehara to serve at the Quter Hulet Mulu Wongel Believers’ church.

I first met Sami at a mission training program organized by 10/40 International Ministry, the mission wing of Ethiopian Guenet Church, in October 2016. At the time, I was in my second year of full-time ministry after withdrawing from medical school. Sami was sent by his church to attend the month-and-a-half-long training. We had a group of cross-cultural missionaries learning from one another, and Sami shared the Word of God with us on multiple occasions. He was fervent in prayer and mature beyond his years. I was the youngest among us, and everyone noticed my restless feet as I jumped from place to place to listen to missionary stories.

The mission training began a few days after the Irreechaa Massacre of 2016 at Bishoftu. The atmosphere in the city where we were being trained was gloomy, and we did not even go out because of the mass protests taking place nearby. In that difficult atmosphere, Sami and I became friends. I learned that he was from Metehara, and he prayed with me several times in October and November 2016 as I struggled with the decision of whether to go back to medical school. He encouraged me to take the path where God would be glorified. His calmness impressed me the most and had a calming effect on me as well.

During the second round of the training that took place from April to May 2017, which I couldn’t attend because I returned to medical school after two years of absence in March 2017, Sami ranked first and received a prize. He was meant to become a missionary, and that was his plan – to go back to his mission field (Metehara) and reach the Karayu people group with the message of the gospel. He was so sure that his calling revolved around the people of Karayu. However, he was afraid if his church’s set up would allow him to do this mission.

Sami became my best friend even when I was struggling between ministry, theology, and medical school. He used to fundraise to upgrade the sound system of his church, and I accompanied him to fundraise from the EECMY headquarters to individuals. He finally succeeded in buying a new sound system for his church. Sami was mission-oriented and focused on reaching the youth at his local church. He was known for visiting the youths and loved them.

Metehara: A Contextual Background to Recent Conflicts

Metehara is a diverse city where the majority of the population are ethnic Oromos, belonging to two main clans: the Karayyu Oromos and the Itu Oromos. While the Karayyu Oromos have been native to the land and live mostly on the outskirts of the city, the Itu Oromos migrated from Hararghe and settled in the main city.

The conflict in Metehara began in late 2019 after the city administration named the district “Fentalle” with the clan name of the Karayyu Oromos. The Itu Oromos, who claimed to be the dominant group in the city, protested and demanded that the city be named after their clan. This protest eventually escalated into an armed conflict between the two groups, which prompted the intervention of the regional special forces and federal government forces. After several months of deployment, the conflict was finally resolved.

Metehara is also home to the Hadiyya community, who moved to the city as workers for the Metehara sugar factory during the Derg regime. The third generation of Hadiyya residents now live in and around Metehara, particularly around the Merti area. Sami was a member of the second generation of the Hadiyya community who was born and raised in Metehara. Despite the difficult times in 2020, where innocent civilians were victims of the conflict between the Itu and Karayyu Oromos, he refused to leave his birthplace and suffered with his church.

Injustice and the vicious cycle of violence

In January 2022, news broke that fourteen Karayyu Abba Gada’s (traditional elders and judges of the community) were brutally killed by government forces. While extrajudicial killings had become the norm in certain parts of the country, particularly in the Western and Northern regions due to the federal government’s war against the OLA and the TPLF, the killing of the Abba Gada’s was a significant event that highlighted the level of government atrocities, particularly in Oromia. The vicious cycle of violence created by the government and other actors became the reason why so many lives were being lost in and around Metehara.

From 2022 to 2023, people were being murdered, sometimes without knowledge of who was behind the killings and what the motives were. In December 2022, 13 people, most of whom were ethnic Hadiyyas, were murdered by unknown assailants. There were signs that people were being ethnically singled out and killed, but not enough media gave attention to it, and the regional state was far from listening to the cries of the minorities for protection. All the cries were met with deaf ears from the regional government, who refused to take responsibility for the murder of the Karayyu Abba Gadas earlier in 2022. When justice is delayed, it breeds a vicious cycle of violence.

On March 16, 2023, devastating news shook us to the core: Sami was killed in an attack that also targeted other street dwellers of Oromo ethnicity. Sami and another minister named Mesfin were returning from a bible study at around 9 pm when gunshots were heard from a nearby location, resulting in the deaths of 7 people, including Sami and Mesfin, and injuring 3 others. The tragic loss of my best friend is the result of unjust and violent acts that continue to tear apart the social fabric of our community.

The question arises: does it really matter who killed Sami? While identifying the perpetrators is important, blaming a specific armed group will not stop the vicious cycle of violence that plagues our society. We have seen this time and again. In fact, in scenarios like this, we are not even certain which group is behind the killings. Instead of directing our grief and anger towards a particular group, we must grieve together and focus on how to prevent the next tragedy from happening. In my humble opinion, we can realize a lasting peace if we, the people, can press the warring parties to sit down and negotiate and if we can find ways to protect innocent individuals, such as the Hadiyyas and others from perishing in this never-ending cycle of violence in Metehara. The majority-minority dynamic is inevitable and universal, but the law must ensure the protection of minority rights against the majority, whether in religion or elsewhere. Before it is too late, let’s advocate for peace, dialogue and reconciliation, and the protection of the rights of the minorities in order to stop another massacre from happening.

Farewell to my beloved brother Sami

My beloved brother Sami left us too soon. He lived his life with unwavering integrity, following the teachings of Jesus Christ faithfully. He set an example for all youth leaders, loved his community, and lived among them. When I asked him if he could be a hospital chaplain in Addis in 2021, he responded, ‘I have unfinished business here in Metehara.’ He knew his calling and lived for it.

Sami was a man with an infectious smile and unshakeable integrity. His friends and family remember him fondly and admire him for his devotion to the community. The church in Metehara misses him dearly, and his loss has shattered me into pieces. I want to see justice prevail for Sami, and his message of ‘love your neighbors’ must continue to resonate in our hearts. Sami’s blood cries love, and his bones preach togetherness. He never deserved to die in such a manner.

Last week (March 6-13), I attended a consultation on Justice, Accountability, and Public Integrity in Nairobi, organized by the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK) and the Faith and Public Integrity Network (FPIN). During my time there, I had the opportunity to reflect on the state of my country, Ethiopia, and my region, Oromia. I was overwhelmed by the injustice that we are facing as a society.

Upon my return to Addis, I found myself immersed in Desmond Tutu’s thought-provoking work, ‘Hope and Suffering’ (1984). In his sermon delivered at Duncan Village, East London, in July 1981, Bishop Desmond Tutu emphasized a fundamental truth that we should never forget:

“Now that I want to remind you, and them too, that God cares. God cares about injustice, about oppression, about exploitation. God cares and always takes side of those who are trodden underfoot… Injustice and evil and oppression will not last for ever. They have been overcome by God in the cross of Jesus Our Lord. As we protest the evil …, we must do so knowing the victory if ours already. The authorities will ultimately fail because what they are doing is evil and against God’s law. You must be strengthened to resist evil… There is enough land for everybody in South Africa. It is just that some people are greedy and at the moment they are also powerful, and so they can satisfy their greed at the expense of others whom they think to be unimportant and without power. “(42)

I miss and love you, brother Sami. Until we meet again.