Mr. Umer Mohammed
Mr. Umer Mohammed is a resident in Bati Town, Kebele 3. He is water pipe maintenance officer by profession. He told us what happened to his family members. Here is the story. While he was performing his job, his dad, Mr Mohammed Ali aged 70, came to visit him and was welcomed by Mr. Umer’s wife named Mrs. Zehab Seid in their rented house. The guest sat near the doorpost of the house and was served well according to the tradition.
After that, while Mr Mohammed was chatting with his grand daughters and sons named Fatuma Oumer, Rahma Umer and Abdi Umer and kids from neighbor, Mrs Zehab Seid said, “Look at the device I found while gathering woods from field. I think, it can be used as knife”. Saying this, she gave the device to Mr. Mohammed Ali to check. After Mr. Mohammed had tried to unlock and twist the device twice, during the third trial, the device exploded and took his life and the lives of two of the children of Mr. Umer named Abdi Umer and Rahma Umer, and injured others who were there.
Following the incident, Mr Umer was called from his work place and was informed that his two children lost their lives while the remaining two were injured. His response was, “Allah took two of my children, but spared the other two. I am grateful!”
Currently, Mr Umer Mohammed’s life is miserable. The house owners have made him to rehabilitate the damaged parts of the house. Moreover, his injured two children are mentally affected, can’t stand by themselves , and need strict medical follow-up.
Having known this causality and being beneficiary of EORE project site, Bati town residents have generally learned to know explosive ordnance risk and safe behavioral measures to be taken to prevent incidents.
NB- The respondent isn’t willing to get his picture taken.