An inter-continental row among Ethiopian journalists was sparked in the course of repatriating a deceased colleague’s body home from Nairobi.

Kenya had been a temporary home of the deceased, Milion Shurbe, for the fifty days preceding his untimely passing on Monday, October 13. That coincided with another event held on Tuesday, in Las Vegas, U.S., by the opposition outlet ESATTV – in which 2,200 USD was raised to pay for the transportation of Million’s body.

The money, however, did not reach Nairobi, according to Elias Gudisa – a journo who also fled to Kenya last August.

“Just when ESAT was about to wire us the money, we received a phone call ordering us to handover Million’s documents. We are refugees in a city full of Ethiopian spies, thus had no option but to handover the documents and disappear”, Elias griped on a US-based Hibir radio.

There were claims on facebook that an intimidating phone call was made by Anteneh Abraham, President of Ethiopian National Journalists Union (ENJU). Some claimed he went to Nairobi to overtake the process.

Anteneh denied the charges, in a comment to HornAffairs, adding that he made a phone call only when Million’s sister boarded a plane to Nairobi so as to facilitate things for her.

Million’s sister, who arrived in Nairobi on Wednesday evening, observed: “those who were pledging to handle the matter were nowhere to be found, especially when they learnt that I went to the Ethiopian Embassy in Nairobi”.

It was through a staff of Article 19’s Nairobi office that Million’s documents were transferred to his sister, according to another exiled journo close to the matter.

After a week-long heated social media exchanges, Million’s body arrived home on Oct. 19. The medical bills and airplane ticket was covered with about 1,600 USD raised from Article 19 and East African Journalists Union – an affiliate of ENJU.

Publicity stunt

ENJU’s role in the matter is seen by Elias as the making of the Authorities in Addis Ababa aimed to portray the government as journalist-friendly. He added: “[the state-media] intends to produce a political documentary film on it.”

Anteneh, on the other hand, claims there was no genuine intention to provide the money or to repatriate the body. Additionally, he remarked on facebook: “We diligently worked to deny ESAT the opportunity to use it for political propaganda and to tarnish national image with unnecessary begging”.

The scale of interest, and accompanying quarrel, on the matter was “by large politically motivated and to gain publicity”, said Annania Sorri editor of Kelem Qend newspaper in a comment to HornAffairs.

Indeed, the saga had helped only to wear Million’s family.

Sister had to choose between her wishes to process travel documents as soon as possible and the instructions she allegedly received from Tamagne Beyen of ESAT to stay away from the Embassy.

That was also discernible from Million’s widow – who told a local paper that Million fled due to hindrances from printing houses; while presenting it as an entirely business travel on another media – both in the same weekend.

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