‘Several killed’ as Ethiopia police clash with protesters – bbc
Several people are feared dead in clashes in north-western Ethiopia between police and anti-government protesters, amid a wave of unrest. On Friday police arrested dozens of demonstrators during massive rallies in the capital, Addis Ababa. The government
Several people are feared dead in clashes in north-western Ethiopia between police and anti-government protesters, amid a wave of unrest.
On Friday police arrested dozens of demonstrators during massive rallies in the capital, Addis Ababa.
The government has been facing protests from the two largest ethnic communities over alleged human rights abuses and other issues.
Authorities have banned demonstrations and blocked social media.
Despite the ban, people took to the streets in several parts of the country for a third consecutive day on Sunday, Emmanuel Igunza reports from Addis Ababa.
The worst violence took place in the north-western city of Bahir Dar in the Amhara region – the homeland of the Amhara people.
Police used tear gas and fired in the air to disperse thousands of people who had blocked roads and chanted anti-government slogans.
Unconfirmed reports say several people were killed. One resident told the BBC he had seen a friend being shot in the head by security forces.
The Oromo protests and Ethiopian unity
Overnight protests continued in the Oromia region, which surrounds Addis Ababa, with police arresting dozens of people.
The unrest was sparked last November by a plan to expand the capital into Oromia. This led to fears farmers from the Oromo ethnic group, the largest in Ethiopia, would be displaced.
The plan was later dropped but protests continued, highlighting issues such as marginalisation and human rights.
Oromo activists say police have killed hundreds and arrested thousands of people from their community in recent months.
Amanios August 9, 2016
With time the tplf evolved from a rebel group wallowing in self-pity into a kleptocracy bubbling itself with characteristic provincial overconfidence. Favoritism and nepotism are rampant, and some of the ethnic tigrayans have, as is to be expected, a disproportionate lion’s share in and from the economic pot of corruption.
Nevertheless, the current regime is the best Ethiopia could muster since its founding as a modern nation state in the late 19th, early 20th century. The overall economic, social and political progress the country has registered during the last 25 years is rather impressive. Ethiopia’s economy is one of the fastest growing and its GDP has been growing at double-digit points annually.
However tremendously deficient, the three pillars of state are relatively operating within the bounds of the rule of law. There is a constitution and the judiciary is not significantly composed of kangaroo courts as would be the case under a typical banana republic or a lawless tyrannical regime.
Compared with and viewed from the eritrean perspective, therefore, ethiopia is an economic wonderland and a liberal democratic state.
Peaceful protests should be condoned and respected as stipulated in the ethiopian constitution. Peaceful protests and demands for more political and economic rights should be viewed as an imprtant signboard for a government to adjust policies and enhance appropriate reforms.
Demagogues and hate campaigners should not be given the opportunity to exploit the economic and socio-political marginalisation felt by certain groups. Their aim is to incite ethnic hatred, instigate a mob counterrevolution and amass poltical capital for themselves out of the ensuing chaos and mayhem.
Zeray August 10, 2016
Amanios
Your summarized statements are right on. The only thing I would add would be these ethnic uprising are the results of “regional autonomy by ethnicity” formed by the Late PM Meles Zenawi. I believe these ethnic regions were allowed as an insurance and to revert into a separate Tigray state just in case the EPRDF revolution does not succeed to unify Ethiopia. But ethnicity creates divisions, resentments and unhealthy competition. The idea of having “One Ethiopia” may be facing the greatest danger ever.
For the sake of the Ethiopian people and the neighbor countries I wish the people give, their imperfect democratic practices and imperfect Ethiopian constitution, a chance to grow and mature.
Alem August 9, 2016
Amanious
Fair analysis. Well informed view. We would have been where we should if our intellectuals had been respected and allowed to freely debate everything about eritre in and outside the country. We would have far fewer ignorants. Certainly that would make him ( our “kbur president” look useless but not more useless than he is.
Hazo August 10, 2016
How come the Ethiopians have more rights and freedoms than Eritreans? I thought the Ethiopians were “… backward and feudal …”, then I realized that in Eritrea we live in slavery and are widely known to the outside world as an incubator and factory of refugees with aptly named “the North Korea of Africa” and the slaves or Abids of the Saudi Barbarians and the opportunist Gulf Arabs as their hired mercenaries in Yemen.
Hagherawi August 11, 2016
“slaves or Abids of the Saudi Barbarians and the opportunist Gulf Arabs as their hired mercenaries in Yemen.”
Hazo
Dear Assenna
if you allow some visitors to make racial remarks here, calling Eritreans ‘Abids’ (by not deleting them), please don’t complain when you see people responding to them in kind,
If you care about unity of your people, don’t allow anyone to use your website to insult half of your people, because in the end they too are part of your bigger family.
AHMED SALEH !!! August 12, 2016
Hagherawi
I believe this idiot person with 100 nicknames is one individual who keep abusing assenna forum for years .
If the staff start to delete his comments it might slow him down but so far he enjoys the given free ride . They will practice the same method
to corrupt our forum as they did to asmarino.com . To let in bad apples
might force the good once escape from their house . And to keep the
forum pleasant for participants needs somebody supervision that can
monitor disasterous activities .
Woyane is over August 11, 2016
Aye niskaykum
Economic growth 11% is a fictitious number. That number might be right if it only include the elites of Woyane. Yes, their household growth have increased dramatically. They own all financial sectors of the country but the rest 90% of the people are dirt poor.
The funny thing is…you people, with rotten egg brain like you, do not dare to call the regime in Ethiopia – Brutal dictator or a killer. Why would you by the way? After all Woyane is your Sugar Daddy.
AHMED SALEH !!! August 12, 2016
Well , Weyane had been your SUGAR DADDY when it was dancing with Issayas leadership and now shifted with opposition because we enjoy to flow with direction where the wind leads us to settle . In Tigrigna we call it ” LEKHBETBET’ .
Who cares about WEYANE if we call them names while our own people are under siege from ruthless oppressive system . Ethiopians are better prepared
to take their issues in front line but we cowards obsessed with ego couldn’t
do nothing except to talk behind hiding places .
The rotten egg brain people are like you with one leg in grave waiting second
leg to follow for your demise . Who put your leg for danger is not Weyane but
your own fellow men under the order of higher up officials . Open your eyes
and ears to recognize the reality the fate that holds your people future .
Hagherawi August 11, 2016
Ethnic federalism in Ethiopia is an ideal solution for a country that had very little shared history.
Like a typical African country Ethiopia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious mosaic society.
The Habesha who in total make 35% of the population has been fighting each other for ethnic supremacy,for long time, while the rest of the the people in the country, historically had neither voice nor representation.
Now, the ethnic federalism gave the non-Habesha a local governance, their share of the power need to run their disadvantaged and marginalized communities, his is particularly true in case of Oromo who have been abused by ruling Amhara families and land owners. The Afars, the Somalis and the Oromos will never allow to be ruled from center any more.
Bretu August 12, 2016
In Ethiopia, the people have some rights to demonstrate in the streets and to express their views but in Eritrea, thanks to Ghedli, Sewra, the Arabs and Issaias, we have indefinite National Slavery, AKA, Abeedism.
In Eritrea, we are allowed to be slaves in Egypt by the Arab Bedounes and the dirty Rashaydas.
In Eritrea, we are allowed to be sold as sex slaves in the Arab passage.
In Eritrea, we are allowed to sell our kidneys.
In Eritrea, we are allowed to die in the Gulags and the Arab desert.
In Eritrea, we are allowed to die in the sea
In Eritrea, we are allowed to be deported by the Arabs of Egypt, Sudan, Libya and Saudi Arabia.
Ethiopians are so backward, they are living in feudalism, as Gedli taught us but We, the Eritreans, are so civilized, we invented slavery – Abeedism in the year 2016
We need to thank Issaias and our elite Ghedli leaders
Wedi Hagher August 13, 2016
You can say whatever you want but don’t pose as Eritrean because we know you are some who hates Eritrea to the core.
Assenna should not allow to post here, what you you post in Tigrayonline everyday.
Girma August 13, 2016
Wedi H?
What made you a police to shut our mouths here? This is not Eritrea, Saudi Arabia or an ISIS territory. We have rights to expose the the criminals of the elites in Ghedli and the slavery they created in Eritrea.
Thank you Bretu for describing the true Eritrea. For those who do not know the real Eritrea, ask, why Ali Abdu, the fomer servant of Issaias, is hiding in Australia, or listen to the interview of Dr Nesredin Mensur
Wedi Hagher August 13, 2016
Teclay,
Your comments posted here are a disservice to Tigray, because sooner or later, Eritreans and Tigreyans need each other, to stop Amahra supremacists who want send you from Addis back to Tigray.
By spoiling the brotherly and sisterly relations between Eritreans and Tigreyans you are working against your own interest as well.
While you make a mockery of Eritreans laughing at their misfortunes, we are witnessing the amount of hatred Tigreyans are facing in Ethiopia, because of a few Tigreyan ethnic supremacists like you.