Ethiopia Protests Block Roads, Shut Businesses
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published February 13, 2018 | 09:02 PM
Businesses were closed and stone-wielding men blocked roads near Ethiopia's capital on Tuesday in the latest anti-government protest by the Oromo people, the country's largest ethnicity
Addis Ababa, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Feb, 2018 ) :Businesses were closed and stone-wielding men blocked roads near Ethiopia's capital on Tuesday in the latest anti-government protest by the Oromo people, the country's largest ethnicity.
It is the second day of a three-day strike called by the Oromo people and follows a nationwide state of emergency last year after protests turned deadly. "Without any mistakes or any wrongdoing, our people are being chained.
In our own country, we are considered as second class citizens," said Dina Abdela. He and other young men had blocked one of the major roads heading northwest from the capital Addis Ababa. On the city's outskirts, businesses were shut and most cars stayed off the road, with a protester striking a vehicle carrying AFP journalists with a rock at a makeshift roadblock near the town of Burayu to the west of Addis Ababa.
No deaths were reported but a protester in Burayu told AFP that one man was injured during clashes when police tried to clear the demonstration.
Dina said the strike, which ends on Wednesday, spread by word of mouth and was intended to pressure the government to release prisoners, including opposition politician Bekele Gerba.
Ethiopia's attorney general said on Monday the government would drop charges against Bekele, the deputy leader of the opposition Oromo Federalist Congress who was arrested in late 2015. But protesters said they didn't trust the authorities to keep their word.
"It's not only Bekele Gerba," said protester Gemechu Tefa. "All of our people need to be released." There was no immediate reaction from the government. Unrest first broke out among the Oromo people in late 2015 when the government proposed expanding the capital's boundaries into their Federal region, Oromia.
The protests later spread across the country, leading to hundreds of deaths, tens of thousands of arrests and the declaration of a 10-month state of emergency in October 2016.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Tennis: ATP Barcelona Open results - 1st update
Swiatek's perfect 10 in Stuttgart as Vondrousova stuns Sabalenka
Arandu's roads closed due to flooding
Oil tanker catches fire in Islamabad’s Blue Area
Pakistan committed to ensure safety of foreign nationals: FO
Tennis: WTA Stuttgart results - 1st update
Four passengers injured as train hit an empty vehicle
Over- speeding bus crushed to death two bike riders
Turkey's Freedom Flotilla ready to set sail for Gaza
French teen dies from heart failure after knife attack near school
Iranians appear unfazed by Isfahan blasts
UAF celebrates Int'l Chinese Language Day
More Stories From World
-
Togo lawmakers approve contested political reform
32 minutes ago -
NATO must choose 'whether we indeed are allies': Zelensky
32 minutes ago -
US House to vote on Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid package
32 minutes ago -
Calls for calm after reported Israeli strike on Iran
1 hour ago -
IMF calls on EU to deepen single market integration to boost growth
1 hour ago -
Second Ecuadoran mayor killed ahead of anti-crime referendum: police
1 hour ago
-
Oil, gas drilling blocked in Alaska wilds as Biden seeks green cred
2 hours ago -
Man sets self on fire outside Trump trial
2 hours ago -
Turkey's Freedom Flotilla ready to set sail for Gaza
3 hours ago -
French teen dies from heart failure after knife attack near school
3 hours ago -
Iranians appear unfazed by Isfahan blasts
3 hours ago -
Ecuador mayor killed ahead of anti-crime referendum: police
4 hours ago