’50 dead in protests and riots in Ethiopia after singer’s death ‘

Protests and riots in Ethiopia following the death of a popular singer have killed some 50 people. A local government official reported this to Reuters news agency. It would involve demonstrators as well as members of order troops.

Singer and activist Hachalu Hundessa was shot dead early this week. Under what circumstances it is still unclear, but there would be targeted action.

The day after his death, angry youngsters took to the streets in the capital Addis Ababa and in the surrounding region. They set fire to car tires and blocked streets, clashing with police. To mitigate the unrest, the authorities turned off the internet.

Ethnic tensions

Hundessa was a protest singer (‘the soundtrack of the revolution’) who played an important role in the change of power that led Abiy Ahmed to power more than two years ago. That was seen as a major revolution, says Africa correspondent Elles van Gelder. She points out that Abiy was reforming and returning political prisoners and opposition members to exile. He also made peace with Eritrea. It earned him the Nobel Peace Prize last year.

Partly due to ethnic tensions, Abiy has not yet kept many promises. There have been protests against his regime and old friends are now turning against him, including opposition member Jawar Mohammed. “He says that Abiy is now also moving in the authoritarian direction,” says Van Gelder. “Examples include disabling the internet, imprisoning journalists, and cracking down on protests.”

According to Van Gelder, there are now “definitely some scratches” on the reign of Abiy. “The domestic challenges for the prime minister are immense,” she emphasizes. “There are many ethnic tensions, and different populations are trying to take power in more open Ethiopia. Not everyone is happy with Abiya’s reforms, which emphasize that the country is one nation. The test for Abiy’s support was actually this year There would be national elections, but they have been postponed because of the corona crisis. “

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