Ethiopian regime under pressure as protests escalate

Activists accuse government forces of firing on protesters as thousands take to the streets


Protesters on the streets of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, on Saturday © Reuters

A wave of anti-government protests is endangering the political stability of Ethiopia, one of Africa’s best-performing economies.

Thousands of people took to the streets to demonstrate in Addis Ababa, the capital, in towns across Oromia, a restless region of central and southern Ethiopia, and in Bahir Dar in the country’s north over the weekend.

Activists accused government forces of firing on protesters, and Amnesty International said at least 67 people were killed and hundreds wounded.

The government has denied that live ammunition was used against the protesters.

“What we are seeing is very localised protests merging into a much larger political threat against the government,” said Rashid Abdi, Horn of Africa project director at the International Crisis Group, a think-tank. “I think the government is fearful that these protests may actually engulf the whole country. That is why you are seeing this heavy-handed crackdown.”

The protests first erupted in Oromia in November last year over disputes about land and municipal boundary changes. But they have grown in intensity, spreading from Oromo areas to the northern towns, which are dominated by the Amhara ethnic group. A huge demonstration was held in the historic city of Gondar on July 31, which was followed by calls for nationwide protests at the weekend.

Michelle Kagari, a deputy regional director at Amnesty, said the security forces’ response “was heavy-handed but unsurprising.”

“Ethiopian forces have systematically used excessive force in their mistaken attempts to silence dissenting voices,” she said.

Ethiopia has been a darling of foreign investors as it makes the transition from a predominantly agrarian society plagued by food shortages to one of Africa’s star economic performers. It has repeatedly posted double-digit growth over the past decade, fuelled by rapid urbanisation and the government’s attempts to industrialise the nation.

But the autocratic ruling regime is criticised for clamping down on dissent, jailing journalists and failing to address stubborn inequality. After winning elections last year, the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) — which has governed with an iron grip since the 1991 ousting of dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam — controls all the seats in parliament.

Human Rights Watch, the US-based group, said in June that at least 400 people, many of them younger than 18, have been killed and thousands more injured since the first protests last November. Hundreds more people who took part in the demonstrations are believed to have disappeared, the group said.

Protests against the government have been rare since the EPRDF came to power.

“There are no opposition voices in parliament or in local administration, there is barely an independent press. I think taking to the streets in such large numbers is the people finding a voice,” said Yoseph Badwaza, the programme officer for Ethiopia at the Washington-based Freedom House. “It is signalling that this model of governance is showing some cracks.”

Videos posted on social media showed protesters in Addis Ababa and in Oromia towns holding placards calling for the downfall of the government and chanting “Stop the Killing!” during the weekend’s protests. They also broadcast images of protesters clashing with security forces, suggesting a fierce government crackdown.

Getachew Reda, the communications minister, on Saturday denied that protesters had been killed. He accused “armed protesters” of “trying to arm-twist the security forces into shooting” and “destroying private and public property.”

Mr Getachew told the Financial Times that the protests were “illegal” and that “scores” of people had been arrested.

The government has severely restricted access to the internet and social media in the Oromia region, making it hard to independently verify details of the protests.

The Oromo make up about 40 per cent of Ethiopia’s 90m people but they complain that they have been marginalised by the Tigrayan ethnic group, which dominates federal institutions despite comprising only about 6 per cent of the population.

The Amhara, who make up about a quarter of the population, also say that Tigrayans, who have dominated the EPRDF’s leadership after playing an important role in the conflict that toppled Mengistu, unfairly control political and economic activity.

“The dynamic has shifted and people are now calling for the downfall of the government,” said Jawar Mohammed, who runs the Oromia Media Network in the US state of Minnesota, adding that he was in regular contact with protesters in multiple cities.

“This is by far the biggest demonstration that Ethiopia has seen in terms of size and co-ordination across Oromia.”

Source: ft