Human rights campaigners are appealing for calm and restraint in Ethiopia, as the Oromo people celebrate the Irreecha harvest festival this weekend amid ongoing political divisions. “This year’s festival, on October 3 and 4, occurs against the backdrop of escalating tensions and unrest in Oromia,” said Laetitia Bader, the Horn…
Human rights activists are pressing Ethiopian authorities to properly investigate the shooting of a popular Oromo singer whose death has sparked protests in parts of the country. Hachalu Hundesa, who spoke out publicly last week on the tense political situation in Ethiopia, was shot around 9:30 p.m. Monday in Addis…
Opposition leaders in Ethiopia warn of the potential for additional unrest following parliament’s decision to allow Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to remain in office beyond the end of his term. A joint statement from the Oromo LIberation Front (OLF) and Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) followed Wednesday’s decision to keep Abiy…
Ethiopia is again on edge, and there’s no reason why anyone at home or in the international community should be surprised. For all of the optimism that came with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s leadership and his commitment to enacting democratic reforms, there’s always been a drumbeat of analysts warning that…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
In Addis Ababa, the memorial for Ethiopian chief of staff Gen. Seare Mekonnen and retired Major Gen. Gezai Abera on Tuesday was a somber affair with crowds gathering around the venue amid tight security. They came in solidarity as Ethiopia reels from a regional coup attempt in Amhara that left…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
In Ethiopia, millions of Oromo celebrated Irreecha at the weekend, an annual thanksgiving festival that just two years ago was marred by violent protests and mass arrests of Oromo activists. The Ethiopian government claimed a death toll of 669 people, though that number was disputed by other observers. This year,…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
It’s easy to understand why one might linger over the images coming from Asmara on Sunday, and wonder – dare to hope, even – about the future between the bitterly divided Ethiopia and Eritrea. The streets are lined with well-wishers, the leaders are taking tea, their statements speak of brotherly…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Abiy Ahmed, the head of the Oromo Peoples Democratic Organization (OPDO), has been named the new prime minister of Ethiopia and its ruling EPRDF coalition. Abiy’s election was confirmed Wednesday after he received 108 votes from Ethiopia’s ruling council of 180 seats. Forty-five of them come from the OPDO, which…
International NGO Amnesty International has welcomed the news that political prisoner Eskinder Nega is listed among 746 prisoners in Ethiopia set to be released as part of a government pardon, yet it joined other democracy and human rights advocates in pressing for an end to all such cases. “It is…
Ethiopia on Monday said it was dropping charges against 528 political prisoners, the first such group since a decision announced earlier this month to release political prisoners. Among them is Merera Gudina, the Oromo scholar and longtime opposition leader. State-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), FANA Broadcasting and other news outlets…
Ethiopia’s decision to release all political prisoners and close the infamous Maekelawi detention center is welcome news, but it’s also been met with guarded optimism about what that will mean. “Ethiopia has promised to release all political prisoners, among whom the Oromo are the overwhelming majority, but we can’t take…
Ethiopians were locked out of social media on Tuesday as new clashes in the Oromia region left at least 15 people dead, with images of dead bodies and gunshot wounds circulating on Facebook and Twitter. Both services were shut down in at least some regions of the Horn of Africa…
Ethiopia has continued its targeted malware attacks on activists and dissidents, including the Oromia Media Network (OMN) in the United States, according to a report released Wednesday by Citizen Lab. The digital experts at the lab, based at the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto, analyzed…
A United States legislator is again pressing for a vote on House Resolution 128, a measure calling for human rights protections and inclusive governance in Ethiopia that was supposed to be up for a vote last month. It was postponed by what supporters say is suppression by the Ethiopian government. “It…
Human rights advocates are again calling on the United States Congress to move forward with a resolution they say the Ethiopian government has intentionally suppressed, using threats to withhold its cooperation on counterterrorism. Legislators were supposed to vote October 2 on H.Res. 128, a measure calling for human rights protections…