Unrest flared in Oromiya for several months until early this year over plans to allocate farmland surrounding the regional capital for development. Authorities scrapped the scheme in January, but protests flared again over the continued detention of opposition demonstrators.
At the weekend, protesters chanted anti-government slogans and waved dissident flags. Some demanded the release of jailed opposition politicians. The deaths were in at least 10 towns across Oromiya, he said, including Ambo, Dembi Dolo and Nekemt - areas that saw previous rounds of protest. Government officials were not immediately available for comment. It did not mention casualties. In Amhara, residents said police fired live bullets at demonstrators during protests over disputed territory that continued until early Monday in the city of Bahir Dar.
Tensions have been rumbling for two decades over the status of Wolkayt district, a stretch of land that protesters from Amhara say was illegally incorporated into the neighbouring Tigray region to the north. Nigusu Tilahun, spokesperson for the regional government, told state-affiliated news outlets that seven people died over the weekend.
Any sign of unrest is closely watched in Ethiopia , a Western ally against Islamist militants in neighbouring Somalia and an economic power seen as a centre of relative stability in a fragile region. Oromiya is the second region to be hit by unrest in the past few days. Topics Ethiopia. Africa news. Reuse this content. Most popular.
