Ethiopia: many dead in anti-government protest at religious festival
Opposition party says stampede kills at least 50 people in chaotic scenes in restive Oromiya region
Reuters in Addis Ababa
Sunday 2 October 2016 09.17 EDT
Last modified on Sunday 2 October 2016 12.05 EDT
Police in Ethiopia’s Oromiya region fired teargas and warning shots to disperse anti-government protesters at a religious festival, triggering a stampede the opposition party said killed at least 50 people.
The government did not give a precise death toll resulting from chaotic scenes on Sunday during the annual festival, where some people chanted slogans against the government and waved a rebel flag. But it said “lives were lost” and that several were injured.
Sporadic protests have erupted in Oromiya in the last two years, initially sparked by a land row but increasingly turning more broadly against the government. Since late 2015, scores of protesters have been killed in clashes with police.
These developments highlight tensions in the country where the government has delivered stellar economic growth rates but faced criticism from opponents and rights group that it has trampled on political freedoms.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/02/ethiopia-many-dead-anti-government-protest-religious-festival