This archive report was first published on 2 July 2020.
Violence has gripped Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, following the assassination of popular musician Haacaaluu Hundeessaa on Monday night. The protests, which have spread from the capital to the surrounding Oromiya region, have claimed more than 80 lives and deepened political divisions in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's political heartland.
Deployed in the Ethiopian capital on Wednesday, the military has been deployed in some areas, with three witnesses describing a street littered with rocks that anti-Oromo protesters had thrown at police. Many residents fear Haacaaluu's funeral, scheduled for Thursday in his home town of Ambo, could ignite more violence.
Security forces have invaded Ambo, preventing residents from mourning Haacaaluu. 'Security forces have invaded our town, we can't go out to mourn. No vehicles are moving around except security patrols with machine-guns,' 27-year-old student Chala Hunde told Reuters by phone from Ambo.
The dispute over Addis triggered three years of bloody street demonstrations that led to the resignation of the previous prime minister and Abiy's appointment in the post in 2018. Haacaaluu's music was the soundtrack to a generation of young Oromos who spearheaded the protests.
More than 80 people were killed in the clashes in Oromiya on Tuesday, including protesters and members of the security forces, regional police commissioner Bedassa Merdassa told state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation on Wednesday.
Another potential flashpoint is the arrests of prominent Oromo opposition leader Bekele Gerba and media mogul Jawar Mohammed on Tuesday. Abiy, Haacaaluu, and Jawar are all Oromo, and the singer and media owner have become more critical of the prime minister in recent months.
