This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
On July 10, 2020, Ethiopia's attorney general, Abebech Abbebe, announced that two men had confessed to killing Hachalu Hundessa, a popular singer from the Oromo ethnic group.
Hachalu Hundessa became a symbol of the Oromo struggle during years of anti-government protests that swept Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to power in 2018.
His shooting death last week sparked days of protests and ethnic violence that killed 239 people, according to police figures.
According to Abebech, the assassination was intended to be a cover to take power from the incumbent by force.
Along with the two men who have allegedly confessed to the crime, the government has identified a third suspect who remains on the run.
One of the men in custody identified the masterminds of the alleged plot as members of a rebel group the government believes is affiliated with the opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) political party.
The OLF, a former rebel movement, returned to Ethiopia from exile after Abiy took office and has repeatedly disavowed any links to armed insurgents.
The internet remained shut off for an 11th consecutive day, though Addis Ababa remains calm and Abiy's office issued a statement saying the surrounding Oromia region had "returned to calm and citizens have resumed normal activities".
