This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
Deadly Clashes in Ethiopia's Oromia Region ¶
Seventy-eight people died in the Oromia region of Ethiopia in a wave of violence that started as protests against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed but devolved into clashes fueled by ethnicity and religion.
On Wednesday, nearly 200 people sought treatment at Adama Hospital, and 16 died, numbers hospital staff described as unprecedented.
"Most of the people were under stress, even including the staff, because this was sudden and the first time like this in this town," said Dr. Desalegn Fekadu, a surgeon at Adama Hospital.
The violence was sparked by a Facebook post by Jawar Mohammed, an activist from Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, the Oromos, claiming that security forces had tried to orchestrate an attack against him.
However, officials denied Jawar's claim, and hundreds of his followers gathered outside his home in Addis Ababa and in towns and cities across Oromia, including Adama.
Security forces opened fire on the crowd, hitting an eight-year-old boy and Temesgen Ababa, 17, who was passing by when he too was shot in the chest.
"How can shooting at people like that become an appropriate response?" Temesgen asked from his hospital bed.
The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission estimates that 10 of those killed last week died at the hands of security forces.
Attacks on churches and at least one mosque were also reported during the clashes, highlighting the ethnic and religious tensions in the country.
