2016 Ethiopian protests

2016 Ethiopian protests
Date	5 August 2016[1] – present (4 months)
Location	Addis Ababa,[1] Bahir Dar,[1] Oromia Region,[1] north-western and southern regions [2] Ambo, Dembi Dolo, and Nekemt[3]
Causes	Hundreds of killings and thousands of arrests in recent months by police[1] Human rights abuses[1] (detention of opposition demonstrators)[1] Oromia Region[3] Official status dispute over Wolkayt district[3] Unfair distribution of wealth[4] Political marginalization[1] Land seizures by the Ethiopian government
Goals
Methods	Protests Demonstrations
Status	At least 90 shot and killed by police (as of 8 August)[5]– 500 (claimed by Human Rights Watch)[6] Thousands of protesters attacked and/or arrested by police Suspected jailbreak attempt at Kaliti Prison resulting in at least 23 deaths Human stampede resulting from police confrontation results in the deaths of 52-300 people Six-month state of emergency declared in October[6]
Parties to the civil conflict
General public protesters Government of Ethiopia
Lead figures
Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn
Casualties
Death(s)	500+ (as of October 2016)

Protests erupted in Ethiopia on 5th August 2016^[1] following calls by opposition groups.^[3] Protesters demanded social and political reforms including an end to human rights abuses (including government killings of civilians, mass arrests, government land seizures, and political marginalization of opposition groups). The government responded by restricting access to the Internet^[7][8] and attacking as well as arresting protesters.^[8][9]

In the three days leading up to 8th August, Reuters reported that at least 90 protesters^[5] had been shot and killed by Ethiopian security forces, marking the most violent crackdown against protesters in sub-Saharan Africa since at least 75 people were killed during protests in Ethiopia's Oromia Region in November and December 2015.^[10][11]

According to Human Rights Watch, at least 500 people are estimated to have been killed as of October 2016.^[12][13]

Background

Ethiopia has been governed by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front since they captured the capital and ended the Ethiopian Civil War in 1991. Members of the Tigrayan ethnic group constitute a minority of Ethiopia's population. However members of this ethnic group dominate the senior positions in the country's military and political system while the majority of Amhara and Oromo people are marginalized.^[8][14]

The country has been experiencing rapid economic growth since the 2000s and is one of the world's fastest-growing economies and is Africa’s second most populous country.^[15]

Protests

Prior episodes of mass killings by the Ethiopian government include the 2005 Ethiopian police massacres when hundreds of protesters were killed by police and the November and December 2015 protests in the Oromia Region that resulted in the killings of over 100 people by government forces. The 2015 protests were later followed by a police crackdown and the arrests of hundreds of opposition members.^[16]

Oromia State

According to diplomatic, NGO, and opposition sources, hundreds of thousands of people marched in more than 200 towns and cities in the vast Oromia State,^[17][18] in protest at "the government's draconian and ever-escalating repression."^[19] This resulted in at least 148 people being killed on 5 and 6 August.^[20]

On 2 October 2016, more protests occurred where an estimated two million people were attending the annual Irreechaa festival in Bishoftu in the Oromia region.^[12] The festival is attended by Oromos from all walks of life to celebrate life and nature. An anti-government protest disrupted the event, with some claiming they involved peacefully chanting slogans against the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization,^[12][21] while others claim stones and bottles were thrown.^[21][22] People died in a stampede as a result of police using tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges,^[12][21][22] falling into a deep ditch and being crushed,^[22] or drowning in a lake.^[13] While the Oromia regional government confirmed the deaths of 52 people, rights groups, the opposition leader, and local reports claim various numbers up to nearly 300 people dead.^{[19][12][21][22][13][23]}

Addis Ababa

On 6 August hundreds of protesters marched on Meskel Square and shouted "we want our freedom" and "free our political prisoners".^[20] Dozens of protesters were arrested by Addis Ababa's police.^[24]

Amhara Region

More than 500 people protested in the Amhara region, with at least 27 people dying in one day in the state capital, Bahir Dar.^[20]

Kaliti Prison

A suspected attempted jailbreak from Kaliti Prison near Addis Ababa resulted in a fire. Two prisoners were claimed to have been killed trying to escape, while 21 other inmates were said to have perished from "stampede and suffocation". At least 23 people were killed in total.^[25]

Reactions

Domestic

The Ethiopian government denied violence being committed by the country's security forces, naming regional rivals Eritrea and Egypt as the origins for the ongoing unrest.^[6][26]

International

The United States Embassy in Addis Ababa released a statement of concern.^[27]

See also

• Human rights in Ethiopia

References

External links

• Ethiopia pages - U.S. Dept. of State (which includes current State Dept. press releases and reports on Ethiopia)
• Media related to 2016 Ethiopian protests at Wikimedia Commons