Protests in Ethiopia

This item appears on page 16 of the October 2016 issue.

Police fired on anti-government protesters in the Oromia, Gondar and Amhara regions of Ethiopia in early August, killing at least 97 people. Hundreds more were arrested. 

The majority of the protesters were members of the Oromo and Amharic ethnic groups, who are demanding more representation in the Ethiopian government. The government is currently dominated by the Tigray ethnic group, with no opposition politicians elected.

The protests have been taking place since November 2015. Over this period, police and military have killed an estimated 400 protesters and arrested thousands.