The Fleeting Promise of a Peaceful Ethiopia

A new prime minister was met with overwhelming optimism that he would help stem the country’s long-standing tensions. But military violence in the Tigray region dispels any hope of a unified republic.

“By using Amhara militias to attack Tigray, the government has tried to ensure further animosity between Amharas and Tigrayans. By involving Eritrea in this war and allowing its military to commit atrocities and wanton destruction of Tigray, the Prime Minister has deliberately tried to increase enmity between ordinary Tigrayans and Eritreans.

Death toll from mid-April ethnic clashes in Ethiopia may be 200, official says

Residents and officials in Oromiya Special Zone, an area in Amhara with a majority Oromo population, and the town of Ataye said there were deadly clashes in the area on April 16.

“According to information we got from people who are displaced, we estimate that up to 200 people might have died from both zones, but we still need to verify the number,” Endale Haile, Ethiopia’s chief ombudsman, told Reuters.

bloomberg: Ethiopian Opposition Leaders Call Off 38-Day Long Hunger Strike

Prominent Oromo opposition leaders in Ethiopia have decided to end their hunger strike after 38 days, according to their lawyers. The former U.S. citizen Jawar Mohammed, a media mogul, and Bekele Gerba — both members of the Oromo Federalist Congress — have agreed to end their protest tomorrow evening at 6:00 p.m., according to Tuli Bayisa, a lawyer representing the prisoners. Another politician Hamza Borana will also end the hunger strike.