Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved

Oromos protestation against the authorities and telephone for the merchandise of salient absorption fig Jawar Mohammed and others, during the yearly Irreecha festival successful the superior Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021. Ethiopia's largest taste group, the Oromo, connected Saturday celebrated the yearly Thanksgiving festival of Irreecha, marking the extremity of wintertime wherever radical convey God for the blessings of the past twelvemonth and privation prosperity for the coming year. (AP Photo)

ADDIS ABABA – Members of Ethiopia’s largest taste group, the Oromo, protested Saturday against the authorities and called for the merchandise of jailed absorption figures arsenic they gathered successful the superior for their yearly Thanksgiving festival of Irreecha.

Scores of radical successful the halfway of Addis Ababa chanted slogans specified arsenic “Down, down Abiy!” a notation to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, aft performing ritual ceremonies to people the extremity of the rainy play and the opening of the harvest successful Oromia state.

They besides chanted enactment for Oromo absorption person Jawar Mohammed, who was arrested past twelvemonth pursuing an outbreak of deadly unit sparked by the decease of a fashionable Oromo singer. He remains down bars on with respective others, accused of terrorism. Activists assertion their detention is politically motivated.

Hundreds of thousands of radical attended Saturday’s celebrations, which proceeded peacefully contempt the protests and amid a dense information presence. A constabulary spokesperson would not remark connected immoderate arrests of protesters.

Ad

The Oromos person historically expressed vexation astatine their perceived economical and governmental marginalisation. Abiy is the country’s archetypal Oromo leader, but helium faces increasing disapproval by immoderate Oromo that helium hasn’t done capable for them.

Parts of Oromia person experienced outbreaks of unit successful caller years arsenic determination information forces conflict a secessionist insurgency there. They person been accused of committing quality rights abuses against civilians, including summary executions.

Ahead of past year’s celebrations, hundreds of radical were arrested connected suspicion of plotting attacks and causing unrest. During the festival successful 2016, respective twelve worshippers were killed successful a crush aft constabulary fired teardrop state and rubber bullets astatine anti-government protesters.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.