By Staff Reporter
October 23, 2019 (Ezega.com) -- A fresh outbreak of violence has hit some towns surrounding the Ethiopian capital after ethnic Oromo youth, otherwise called Qeerroo, blocked the roads leading to Addis Ababa.
Transportation services from Sululta, Alemgena and Burayu towns to Addis Ababa have been blocked as the Qeerroo, who carry sticks, protested and chanted in support of their leader activist Jawar Mohammed.
OMN director Jawar Mohammed on his Facebook page claimed that his security guards were told to leave his residence and that his residence has been surrounded by other security forces. His claim, however, has not been substantiated by others.
Police have used tear gas to disperse protesters in the stated towns where businesses have been shut down and the movement of people was restricted.
Ezega has learned that dozens of people have been wounded in a clash with the police in Bole Bulbula, in the capital city Addis Ababa, and business activities and transportation services were halted in Deberzeit city.
The violence followed Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s warning on Tuesday, October 22, 2019, during parliament session that his government would take the necessary measure against owners of media working on challenging the existence of the nation not matter whether they speak Amharic or Oromiffa.
In his address to members of parliament, PM Abiy blamed old politicians for the unfolding violence and conflicts happening in different parts of the country.
According to the premier, regional states should be ready to ensure peace and security of their people, not defend planned attacks from other regions.” If there is a need to attack one another, they would rather enter into an endless war in which the winner would not emerge.
He said the weapons of security forces in regional states and even at the national level are outdated. “Special Forces, police and sometimes soldiers at the national level are armed with weaponry which are outdated and of inferior quality than arms held by individuals in other countries,” the premier said
“There is no regional state in Ethiopia armed with weaponry that could be effective both during the day and night time. It is better for the regional states to collaborate at times of security problems in one another's territory,” Abiy added.
The people of Ethiopia should wake up, Abiy said. If a leader of a certain group believes in war to solve political problems in the country, that leader should be willing to sacrifice himself first. It is not right that the leaders stay safe at the expense of the lives of the poor.
The conflicts in our country are mainly instigated by old politicians who want to ensure their safety amidst violence, the premier said. He advised the youth to say enough and reject the ideas of those old politicians.
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