Ethiopia accuses opposition figures of terrorism



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Jawar Mohammed, an Oromo activist and leader of the Oromo protest, speaks during a Reuters interview at his home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on October 23, 2019.

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ScreenshotJawar Mohammed, an Oromo activist, is among those charged

Leading opposition figures are among the 24 people charged with terrorism in Ethiopia.

The charges were brought in connection with a wave of ethnic unrest that followed the murder of popular Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa, which left more than 150 dead in late June.

The country’s attorney general said the group would appear in court on Monday.

Critics have accused Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of locking up opponents of his rule.

Jawar Mohammed, a media mogul turned opposition politician with a large following among Oromo youth, was among those charged. He was arrested in July when the security forces cracked down. His attorney dismissed the charges announced Saturday as unfounded.

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A former ally of Abiy, Jawar has criticized the Nobel Prize winner for not having done enough to address the grievances of the Oromo people, the group to which they both belong.

In an op-ed in the Economist this week, Abiy said that those who oppose his reforms are reaping the seeds of inter-ethnic and inter-religious division and hatred.

Several other critics, some of whom are not in the country, were also named as part of the group of suspects.

According to a statement posted by the attorney general on social media, they have also been charged with telecommunications fraud and firearms laws.

Human rights groups have criticized the fact that weeks have passed before charges are brought against them.

media titleThe assassination of Hachalu Hundessa exposed the deep-seated ethnic animosity in Ethiopia.

At least 166 people died in the days after Hachalu, 34, was killed in June.

The father of two was seen as a hero in Oromia. His songs focused on the rights of the country’s Oromo people, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, and became anthems in a wave of protests that led to the fall of the previous prime minister in 2018.

The reason remains unclear. Hachalu had said that he had received death threats.

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