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This year’s festival witnessed significantly smaller crowds due to political tension and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Irreecha marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest season. October 3, 2020 (AA)
Members of Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group have gathered under tight security in Addis Ababa for a scaled-down version of their annual Thanksgiving festival amid unrest and political division.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government said it was restricting attendance at the Oromo group’s Irreecha festival to around 5,000 people to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, just as it did for an Orthodox Christian holiday last week.
But some Irreecha attendees said the regulations were designed to prevent anti-government protests at a time when Oromo opposition politicians are behind bars and security forces are accused of using heavy-handed tactics against civilians in the region. of Oromo that surrounds the capital.
“When people come together they can reflect on what is happening in the country. For fear of that, they have restricted us,” said Jatani Bonaya, a 26-year-old student.
“What the government is doing is not right,” he added.
The Oromo people wear white clothing sewn in the colors of the flag of the Oromia region. October 3, 2020. (AA)
Irreecha marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest season.
It is traditionally held in the city of Bishoftu, located in Oromia about 50 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa.
But last year, Abiy, the country’s first Oromo leader, allowed a separate celebration to take place for the first time in Addis Ababa and was attended by hundreds of thousands.
On Saturday, a much smaller crowd led by chanting Oromo traditional leaders gathered in pools of water in central Addis Ababa, where they dipped flowers and sprinkled themselves in a gesture symbolizing gratitude and renewal.
Irreecha marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest season. October 3, 2020. (AA)
Murder of pop star
Tensions between Abiy and Oromo nationalists have been on the rise in recent months following the June assassination of Hachalu Hundessa, a pop star who gave voice to Oromo feelings of marginalization.
More than 160 people were killed in the resulting violence, and more than 9,000 people were trapped in subsequent mass arrests, including journalists and prominent Oromo opposition politicians.
The Abiy government was clearly concerned about security this year.
Ethiopians dressed in traditional costumes participate in the celebration of Irreecha, the thanksgiving ceremony of the Oromo People in Addis Ababa. October 3, 2020 (AA)
On Wednesday, police organized a military-style parade in which Abiy, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize last year, declared that Ethiopia “will not kneel before any enemy in its pursuit of prosperity.”
And on Thursday the police announced the arrest of 503 people “with the intention of causing harm to those attending the Irreecha festival,” saying they had confiscated more than 100 weapons, including grenades and Kalashnikov rifles.
Saturday’s ceremony appeared to unfold peacefully.
A larger Irreecha ceremony is expected on Sunday in Bishoftu.
Source: AFP
