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By Staff Reporter
September 16, 2020 (Ezega.com) – Hundreds of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of the city of Mekele, capital of the Tigray region in northern Ethiopia, in solidarity with the recent elections and the ruling party of the region.
Similar demonstrations were held in Wuqiro, Alamata, Shire, Humera and other cities in the region in a show of support for the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which won the region’s recent elections against nascent political parties. .
The TPLF won last week’s elections with a landslide victory, securing 98.2 percent of total votes and 189 seats out of 190 seats in the regional parliament. The federal government referred to the election as “illegal.”
Addressing protesters at the Mekele Martyrs Center facility, TPLF President Debretsion Gebremichael said the election result shows the trust that TPLF has established with the people of Tigray.
The protesters, largely made up of TPLF supporters, demanded that the federal government release the political prisoners and denounced the Federation Chamber’s decision rejecting the election as “null and void.”
Debretsion accused the federal government and some media outlets of campaigning against the people of Tigray and TPLF and noted the need for a political speech to resolve the ongoing and growing political tensions in Ethiopia.
The rallies were held amid growing concern over the spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the region. So far, 5,267 people in the Tigray region have been confirmed positive for COVID-19 infection.
Meanwhile, this week, the Amhara and Agew ethnic groups have reportedly been attacked in the Bulen and Wonbera districts of Ethiopia’s Benishangul Gumuz region.
The head of the region’s peacebuilding and security office, Abera Bayatta, told local media that the attack in those places has claimed the lives of innocent citizens, but did not mention the exact number of victims.
The attack was launched by armed groups that were allegedly armed with heavy weapons, including AK 47s.
Residents told the DW Amharic service that the perpetrators carried out the attack in broad daylight and speculated they might have ties to government officials in the region.
“The attackers changed their location as soon as the security forces were deployed in the areas where they carried out the attack,” residents said.
Amhara security forces are reportedly fighting the attacking forces in two districts, as well as in Metekel, where the perpetrators launched new attacks on innocent people.
The sources also said that members of the Defense Forces were deployed to the region. An unknown number of attackers are reportedly killed by the joint operation of the security forces and the defense force.
Thousands of residents in the districts were reportedly displaced in connection with the latest attack.
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