JOHANNESBURG (AP) – Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, the Oromo, celebrated Erica’s annual Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday amid tight security and political tensions and significantly less crowds due to the Kovid-19 epidemic.
Hundreds of people were arrested ahead of the festival, accused by some officials of plotting a terrorist attack and a new wave of unrest.
Wearing stitched face masks and white clothing with the colors of the flag of the Oromia region, people in downtown Addis Ababa were subjected to at least six security checks, including body searches and, in some areas, sniffer dogs.
“I don’t know what kind of information they have, but this security check is too much,” said Hussein, a participant who feared for his safety. “Added with COVID-19, it really spoils the festive mood.”
The festival usually attracts hundreds of thousands of people, but only a few have been allowed to attend this year.
More than 500 people were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to disrupt the festival, the Rome Police Commission said on Thursday. On the same day, the National Intelligence and Security Service said it had arrested people suspected of plotting terrorist attacks and spreading unrest during celebrations in Addis Ababa and nearby Bishophtu, adding that 10 Kalashnikovs had been captured.
People heading to the capital from other areas were barred from entering the city, multiple sources told the Associated Press. Officials said they are conducting a strict security check but have not confirmed the ban.
Notably, flag bearers of the Oromo Liberation Front and Oromo Federalist Congress Party were absent from this year’s festivities. Some party leaders are behind bars for alleged involvement Deadly unrest after the assassination of the popular Oromo singer Hutchu Hondasa in June. On Friday, an Ethiopian court indicted four suspects in the killings, which sparked an uproar that led to the arrest of more than 180 people and thousands.
Oromo, while the country’s largest ethnic group, has traditionally expressed frustration at being allegedly marginalized. Prime Minister Abi Ahmed is the country’s first Oromo leader, but he faces growing criticism from some Oromo that he has not done enough for him.
The Erica festival marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the harvest. It has seen violence in the past.
In the city of Bishoftu, which is 0 kilometers away from the capital, in the year 201. Dozens of people were killed in the stampede after police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse anti-government protesters during the celebrations.
“In the midst of an epidemic, reasonable restrictions on public gatherings can be justified. But as tensions are already high, dissent and resistance to the government’s directives can be expected.” He learned a lesson from his recent responses to the events of 2016 by assuring the security forces were in control and allowing the collectors to celebrate safely.
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