Riots broke out in the Ethiopian capital Addis Abeba after the death of popular singer Hachalu Hundessa last night. Nothing is clear yet about the circumstances of his death. According to the police, some suspects were arrested.
After the singer’s death, young people took to the streets in anger and set tires on fire. There were also protests this morning: groups of demonstrators went to the capital from the surrounding Oromo region. They blocked streets with stones and stopped traffic. Due to the unrest, the internet was disabled in most of Ethiopia.
Prime Minister Ahmed has called for calm. The musician emerged from the Oromo people group, which also includes the prime minister. Because of his protest songs, he was seen as the voice of the protests that Abiy had put into power two years ago. In a tweet, the Prime Minister condolences to the family and promised an investigation.
Unrest elsewhere too
Images on social media show that a large crowd of people follows a car, presumably the car in which the singer’s body is located. The vehicle is said to be on its way to its home town of Ambo, a hundred kilometers west of the capital. Other images show that a statue of former Emperor Selassie is being toppled in the city of Harar. Whether these images are current cannot be determined.
It is also restless in Adama. There, three people died and several people were injured. Most have gunshot wounds, doctors at the hospital say where the injured are being treated. There are also patients with burns who say their houses have been set on fire. Some people would be in bad shape.
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