At least 50 people have been killed in heavy riots and protests in the Ethiopian region of Oromiya. The riots started after the singer Haacaaluu Hundeessaa was shot dead Monday night, which the police said was a targeted attack.
The death of the singer Hundeessaa has led to political frustrations among the Ethiopians. Hundeessaa’s music was very important to the major demonstrations in the country, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in 2018. Desalegn was then replaced by the current Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali.
Protesters as well as members of security forces have been killed. Several companies have gone up in flames. On Tuesday, an unknown number of people were injured in three explosions in Addis Abeba, the capital of the East African country.
Opposition leader Bekele Gerba was also arrested during the demonstrations, as was media magnate Jawar Mohammed and his bodyguards. Just like Hundeessaa, Gerba and Mohammed are members of the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. The Oromo have been feeling left out in the country for a long time.
Media magnate Mohammed favored Prime Minister Ali, but has become increasingly critical of him in recent years. Due to his popular media network, he has a large following and can easily become an opponent of Ali.
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