NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Protests have continued on Thursday for the fourth day in a row in Ethiopia’s Amhara state as tens of thousands accuse the government of failure to ensure the safety of civilians.
Demonstrations began on Monday in the town of Dessie in eastern Amhara and later swept through major cities in the region, including Bahir Dar.
Recent reports by local media say protests have broken out in the popular tourist destination of Lalibela.
It comes as ethnic tensions continue to grip the Horn of Africa nation, with hundreds of civilians killed in recent violence between different ethic groups.
Protesters have pulled down election campaign billboards of the country’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in what many say has shown resentment by Amhara residents towards the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Winner.
Regional state media released photos showing the scale of the demonstrations against Abiy’s government.
“Abiy should be tried in ICC,” read some of the banners held by demonstrators – a reference to the international Criminal Court, the BBC has reported on Thursday.
The protests have come just a few months before the country heads to the polls in June amid heightened tensions across the Africa’s second most populous nation after Nigeria, with more than 112 million people.
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