NAIROBI (Somaliguardian) – Millions of voters in Ethiopia have voted on Monday in national and regional elections amid conflict and ethnic tensions in many regions in Africa’s second-most populous nation.
Polling stations opened at 6 a.m in most of the country’s regions and millions of registered voters turned out to elect their national and regional leaders in a country, whose once rapidly growing economy has been hit by conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ethiopia’s prime minister Abiy Ahmed said last week the vote would be the “first attempt at free and fair elections” in Ethiopia amid escalating ethnic tensions in most of the country’s regions and conflict raging in Tigray region.
Abiy pushed through economic and security reforms ending more than two decade-long repression since he rose to power in 2018, but rights activists say the efforts have been reversed and accuse the administration of human rights abuses committed in Tigray region.
Contact us: info@somaliguardian.com
