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Thousands of people in towns across Ethiopia protest against outsiders amid Tigray conflict

Ethiopians protest against what they say is interference by outsiders in the country’s internal affairs and against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the party of Tigray’s fugitive leaders, at a rally organized by the city administration in the capital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. The demonstrations were staged ahead of the expected start of peace talks in South Africa next week between the warring parties, with the U.S. saying Friday it supports the African Union’s efforts to mediate talks to stop fighting in Tigray. Writing in Amharic on placard reads “You suffer in the hands of the enemy for me.” (AP Photo)

 (AP) — Thousands of people in towns across Ethiopia staged demonstrations Saturday against what they say is interference by outsiders in the country’s internal affairs.

The rallies included one in the federal capital, Addis Ababa, where many such events have been held in the nearly two years since war broke out in the country’s northern region of Tigray.

Some demonstrators displayed banners accusing the U.S. of disrespecting Ethiopia’s sovereignty, while others singled out Tigray’s fugitive leaders for blame.

The Addis Ababa rally was organized by city authorities.

“We are keen to assure the world that we are always by his side and support the government’s call for our sovereignty,” said Jantirar Abay, deputy mayor of Addis Ababa, referring to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. “We oppose any threat and interference to the unity of Ethiopia and we ask the interfering countries to stop.”

The demonstrations were staged ahead of the expected start of peace talks next week in South Africa between the warring parties. The U.S. said Friday it supports the African Union’s efforts to mediate talks to stop fighting in Tigray.

Diplomats have expressed alarm over reports of civilian casualties in the region as Ethiopia’s federal military this week took control of the major town of Shire and the federal government expressed its aim to control Tigray’s airports and institutions. Eritrean troops are fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces in Tigray.

U.S. officials have called on Eritrean forces to withdraw from Tigray and urged the parties to agree to an immediate cease-fire. The administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, has described the human cost of the conflict as “staggering.”

The Associated Press reported Friday that dozens of women and girls have been raped and hundreds of civilians killed during fighting, which resumed in August after a lull. Roughly 40 girls and women between the ages of 13 and 80 were raped in the town of Sheraro in northwestern Tigray, according to an internal document prepared by Tigray’s regional Emergency Coordination Centre, which includes regional government bureaus, U.N. agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

The U.N. Security Council discussed the conflict in Ethiopia at a closed meeting Friday but didn’t issue a statement because of divisions among its 15 members.

Diplomats said Norway and the council’s three African members — Kenya, Gabon and Ghana — proposed a statement that would have expressed “grave concern” at reports of increased fighting in Tigray, called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, and urged the parties to recommit to dialogue. But Russia and China blocked its approval, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because discussions were private.

“In the past week alone, we’ve seen a serious uptick in fighting and violence,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said in a statement Friday. “The scale of the fighting and deaths rival what we’re seeing in Ukraine, and innocent civilians are being caught in the crossfire.”

The conflict, which began in November 2020, has spread from Tigray into the neighboring regions of Afar and Amhara as Tigray’s leaders try to break the blockade of their region.

1 thought on “Thousands of people in towns across Ethiopia protest against outsiders amid Tigray conflict”

  1. Hello everyone! My two home boys Debre and Walrus Getachew just gave a buzz a few minutes ago. I told you before that my two hommies and I go way back and growed up together in Western Hararghe.
    Hey Ittu, Western Hararghe is not in Tigray.
    Yes it was when we growed up.
    Ittu, you should said ‘grew up’
    You must be one of those Neftegnas or Oromummaa.
    Ok continue.
    They told me that the photo attached to this article is the photo of Addis/Finfine residents when went to the streets to celebrate the arrival of the indomitable army of the GOLD RACE led by Debre and Walrus Getachew. You see those placards? One of them reading ‘Debre, we missed you! Welcome back to Addis/Finfine’. The entire 25 million residents of Addis/Finfine were out on the streets celebrating the arrival of the army of THE GOLD RACE!!!
    Hey Ittu, the population of Addis/Finfine entire metropolitan area is not more than 5 million.
    You should never question my statements.
    Why?
    Because I’m a longtime friend of the Gold Race recognized by EU, BBC, AP, NY Times, CNN, AFP, Winnie the Pooh, Ms. Piggy and The White Citizens Council.

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