Tensions high in the capital as protests spread in outskirts

The otherwise hustle and bustle in Markato, the biggest marketplace in the capital Addis Ababa, has been quiet on Tuesday as shops were closed early.

No sooner classes began Tuesday morning than parents frantically rushed to schools to pick up their kids. Traffic was jammed as everyone was trying to get home safely. Staff of aid agencies, UN and other non-governmental organizations have also left office early.

Speaking to ESAT on the phone from Merkato, a merchant said that they have closed their shops for safety as the mood was one of anxiety and fear. “Parents picked up their children from school early. There was traffic gridlock everywhere in the city,” he said. “People are sorrowful about what happened in Bishoftu on Sunday.”

Panic began in the capital as news of protests were reported from the outskirt localities, areas that are under the jurisdiction of the  restive Oromo region. Jomo, Burayu, Alem Gena and Sebeta are areas hit by protests on Tuesday. In Jomo, students took to the streets to denounce the killings in Bishoftu, a.k.a. Debre Zeit. Windows of government offices were shattered by protesters.

Residents of Burayu burned down properties and vehicles belonging to the ruling TPLF/EPRDF as well as vehicles with government plates. Roads leading to the town were closed on Tuesday.

A resident of Burayu told ESAT on the phone that the town has received bodies of people killed at Sunday’s Ireecha massacre in Bishoftu. The resident said people show their anger by destroying properties belonging to the ruling party. He said protests in Burayu had actually began as soon as news of the Ireecha massacre reached the town on Sunday.

The resident also shared his experience in the massacre in Bishoftu, 25 miles from the capital, where hundreds of people killed as they attend the annual Ireecha ceremony, an Oromo religious festival to welcome spring. “People were accidentally jumping into a compound for safety, but that compound was a makeshift command post for soldiers. They shoot at people who were jumping over the fence into the compound. I saw people get shot as they climb the fence to save their lives. It is a horrific scene I will never forget.”

In Ayer Tena, a resident said people burnt vehicles with government plates. Banks and shops were closed. “The mood in Ayer Tena is one of fear and confusion,” he told ESAT on the phone.

Shots were heard in Alem Gena as people were rushing to get home safe. Transportation was at a stand still in Alem Gena, a source said on the phone.

The federal police meanwhile blamed the tension in the capital on what it called “elements operating under the auspices of opposition forces abroad.”

ESAT news