The Ethiopian authorities said today, Friday, that they arrested two people suspected of killing the singer Hashalu Hundisa, who is famous for his political singing, in an incident that sparked protests in which 166 people died in the fighting last week.
Prosecutor Adanesh Abibi said in a televised statement that the one who had shot Hondesa was acting on the orders of the anti-government Oromo Liberation Front.
Two people were arrested, one suspected of shooting and the other a partner in the crime. The prosecutor said a third suspect was still at large.
"We have arrested those who killed him and those who collaborated in the killing ... We will continue to enforce the rule of law," the prosecutor said in a statement.
In the aftermath of the assassination, Hondisa, who is a symbol of Oromo ethnicity, was shot a week ago in the capital for unknown reasons. Protests came out and spread to the surrounding Oromia region, which complains of economic and political marginalization.
Prime Minister Abi Ahmed - who also belongs to Oromo - had said in a televised speech on Tuesday evening that the killing of Hondisa was "a sinister act" committed and instigated by "enemies from home and abroad so that they spoil peace and prevent us from accomplishing the things that we started."
Hondisa, a former political prisoner, has grown up during the years of protests against the government, which have sparked fire in the heart of Oromia. His songs were inspiring for the movement that pushed Abi Ahmed to power.