The Ethiopian Prime Minister Abi Ahmed said today, Friday, that the killing of the popular singer Hashalu Hundisa and the violence that erupted after the crime and killed about a hundred people this week constitute "concerted attempts" to destabilize the country.
Abe stated during his speech at a meeting attended by members of law enforcement leaders and members that the events of the past few days were planned, "just like the play in the theater, has authors and actors", and was intended to "ignite civil war and sectarian violence, and impede Ethiopia's journey towards peace Democracy and prosperity in general, as well as preventing the success of our national agenda. "
The Prime Minister did not specify, during a meeting with senior officials, whom he accused of fomenting the unrest, but he pledged to market those directly involved and "those who move them" to justice.
He said that opposition groups that benefited from a general amnesty granted him when he took power in 2018 bear arms "instead of offering political ideas and options."
The Ethiopian Prime Minister also said that the coordinated attempts in the past few days aimed at igniting civil war and sectarian violence in Ethiopia have been thwarted by the "tremendous effort" of law enforcement agencies and the Ethiopian people.
International calls for calm
Abi Ahmed's remarks came in the wake of violent clashes between security forces and citizens trying to attend the funeral of singer Hashalu Hundisa belonging to the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, that caused violence that led to the deaths of about a hundred people.
Singer Hashalu Hundisa was shot dead on Monday evening in Addis Ababa, for unknown reasons. His funeral took place in the city of Umbu, his hometown, about a hundred kilometers west of the capital.
Hashalu receives the appreciation of the Ethiopians from various affiliations, but he especially conveyed the voice of the Oromos who condemned their economic and political marginalization during the anti-government demonstrations between 2015 and 2018 that allowed the current Prime Minister Abi Ahmed to come to power.
For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for calm in Ethiopia after the clashes. A spokesman for Guterres said the Secretary-General "calls for calm" and "calls on all parties in Ethiopia to refrain from any action that could fuel tension."