Hachalu Hundessa riots: Difference between revisions
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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Hundessa was shot on the evening of 29 June 2020 at the Gelan Condominiums area in [[Addis Ababa]].<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Deadly protests erupt after Ethiopian singer killed |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53233531 |work=BBC News |date=30 June 2020}}</ref> He was taken to the [[Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital]], where he died from his injuries.<ref name="LNSA"/> Thousands of mourners gathered at the hospital, as police used tear gas to disperse crowds and people set tires ablaze. |
Hundessa was shot on the evening of 29 June 2020 at the Gelan Condominiums area in [[Addis Ababa]].<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Deadly protests erupt after Ethiopian singer killed |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-53233531 |work=BBC News |date=30 June 2020}}</ref> He was taken to the [[Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital]], where he died from his injuries.<ref name="LNSA">{{cite news |author=Lethabo|title=Hachalu Hundessa Death, Dead - Hachalu Hundessa Died, Killed, Wife, Wiki, Bio |url=https://www.latestnewssouthafrica.com/2020/06/30/oromo-music-star-hachalu-hundessa-reportedly-killed/ |work=Latest News South Africa |date=30 June 2020}}</ref> Thousands of mourners gathered at the hospital, as police used tear gas to disperse crowds and people set tires ablaze. |
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While protesters insisted he should be buried in Addis Ababa, his body was airlifted to [[Ambo, Ethiopia|Ambo]] in accordance with his family's wishes. The police arrested several suspects in connection with the murder.<ref name="BBC"/> Hundessa had reported receiving death threats, including in the week prior to his death, when he gave an interview to the [[Oromia Media Network]].<ref name="BBC"/> |
While protesters insisted he should be buried in Addis Ababa, his body was airlifted to [[Ambo, Ethiopia|Ambo]] in accordance with his family's wishes. The police arrested several suspects in connection with the murder.<ref name="BBC"/> Hundessa had reported receiving death threats, including in the week prior to his death, when he gave an interview to the [[Oromia Media Network]].<ref name="BBC"/> |
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 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (July 2020) |
| Hachalu Hundessa riots | |
|---|---|
 The Oromia Region in Ethiopia. | |
| Location | Oromia Region, Ethiopia and vicinity Minnesota, United States |
| Date | 29 June 2020 – present |
| Target | Non-Oromos, supporters of Abiy Ahmed, various religious groups |
Attack type | Pogrom, looting, arson, mass murder |
| Deaths | 166+ |
| Perpetrators | Supporters of Jawar Mohammed and the Youth Movement for Freedom and Democracy (Qeero) |
| Motive | Ethno-nationalist extremism |
The Hachalu Hundessa riots are a wave of civil disturbance which swept Ethiopia, chiefly the Oromia Region, following the assassination of musician Hachalu Hundessa on 29 June 2020, leading to the deaths of at least 200 people.
Background
Hundessa was shot on the evening of 29 June 2020 at the Gelan Condominiums area in Addis Ababa.[1] He was taken to the Tirunesh Beijing General Hospital, where he died from his injuries.[2] Thousands of mourners gathered at the hospital, as police used tear gas to disperse crowds and people set tires ablaze.
While protesters insisted he should be buried in Addis Ababa, his body was airlifted to Ambo in accordance with his family's wishes. The police arrested several suspects in connection with the murder.[1] Hundessa had reported receiving death threats, including in the week prior to his death, when he gave an interview to the Oromia Media Network.[1]
Events
Much of the violence has taken place in the same locales which had been hotspots in the last major series of clashes in October 2019. At demonstrations in Adama, nine protesters were killed.[3] and another 75 were injured.
Oromo activists drew parallels with the George Floyd protests in the United States, although critics argued such claims were flawed and served as an alibi for ethnically-motivated violence.[citation needed] At 9 a.m., 30 June 2020, the internet was taken down for much of Ethiopia, a measure previously taken by the government during unrest and elections.
In Shashamane, violence was widespread, with unconfirmed eye-witness reports claiming that "all but 4 or 5 buildings" in the town center had been torched, and that the Rastafari community had been targeted due to its association with the Emperor Haile Selassie.[4] Two people were shot to death in Chiro, while protesters in Harar toppled a statue of Ras Makonnen Wolde Mikael.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed his condolences to Hundessa's family, urging calm amid growing unrest.[1] Controversial media activist Jawar Mohammed responded to Hundessa's death on Facebook, saying "They did not just kill Hachalu. They shot at the heart of the Oromo Nation, once again!!...You can kill us, all of us, you can never ever stop us!! NEVER!!"[5]
On 30 June 2020, Jawar and Bekele Gerba were arrested by Ethiopian Federal police after an incident between Jawar's guards and police that resulted in the death of a police officer. [6] The incident happened when Jawar and his guards intercepted the transportation of remains belonging to Hachalu Hundessa to his home town of Ambo, which lies 100 km west of Addis Ababa. Jawar wanted to have the funeral in Addis Ababa, while Hachalu's parents and wife wanted to have the burial in Ambo.[7] 35 people, including Jawar, were apprehended, along with eight Kalashnikovs, five pistols, and nine radio transmitters. [7] Subsequently, former journalist-turned-politician Eskinder Nega was also arrested.
Demonstrations outside Ethiopia
Oromos held protests in Minneapolis and London, amongst other locations. On 30 June 2020, a statue of former Ethiopian leader Haile Selassie in Cannizaro Park, Wimbledon, south-west London, was destroyed by Oromo protestors.[8] Right-wing journalist Steve Sailer commented that "Minnesota [had] become a major front in the incipient civil war brewing in Ethiopia."[9]
References
- ^ a b c d "Deadly protests erupt after Ethiopian singer killed". BBC News. 30 June 2020.
- ^ Lethabo (30 June 2020). "Hachalu Hundessa Death, Dead - Hachalu Hundessa Died, Killed, Wife, Wiki, Bio". Latest News South Africa.
- ^ Dahir, Abdi Latif (30 June 2020). "Hachalu Hundessa, Ethiopian Singer and Activist, Is Shot Dead". The New York Times.
- ^ "Ethiopia - ESAT DC Daily News Sun 05 July 2020". Ethiopian Satellite Television. 5 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ "Ethiopian singer Hachalu Hundessa shot dead in Addis Ababa". Al Jazeera. 30 June 2020.
- ^ "Ethiopia police confirm arrest of leading opposition politician". Ethiopia police confirm arrest of leading opposition politician. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ a b "Protests over Ethiopian singer's death 'kill 81'". BBC News. 1 July 2020. Retrieved 3 July 2020.
- ^ "Haile Selassie statue destroyed in London park". BBC News. BBC News. 2 July 2020. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ Sailer, Steve. "Steve Sailer on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 6 July 2020.