Ethiopian ethnic unrest

This item appears on page 4 of the August 2020 issue.

At press time, at least 166 people had been killed during protests in Ethiopia that began after a popular Oromo-ethnic singer was killed on June 29. Most of the deaths occurred in the Oromia region, which is majority Oromo, but 10 people were killed in protests in the capital, Addis Ababa.

The singer, Hachalu Hundessa, was considered a folk hero after his music helped inspire protests that resulted in the removal of the country’s previous prime minister in 2018. His killers and their motive were not known as of press time, but before his murder, he claimed that a number of death threats had been made against him.