The Oromo and Amhara groups have however complained over time that power is held by a tiny Tigrean elite.
Many of the protests have have been met with police brutality and have recorded hundreds of death.
Violence has intensified since last Sunday when at least 55 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters at an Oromo festival.
Human rights groups in the country also state that tens of thousands have also been detained.
Declaring the state of emergency, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said in a televised address: “We put our citizens’ safety first. Besides, we want to put an end to the damage that is being carried out against infrastructure projects, education institutions, health centres, administration and justice buildings.”
BBC says the violent protests are the most serious threat to Ethiopian stability in the last 25 years.
The protesters have reportedly been attacking foreign companies, a situation the government constitutes a threat to Ethiopia’s reputation as a growing economy and a hub for foreign investment.
Journalists in the country are not convinced the protesters will back down when faced with force even as the details of the state of emergency remain unclear.
Many roads into and out of the capital, Addis Ababa, are reportedly still blocked by protesters.
Comments
Post a Comment
Lasgidi Online readers are solely responsible for their comments, Their comments does not represent the views of the admin.
We have a comment policy, if we find your comment insultive and not good for others to read, we will be forced to remove it.
Thanks.....keep commenting, we love them.