A Generation Is Protesting’ in Ethiopia, Long a U.S. Ally

[two_fifth padding=”0 25px 0 10px”]BY   Jeffrey Gettleman  |  PUB   The New York Times 

Is Ethiopia about to crack?[/two_fifth][three_fifth_last padding=”0 0px 0 10px”]For the last decade, it has been one of Africa’s most stable nations, a solid Western ally with a fast-growing economy. But in recent months, antigovernment protests have convulsed the country, spreading into more and more areas. In the last week alone, thousands of people stormed into the streets, demanding fundamental political change.

The government’s response, according to human rights groups, was ruthless. Witnesses said that police officers shot and killed scores of unarmed demonstrators. Videos circulating from protests thought to be from late last year or earlier this year show security officers whipping young people with sticks as they are forced to perform handstands against a wall. The top United Nations human rights official is now calling for a thorough investigation.

“It was always difficult holding this country together, and moving forward, it will be even harder,” said Rashid Abdi, the Horn of Africa project director for the International Crisis Group, a research organization.

Ethiopia is the second most populous nation in Africa, after Nigeria, and its stability is cherished by the West. American military and intelligence services work closely with the Ethiopians to combat terrorist threats across the region, especially in Somalia, and few if any countries in Africa receive as much Western aid. [mc4wp_form id=”6042″][/three_fifth_last]

Ethiopian migrants, all members of the Oromo community of Ethiopia living in Malta, protest against the Ethiopian regime in Valletta, Malta, December 21, 2015. Protesters are calling on Malta and the European Union to stop support for the Ethiopian regime, and protested against the regime’s plan to evict Oromo farmers to expand Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, according to the protest organisers. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi MALTA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN MALTA – RTX1ZMDT

Ethiopian migrants, all members of the Oromo community of Ethiopia living in Malta, protest against the Ethiopian regime in Valletta, Malta, December 21, 2015. Protesters are calling on Malta and the European Union to stop support for the Ethiopian regime, and protested against the regime’s plan to evict Oromo farmers to expand Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, according to the protest organisers. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi MALTA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN MALTA – RTX1ZMDZ

Protesters’ shoes lie scattered on a sidewalk in Addis Ababa, Ethi­o­pia, on Aug. 6 after demonstrators were arrested and taken away by police. (Paul Schemm/The Washington Post)

People from the Oromia region, close to Addis Ababa, have been discriminated against by Ethiopia’s ruling ethnic groups Reuters