Tens of thousands of anti-government protestors in Adama city of Oromia, Ethiopia marched on Saturday
(Somaliland Press) — Local media reported that the protestors were showing solidarity with the Gondar and Oromo protestors.
Video of the Adama protests have went viral online, with the protestors saying “we need justice, we need freedom!”
Witnesses told a SomalilandPress correspondent that Gunshots were also heard in Adama as the protest got larger.
It is unknown what was the specific motive of the protestors. However, the Adama protestors complained about dictatorship and ethnic division in the country. They shouted in Amharic language, saying “we are Amhara! we are Oromo!” during the demonstration.
Just like Welkait and Gondar, the majority people of Adama city speak Amharic but they are illegally incorporated into the Oromia region by the current Ethiopian government. It is unknown whether the Adama citizens were given a choice to be part of Oromia or to be independent. Only 35% of Adama city are ethnic Oromo and the town’s demographics show that they are ethnically diverse like the capital city of Addis Ababa.
Many observers blame the core branch of the ruling party TPLF for the crisis in the country. Ethiopian political analyst Teshome Borago told SomalilandPress that lack of democracy and tribal division are main sources of the problem.
“”A small minority junta is ruling this huge nation and their ethnic-federalism system will cause more chaos unless a non-tribal federalism is established, like the one in America,” Mr. Borago said.
He blamed the government for institutionalizing “ethnic apartheid” and division. “Tribal identity politics can not co-exist with democracy in a low literacy society like Ethiopia,” Mr. Borago warned. “Ghana has more complex ethnic makeup than Ethiopia but Ghana is democratic because their smart leaders separated ethnicity from politics successfully,” he added.