ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - At least seven people died after clashes broke out between security forces and worshippers taking part in a religious ceremony marking Epiphany in northern Ethiopia over the weekend, officials said.

Authorities in the Horn of Africa country’s Amhara region said they were yet to determine the causes of the violence that first erupted on Saturday in the town of Woldiya, more than 500 kilometers north of the capital Addis Ababa.

“Attempts to unblock roads and prevent the destruction of property are still ongoing. The situation has improved (since Sunday) but we are still having to undertake such measures,” said Amare Goshu, a police commissioner of the district.

One member of security forces deployed to quell the violence was among the dead, he said. Orthodox Christians use Epiphany celebrations to mark the baptism of Jesus Christ.

It was not immediately clear if the violence is related to unrest that plagued the country in 2015 and 2016.

In Ethiopia’s central Oromiya province, hundreds were killed over that period in violence triggered by allegations of land grabs, with protests then broadening into demonstrations over political restrictions and perceived rights abuses.

Protests had also previously taken place in the Amhara region, with dozens dying in violence sparked by a territorial dispute.

Ethiopia is a Western ally against Islamist militants in neighboring Somalia and an economic power seen as a center of relative stability in a fragile region.

The government in Addis Ababa has sought to calm political turmoil by announcing reforms and releasing dissidents. Last week, a senior opposition leader jailed for collusion with anti-government rebel groups was freed alongside 114 other inmates.</s>Congregants douse themselves with holy water as hundreds from several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. Congregants douse themselves with holy water as hundreds from several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

Hundreds walk in a procession from King's Hall to St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church during a celebration of Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. Hundreds walk in a procession from King's Hall to St. Michael Ethiopian Orthodox Church during a celebration of Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

Religious officials bless holy water as the congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. Religious officials bless holy water as the congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.

The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018. The congregations of several local churches gather to celebrate Timkat, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church's Epiphany, at King's Hall on Sunday, Jan. 22, 2018.</s>ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — An Ethiopian police official in the restive Amhara region in the north confirmed Sunday evening that seven people were killed when worshippers celebrating the Epiphany holiday clashed with security forces.

The killings on Saturday in the town of Woldiya, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) north of the capital Addis Ababa, happened on the second day of the colorful Epiphany celebrations in this East African nation.

Amare Goshu, a police official in the region, told the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation that seven people died, including one security officer, during the confrontation. He said that the security forces responded with force when youths in the town tried to attack officers who were patrolling the holiday procession areas. “More than 15 citizens and 2 police officers were also injured and are now receiving treatment,” he said.

Two Woldiya residents, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said the measures taken by the security forces were excessive and feared the death toll was higher. One claimed police fired on demonstrators who were throwing stones. The other said the death toll could rise further as gunshots could be heard until midday Sunday. Both added that a number of hotels, restaurants and shops were burned down by angry protesters.

Ethiopia’s Amhara and Oromia regions have seen violent anti- government protests since November, 2015, when people took to the streets demanding political freedom and the release of political prisoners. Hundreds have been killed and more than 11,000 arrested, although most have since been released.

Ethiopia is an ally of the U.S. but it is often accused by rights groups of stifling dissent and arresting opposition figures and journalists critical of the government. A prominent opposition politician, Merera Gudina, was released on Wednesday as part of a pledge by the government to open up the political space and create a national consensus.</s>Ethiopian police in the restive Amhara region in the north confirmed Sunday that seven people were killed when worshippers celebrating the Epiphany holiday clashed with security forces.

The killings on Saturday in the town of Woldiya, 500 kilometers (310 miles) north of the capital Addis Ababa, happened on the second day of the colorful Epiphany celebrations in this East African nation.

Amare Goshu, a police official in the region, told the state-owned Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation that seven people died, including one security officer, during the confrontation. He said that the security forces responded with force when youths in the town tried to attack officers who were patrolling the holiday procession areas. "More than 15 citizens and 2 police officers were also injured and are now receiving treatment," he said.</s>Reports from Ethiopia indicate that about five people were killed in the town of Weldiya when security forces shot at festival goers. Several others were also wounded in the incident which happened on Saturday.

Weldiya, is a town located in the Amhara region and is about 510km north of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The number of casualties is said to be rising.

The official spokesperson for the region confirmed the incident in a Facebook post stating that lives were lost after federal security forces clashed with young people in the town of Weldiya.

He didn’t mention the number causalities but he said that after thorough investigations, the government would bring those responsible for “instigating the violence” and causing the death of “innocent civilians,” the Addis Standard news portal reported.

The incident happened on the second day of Epiphany (a series of events marking the Baptism of Christ) by members of the Orthodox Church in Ethiopia. The Addis Standard quoted a source who said there had been armed security deployed for the festivities.

Young people who were singing, dancing and marching through the town are reported to have started singing anti-government protest songs and chants leading to the incident.

Reports say there has been heavy federal and regional security forces in Amhara state since last December following skirmishes at a football match. The region also experienced disturbances in its universities in what was described as ethnic-based attacks.

Amhara located in the country’s north was along with Oromia, the heart of anti-government protests that shook the country between 2015 and much of 2016. The protests led to an October 2016 state of emergency lifted in August 2017.

Ethiopia’s internal security headaches are a worry to the entire Horn of Africa region given that Addis Ababa is a power house across the very volatile region. Government recently started political reforms it said were aimed at fostering national unity.</s>GENEVA (Reuters) - Ethiopian security forces opened fire on protesters who were singing anti-government songs, U.N. human rights spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said on Tuesday.

Authorities said on Monday that at least seven people died in clashes between security forces and worshippers taking part in a religious ceremony marking Epiphany in Amhara region in northern Ethiopia at the weekend, but they had yet to determine the cause of the violence.

Shamdasani told a U.N. briefing in Geneva that the U.N. human rights office was extremely concerned by the deaths.

“The incident, in Woldiya City in Amhara Regional State on 20 January, reportedly took place when the security forces tried to stop people from chanting anti-government songs and allegedly opened fire on them. Protesters reportedly later blocked roads and destroyed a number of properties.”

Ethiopian government spokesman Negeri Lencho, reacting to Shamdasani’s statement, told journalists on Tuesday that demands by the public should be “raised peacefully.” Security forces should exercise restraint and avoid actions that could lead to death and injury, he said.

Shamdasani did not specify the source of the information but said the U.N.’s regional office in Addis Ababa had collected information from several sources, including local media, trusted civil society sources and official statements.

The incident was all the more regrettable as it came just two weeks after Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, announced its intention of undertaking reforms, she added.

“We understand that the President of Amhara Regional State, who confirmed that there had been deaths and injuries, said there would be what he termed a ‘careful examination’ of the incident.”

She said it should be prompt, independent, impartial and effective and ensure anybody responsible for violating human rights was held accountable.</s>There is still tension arising from deaths reported in Ethiopia’s Amhara region after security forces shot and killed a number of protesters on Saturday.

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets a day after the incident to protest against the security action that led to the deaths. The Reporter news portal in Ethiopia says it had reports that gunshots were still being heard in the town of Woldiya.

A local portal, the Addis Gazetta shared a phot that showed people on the streets of Woldiya where the incident took place. It is located about 510 km away from the capital, Addis Ababa.

The young people who were singing and dancing as they marched through the town as part of a religious event changed their songs to anti-government chants and songs leading to the clash and subsequent deaths.

The casualty figure, which ranges between five and over a dozen, is said to be rising according to local news sources. Federal security forces reportedly opened fire on young people who were partaking in a religious ceremony, the Epiphany.

The spokesperson of the Amhara region confirmed the deaths and added that there was a probe underway to ascertain the true facts on the issue. Perpetrators will be brought to book, he added.

Reports say there has been heavy federal and regional security forces in Amhara state since last December following skirmishes at a football match. The region also experienced disturbances in its universities in what was described as ethnic-based attacks.

Amhara located in the country’s north was along with Oromia, the heart of anti-government protests that shook the country between 2015 and much of 2016. The protests led to an October 2016 state of emergency lifted in August 2017.</s>The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) has often clashed with protesters leading to deaths in the country. The latest installment was in the town of Woldiya in the northern Amhara Regional State.

The incident happened during a religious celebration of the Baptism of Christ, the Epiphany. Seven people were killed when security forces used live bullets against the unarmed Amhara youth.

From the Irreecha deaths in Oromia in 2016, which activists call a massacre, Ethiopia under state of emergency slapped in October 2016 experienced zero protests through the 10-month period.

After August 2017 when the measure was lifted the army has been found complicit for deaths in parts of the country. This article looks back, from the Irreecha incident, at the military actions that has resulted in civilian deaths.

It was in October 2016 during the thanksgiving festival by the Oromo ethnic group. At a time the region was bubbling with anti-government tension, federal forces were deployed to the event.

The security forces discharged live bullets and tear gas into the festival goers in the town of Bishoftu leading to several deaths. Human rights groups also accused Addis Ababa of using helicopter gunships – a claim the regime flatly denied.

Activists and rights groups say over 700 people died as a result with many more injured. The government disputed the figures. A state of emergency was declared days later.

About ten people were killed in the town of Ambo again in Oromia region, German broadcaster DW’s Amharic Service reported in October 2017.

DW cited Gadisa Desalegn, Ambo city communication head, as confirming the deaths of anti-government protesters, following the deployment of ‘Agazi’ – a special elite unit of the Ethiopian security forces. Local media portals also reported that 20 people have been wounded, some private properties had also been affect in the clashes.

A local media portal, Addis Gazetta, reported that the protests were linked to shortages of sugar in the country. They shared pictures on showing protesters having blocked trucks belonging to the national sugar company.

The security forces reportedly stepped in and discharged live bullets leading to the deaths which sparked further protests.

December 2017, four months after the lifting of the state of emergency, the town of Chelenko in the Oromia region was the scene of deaths blamed on the military. Fifteen civilians lost with about a dozen others suffering gunshot wounds.

The Addis Standard news portal cited the Oromia region communications Bureau chief, Addisu Arega Kitessa, as implicating members of the national defense force, adding that a probe was underway to ascertain how peaceful civilians had been killed.

Adissu Arega said people in the region’s east Hararghe zone had hit the streets to protest the killing of an individual leading to the clashes that claimed the lives of others. The security forces were said to have applied superior force to dismantle road blocks in other parts of the region.

Locals, however, told the Addis Standard portal that a notorious Ethiopia – Somali paramilitary force – the Liyu Police – were to blame for the death of the individual, for which reason they staged the protest.

There were also deaths reported in the town of Shashamene at a point last year. The protests at the time led to social media shutdown in parts of the country.

The most recent incident happened on 20 of January 2018 during the Epiphany celebrations in the Amhara region.

The official record puts the deaths at seven even though activists maintain that the figure is much higher.

A section of the young people whiles singing, dancing and marching through the town started chanting anti-government protests leading to the clash and subsequent deaths.

People in the town said they had been concerned about why the government had deployed the army in Amhara reportedly since December last year.

The army continues to play an integral part in the country’s internal security operations. The government has always promised to bring errant soldiers to book but little is heard thereafter.

The government did not deploy the army at the 2017 Irreecha festival after their presence and actions triggered the chaos in the previous year. The event passed off peacefully as activists mourned those who died, protested against the regime and enjoyed an incident-free festival.

They have also been banned from straddling the common border between the Oromia and Ethiopia-Somali regional states where tensions led to massive deaths and displacement last year.

But an activist, Birhanu Lenjiso, who chronicled the army’s deadly clashes with the population says it dates back to decades. Amongst others, the Hawzen incident of 1988, Badano incident in 1992, Loqee in 2002, Anuak the following year, Addis Ababa incident in 2005 and triple incident in the Ogaden region 2008, 2014 and 2016 and the Konso incident in 2016.</s>At least five people have been killed in northern Ethiopia after security forces fired on a crowd at a religious festival who were reportedly shouting anti-government slogans.

Many more were injured in the incident in the town of Waldiya. Angry protesters have blocked roads and businesses are closed.

There have been nearly three years of opposition demonstrations in Ethiopia.

On Wednesday, hundreds of activists were released from jail.

The deaths happened during the second day of Epiphany celebrations commemorating the baptism of Jesus.

Dozens of people are reportedly receiving hospital treatment after the shooting.

Anti-government demonstrators in Ethiopia have been calling for political and economic reforms and an end to state corruption and human rights abuses.

Among the suspects released from detention by the government on Wednesday was prominent opposition leader Merera Gudina, who spent more than a year in detention.

At the beginning of January, Prime Minster Hailemariam Desalegn announced the government would close Maekelawi – a detention facility in the capital, Addis Ababa, allegedly used as a torture chamber.

The Ethiopian government imposed a state of emergency from October 2016 to August 2017 to end an unprecedented wave of protests against its 25-year rule.

More than 11,000 people were arrested, mostly from the Oromia and Amhara regions, where many people complain of political and economic marginalisation.

Follow us on Twitter at @thesignalng

Copyright 2018 SIGNAL. Permission to use portions of this article is granted provided appropriate credits are given to www.signalng.com and other relevant sources.

The post Ethiopia Police Kill Five at Religious Festival appeared first on SIGNAL.

Do you have something awesome to share with the world? Click here to share

Do you ever have any question about anything you wish to ask and get answer? Click here to ask

Also, Like us on facebook

This post was syndicated from SIGNAL. Click here to read the full text on the original website.
Seven people die in clashes between security forces and worshippers taking part in an Ethiopian Orthodox religious ceremony marking Timkat (Epiphany) in Woldiya, Amhara, Ethiopia, over the weekend.