Deadly protests continue in Ethiopia

ESAT News (October 6, 2016)

At least twenty protesters were killed in the last few days alone in the Oromo region of Ethiopia where violent protests flared up following the massacre of hundreds of festival goers at the Irreecha celebrations in Bishoftu, Debre Zeit.

The Ajo town of west Arsi saw the deadliest protests. Guder and Holeta, where an American, Sharon Gray of UC-Davis, was killed on Tuesday were also the scene of violent protests on Thursday.

In Sebeta, few miles from the capital, protesters set ablaze eleven factories affiliated with the regime in the last few days, police said in a statement on Thursday. Sixty government vehicles were also destroyed by protesters.

A manager of a Turkish textile factory also told the media that 30% of the factory was destroyed.

Government officials confirmed destruction of properties but did not mention the loss of lives. Opposition political parties say over 678 people were killed during the Ireecha massacre while the government insists only 55 people lost their lives in a stampede.

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Eritrean Ambassador to UN passes away

ESAT News (October 6, 2016)

Ambassador Girma Asmerom, Eritrea’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, has passed away in New York three days ago, sources confirmed to ESAT.

Amb. Girma Asmerom was a former Eritrean ambassador to the European Union, African Union and Ethiopia.

Details of his bio remains scanty but Ambassador Girma grew up in Ethiopia and was a member of the Ethiopian national soccer team in his youth.

In an exclusive interview with ESAT last June, he had said that TPLF is the major obstacle for peace and stability in the Horn of Africa.

In one of his last Tweets, he said: “Ethiopian officials should stop blaming Eritrea for their problems and insulting the intelligence of Ethiopians & the International community.”