Ethiopia has a new prime minister in the person of Abiye Ahmed weeks after Hailemariam Desalegn resigned in a surprising manner.
The state-run Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation said on Tuesday that the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) decided to pick Abiye as Hailemariam’s successor.
Ahmed would also be leading the coalition as chairperson after winning over 60 percent of votes in the 180 member council.
Abiye hails from the Oromo ethnic group and would have a major task of restoring calm to the East African country.
Monday key politicians and journalists were re-arrested by security forces after they were released from jail recently.
Local media reported that a total of 12 people were arrested in the latest crackdown.
A lawyer who represented a number of the detainees, Amha Mekonnen told the Associated Press that the arrests happened on Sunday.
He said those arrested are accused of displaying a prohibited national flag. “I also understand they were accused of gathering en masse in violation of the state of emergency rule,†Mekonnen is quoted as saying.
Protests and publications that could spark violence have also been banned during the state of emergency.
Ethiopia has witnessed repeated violent demonstrations since 2015, with protesters calling for political and economic reform and an end to state corruption.
Credit: africafeeds