«Breaking News» Hundreds of thousands in Ethiopia welcome once-banned...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians gathered on Saturday to welcome returning leaders of the once-banned Oromo Liberation Front amid sweeping reforms to bring opposition groups back to politics.

The OLF and two other organizations were removed from a list of terror groups earlier this year after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took office. He invited them to come home as he vowed to widen the political space in a country where the ruling coalition, in power since 1991, and affiliated parties hold every seat in parliament.

Earlier Saturday, some 1,500 OLF fighters returned to Ethiopia from neighboring Eritrea. The group since the 1970s has advocated the "right to national self-determination" for the Oromo people, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group.

A large concert was being held in Meskel Square in the capital, Addis Ababa, to welcome OLF leader Dawud Ibsa and others arriving from Eritrea's capital. Events also were held in Oromia, the largest region among Ethiopia's federal states.

"I'm happy to be here after 26 years of struggle from outside of Ethiopia," the OLF leader told reporters upon his arrival. "We have been struggling to bring the changes that we are seeing now in Ethiopia. We are now seeing positive signs that include the respect for rule of law. That's why we came here."

Abiy, the first Oromo politician to become prime minister since the ruling party came to power in 1991, took office after more than two years of deadly anti-government protests in the Oromia and Amhara regions spread throughout the country and led to a state of emergency. Tensions in restive areas have dramatically declined as the new government released several thousand prisoners, unblocked websites and welcomed opposition voices.

"This is a day that we have been longing for," Milkessa Hunde, a university lecturer, told The Associated Press. "This is why thousands of Qeeros (youths in Oromia) sacrificed their lives. We are eternally indebted to them."

After clashes in recent days between youth from Oromia and the capital over displays of the OLF flag in Addis Ababa, the prime minister condemned any incitement of violence. He added, however, that "the right of freedom of expression includes the use of a flag of choice."

Police used tear gas to separate the two sides as some businesses closed.

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https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/15/hundreds-of-thousands-in-ethiopia-welcome-once-banned/
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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) – Hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians gathered on Saturday to welcome returning leaders of the once-banned Oromo Liberation Front amid sweeping reforms to bring opposition groups back to politics.
The OLF and two other organizations were removed from a list of...

It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.

Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.

Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca





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