ESAT News (April 2, 2016)
The Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum, also known as Medrek, said in a statement on Friday that the regime arrested 2,627 people in the Oromia region in the last three weeks alone.
The statement said the figure only refers to the number of people arrested after the Prime Minister apologized in a televised speech for the killing and injuries the TPLF special forces perpetrated against peaceful protesters in the Oromia region.
Medrek said the Premier’s apology was not a sincere and it was just a PR stunt made to impress Western donors.
The arrests were mainly in West Arsi, 1200 and West Hararge 1000, as well as in Wollega and West Shewa among others.
Medrek called for the release of all prisoners and demanded the perpetrators of the killings to be brought to justice. Opposition political parties estimate at least 500 protesters were killed in the four months of protest in the Oromia region. The recent arrests would bring the total to at least 8000.