Ethiopia: Business, transportation shut down in Oromo region as five day strike begins

A bank closed in Asgori, a town near the capital Addis Ababa

ESAT News (August 23, 2017)

A five day strike called in the Oromo region began today paralyzing businesses and transportation in the entire region as major towns known for their bustling activities turned eerie quiet on Wednesday.

Stone throwing protesters in Holeta, Guder and Harmissa shattered the windows of buses that ignore the strikes. One bus was set ablaze in West Shewa, according to witnesses who spoke to ESAT. Reports reaching ESAT from Aweday, a commercial town in eastern Ethiopia, say buses that ignored the strike were attacked. Bus schedules to the region from all corners of the country were cancelled today.

Gimbi, Holeta, Haromaya, Aweday, Dembi Dolo, Bale Robe, Chiro, Shashemene, Ambo and Burayu are some of the towns that took part in the strikes. Towns in Oromo districts around the capital Addis Ababa have also joined the strike.

There has been an increase in the presence of security forces in all the major towns in the region in the last few days, according to witnesses.

Meanwhile two people were killed in clashes in eastern Ethiopia, 15 kilometers from Awash as a result of the ongoing border dispute between the Somali and Oromo pastoral communities, according to a blogger close to authorities in Addis Ababa.