by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 20, 2018) Residents of towns in Northern Ethiopia and towns in the southwest of the country have continued their strikes and protests despite a martial law imposed last week that prohibits public demonstrations and expression of dissent in any form. Strikes and protests have continued for a week in Wolkite town, 93 miles southwest ...

By Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 20, 2018) Nigist Yirga, a young activist from northern Ethiopia, who has been jailed since September 2016, was released today, a family member confirmed to ESAT. Nigist Yirga, a 24 year old activist known for her viral photo as she took part in one of the protests in Gondar in July 2016, was abducted ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 19, 2010) A leading figure of the resistance movement in the Amhara region, Colonel Demeke Zewdu has walked out of a prison in Gondar today. Residents of the city of Gondar and other major towns have began a three day strike today to demand the release of all political prisoners including the Colonel who ...

ESAT News (February 19, 2018) The European Union said in a statement today that “only a constructive dialogue among all stakeholders – authorities, opposition, media, civil society – will allow for a peaceful and durable resolution of the crisis.” The statement by the spokesperson, Catherine Ray, on the situation in Ethiopia also said that the declaration of the state of ...

By Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 18, 2018) An expert on Africa with a Washington think tank says the state of emergency could be regarded as a “declaration of war on the people of Ethiopia” and called on U.S. and EU to “declare that they are not complicit in Ethiopia abuses.” In her articles and tweets in a week that ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 16, 2018) Ethiopia’s Council of Ministers declared a state of emergency effective today February 16, 2018. The report by media controlled by the regime did not say how long the decree would be staying in effect. The report by the national broadcaster says the council of ministers held an extraordinary meeting today to deliberate ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 14, 2018) A number of political prisoners were freed today and were welcomed at the gates of Ethiopia’s notorious jails by thousands of people, a scene that is uncommon in a country that holds unarguably the highest number of prisoners of conscience anywhere. Thousands of people have gathered at the gates of Kaliti and ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 13, 2018) A prominent journalist and an opposition leader will walk free on Wednesday as pressure mounts against a regime that holds thousands of dissidents in its notorious jails. Eskinder Nega, Andualem Arage and 746 political prisoners are to be released tomorrow, according to a regime controlled news agency in Addis Ababa. The duo ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 13, 2018) A three day “stay-at-home” strike that began yesterday in the vast Oromo region of the country turned into street protests in some towns and districts in the outskirts of the capital. In Jimma, protesters set two buses on fire. Selam Bus has been targeted by protesters in the past for it is ...

by Engidu Woldie ESAT News (February 13, 2018) A leading Oromo opposition leader Bekele Gerba and six other members of the Oromo Federalist Congress and dissidents were released today, on the second day of a “stay-at-home” protests in the Oromo region which among others demanded the release of all political prisoners. The organ of the TPLF regime, Fana Broadcasting Corporation, ...