Protest strike at Ethiopia deaths

Protest strike at Ethiopia deaths

Troops have been out on the streets trying to prevent unrestEthiopian opposition leaders have announced a week-long strike to protest at the deaths of at least 46 people in demonstrations last week.
The capital is calm with many shops closed and most taxis not operating. But the buses are running and there are also large numbers of pedestrians.
A BBC correspondent in Addis Ababa says police are braced for more violence.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said he regretted the deaths but accused the opposition of provoking unrest.
The BBC's Peter Biles in Addis Ababa - an opposition stronghold - says some people appear to have stayed at home, either because they are heeding the opposition's call to do so, or simply because they are nervous about a fresh outbreak of violence.
He says there is a noticeable security presence on the streets, with both soldiers and police on patrol.
Pressure
Lawyers representing 15 opposition leaders in Ethiopia, who have been detained without charge for a week, are demanding that the men be brought before the courts.
Ethiopian Bar Association President Getachew Kitaw accused the authorities of a massive contravention of constitutional rights.
The Ethiopian government is also coming under pressure from the West to begin talks with the opposition.
Speaking in Germany, Mr Meles said it was understandable that police had panicked when facing protesters with hand grenades and guns.
The unrest first erupted on Tuesday after the opposition accused the government of rigging the 15 May elections, and there are fears of more protests.
The elections saw Mr Meles's Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front take control of two-thirds of the country's parliament.
After the clashes, many opposition leaders were detained.
Inquiry
"We regret the death but it was not a normal demonstration," Mr Zenawi said during a visit to Bonn.
"And I don't want to justify it when policemen get in a panic, but I can understand it when there are people throwing hand grenades and using guns," he said.
Mr Meles had earlier announced that an independent commission would investigate whether police had used excessive force to quell the unrest.
Ambassadors from 21 countries which have given aid to the drought-ravaged country issued a statement expressing dismay at the violence, and calling for an urgent investigation.
On Sunday, a joint statement by the US and the EU called on all political parties to "desist from further violence and to abide by the rule of law".
Police patrols
Most businesses were closed in riots in the capital, which spread to other towns in the country inlcuding Bahir Dar, Awassa and Debre Berhan.
It was the worst disturbance in sub-Saharan Africa's second most populous country since protests first ignited after the elections, when some 36 people died and hundreds were arrested.
Police and soldiers have been patrolling Addis Ababa but residents fear the outbreak of more violence.
The unrest has sparked fears the country may be moving into a period of more authoritarian rule.
The internal crisis comes at a time of increasing tension with Eritrea over the two countries' disputed border, our correspondent says.

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4413694.stm