Several killed in blast at Ethiopian PM’s rally

ADDIS ABABA: Several people were killed yesterday in a blast at new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s first rally in the capital attended by tens of thousands of people, state media reported.

Abiy had just wrapped up his speech in the heart of Addis Ababa when the explosion went off, sending panicked crowds towards the stage as the prime minister left hurriedly, apparently safe and sound.

“All the casualties are martyrs of love and peace,” Abiy was quoted as saying by stateaffiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

The cause of the blast was unknown and further details on the casualties were not immediately available.

It was Abiy’s first public speech in the capital since he took office in April, although he has made several in provincial areas.

In the past three months, Abiy has made major changes in Ethiopia including shaking up the security services, releasing jailed dissidents, moving to liberalise the economy and to resolve a twodecade conflict with arch-enemy Eritrea.

“Ethiopia will be on top again, and the foundations will be love, unity and inclusivity,” he declared yesterday, dressed in a green T-shirt and a hat.

After the blast, dozens of people stormed the stage, hurling various objects at police, shouting: ‘Woyane down, down,’ and ‘Woyane thief’, using a pejorative term for the government, the AFP correspondent said.

Abiy succeeded Hailemariam Desalegn, who resigned in February amid a wave of antigovernment protests led by the country’s two largest ethnicities, that started in late 2015 and left hundreds of people dead.

His actions since coming to power represent dramatic shifts in the power balance within Africa’s second-most populous country.

But it remains unclear how deep Abiy’s support runs within the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) for carrying out the reforms. — AFP