Ethiopian police "harass" Muslims in Addis Ababa

Protestors take cover as security forces fire tear gas towards them during a protest in Addis Ababa on May 02, 2022. [AFP photo]

ADDIS ABABA - Police in Ethiopia on Sunday used teargas canisters to disperse young Muslims who had gathered in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, as the world marked Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, marking the end of the Holy month of Ramadan.

Multiple reports indicate that the awful incident took place outside the international stadium within the city's CBD, where Muslims had organized prayers to mark the end of fasting in the Islamic calendar.

A number of worshippers who could not access the stadium pitched tents outside Meskel Square, where they started holding prayers. A member of the Addis Ababa High Council of Islamic Affairs told the AFP news agency that the cause of the confrontation was unclear.

But since last month, tensions have been high in Ethiopia following an attack at Gondar town where at least 20 Muslims were killed within the state of Amhara. The architects of the attack were armed "extremist Christians" according to locals.

A policeman fired tear gas at the crowd but “it was unintentional,” the official said, quoting volunteers at the site. “The policeman was evacuated by other policemen, but people were shocked and some started to chant slogans… the situation became uncontrollable.”

In a statement issued by authorities in Addis Ababa, police said the “riot” had been caused by a “few individuals” and led to property damage, but the order had now been restored. “[The] police are calling on the community to remain calm,” it said.

Angry demonstrators started throwing stones, smashing windows of the national museum at Meskel Square before the order was restored. The official said Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations had taken place in the city every year since the end of the Marxist-military Derg government in 1991.

“This is the first time such incidents happen,” the official said, adding that the Muslims attending the ceremonies were unarmed, as everyone was searched by police before they entered the venue. “Muslims want this festival to pass in peace,” the official said.

The federal republic of Ethiopia is a heterogeneous mix of ethnicities, is majority Christian while approximately a third of the population is Muslim. Most Muslims however, stay in the Somali region of the country, formally known as Ogaden.

GAROWE ONLINE