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Agence France-Presse

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians gathered Wednesday to mourn senior officials killed at the weekend in violence described by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s administration as a failed regional coup.
In Amhara, a northwestern state rocked by the murder of its president, attorney general and a top adviser, vast crowds gathered in a stadium in the local capital Bahir Dar for a funeral ceremony.
“The fallen will be remembered for generations to come for their contribution to the region and the whole country,” said deputy prime minister Demeke Mekonnen, himself from the Amhara ethnic group, the second-largest in the country.
“We will find out the motives and interests of those who committed this barbaric act.”

Demeke lay flowers before the three coffins, which were then to be taken to a local church for a religious service.
The authorities say the three were killed by a “hit squad” under the orders of Amhara security chief Asaminew Tsige, an ethno-nationalist reportedly facing removal over his attempts to form a militia.
Meanwhile in Tigray region, which abuts Amhara to the north, slain army chief Seare Mekonnen was to be buried following the arrival of his coffin on Tuesday evening which also drew tens of thousands.
Ethiopian army chief Seare Mekonnen and three others killed in failed coup
Seare was shot dead by his bodyguard while leading the response to the attacks in Amhara on Saturday.
The attacks were 500km (310 miles) apart but the government says they were coordinated.
Asaminew had persuaded Seare’s bodyguard to kill him, it says. However, details have been scanty. Asaminew was gunned down by police on Monday while on the run.
Analysts say the killings highlight the scale of Ethiopia’s political crisis.

Since taking office in April 2018, Abiy has been pushing through democratic reforms that have been lauded abroad but unleashed turbulence at home.
In a statement Tuesday, the International Crisis Group said the reforms had come at a cost, weakening the once all-powerful ruling EPRDF, a coalition of four regional parties that has ruled with an iron fist since 1991.
Security reforms have reduced the number of top officials from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), representing the minority Tigray who had long dominated the party and were seen as marginalising the other major ethnic groups.
The changes have also led to a surge in ethno-nationalist parties in Ethiopia’s nine autonomous regions, challenging the traditional parties ahead of elections planned for next year.
“The heightened ethno-nationalist rhetoric contributes to intercommunal violence, which over the past eighteen months has reached levels unprecedented in many decades in Ethiopia,” the ICG said.
Over two million people have been displaced in violence along the borders of the regions, which divide the country along ethnic lines.
“The most pressing threat is that the June 22 killings could trigger intensified power struggles and violent reactions in politically sensitive locations across the country,” said the ICG.


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Africa

Tens of thousands gather to mourn leaders slain in failed Ethiopia coup

Members of the army carry one of the coffins covered with the Ethiopian national flag. Photo: AFP

Honour guards march after the memorial ceremony for the Ethiopian Army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

A mourner reacts during a memorial ceremony for the Ethiopian Army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 25, 2019. REUTERS/Baz Ratner

Ethiopian army chief Seare Mekonnen and three others killed in failed Amhara coup

Ethiopians follow the news on television at a cafe in Addis Ababa. Photo: AP Photo

FILE PHOTO: Tibor Nagy, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, speaks during a news conference on the case of Sudan, in the U.S. Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 14, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo

FILE - In this file photo dated Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at the European Council headquarters in Brussels. Abiy Ahmed announced a failed coup attempt during a public address on TV Sunday, June 23, 2019, allegedly led by a high-ranking military official and others in the Amhara region. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, FILE)

Security forces stand guard in Meskel Square in central Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sunday, June 23, 2019. Ethiopia's government foiled a coup attempt in a region north of the capital and the country's military chief was shot dead, the prime minister Abiy Ahmed said Sunday in a TV announcement. (AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene)

Ethiopia in talks with China to ease ‘serious debt pressure’ tied to New Silk Road rail link, envoy says

(161004) -- ADDIS ABABA, Oct. 4, 2016 (Xinhua) -- A train runs on the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway during an operational test near Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Oct. 3, 2016. Africa's first modern electrified railway -- the Ethiopia-Djibouti railway built by Chinese firms, is set to become fully operational on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Sun Ruibo) (nxl)

epa07431920 President of France Emmanuel Macron (L) and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed (R) shake hands as they pose for photographers during their meeting at the premier's office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 12 March 2019. Macron is in the country after visiting Djibouti during his four-day tour of the East African countries that will also take him to Kenya the following day. His first visit to the region aims to strengthen bilateral relationships with non-Francophone African nations. EPA-EFE/STR

People enjoy the first departure of the Djibouti - Addis Ababa Railway at Gare De Nagad Station. The railway is supported by China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation. 10JAN17 SCMP/Felix Wong

Stewardesses of Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway react after the arrival of the first commercial train from Addis Ababa at a platform at Nagad railway station in Djibouti on January 3, 2018. - From next week, Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway will connect daily between Addis Ababa and Djibouti. (Photo by Houssein Hersi / AFP) [16DECEMBER2018 FEATURE POST MAGAZINE] CREDIT / AFP

Ethiopian ambassador to China Teshome Toga Chanaka said the two sides were in talks to restructure loans that have “put serious stress on our repaying capability”. Photo: Simon Song

News

World

The president of Amhara, its attorney general and a top adviser were killed last week by a ‘hit squad’


The president of Amhara, its attorney general and a top adviser were killed last week by a ‘hit squad’.


Tens of thousands gather to mourn leaders slain in failed Ethiopia coup

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}The president of Amhara, its attorney general and a top adviser were killed last week by a ‘hit squad’

The president of Amhara, its attorney general and a top adviser were killed last week by a ‘hit squad’