Clashes rock Ethiopia

2005-11-01 15:29

Addis Ababa - Riot police clashed with dozens of opposition supporters on Tuesday, shooting dead at least five people and wounding some 13 others in renewed protests against the disputed May 15 elections, said health workers.

Doctors at the Black Lion Hospital who wanted to remain anonymous said most of the dead were shot in the chest and the wounded had gunshot wounds on their arms and legs.

Red Cross ambulances brought in five victims, including a woman who was shot in the face and a man shot in the back.

Some of the wounded later died in hospital. Security forces kicked journalists out of the facilities before they could talk to the victims.

Human Rights Council

The clashes took place a day after police arrested and revoked the licences of 30 taxi drivers who took part in renewed protests against the disputed polls.

Protests against alleged electoral fraud in June saw police kill at least 42 people.

Adam Melaku, head of the independent Ethiopia Human Rights Council, said: "There has been gunfire and rioters are clashing with the police.

"There are riot police who have been stoned, but as yet we have no reports of any casualty."

Peace and stability

Information minister Berhan Hailu blamed the violence on the main opposition party, adding that he had no details on casualties.

Berhan said: "The CUD has called for these demonstrations. It is part of their plan to disrupt the peace and stability in the country. The incident today is a continuation of their previous disruption."

Opposition spokesperson Gizachew Shiferaw urged supporters to stay calm and accused police of using excessive force.

Gizachew said: "To blame us for this violence is madness. The trouble was incited by the government simply because people were supporting us by hooting their car horns, the measures that the police took ... were excessive."

The riots began on the day the government threatened legal action against the main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy, or CUD.

Resolution of questions

The party had been boycotting Ethiopia's lower house of parliament, saying it wanted a resolution of questions about the results of the May parliamentary election before taking up its seats.

The party had 109 seats in the 547-member Council of People's Representatives. Opposition parties had claimed that hundreds of their supporters and members had been arrested in the past two months.

The government said: "Taking the CUD to court for its stance against the constitution is timely."

Riots subsided later on Tuesday after hundreds of riot police reinforcements were deployed on streets strewn with broken glass and smoking tires.

But, Western diplomats said gunfire erupted again in another part of Addis Ababa on Tuesday afternoon. - AFP/AP

- AP