Calm returns to Ethiopia

2005-11-09 14:00

Addis Ababa - Normal life was resuming in Addis Ababa on Wednesday after last week's violent disturbances that claimed over 40 lives in the capital and at least four others in another major city.

The disturbances stemmed from bitter wrangling between the government and the main opposition party in the aftermath of the country's third multi-party elections in mid-May.

The opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) has been insisting for nearly five months that the elections were allegedly won by fraudulent means by the ruling EPRDF Party of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

Shops and business reopened on Wednesday and taxis and minibuses resumed full service, enabling government employees and business establishments to report to work, as normal life returned to the city.

Repeated warnings

Taxi and minibus owners and operators resumed partial service on Tuesday but heeded repeated warnings by city authorities that their licenses would be revoked if they did not resume full services by Wednesday morning.

The warnings also apply to shop owners and business establishments that only partially opened on Tuesday afternoon.

The row between the government and the CUDP is far from over, and last week's disturbances were the second post-election clashes between security forces and demonstrators protesting alleged vote rigging during parliamentary elections in May.

The first one lasting for nearly a week in which 42 lives were lost, occurred in early June.

Western diplomats were making efforts this time to initiate dialogue between the government and the opposition in an effort to resolve political differences.

It was hoped that the dialogue would lead to the release of CUDP leaders who were detained last week on charges of allegedly instigating and leading the disturbances, according to a senior western diplomat. - Sapa-dpa

- SAPA