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Prominent Activist Won't Rule Out Election Challenge to Ethiopia PM

Reuters

   ADDIS ABABA - Prominent activist Jawar Mohammed does not rule out
   challenging his erstwhile ally, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, in
   next year's election, he told Reuters on Friday, after days of
   demonstrations by his supporters resulted in dozens of deaths.

   Jawar's ability to organize street protests helped propel Abiy to power
   last year, ushering in sweeping political and economic reforms. Abiy
   won the Nobel peace prize this month for his regional peacemaking
   achievements.

   But this week, Jawar's supporters demonstrated against Abiy after Jawar
   said police had surrounded his home and tried to withdraw his
   government security detail.

   Late on Friday, the police commissioner for Oromiya told Reuters that
   67 were people killed in the region in the two days of protests this
   week, a dramatic jump in the number of deaths from earlier reports.

   Sixty-two of the dead were protesters while five were police officers,
   Oromiya regional police commissioner Kefyalew Tefera said by phone.
   Thirteen died from bullet wounds and the rest from injuries caused by
   stones, he said.

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