Bekele Gerba, a leading opposition figure in Ethiopia was released from detention on Tuesday after spending over two years behind bars. His release was part of the federal government’s announced political reforms aimed at engendering national cohesion, PM Hailemariam Desalegn said in January. He was arrested in December 2015 after mass protests broke out in the Oromia region over accusations that farmers were being forced to sell land with scant compensation. Their release led to widespread jubilation in the Oromia region where tens of thousands of people thronged the streets in celebration. Adama mayor and member of the ruling party’s Executive Committee, Adanech Abebe, addresses crowd at a freedom rally for BekeleGerba .

Source: Ethiopian News February 15, 2018 02:36 UTC