Ethio­pian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn on Thursday submitted his resignation amid growing political turmoil in the country. This led to a total shuttering of businesses throughout the vast Oromo region as part of a strike. Desalegn became prime minister in 2012, succeeding Meles Zenawi, the architect of Ethiopia’s recent economic boom. The country saw a decade of double digit growth, though this has slowed in recent years under pressure from severe droughts and social unrest. Ostensibly a democracy, the ruling Ethi­o­pia People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front – dominated by the Tigrayan minority – controls 100 percent of the parliament, leading to feelings of economic marginalization among the Oromo majority.

Source: Ethiopian News February 15, 2018 13:29 UTC