On October 8, 2016 the Ethiopian Government declared a State of Emergency as a result of protest and violence demonstrated in the Oromia and Amhara regions that have occurred over the past year. CNN has reported that while the Ethiopia government has claimed that 52 people were killed in a stampede at a religious festival in the Oromo, “activists in Ethiopia disputed the government’s accounts and the official death toll of 52. The Ethiopian government also set a curfew from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in order to prevent further attacks on foreign-owned businesses. With regards to the crossing of the wrists, the gesture is seen as a symbol of unity to Ethiopian protestors. The protests were initially over a plan [that was dropped] to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa into the Oromia region.”

Source: Ethiopian News October 23, 2016 20:26 UTC