Clad in traditional white, tens of thousands of Oromo people who gathered for the Irreecha festival, chanted “Down, down Woyane,” a derogatory term for the Ethiopian government. The Oromo are the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia but critics say the government marginalises them. Last year’s festival was held after months of demonstrations by Oromo communities. Uniformed officers were absent from this year’s event held by a lake in a resort town southeast of the capital Addis Ababa. The decree stopped months of protests, but many Oromos feel the government has not responded to their grievances.

Source: Ethiopian News October 01, 2017 12:11 UTC