Ethiopia has banned weapons at the upcoming Irrecha religious festival in order to avoid the violence that killed several dozen people last year. The statement from the restive Oromia region comes ahead of the October 1 thanksgiving gathering. "Armed police will be confined to the outskirts of the festival site as per the request of the religious leaders. "The security forces disastrous and disproportionate use of force should not be repeated this year," said Felix Horne, a senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. The Irrecha festival is an annual thanksgiving event celebrated by ethnic Oromos to mark the end of the rainy season and the start of spring.

Source: Ethiopian News September 24, 2017 17:51 UTC