The June 29 murder of Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, singer and activist, has triggered a popular uprising in Ethiopia. But it’s important to understand what is taking place from the point of view of the grassroots in Ethiopia. Haacaaluu’s music provided the soundtrack for youth protests that erupted in 2014 against the expansion of Addis Ababa into Oromo territory. At the heart of these grassroots protests was the question of rights in the face of past and current land grabs that left Oromos dispossessed and strangers on their own lands. As such it is seen by the grassroots youth movement as anti-democratic.

Source: Ethiopian News July 24, 2020 18:56 UTC