Strikes protesting Ethiopia’s state of emergency spread across the restive Oromia region ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s arrival for talks with the Horn of Africa nation’s embattled government. Combined, they pose the largest challenge to Ethiopia’s ruling coalition since it took power a quarter-century ago. The ruling party-linked Ethiopian Broadcasting Corp. reported Monday that transport links and shops were closed in places including western and eastern Oromia, citing residents. The state of emergency forbids rallies and public meetings without permission, strikes and absence from work “without enough reason,” Fana Broadcasting Corp., which is funded by the ruling party, reported. Ethiopia, Africa’s fastest-growing economy over the past decade, is a key regional U.S. ally in its battle against al-Qaeda in the region.

Source: Ethiopian News March 06, 2018 16:29 UTC