A protest over water shortages in the southern Ethiopian town of Welkite turned deadly when, witnesses say, security forces opened fire on protesters, killing at least two people. The protest was started early Thursday morning by a group of elderly women holding jerry cans for carrying water and, according to one witness, gradually swelled to thousands of people. Adane Kifle, a Welkite resident who was at the protest, told VOA Friday that security forces started telling people to sit down after talking with some protesters. "We tried to save ourselves and people started throwing rocks. Officials in the area say the violence was sparked by protesters throwing rocks at the local water bureau building and blocking roads, according to the report.

Source: Ethiopian News February 18, 2023 05:47 UTC