Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who came to power in 2018 promising democratic changes in one of Africa's most repressive nations, is struggling to rein in resurgent ethnic nationalism that sporadically explodes in bouts of violence. Asked to comment on the arrests, the government signalled that order was its immediate priority. Mass arrests were common under the previous administration which used security forces to crush dissent. When anti-government protests propelled Abiy to power, he speeded up the release of tens of thousands of political prisoners. But now activists like Fisseha Tekle, Amnesty International's Ethiopia analyst, fear Abiy's government is resorting to the arbitrary mass arrests of his predecessor.

Source: Ethiopian News August 13, 2020 11:03 UTC