More than 500 lower and middle level government officials have been arrested for suspected role in recent deadly violence, Ethiopia’s Oromia regional state government said on Wednesday. More than 500 local level government officials have been arrested suspected of various criminal offenses ranging from criminal negligence to active participation in recent deadly violence, according to a statment from the Oromia regional state government. The statement further said another 1,200 local level government officials have been given administrative punishment for failing to uphold their legal responsibilities during recent deadly unrest in Oromia region. “The Ethiopian government has previously said the unrest has resulted in the deaths of 239 people with nearly 10,000 others arrested. Oromia regional state, which is located in the central part of Ethiopia, is the most populous region in the east African country.

Source: Ethiopian News August 13, 2020 10:07 UTC