At least nine people have died in clashes in the Oromia region between Ethiopian security forces and protesters demanding the release of an opposition politician and a media magnate, health officials said on Thursday. Jawar, once a staunch supporter of Abiy, had turned a vocal critic, while Bekele is a leader of an opposition Oromo political party. Six of the wounded died and one was in critical condition at Hiwot Fana Hospital, a doctor at the hospital said. "They were shot in their head, chest and abdomen," the doctor from Hiwot Fana Hospital said. The office of Ethiopia's attorney general on Tuesday defended the government's response to recent unrest, saying in a statement that investigations would reflect a "commitment to human rights".

Source: Ethiopian News August 20, 2020 17:37 UTC