Grenade Attack in Ethiopia

On Saturday June 23^rd, 2018 an explosion at a political rally for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed ripped through Addis Ababa’s Meskel Square. Prime Minister Abiy took office after his predecessor Hailemariam Desalegn resigned in February of this year.

After the explosion took place over 100 people stormed the stage shouting at the police “Down, down, Woyane”. Woyane is a negative term used to describe the Ethiopian government, and particularly the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), and refers back to the Tigray Woyane rebellion when members of the Tigrian ethnic group fought a war against the Ethiopian government until its end in May of 1991. The incident suggests members of the crowd blamed police and security forces for the attack.

The Deputy police commissioner in charge of Addis Ababa was arrested following the attack. At least eight other officers were arrested for failing to prevent the attack from taking place.

The explosion occurred following Ahmed’s speech. An investigation is ongoing but Ethiopian authorities have not yet determined if the attack was an assassination attempt.

Abiy was sworn in as Prime Minister in April, on a platform of uniting Ethiopians and a peace deal with rival Eritera. Abiy also released thousands of prisoners and opened government-run companies for private investment.

The changes that Abiy have been dramatic in a state faced with years of anti-government tensions, states of emergency, and long internet shutdowns. Abiy campaigned on a platform of Ethiopian unity and ending ethnic and other social divisions. Changes included freeing thousands of prisoners and opening once closed business to private investments

During his trip to Ethiopia Under Secretary of Commerce Gilbert Kaplan offered Ethiopia’s minister of foreign affairs, Workneh Gebeyehu the assistance of FBI experts to help investigate. Officials have not made public who they believe responsible.

The Abiy leads the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO), one of four political parties in Ethiopia organized along ethnic lines.  The OPDO also makes up part of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition. The EPRDF is a political organization that was founded in 1989 by the following member parties including the leading Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Movement.

Later on, the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization and the Southern Ethiopia Peoples Democratic Movement joined. The group is the current ruling legitimate party in Ethiopia. Abiy rose through the military ranks to become Lieutenant Colonel, before leading the country’s Information Network and Security Agency (INSN). The INSN is responsible for all cyber-security related matters within Ethiopia.

Abiy is the country’s first prime minister from the Oromo ethnic group. The Oromos are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia, and many protested government policies perceived to be discriminatory over the last three years. The Oromos have historically faced systematic marginalization and the Oromos culture and language were banned.  The previous prime minister Meles Zenawi is a member of the (TPLF). The TPLF is primarily based among the Tigrayan ethnic group, which represents 6.1% of the Ethiopian population and has dominated political and military affairs.

Some of the other ethnic groups in Ethiopia are; Amhara, Somali, Tigray, Sidama, Gurage, and Welaita. There have been ethnic clashes between the Oromo and Somali groups, part of a long-standing conflict. In December of 2017 fighting between the two groups lead to the deaths of at least 61 individuals.

Abiy agreed to fully implement the Algiers Peace Accord and peace agreement with rival and neighbor EriteraoOn June 5^th. The Eritrean–Ethiopian War lasted from 1998 to2000, killed over 100,000 people and displaced more than a million.

For 18 years Ethiopia has maintained thousands of troops at the border, and delayed implementation of the boundary commission’s decisions. Abiy said putting an end to the conflict will help Ethiopia as well as the horn of Africa in whole.

The recent grenade attack may only be the beginning of bigger things to come. On Wednesday the Ethiopian government issued a security alert that citizens should be alert for potential follow up attacks. The government said that the perpetrators may be planning to launch multiple attacks in the future.