By Meletus EZE
Ethiopia on Tuesday said it had arrested 276 individuals for their suspected roles in deadly violence in Dire Dawa city, located in Eastern Ethiopia.
The Dire Dawa city police commission said this in a statement issued in Addis Ababa.
The police said that the 276 individuals were arrested over suspicion of involvement in deadly violence that rocked the city for several days of last week.
The police commission further said steps were being undertaken to return calm in the city.
A witness said the underlying reason for the last week violence in Dire Dawa city was “unfair” administrative power distribution arrangements among different ethnic groups in the city.
The violence left at least two people dead, scores of others wounded.
Ethiopia follows an ethnic model, which has been credited with giving self-governance rights to more than 80 ethnic groups that make up the country’s estimated 100 million people.
However, critics claim that the model magnifies ethnic diversity at the expense of national unity, leading to occasional ethnic tension and clashes.
Similarly, the UN migration agency, International Organisation for Migration (IOM), on Tuesday said that it had been preparing to repatriate 350 Ethiopians stranded in Yemen.
In a statement, IOM said the 350 Ethiopians is scheduled to depart on several chartered flights from Sana’a International Airport to Addis Ababa Bole International Airport on Tuesday and Wednesday.
“There are currently limited pathways for migrants to return home from Yemen.
“Through coordination with government authorities, partners and IOM teams, we’re ensuring Ethiopian migrants can reach their homeland in a safe manner,” said the IOM statement.
IOM further said upon their expected arrival home, Ethiopian migrants would be provided with temporary accommodation, meals and non-food items, onward transportation assistance and psychological support.
Every year, thousands of Ethiopians looking for better economic opportunities abroad are estimated to be trafficked through Somalia, Djibouti and the Red Sea to reach the Arabian Peninsula.
Ethiopian migrants in Yemen reportedly face constant abuses by smugglers and other criminals, including arbitrary detention and forced labour.—-Xinhua
