By Olaleke ASHAFA
Police in Dire Dawa, a city in Eastern Ethiopia, on Friday arrested 308 people for their suspected roles in recent unrest in the city.
Dire Dawa city police commission said preliminary investigations are currently being undertaken on the 308 suspects to determine whether they should face criminal charges, Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation reported.
The local authorities also warned unspecified entities and individuals not to strike in Dire Dawa city.
At least two people were killed and many others injured in violence that hit Dire Dawa city last week.
An eyewitness said the underlying reason for the violence was “unfair” administrative power distribution arrangements among different ethnic groups in the city.
Ethiopia, which has more than 80 ethnic groups that make up the country’s estimated 100 million people, follows an ethnic federalism model.
Critics claim that the model magnifies ethnic diversity at the expense of national unity, leading to occasional ethnic tension and clashes.——Xinhua
