Businesses and schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, remained closed on Monday and public transport was at a virtual standstill as workers shied away from the city in the aftermath of last week’s clashes that killed at least 40.
Streets were deserted, with taxis and minibuses still not back in operation. By mid-morning, many employees had still not reported for work despite appeals by the authorities via state media on Sunday night for people to ”resume their normal life without fear”.
It was not immediately clear if people were staying away from work out of fear or in response to a call the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUDP) made last month for a sustained nationwide general strike to protest alleged vote rigging by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling EPRDF party in May elections.
Although the capital city was quiet over the weekend, there were reports of disturbances in several major cities around the country.
Two days of clashes erupted last Tuesday in Addis Ababa as stone-throwing youths protested the wave of deaths and arrests that followed May’s allegedly fraudulent elections.
More than 40 people were killed and scores of others were injured during the disturbances last week, which by Friday had spread to about a dozen other cities.
Four more people were killed and 11 others were injured in the disturbances that surfaced on Friday at Bahir Dar, on the shores of Lake Tana, 560km north-west of Addis Ababa, according to government media reports.
The state media did not report the appeal made late on Sunday by ambassadors Tim Clarke of the European Union, Bob Dewar of Britain and Vicki Huddelston of the United States for an end to violence, and the call to the government and the main opposition to resume dialogue aimed at resolving the post-election crises.
There was no response to this appeal by Monday from the government, as Meles had been out of the country attending a conference in Germany. He was expected home later on Monday. — Sapa-DPA