Ethiopia: Grenade thrown into bus station in Moyale April 17

Event

Oromia regional officials said that a grenade exploded inside a bus station in Moyale on Tuesday, April 17. According to initial reports, at least three people have been killed and more than 60 wounded in the attack. The regional administration blamed the controversial Liyu Force for the attack; however, no group has yet publicly claimed responsibility.

Context

The Moyale area has experience several violent incidents in recent months. During demonstrations on March 11, soldiers reportedly killed nine civilians and wounded 12 others after mistaking them for rebels. The Liyu Force is a special police force that operates in the Somali region to combat the Oromo Liberation Front but has also allegedly been deployed into the Oromia region. Rights groups have accused the force of committing serious violations, including the extra-judicial killing of civilians.

Ethiopia is currently under a state of emergency, which was declared on February 16 after the resignation of then-Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Associated measures, implemented amid an increasingly tense security environment, include a ban on protests and on the production and distribution of publications deemed to incite violence.

Advice

Individuals in Moyale, and more generally in the Oromia region, are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid any large gatherings and demonstrations due to the risk of violence, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities or their home government.