Ethiopia: Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigns February 15

Event

Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned on Thursday, February 15, following years of anti-government protests and related violence that have left hundreds of people dead. The move comes amid increasingly rapid reforms undertaken by the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in recent weeks, including the release of hundreds of political prisoners immediately before Desalegn's resignation which prompted celebrations across Ethiopia. Desalegn claimed that his resignation is an important step in such reforms and in quelling recent nationwide unrest; he is expected to continue to serve as acting prime minister until parliament names a successor. Related demonstrations and gatherings, heightened security measures, and consequent transportation disruptions are possible in Ethiopia in the coming days.

Context

Political violence has plagued parts of Ethiopia since 2015, when protesters demanded that the proposed Addis Ababa urban development plan be scrapped due to concerns from the Oromo ethnic group that land on their farms would be seized. Demonstrators also protested against perceived political marginalization and human rights abuses, and called for an end to corruption and political and economic reform. Among the regions most affected by the protests have been Oromia and Amhara, in which hundreds of people died in the ensuing violence in 2015 and 2016. Political and ethnic tensions have since simmered in the affected regions despite the imposition of a ten-month state of emergency which ended in 2017, with periodic outbreaks of protests, associated violence, and arrests of opposition supporters.

Most recently, youth movements in the Amhara and Oromia regions called for a three-day stay-at-home strike February 12-14 to demand the resignation of the government, the unconditional release of all political prisoners, and the withdrawal of defense forces from regional towns. Large gatherings and associated road closures were reported across Oromia region during the strike, causing disruptions to travel in various areas, including near the capital Addis Ababa, as well as the towns of Harar and Dire Dawa.

Advice

Individuals in Ethiopia 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.

On a more general note, due to the terrorist threat linked to the Somali group Al-Shabaab, many Western governments advise their citizens against all travel to the Ogaden region and other areas along the border with Somalia, as well as nonessential travel to the rest of the Ethiopian Somali region. The Eritrean, Sudanese, South Sudanese, and Kenyan borders are also considered high-risk destinations.