Hachalu Hundessa, a 34-year-old Singer and Activist from Ethiopia, known as the soundtrack that backed the Oromo group’s fight against marginalization was shot dead in Addis Ababa on July 1, 2020.
Mr Hachalu was taken to the hospital after the attack but later died from the injuries he sustained. Protests broke out at the hospital he was taken to and reverberated southeast of the capital, in Ambo town of the Oromia region.
This has led to unrest in which at least 239 people including an unnamed uncle of the activist have been killed. Reactions to his murder have spread as far as the United States where Ethiopians in Minnesota gathered and wove their country’s flags in a demonstration.
Over 2000 people were also arrested during the protests, including prominent Oromo political activist Jawar Mohammed, and 30 of his supporters. He was made to appear before a court on Thursday. The court adjourned with Jawar to reappear on July 16 and Bekele Garba another activist who was arrested with him is due to reappear on July 13.
Music of Resistance
In 2018, Awol Allo, a specialist in political violence and human rights, wrote about music as a tool for protest by the Oromo people: “Oromo music and concerts have rarely been strictly musical. They have always been sites of political agitation, cultural self-affirmation, and spiritual rejuvenation, drawing together audiences who share an unassailable commitment to the Oromo cause.”
Hachalu was a pillar of this movement and inspired a generation to fight for their rights. He was a key figure in the 2015 protests that eventually led to political reforms in Ethiopia in 2018. His songs became the anthems for the protests that resulted in the resignation of Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn in 2018.
Internet Crack Down in Ethiopia
Internet services were shut down in the country soon as the unrest started, further stoking tensions, Netblocks an internet observatory group in Ethiopia has reported.
Prime Minister Abiy flips the internet switch off and on, at will. In 2019, the country was met by several internet blackouts despite the incumbent’s promise to promote justice and freedom of expression. “Rather than restoring calm, the authorities’ internet shutdown, apparent excessive use of force, and arrest of political opposition figures could make a volatile situation even worse. The government should take prompt steps to reverse these actions or risk sliding deeper into crisis,” the human rights watch has advised.
Ethiopian locales in the US held a rally in St. Paul on Sunday to bring to attention, human rights violations in the country.
