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WORLD NEWS Saturday 30 May 2020

New report alleges killings, mass detentions in Ethiopia

By ELIAS MESERET in October, political parties
Associated Press are disagreeing on strate-
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia gies for how to avoid a po-
(AP) — A new report by the tential constitutional crisis.
rights group Amnesty Inter- Amnesty acknowledged
national accuses Ethiopia's that Ethiopian authorities
security forces of extraju- have made notable prog-
dicial killings and mass de- ress in changing the coun-
tentions even as the coun- try's bleak human rights re-
try's reformist prime minister cord. But "with elections on
was awarded the Nobel the horizon, these violations
Peace Prize. and abuses could escalate
The report issued Friday out of control unless the
says security forces killed at government takes urgent
least 25 people in 2019 in measures to ensure security
the East Guji and West Guji forces act within the law,"
zones of the restive Oromia said Deprose Muchena,
region amid suspicions of the group's director for East
supporting a rebel group, and Southern Africa, add-
the Oromo Liberation ing that "authorities must
Army, and a once-exiled also recognize that holding
opposition group. And at diverse political views and
least 10,000 people under opinions is legal."
suspicion were detained In this Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016 file photo, Ethiopian soldiers try to stop protesters in Bishoftu, during a The new report blames a
between January and Sep- declared state of emergency, in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. Associated Press range of actors for the vio-
tember, with most "subject- lence during 2019 includ-
ed to brutal beatings." called the report "a one- be conducted "at the ap- Such violence is a concern ing regional police special
The government of Prime sided snapshot security propriate time." as the country faces a cru- forces, local administration
Minister Abiy Ahmed, who analysis that fails to appro- Tensions among some of cial national election, now officials and armed youth
was awarded the peace priately capture the broad- Ethiopia's more than 80 delayed because of the and vigilante groups. The
prize in December for er political trajectory and ethnic groups have risen, coronavirus, that will be a rights group noted that
sweeping political reforms security developments." along with some calls for measure of support for the in the new, wider politi-
and restoring ties with The government statement more autonomy, and the country's changes since cal space some politicians
neighboring Eritrea after rejected "malicious claims" new report also documents Abiy took office in early have been "stirring up eth-
two decades of hostilities, of extrajudicial killings and some of the intercommu- 2018. With no election date nic and religious animosi-
acknowledged that "the the mass detentions but nal violence in the Oromia set and mandates for the ties," sparking violence in
reform process has at times said if rights violations oc- and Amhara regions, the executive and regional and five of the country's nine
experienced bumps" but curred, an investigation will country's most populous. federal legislatures ending regional states.q

Locust invasion wreaks havoc on

Pakistan’s crops, orchards

By ASIM TANVEER and say originates in Africa and the insects as some tried to
MUNIR AHMED is the most destructive of kill them with sticks.
Associated Press the locust species, began Chaudhry Asghar, an agri-
MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — damaging crops in Paki- culture officer in the Punjab
An invasion of locusts has stan last month. provincial capital of Mul-
spread across Pakistan, of- But the situation worsened tan, said millions of desert
ficials said Friday, causing this week and authorities locusts had already dam-
damage to crops and or- began dispatching air- aged orchards, crops and
chards and posing a threat craft and spraying ma- vegetables.
to food security in an im- chines filled with pesticides "We have intensified efforts Farmers spray insecticide in a mango tree orchard in
poverished Islamic nation mounted on vehicles to to save our crops from any Muzaffargarh, Pakistan, Friday, May 29, 2020.
already struggling to tackle eliminate the insects, which further invasion of locusts," Associated Press
a virus pandemic that has are roughly the length of a Syed Fahar Imam, national
caused more than 1,300 finger and fly together by food security minister, said The insects have wreaked western Baluchistan prov-
deaths. the millions. Friday. He said the govern- havoc on swathes of farm- ince. They also attacked
Massive swarms of the des- Farmers could be seen ment will buy five more air- land in eastern Punjab, crops in the northwest bor-
ert locust, which experts wading through clouds of craft for spraying crops. southern Sindh and south- dering Afghanistan. q