At least 1,200 zonal and district level government officials and 500 other government employees have been apprehended in connection with last month’s deadly unrest in Ethiopia.
Ethiopia’s Oromia regional communication affairs bureau disclosed this in a statement.
The bureau said legal procedures were followed prior to the arrests of the government officials and civil servants.
Reports revealed that the July unrest was sparked by the assassination of popular musician Hachalu Hundesa, 34, whose songs focused on the rights of the country’s Oromo people, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group which led to the death of 166 people.
Prior to his death, Hachalu reportedly received death threats and he was gunned down on Monday night of June 29 while driving which led to arrest of 35 people in connection to his death including prominent politician Jawar Mohammed.
The recent report by Daily Nation indicated that the arrested government employees are suspected of being involved in the security crisis and some security officials were accused of lending their weapons to attackers .
Meanwhile, the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) branch in the Oromia region has also suspended the membership of Ethiopia’s Defense minister Lemma Megersa in the executive central committee.
It has also removed two others Teyba Hassen, and Milkessa Midega, from the executive body over alleged failure to discharge their duties and acting unilaterally contrary to the party’s regulations