Afar diaspora to protest in front of Ethiopia embassy in the US

On Friday, Afar diaspora members are organizing a major protest in front of Ethiopia embassy in the United States. The protest is an expression of prevalent anger and resentment against the Ethiopian government in the Afar region.

Last month Tigray regional government launched a military offensive in the neighboring Afar region. The Tigray government accused Afar militias and Eritrean soldiers of repeated incursion into Tigray. In the ongoing fighting, more than 300,000 have been displaced in the Afar region of Ethiopia so far.

Heavy clashes are still in progress between Tigray and Afar forces in several woredas of Afar. Despite ongoing fighting for the past three weeks, Ethiopia has not deployed federal forces to support Afar militias. Mainly Afar militias are trying to fight off Tigray forces. Some Afar opposition parties and activists are accusing the Ethiopian federal government of betraying the people of Afar. Read more..

Friday’s upcoming protest by Afar diaspora in front of the Ethiopian embassy in the US is to raise awareness about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Afar due to Tigray’s attack. Since the protest will be held in front of the Ethiopian embassy, it shows Afar’s displeasure with the Ethiopian federal government.

Afar diaspora members are distributing flyers inviting people to join the protest. Ethiopian federal government and Afar regional government supporters are trying to get the venue of this protest changed. So far, protest organizers have refused to change the venue. They want to press ahead with Friday’s demonstration in front of the Ethiopian embassy.

Afar regional government of President Awol Araba is also under fire for not speaking out against the Ethiopian Federal Government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad.

In November last year, Tigray forces were threatening to remove the Ethiopian federal government by reaching the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Afar militias and regional forces played a key role in pushing Tigray forces out of Amhara and Afar regions.