Ethiopian police arrest 33, recover stock of arms
Nov 13, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia’s police over the weekend arrested 33 people and recovered an stock of 66 assorted weapons in Oromia state, east of the capital Addis Ababa, officials said on Sunday.
The people were arrested in Eastern Shoa region, about 100 kilometres east of the capital with possession of the arms that included 34 Kalashnikovs, pistols, grenades and several rounds of ammunition, said the region police spokesman Aschalew Alemu.
Police in Oromia “have arrested 33 individuals who were found with 66 different arms and 427 rounds (of ammunition) after being tipped off by residents in the area,” Aschalew told the state-run Ethiopia News Agency (ENA).
The police sweeps took place in the state’s towns of Arssi Negele, Shashamen and Bishoftu, he added.
Police suspect that the arms were kept by supporters of the opposition Coalition of Unity and Democracy (CUD) and could be used in street protests organised by the party over alleged fraud in the May 15 polls.
Earlier this month, riots erupted in Addis Ababa and other towns when the CUD called on Ethiopians to protest over the elections, prompting a bloody crackdown that claimed at least 48 lives and left hundreds injured.
In June, at least 37 people died in similar circumstances.
(AFP/ST)