By Associated Press,
The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations says her country has raised “grave concerns” about what it calls excessive use of force against protesters in Ethiopia.
Ambassador Samantha Power spoke to reporters late Sunday as the U.N. Security Council ended a visit to South Sudan. It moves on to Ethiopia on Monday for talks with African Union officials.
Power called the violence in Ethiopia “extremely serious” and called for a transparent and independent investigation. She said the U.S. has asked the government to allow people to protest peacefully.
Ethiopia has seen months of sometimes deadly protests calling for wider freedoms, while the government has been accused of killings, beatings and internet blockages.
The AU last week for the first time expressed concern about the recent unrest in its host country.
Twenty three Died in Ethiopia Prison Fire
By Emmanuel Igunza | for BBC Africa,
Ethiopia’s government has confirmed that 23 people died when fire broke out in a prison where prominent anti-government protesters are reportedly being held.
A statement from the government affairs communications team says 21 inmates died due to stampede and suffocation while two others were killed as they tried to escape Qilinto prison, on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa on Saturday.
But some local media have disputed the account citing unnamed witnesses who claim to have seen prisoners being shot by prison wardens.
We reported earlier that the Ethiopian government had acknowledged the fire but previously did not specify the number of deaths.
