Ethiopia Restores Partial Internet access
ADDIS ABEBA – The Ethiopian government on Wednesday restored partial access to the internet after a total shutdown since June 29 following deadly unrest that erupted in the capital Addis Ababa and other parts of the country killing at least 239 people.
Deadly protests erupted in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, as well as various cities and towns in Ethiopia’s largest Oromia Regional State during the past week, as protestors went violent following a public outrage attributed to the killing of a popular Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa, who was killed on June 29 by unknown people in Addis Ababa.
The incident triggered a total internet shutdown that has been in place since June 29, a move the Ethiopian government said has helped to control the situation and curb unwanted destruction by violent protestors who have “hidden personal agenda.”
Amid the shutdown across the country, only foreign diplomatic missions and embassies, government institutions and continental and regional organisations had access to the internet.
The Ethiopian government restored WIFI and broadband internet access in the early hours of Wednesday as normalcy returned across almost all the unrest-hit parts of the East African country, according to police.
According to the Ethiopian Police Commission, the public has returned to its normal day-to-day activities in all the unrest-hit parts of the country after government security forces fully controlled the situation and brought back law and order since last week.
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Agencies, Xinhua
