Political Protests Increase, Ethiopia

[Said1]

The title should say "Violent Political Protestes Increase, Westerners Targetted".

Political protests spread to other parts of Ethiopia after a week of bloody clashes between demonstrators and police in the capital.

Western diplomats said they had reports of several deaths in protests outside the capital Addis Ababa. Scattered gunfire and rioting was also reported in the capital, where doctors said at least one person was wounded.

Police have killed at least 40 people since violent confrontations began on Tuesday in the capital, following largely peaceful protests on Monday, medical officials said.

The medical workers asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation from government officials, who put the number of dead over the week at 13 civilians and one police officer.

Protests erupted in Dessie, Gondar, Bahar Dar, Arba Minch, Awassa, Dire Dawa and other towns, according to Western diplomats, hotel owners and tour operators.

Protesters in Bahar Dar - a tourist site northwest of Addis Ababa - stopped a bus carrying 20 European tourists, including Spaniards, and tried to set it on fire using cans filled with petrol. Police fired in the air to disperse the rioters and the bus drove off, said Dario Morello of Greenland Tours.

"The tourists were terrified. The situation is not good," he said.

Diplomats said they had reports of police continuing to round up suspected opposition leaders overnight, perhaps as many as 3,000 people.

Ambassadors from 21 countries that donate large sums of money to Ethiopia issued a statement expressing concern at the violence, calling for an urgent investigation and recommending all political detainees be either charged or released.

European Union chief election observer Ana Gomes sent an urgent appeal to EU governments and the Commission to act to end the "bloodbath."

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