Tigray : Protest over District restructuring,road closure reported
Borkena News
By Staff Writer
January 17, 2020
Residents of Hintalo in Tigray region, northern Ethiopia, reportedly protested over what they call government unwillingness to address their demands.
Youth groups from the area reportedly closed road between Mekelle and Samre for about three days now. And they are vowing that they will not open it until the region’s acting president and chairman of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), Debretsion Gebremichael meets them to address their demands.
Residents claim that Hintalo are meets all the qualifications to be organized as a district but authorities do not seem to be willing to make that happen.
Voice of America Amharic Service reporter in the region Mulugeta Asbaha said he tried to reach out to regional authorities to get their side of the story but there appeared to be disinterest to respond.
There was also another reported protest and road closure along Shire-Endaselassie-Shiraro road.
According to DW Amharic Service, the regional government has been working on reform measures with the intention to introduce changes to the way districts are organized. Intellectuals were delegated to conduct a study, and there seems to interest to organize districts based on resource and administrative convenience.
It is to be recalled that opposition parties operating in Tigray region have been accusing TPLF led regional government of making peaceful political struggle impossible due to excessive repression.
