Ethiopia: Candidate Killed, Opposition Claims ‘Politically Motivated’

The opposition Blue Party (Semayawi) reported the killing of a candidate in the last parliament elections in the city of Debre Markos, in north-west Ethiopia. According to party officials, two unidentified persons fatally attacked Samuel Awoke with knives and clubs on his way home after an evening with friends.

“We are conducting an investigation into the identity of the attackers and motives, which appears politically motivated”, said Samuel Tesfaye, Blue party spokesman. Local authorities announced the arrest of a suspect, indicating that the motive may have been “a legal dispute”.

The victim already during the election campaign had reported threats and attempted assaults.

The May 24 elections were won by a landslide by the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and allies that won all 442 federal seats on 547 announced so far by the electoral commission.

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