Meles Kills 5 more on Nov 1, 05

Five killed in clashes in Ethiopian capital

Tuesday, November 1, 2005 Posted: 1350 GMT (2150 HKT)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- Riot police clashed with dozens of opposition supporters in Ethiopia's capital Tuesday, shooting dead at least five people and wounding some 28 others in renewed protests against the disputed May 15 elections, health workers said.

Most of the dead were shot in the chest, and the wounded suffered gunshot wounds on their arms and legs, said doctors at the Black Lion Hospital who did not want to be identified because of fears of retribution.

An Associated Press reporter saw Red Cross ambulances bring in five victims, including a woman who was shot in the face and a man shot in the back. Some of the wounded later died in the hospital. Security forces kicked journalists out of the facilities before they could talk to the victims.

The wounded were treated in several hospitals.

The clashes occurred a day after police arrested and revoked the licenses of 30 taxi drivers who took part in renewed protests against the disputed polls. Protests against alleged electoral fraud in June saw police kill at least 42 people.

Bukara Debele, a 22-year-old tailor, said police fired indiscriminately at people on the streets, including those who were not involved in the protests.

"I was trying to get to work this morning, but the road was blocked by riot police. I could see there was beginning to be trouble, so I turned around to go home, but everyone started running and the police started shooting and I was shot in my leg," he said from a hospital bed.

"They were shooting at anyone. People were falling over and screaming, and the riot police were hitting" them with batons.

Information Minister Berhan Hailu blamed the violence on the main opposition party, adding that he had no details on casualties.

"The CUD has called for these demonstrations," Berhan said, referring to the Coalition for Unity and Democracy. "It is part of their plan to disrupt the peace and stability in the country. The incident today is a continuation of their previous disruption."

Opposition spokesman Gizachew Shiferaw urged supporters to stay calm and accused police of using excessive force.

"To blame us for this violence is madness. The trouble was incited by the government simply because people were supporting us by hooting their car horns; the measures that the police took ... were excessive," Gizachew said.

The riots began on the day the government threatened legal action against the CUD.

The party has been boycotting Ethiopia's lower house of parliament, saying it wants a resolution of questions about the results of the May parliamentary election before taking up its seats.

The party has 109 seats in the 547-member Council of People's Representatives. Opposition parties have claimed that hundreds of their supporters and members have been arrested in the past two months.

"Taking the CUD to court for its stance against the constitution is timely," the government said in a statement.

Riots subsided later Tuesday after hundreds of riot police reinforcements were deployed on streets strewn with broken glass and smoking tires.

But Western diplomats said gunfire erupted again in another part of Addis Ababa on Tuesday afternoon.