Ethiopia police admit excessive force

Many protesters were beaten in Addis's worst riots for 10 years

By Nita Bhalla in Addis Ababa

The police in Ethiopia have admitted to using extreme force to control crowds during the riots in Addis Ababa in April.

Mishaps had indeed occurred

Police representative

The violence, which left more than 30 dead and more than 250 injured was the civil unrest the country has witnessed in almost a decade.

The police, who drafted thousands of special forces onto the streets, were criticised for their response in dealing with the disturbances.

A local news agency, the Walta Information Centre, said the admission was made in the Ethiopian parliament on Thursday.

Students were detained by police

Federal Police Commission representative Getachew Erena said "mishaps had indeed occurred despite appropriate orientation to the cops prior to their assignment".

Captain Getachew added that the lack of rules and regulations that govern the activities and the code of conduct of the police had created problems during the riots.

The protests of 10,000 Addis Ababa University students for their academic rights gained the support of many in the capital.

The general public in Addis Ababa was sympathetic with the students' calls for the removal of police from their campus, and their rights to freedom of expression.

Violence

This support was however taken one step further on the 17 and 18 April, when thousands of jobless youths used the student protests as an excuse to vent their own frustrations with the government.

The police responded by drafting in thousands of policemen, who fired live ammunition into the crowds. They also beat up and arrested thousands of people, some of whom had little to do with the rioting.

Many at home and abroad have criticised the police for what they call "heavy-handedness" and questions were asked why tear gas, water canons and plastic bullets were not used as a form of crowd control.

This unprecedented admission by the police will be welcomed by many, but sources say it does not resolve the issue.

Thousands of students still continue to boycott classes claiming that their protests have not been answered, and hundreds arrested in connection with the riots are still in detention camps, without charges being made against them.