Ethiopia's Irreecha Festival Organized Amid Tight Security

Amid tight security, thousands of people from the Oromo, Ethiopia's largest ethnic group, celebrated yesterday their thanksgiving festival in Bishoftu city, after the authorities said they had seized weapons and foiled attacks in previous days.

The Irreecha festival has saw violent protests before by the Oromo, complaining of political exclusion.

Earlier in June, a popular singer was killed, sparking unrest led to the arrest of prominent Oromo politicians, which all raised concern of violence at the two-day festival.

According to Reuters, forces from both regional and federal police, as well from the army, descended on Bishoftu in large numbers, on the eve of the festival.

There were at least 10 checkpoints by the main lakeside site of the celebrations, and only those with special badges could enter.

"Irreecha has been a platform used by people to express their anger and outrage...that is why this time around they deny people to celebrate this year," said Abdi Fikadu, 26, a health professional.

"On the eve of celebrations, police officials in Bishoftu stopped a group of youths at a bar singing and dancing to songs by Haacaaluu Hundeessaa, the musician killed in June," a Reuters witness said. Others were prevented from attending the festival.

A day earlier, Oromiya's regional police arrested 503 people, accusing them of planning to cause violence during the festival and seized guns and hand grenades.

Dawit Dugama, 25, came all the way from Addis Ababa along with nine friends to take part the festival. They were told they could not join the crowds without a badge. "We were told that we can't be part of the celebration because we don't have badge. This is the government's way to suppress peoples' voices," he said.

At the festival in 2016, more than 50 people were killed in a stampede triggered when police used teargas and shot in the air to disperse anti-government protesters.

The festival passed without incident in the capital Addis Ababa on Saturday, again amid very tight security. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed thanked organizers and participants for celebrating peacefully in a Facebook post yesterday.