Ethiopia has accused “foreign enemies” of arming, training, and financing groups it blames for a wave of unrest in regions around the capital, Addis Ababa, a day after a six-month state of emergency was imposed.
At a news conference on Monday government spokesman Getachew Reda named Eritrea, which has a long-running border dispute with Ethiopia, and Egypt, which is embroiled in a row with Addis Ababa over sharing Nile water, as sources of backing for “armed gangs”
“There are countries which are directly involved in arming, financing and training these elements,” said Reda.
Reda said, however, it could be elements who do not have formal government support acting rather than “state actors”
Egypt last week denied providing any support for Ethiopian protestors.
Hundreds of anti government protesters were killed in months of violence in the country mainly in the Oromia region dominated by ethnic majority Oromos.
