Police disperse public servants protest in Wolaita
May 17, 2024
Public servants who took to the street in Wolaita Sodo town to protest months of unpaid salaries were reportedly dispersed by police.
They have been protesting since Tuesday this week in the seat of Wolaita zone administration of South Ethiopia but the administration was unable to give a “satisfactory answer” , according to DW Amharic report.
The source said that the public servants gathered to take to the street again on Thursday but they were dispersed by security forces.
The protestors were drawn from various government offices in the Sodo area. They were on their way to the zone administration and office of the president of the South Ethiopia region when security forces arrived and dispersed them as they were near the zone’s court.
“We told security forces that our demand is bread and we do not have any other motive [that is to mean that the demand has nothing to do with politics]. They did not understand us and we were unable to reach the administration office,” DW cited the protestors as saying.
The situation of public servants in the Wolaita zone and other zonal administrations in the South Ethiopia regional state has been making news headline in connection with unpaid salaries. It has been reported that they were facing difficulties to feed their families.
The situation has impacted social service delivery in the region. High school students from Damot Woyde district reported that classes are suspended as teachers are not returning back to school. They protested in Bedesa town. Parents are also demanding the administration to resolve the problem.
Source: Bankrupt war-torn Ethiopia media.
