Ethiopia arrests 1,645 "ringleaders and bandits" in crackdown on violence
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ADDIS ABABA - Ethiopian authorities said on Thursday they had detained 1,645 people since declaring a state of emergency less than two weeks ago in a bid to quell mass protests and violence.
Around 1,200 of those were described as ringleaders, the rest coordinators, suspects and "bandits", in the statement by the government body formed to deal with the unrest.
Ethiopia announced a security crackdown on Oct. 8 amid a wave of attacks on mostly foreign-owned businesses and demonstrations over land and political rights.
The United States and other major donors have raised concerns about the measures, which include dusk-to-dawn curfews in some areas, restrictions on the opposition and curbs on diplomats' movements.
