Tens of thousands from Ethiopia's Amhara ethnic group marched in the northern city of Gondar—the largest demonstration yet in a wave of recent protests. Amhara are angered by the government’s decision to place a local district called Welkait (Wolkayit) under the administration of neighboring Tigray region. In videos shared on social media, protesters are seen carrying signs reading: "Stop mass killing of Amhara people" and "Restore the historic border." The demonstration—staged in defiance of a government order—also expressed solidarity with the Oromia protests held between November and March in opposition to a government development plan in the region that could affect poor farmers.
On July 15, protests over the Welkait issue in Gondar turned violent, with 10 reported killed.
The Ethiopian government, which is controlled by ethnic Tigreans, has accused the Amhara protesters of "working in cahoots" with the Eritrean regime in a plot to destabilize the country. (AFP, Africa News, July 31; Al Jazeera, DW, July 15)
